11/13/2018
The EnchantmentTHE ENCHANTMENT Some people (aka me) are Christmas lunatics. Some people are Christmas Scrooge’s and others are somewhere in between. So last January, being the lunatic I am, I decided that “Christmas” would be my word for the new year and promised to post something once a month that reminded us of the beautiful spirit of the season. It started out great. Everyone had the cozy Christmas feelings still lingering, but somewhere around April I realized that my post reach was pretty low. People didn’t want to read about a holiday that reminded them of cold and snow anymore. They were done and wanted to focus on warmth and sunshine and summer. And then, just like that, summer ended and the whole world decided it was time for Christmas again. Forget about the other holidays in between. Stores everywhere have their trees and decorations up and Hallmark has their playlist posted. Once again our minds start thinking ahead to the most wonderful time of year, and the excitement builds. Perhaps it’s because we want something beautiful to look for when the world grows dreary. When the trees become barren and the beautiful colors fade. Christmas holds that enchantment for us. And maybe deep inside, our human hearts are continually looking for the next thing that will make us happy. Always looking ahead of today. That vacation coming up. That long weekend. The warmer weather or sparkling snow. Birthdays or holidays or even retirement. But what if we stopped looking ahead? What if we just looked at today? What if we were able to open a Christmas gift every single day? Or give one? Psalm 118:24 Here’s the awesome thing. We can! If we will just open our eyes. If we will just stop focusing on the bad and open God’s gifts of ALL that is good, and my friend~ SO MUCH is good~we would realize that every day can be Christmas. Matthew 7:11. In turn, we can give some of that beautiful gift to others. A smile. An encouraging word. Your prayers. A hug. Love. John 15:12,17, John 13:34, Ephesians 1:16, Philippians 1:4, Colossians 1:3, 2 Thessalonians 1:3 Christmas is a blend of giving and loving. It’s happiness. It’s coziness. It’s forgiveness. It’s reconciliation. There’s a song in everyone’s heart and a smile on everyone’s lips. Even old Scrooge. But it’s so much more than that. It’s God. It’s all God. All of those things are God. It’s because of Him alone that we can have that joy unspeakable. 1 Peter 1:8 He is the ultimate gift. II Corinthians 9:15. Romans 5:16, Ephesians 2:8, 4:7, Romans 6:23 One we can be thankful for every single day. One we can share with the whole world. John 3:16,17 As you go to sleep tonight, pretend for a moment that tomorrow is Christmas. Remember the excitement you had when you were a child. Allow that child like wonder to wash over you as you look forward to the beautiful gifts God has for you to open. Look for them in every tiny moment. Every day. James 1:17 There’s a little bit of heaven everywhere. Let the enchantment of Christmas encompass your life, and share that gift with others. 1 Thessalonians 5:18
11/25/2017
That Happy FeelingI’ve always been a Christmas fanatic. My parents made Christmas completely magical for us as kids. I could not wait for the big Sears or JCPenny catalog to come in the mail. My brothers and I would pour over that book every spare second we had until it’s pages were worn and crinkled and it’s cover was missing. I would make my wish list, writing and rewriting like it was a novel going to the publisher. And then I would anticipate Christmas morning and dream of the toys placed playfully under the tree. Apparently the excitement was contagious, my parents seemed to catch it every year as well. Knowing smiles on their faces, Christmas records playing and Christmas cookies baking. What I thought was exciting when I was a child did not compare to the excitement I had after having children. Christmas giving took on a whole new meaning and I finally understood the smiles my parents had. It was because of the love that filled their hearts for their children. It was because they were able to give us things we asked for and even though they received nothing in return, it meant everything to them to see us so happy on Christmas morning. There is nothing that compares to that feeling~ being able to give to your children. My outlook changed. I wasn’t that child dreaming of all I would get. It wasn’t all about me anymore and my heart realized with great thankfulness how special my parents made Christmas for me when I was a child.
