Christmas Joy!

 

From our house to yours,

Merry Christmas!

And may joy, health and peace

abound in the 

New Year.

Love and blessings,

Martha and Danny

Kittie Cat Christmas

 

For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now. ~Romans 8:22

Rocky and Riley are the two fortunate kitties that my daughter, Sarah, and her husband, John, adopt after they lose their beloved Henry in January of this year.  They hope that these new additions will help their girls, especially Virginia, who thought of Henry as her best friend, begin to heal the gaping holes Henry's passing leaves in their hearts.

Their strategy works!  Whenever we FaceTime, we can count on one of the girls carrying the nearest cat to the phone so we can see them, too.  They have become fast friends with these sweet pets.

After Thanksgiving, Sarah and John decide to set up their Christmas tree.  This is the first Christmas for the young kitties.  While no one thinks they will anything more than curl up under it, just as Henry used to, they are in for an unexpected surprise.

Riley is a climber!

Seeing her innocent face peeking out from amidst the branches warms everyone's hearts.  She isn't destructive in the least, and it seems to us that she wants to embrace the Christmas spirit with her new "furever" family.  As for Rocky?  He seems content to stay grounded in the glitter below.

All of God's creatures, I believe, rejoice in their own way as we look forward to our celebration of our Savior's coming into the world, knowing Jesus will return one day to establish his kingdom on earth.  They seem to know, too, with the changes happening in their once-familiar environment, something special awaits on the horizon.

And yes, indeed, that is truer than true.

Amen!

~

As promised, here is an update on Alexandra:  Her surgery to remove her tonsils and adenoids is successful!  The doctor told John and Sarah that there was a lot of scarring, so it was past time to have this done.  Although she is still hurting, and has to take some pain medication, Sarah tells me that her voice now has a higher pitch than it did before since she isn't so stuffed up.  Prayers for her complete healing are so appreciated, dear friends.  Thanks most sincerely for all the prayers you've lifted already.  You are the best!

Alexandra with Daddy all smiles and set to go into surgery.  

Prayer Request

 

Alexandra displaying the war paint from her birthday cake last July

Pray without ceasing. 1 Thessalonians 5:17

Our youngest granddaughter, Alexandra, is what my mother would have called a "pepper tail."  She is ever spunky, and full of good-humored mischief and daring-do.  No challenge is deemed beyond her capability as she always tries to compete with her two older sisters, Virginia and Savannah, in high-spirited fashion.  Alexandra, with her unruly brown hair, so NOT blonde like her sisters, and a penchant for adventure, never lets anything get her down.

Until now.

She is facing surgery to remove her tonsils and adenoids this coming Friday.  Her parents, John and Sarah, know this procedure is inevitable after trips to the doctors and rounds of antibiotics fail to move the needle.  No one wants Alexandra to continue to suffer, but at the tender age of nine, she is daunted by the unknown, not able to fully understand that the surgery she will undergo will alleviate the awful throat and ear pain with which she's been afflicted.

And no child wants to be sick at Christmas.

We will have a FaceTime this week with Sarah and the girls, especially Alexandra.  Her Papa wants her to know that when he was little, he had to have the same procedure done as did her Uncle Giovanni.  He hopes this will reassure her, and give her comfort, that everything being done is for her own good health and happier days in the future.

Sounds a lot like what our loving Father in heaven wants for all of us, doesn't it?

I know this is a crazy, busy time of the year, but could you all add Alexandra to your prayer lists at home and at church?  Your prayers are so needed at this critical juncture in her young life.  And I thank each and every one of you for caring enough to do so.

My heart's desire is to see Alexandra's vim and vigor restored fully before Santa comes down the chimney.  With your prayers, and God's presence, I have every confidence that the Lord will come through for her and the entire family.

May God bless you in this season of Advent and beyond!

Amen!

