Tag Archives: Jesus

Motivation. Encouragement. Give and take circle.

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This weekend we watched a fantastic sermon by an Evangelical preacher, Nick Vujicic.  If you’ve not heard of him, or his book Life without Limbs,  do yourself a favor and check him out.  We were introduced to him two-fold: 1)My son’s AMAZING 5th grade teacher gifted him with Nick’s book and 2) at a similar time my husband watched a video of a sermon of his.  The message was simple and true:  the “things” we think that will fill the hole in our lives to bring happiness will NEVER fill the “GOD-shaped” hole in our hearts.  One of the many examples was Nick praying repeatedly in his life for arms and legs.  “If I only had arms and legs, God, THEN I would be happy.”  And then he asked the audience, “YOU have arms and legs.  Are YOU happy?”  The grass is always greener on the other side, isn’t it?

And so, we discussed with the kids the message.  The examples.  The Truth that Christ brings into our lives and the fulfillment we receive when we live out our lives stepping out in faith that the One who brought us out of the darkness WILL bring us to an everlasting joy.  Our time here is fleeting and what awaits us is so far beyond our wildest hopes and dreams.  While we are trekking through this life though, motivating each other to take one more step, encouraging each other on through hardships and difficulty, we spread Christ’s message through our actions, examples and words.  It starts at home and we are to be content in what we are given and to use those gifts to their maximum.  Life comes full circle.  When we are in need, we receive and when we encounter misfortune we do what we can to provide comfort and aid.  If the man with no arms and no legs can overcome depression and live his life for the glory of God, surfing, getting married and bringing 500,000 people to know Jesus, can we not look within and live our own lives maximizing the gifts we have been given?

For me, my own excuses the last few days in response to whatever tasks lie in front of me, have sounded hollow, empty and weak.  Because, He has far more in mind for me than excuses.

Hebrews 3:13

But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called “Today,” so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.

**all photos pulled from the web, from Nick’s website and general Google search!

Palm Sunday

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Palm Sunday.  Onset of lots of extra people in church.  (JK, but true!)  Beginning of Holy Week.

Jesus enters Jerusalem lauded and anticipated as the possible Messiah with welcoming adoration of  “Hosanna”.  Before the week’s end the same crowd will call for His death, “Crucify him!  Crucify him!”. We are fickle people.  Repeating the same steps, day in, day out.  2000 years later.  Joyful anticipation of Easter, Resurrection Sunday.  Deaf to how He calls us to live our life.  To walk the Talk.  Living out our faith beyond the pew.  Accepting our differences.  Forgiving our faults.  Encouraging those mustard seeds to take root and offer rest and shade to all who are weary as that seed blooms to the giant tree.  Before we celebrate the empty tomb, the Risen Lord, we must experience the betrayal, the condemnation, the pain and suffering and the Death of Jesus.  On a Cross.  Obedient unto death.  So that we may live.  So that we may receive the strength, courage, grace and hope to make it through this life with the hope of Heaven when these days are over.   It’s a tough week.  It’s a powerful ending.

Many blessings as we enter into this holiest of weeks.  And, as the Pope said in his Palm Sunday message, “May Palm Sunday be a day of decision for you, the decision to say yes to the Lord and to follow him all the way, the decision to make his Passover, his death and resurrection, the very focus of your Christian lives. ”

The Merry, Crazy month of December!

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And so it begins…..the merry, crazy, chaotic, overscheduled month of December.  Thanksgiving and Christmas are positively my favorite holidays of the year.  Thanksgiving because the focus is on family, food, friends and taking a few seconds to appreciate how much we have to be grateful for.  And blessed we are.

(Ok, this picture is actually from last year because I took NO food pictures this year, possibly because I was truly enjoying the moment, however, the bounty was similarly traditional and full!)

Hubby was truly thankful to be enjoying non-institutional food with his favorite people on the planet (US!!).  My grandparents joined us last-minute due to car trouble while driving to SC to see my aunt and cousins.  I know she was sad to have missed the trip, but it all worked out and we had a great dinner. and somehow there just weren’t as many leftovers as I had thought….and it was all worth it!!

The remainder of the month will be filled with:

  • the town Christmas parade:   2 of 4 children participating
  • school programs:  band concert x 2
  • shopping:  any time I can fit it in…lunch time is UBER productive during December!
  • church programs:  2 of 4 children participating
  • cookie exchange:  an annual event by my old roommate, her mother in law and sisters in law and the focus is on fellowship, food, exchanging AMAZING cookies and Jesus.  Yes, I said His name, Jesus.  This IS Christmas people, notice the “Christ” at the beginning of the word?  The entire season is because it is a celebration of Jesus’ birth!!!  (had to clear that out….political correctness has no place here..)  It is a fabulous time!!
  • “Happy birthday, Jesus” party with my grandparents, an annual event which we ALL look forward to!
  • tree decorating, holiday baking
  • dinner with our Priest at our house
  • Walk through Bethlehem with one of the local churches
  • Hiding Finding our “Elf”, Friefel
  • West side story high school production (date with hubby)
  • Sending and receiving Christmas cards (of which we are ALL in this year!!)
  • Nutcracker with the girls.  It will be the first time for ALL of us and  a total surprise for them.
  • finish up with regular school, work, flag football and softball and it’s a crazy month.  And I bet YOUR month looks JUST the same!!

(these delicious Peanut butter Buckeye balls are the favorite of our family for holiday baking!)

Don’t forget, the Reason for the Season.  Christmas is a day to celebrate the birth of Jesus and the days leading up to that, Advent.  The waiting on the Lord.  The anticipation.  Enjoy every moment.  Every morsel.  May your Advent season and Christmas be as joyous and filled with thanks as ours!!!