Sometimes we can be like children when it comes to our Heavenly Father. Our prayer lives consist of continually asking for things....”Please help me with this, please help me with that” or “please answer my prayers”. We don’t ever take the time to just thank Him for all He has given us, it’s all about what we can get. We pour over His word only because we are looking for something to make us feel better, to make our lives easier and not out of love for Him. And God our Father blesses our unthankful hearts over and over again. He continually receives nothing in return yet expects nothing in return. Because He loves us so very much. Because He wants us to be happy. Perhaps this year as we look ahead to Christmas, a lesson can be learned in our childish hearts. To stop and thank Him regularly for His continued goodness on our lives. To love Him so much that we want to give Him our everything in return. To have a countenance that’s contagious this Christmas, a knowing smile due to a thankful heart. And then a desire to give to others, as He has given to us. I Chronicles 16:34 Proverbs 15:13a The doctor came in and immediately I could feel the coldness he brought along with him. My daughter sat in the chair, anxious and excited to finally receive the help she had needed for so long. Minutes into the visit, we both realized she wouldn't be getting any help. She couldn't even get the words she wanted to express out of her mouth. He continually cut her off and by the end of the visit, had her in tears. Can I just say~ I wasn't feeling very lovable at that moment. I seriously wanted to stand up and slap him and then hug my daughter and walk out. I have been very spoiled since living in Huron County when it comes to those in the medical field. They have all been amazing and this was actually a first for me. It can be so easy to sit and write a little devotional on how we should love others despite the way they treat us, you know~ turn the other cheek and all that~ but when we are actually put in a real life situation, it isn't so easy after all. It's not easy, but it is possible. Especially with Christ in our hearts. I can remember so many specific instances that area doctors and nurses gave me such a sense of comfort as I awaited scary procedures, just by the way they treated me. One instance was one I have written about before. The hospital stay where I wasn't allowed to wear makeup. One of the nurses attending me had gone to high school with my two oldest daughters. I couldn't believe time had gone by so quickly and she was now a nurse. I was anxious about seeing anyone I knew in my condition (aka no makeup 😂) but more importantly, I was apprehensive over my upcoming surgery. This sweet friend made me feel like I was receiving a warm, continual hug every time she entered my hospital room. It is a feeling I will never forget and one I will forever be grateful for. Yes, people may treat us horribly. They might treat our loved ones horribly, but the way we react and the way we treat them will remain with them forever. I read a quote this week that said- "People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel" Let's pray that those who tend to make others feel unloved will find us making them feel greatly loved with the unconditional love that only Christ Himself can give. Always be grateful to those who have that special way of making you feel like you are receiving a warm hug just from being in their presence. It is something that is too often taken for granted. I personally want to say~Thank You 💗💗
11/26/2016
Choose To Become ThankfulI was a baby when I got married. Barely 20. I had four kids by the time I was 28 and often found myself overwhelmed at the responsibilities. My husband worked away from home all week and returned on the weekend to all the endless needs of a growing church. I can remember one Saturday specifically. All of my kids were sick and I was exhausted. I couldn't wait for Mike to come home for lunch, just so I could shower. Michael's fever had been high that morning and as I came out of the kitchen, I noticed him laying in the hallway. I bent to check his fever but he was unresponsive. I cried out to him, but there was nothing. Mike tried as well, then quickly scooped him up and rushed him to the hospital. I stayed behind with my girls, crying and praying. There were no cell phones to keep me updated. There was only horrifying silence and waiting. My precious little son. How quickly our lives can change. The things we take for granted. The things we might occasionally complain about should be the very things that should be most precious to us. Our husband's, our children, our homes with the endless chores, our friends, our country. My son's birthday is coming up this week. He will be 26. God allowed me to have him a little longer than I might have thought that day. He had a febrile seizure and lost his hearing in one ear. When I was able to hold his tiny little body again in that hospital room, I did not think of how overwhelmed I was or how I needed a shower or "me time", I only thought of my sweet boy and thanked God. Take a moment to think today that every single thing we have is a gift from God. Don't take one thing for granted, but thank Him daily for all He has given you. As hard as it might seem, when our circumstances seem overwhelming and we wonder when things will get better, think on this my friend~ Things will get better when we choose to seek out the good and we become THANKFUL.