Watching and Waiting

 

Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord.  See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and latter rain.  You also be patient.  Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. ~James 5:7-8

Advent is here once again, ushering in perhaps the most fruitful season of waiting in the church calendar year.  When we reflect upon waiting, in and of itself, we are often barraged by negative reactions in our minds of the places we find ourselves in the inescapable grips of having to wait.  At the doctor's office.  Caught in snarled traffic.  Endless lines at grocery and department store check outs.

We grow frustrated.  Angry, even.  We feel our blood pressure waxing and our patience waning.  On the commercial side of these holidays, we can be tempted to exude none of the good tidings and great joy the season promises with every carol and bell resounding over the store's speakers.

But Advent signals another type of waiting altogether.  This is waiting with a purpose.  A holy purpose.  The heavenly promise fulfilled that night in a lowly stable.  The promise that Jesus, the Lord and Savior of all, will return one day to redeem the entire world, once and for all.

This time, we're not having to wait; we are wanting to wait.

With joy and eager anticipation of His coming again.  Establishing our hearts, making ample room for Him to feel welcomed and adored.

I do hope and pray, during this wondrous season of watching and waiting, that each of you will do so with patience and expectation, knowing that the best gift ever given is close at hand.  And let the joy of Jesus, the Light of the World, to shine through to others, even and especially when you find yourself in a having-to-wait situation.

Amen!

Give Thanks!

 

Backyard wild turkeys in 2019

Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good!  His mercy endures forever.   ~1 Chronicles 16:34

In America, this one nation under God, we have so much for which to be thankful.  It is my hope and prayer that each and every one of you who visit here have a most blessed Thanksgiving Day, and that you will give thanks to the Lord with every breath you take.  He is good and His mercy endures forever!

Please take a moment to reflect and leave your messages of gratitude to God in the comments below.

Happy Thanksgiving!

In the Letting Go

 

This poem originally appeared here one year ago.

There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens. ~Ecclesiastes 3:1

Verdant leaf, once I was

One of many countless friends

Who waved and shouted glory

In the presence of the sun

Vibrant, filled with vigor

Waxing, no waning thoughts

In the season yet to come

Season here, my color fades

Shining green steeped in brown

There's not the strength to carry on

But in the letting go, I live

Because the promise of the One

Knows I have played my part

Amen!

Top Priority

 

Shiloh Community Church

But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. ~Matthew 6:33

He who has God and everything else has no more than he who has God only. ~C. S. Lewis

If someone asks you, what is your top priority in life, what would your answer be?  How do you think most people would respond when confronted with this inquiry?  The modern world in which we live is largely secular.  We are bombarded daily with messages from ads and commercials that we need this or that product to enhance our beauty, whiten our smiles, relieve our pain, achieve our worldly goals, get that promotion, drive the classiest car, reduce our weight, and the list could, and does, go on and on.

Christmas is right around the corner.  Sadly, instead of thoughtfully and lovingly preparing our hearts for the advent of Jesus as a babe in the manger, so many people are strung out like tangled Christmas lights as we prepare our homes for the perfect tree, perfect decorations, perfect meals, and perfect family gatherings in the offing.  We want to appear to be perfect in every way, don't we?

But the hard truth is none of us, even those deemed righteous by others, can ever be perfect.  Nor, were we meant to be.  Dare I say, we need to repeat the phrase, Jesus is the reason for the season, when life becomes hectic and we feel overwhelmed at the holidays.

The world tells us lies about who we are.  It says we're not enough.  We don't have enough.  

But God.

Our Father created us in His image.  Each one of us is unique and loved by Him.  In His gracious time, He sent His only Son not to punish, but to take all the slings and arrows we deserve upon Himself.  What does Jesus ask in return?  Place His Father at the top of our priority list, just as the tops of our Christmas trees often display a shining star symbolizing the great one that guided the wise men to Jesus so many years ago.

So, before the holidays catch you dashing and dancing around like frenzied reindeer, STOP!  Take a deep breath, or two or three.  Close your eyes.  Give prayers and praise to God for all His blessings and mercy in our lives.

If seeking God and His will is at the top of your priority list, all else will fall into place.

Amen!