10/29/2016
Those Small But Deadly HormonesThere are days that waking up on the wrong side of the bed is an understatement. I stumble into the bathroom in the morning, step on the scale and "oh great, I gained 3 lbs overnight" then I put on my glasses and look in the mirror and... "I'm 50, wear bifocals, have wrinkles AND have a huge zit on my chin. How is this fair?? HOW???????" 😩😩😩😩 I honestly don't know what gets into me, but everyone and everything gets on my last nerve. And what do I do to stop it? Oh, I immediately pray and get things right with the Lord. NOT. It's like there's this hormonal monster inside me that takes complete control and all rational and spiritual thinking goes out the door~ except I don't really have a whole lot of hormones left due to a partial hysterectomy. 😂😂That little tiny bit I do have? It's small but deadly and it wallows in it and even enjoys it. Why do we get this way ladies? We let our emotions or our hormones control us and we turn into the wicked witch of the month and think it's ok, but it's not. We expect people to put up with our awfulness and even justify it. By the end of the day, after taking it out on my innocent husband who looks at me like I've lost my mind and wonders what in the world he did this time, I usually feel better. Unfortunately, that little monster left a path of destruction (and ate all the chocolate on the way there). Times like this I know God is nudging me all day. I can feel it in my heart, so I dig in deeper instead of changing my ways. I feel sorry for myself. I think about how absolutely wonderful I am and so unappreciated and pretty soon I believe the lies that I can't help it and I'm right and everyone else is wrong. But the nudging continues. And I realize deep down that I'm not filled with the fruits of God's Spirit~love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance. I'm filled with Charisse. Oh ladies, aren't you so thankful for our wonderful Savior and His forgiveness, grace and mercy? Because, boy do I need forgiveness on those days. I also need forgiveness from everyone that came across my path that day. Make sure to apologize ladies. Don't justify your behavior. Remember, there isn't any behavior that's acceptable if it isn't Christ like. He was beaten beyond recognition. He was mocked. He was crucified, and yet He forgave. I'm not saying it's easy. It's not. It's almost crazy to think about the fact that I can feel like my walk with Christ is so close one day then wake up the next and flush it all down the toilet. So, I ask forgiveness, I pick up my chocolate wrappers and I consciously make an effort to remember~"let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus." Tomorrow is a new day. Thank God.
9/17/2016
Savor Every Moment In His BeautyLately I have been praying and asking God for joy. Pretty much every time I do, I feel a bit of shame that this old flesh can lose it so quickly. In light of the fact that other ladies are going through horrific circumstances and heartache, shame on me for not having joy. Shame on me for allowing the petty little things of life steal my joy. There are weeks and sometimes months that are so full of running and activities and late nights and early mornings and crying grand babies that all the little things can become overwhelming. I remember reading once about people who get depressed at Christmas due to the build up and then let down because it is over so quickly. When I was younger I thought that was ridiculous. Now that I'm older it is very believable. Fall is one of my favorite times of year and Christmas my favorite holiday. I have found in the last 5 years that once September is here, I barely take a breath and it's Christmas. It seems like it was just yesterday that I snapped this picture and just like that, a year has gone by. I want to savor every single moment from September 1 till December 25 but the activities are endless and there aren't enough hours in a day and I fall in bed at 1am each night dreading the early morning and more "to-do's". I lose my joy. There are so many good devotionals on the subject. Many reminding us that Jesus is the reason for the season or give us "The Answer to Having a Stress Free Holiday". This year, through our Java Joy fellowships, God has shown me my answer. It's that little fruit of the Spirit called JOY. And that's where I mess up every year. I always try, in my own strength, to make it my fruit. I don't ask the Holy Spirit for help. I beat myself up for not being more joyful, for feeling overwhelmed and I try harder and harder but I always come up short. I can only have true joy by asking my Father for it on a daily and sometimes hourly basis if needed. And today, amidst the already crazy chaos of the fall/winter season, my Jesus is giving me joy. I am taking the time to love on my grand babies and at times just sit and stare at their precious, beautiful faces as they play and soak it all in, knowing that "to-do" list that I put down will get done, because my Father has it covered. As I write this there are just over 85,000 seconds until Christmas and I want to glorify Jesus with every single one of them and have His joy shine from me. Whatever circumstance you find yourself in, whatever heartache~ the answer can be the same for you as well. Just ask Him for that joy. It's His to give and something you can't ever fully have on your own. Let's stop trying to prove to the world how strong and capable we are as women and just give it all to Jesus and let Him be the source of our strength and of our joy. Then put that calendar (that's filling up so quickly) aside and savor every moment in His beauty.
8/13/2016
Guilty Of FairytalingWe as women can sometimes be guilty of fairytaling. I know that's not a real word but it sums it up pretty good. We want our future to be dreamy and picturesque. We see things through fairy tale eyes and not with reality in mind. I thought of this with my daughter's wedding. Praise God that the weather agreed with us that day, but the day before it was 10 degrees hotter and after the rehearsal she said to me~"what was I thinking having an outdoor wedding in the heat of August?" In her mind she could picture the beautiful setting but didn't really think past that. We as women can be guilty of looking ahead at our lives as a storybook. A picture. How perfect our husband will be. How cute our future babies will be, what our house will look like, how our children will turn out, where they will go to college and where they all will live when we get to be grandparents. But then reality hits. Our perfect husband eventually hurts us. Our babies come along and as much as we love them we go through night after night with a fussy infant and no sleep and begin to take it out on each other and fight. Then somewhere down the road we find ourselves crying in the dark of night as we rock those babies and thinking~ it's not supposed to be this way. And in an instant, time has flown by and we find ourselves crying and wishing we could rock them again as we send them off to college or as they get married and leave our nest. Our storybook life is not fairytale like we thought when we were young and naive. So here is my challenge for Kathryn and Josh along with all of you today. Don't base your life or your kids lives on the picture perfect story you wish you could have but base it on God's perfect book. Stay in Gods word and focus on Him. Whether you are just engaged or a grandma like me, it's never too late to have the perfect story God intended for your life if you turn to Him and give Him that life. Give God every decision, every hurt, every future plan your heart has and let Him write your perfect story. As you talk to Him and lean on Him, as you trust Him and seek Him you will know it's going to be a story far better than any fairytale because the God who loves us more than words could ever express wrote it just for you.
7/9/2016
The Perfect Place To StartHave you ever seen a commercial of an energetic, happy go lucky woman that was smiling about everything and then wished you could be like her? I have. Often. Sometimes I feel like such a mess. A mess as a mom, a wife, a Christian or a friend. Instead of being excited and energetic about events on my calendar I tend to get too overwhelmed with all the "to do's" within the next month (and before the wedding) And I freak out a little. Or I will read a new devotional and think I must be doing things all wrong in my walk with God. I get down on myself. But then God does something amazing. He keeps nudging me and telling me to keep at it. Keep praying. Keep reading His word. And He shows me He loves me because I read about David, a man after God's own heart who wrote many of the Psalms. A man after God's own heart that admits he is overwhelmed in Psalm 102. So overwhelmed and sad that he doesn't even want to eat. He pours out his complaints to God but it doesn't end there. In Psalm 103 our amazing Savior tells us that He understands. He knows we are only human so He is merciful and gracious and slow to anger. His mercy is as high as the heaven from the earth and the east from the west. From everlasting to everlasting. And He tells me He's got this and He understands and He loves me. I don't need to beat myself up about feeling like a mess or compare myself to a TV commercial. I just need to talk to my Heavenly Father. He forgives, He redeems, He pours out His loving kindness. He satisfies us with good things so that we are renewed. He tells me "It's okay Charisse. I love you". David didn't have a devotional telling him the right way to live for God. He just talked to Him and poured out His heart and I think that's a perfect place to start. 💗
4/9/2016
The Love Of True Joy"And these things write we unto you that your joy may be full" 1 John 1:4. I read that at the beginning of the week and it has been on my mind since. When I pray about what to write each week, my heart's desire is for you to know that joy. The true joy that only comes from Jesus. That your joy would be full. Some of you may have been in church all your life, you may have heard preachers preach this very passage and you know it to be true, yet your joy isn't full. Some of you may read this and wish desperately that you could have true joy but don't know how you could ever attain it. The answer to both is still Jesus. He is and always will be the answer. Church and religion can't fulfill your joy. Doing good works or giving to charity can't fulfill your joy. Wealth and treasures can't. None of these can give you joy anymore than looking for it in drugs or sex or alcohol. All of these things are temporary. They are fleeting. Only Jesus can fulfill your joy. And that's what I want you to know. I'm not saying that once you have Jesus life will be a bed of roses, because it won't. I have had heart ache, I have allowed life to disappoint and discourage me but the times I knew my joy wasn't full weren't because Jesus wasn't with me. He was always there but I chose not to go to Him and tried to deal with my problems in my own strength. Don't let the phrase "Jesus brings joy" become cliche to you. Purposely choose to believe it today. I have such joy in knowing that Jesus loves me dearly, so much that He died to take my sins away so that I could be with Him in heaven someday. Why would I ever choose to live a life without the one Who loves me that deeply? That is a love that can never be replaced. That is the Love of True Joy. 😊❤️
|
© 2020 HOLDING HOPE