12/30/2017
God's Gift To YouI babysit my granddaughter Clara every weekday and the times that I have an appointment and can’t be home, my husband takes over the responsibility. I don’t look forward to what I will find when I return home. He thinks it’s clean, I usually think it’s a mess, and I know I’ll have a lot to do when I return. It must be a guy thing, bless his heart~ I’m very thankful he tries.
On this particular day both granddaughters were home and I was prepared to get at it again when I stepped inside, but when I walked in my eyes were immediately drawn to a very large present wrapped in bright blue snowman paper. On the top was written in bold black marker “To Charisse From Santa”. It appeared Santa had some help with the wrapping from a little 4 year old and 6 year old. It was completely out of place and didn’t match the neatly stacked, matching gifts placed perfectly under our tree, but it made me smile and I forgot about my apprehension over a messy home. The next day when Clara arrived she walked right up to that gift and said “we helped Grandpa wrap this. It’s a watch.” Yep. 😂 Well, I had wanted this particular watch for the past year and my husband got it without my knowing and hid it in a very large box to surprise me. I would’ve never known what it was, until Clara told me. Finding out didn’t ruin it for me. Even though I had seen a picture of the watch and read about it and even knew I would love it, I had not opened it and physically put it on and received it. This reminds me so much of God’s amazing Gift to us. There may be some of you who fear that God only sees the mess of your lives and could never love you or forgive you, but that’s not the case. Because His Son died on the cross, His Gift of a home in heaven is there waiting just for you~ with your name written in bold letters. He doesn’t look at any of the mess, He only sees His precious Gift and wants you to receive it. There may be others of you who know all about the Gift. You’ve read about it in the Bible or maybe even had someone tell you all about it, just like Clara. You've seen its amazing picture of grace on others lives but never really received it as your own. And then there are others who look at the Gift and feel as if it would be out of place in your lives, that it wouldn’t fit in and you completely miss the beauty that’s wrapped inside. You might even be tempted to push it aside and try not to think about it, or hide from it’s truth (just like I tried to hide the bright blue snowmen amidst my pretty Christmas wrappings). And so it sits, wrapped and waiting but never opened. When Christmas morning finally came I asked Clara if I could open the gift. The smile on her face was priceless. Friends, you will never know the joy that God’s Gift brings until you open your heart, ask Him to come in and receive His Gift as your own. Stories about it, pictures of it, apprehension over it~none of that matters until you receive it. Open Gods precious gift to you~ forgiveness through His Son for every sin we ever committed or ever will commit and then experience the true joy such a Gift can bring. There can be no better way to end this Christmas season and begin a new year and a new life. Jesus is God’s Gift to you. Your smile will be priceless. John 3:16
12/23/2017
The Very Best GiftThe very first time my daughter Jessica was placed in my arms was wonderful and scary and beautiful and emotional. I had no idea what I was doing. I had never babysat infants before, or really even been around one. I didn’t know I had to support her head because she couldn’t do it herself, or even that babies had a soft spot on those tiny heads. I didn’t know how to change diapers or swaddle her with her blanket. I didn’t know how to feed her. The only thing I did know was that I loved her more than life itself and in that moment when they placed that tiny, helpless, precious baby in my arms, my world changed for the better. My heart was full.
Because of those beautiful moments, I can’t help but think of my Savior. The Son of God who came for me in the form of such a helpless, humble, tiny little Being. The King of Kings and Lord of Lords, as a Baby, for me. What truer form of a humble Servant could there ever be? The perfect Son of God who needed His head supported, His diaper changed, His tiny body swaddled. Who needed someone to feed Him and rock Him and hold Him and sing lullabies to Him, all the while knowing He would die for us some day. There could be no truer picture of love. And when He came to live in my heart, He changed my world for the better. You might not know everything there is to know about church or the Bible. You might not know all the songs that are sung or the Bible stories told~ and that’s okay. The first and most important thing you need to know is that a little Baby was born that first Christmas Day for you, because He loved you more than life itself, and once you hold that Baby in your heart, your world will change for the better. Fill your heart this Christmas season with the love of that Baby Who was born for you. Who grew up and became a man Who would die for the sins of the world. For you. For me. There is no truer, more beautiful Gift you can ever receive. A humble Servant in the form of a Baby, a picture of Love for all mankind and THE GIFT, the VERY BEST GIFT the world was ever given. Merry Christmas my dear friends. ❤️❤️🎄 Romans 6:23
12/16/2017
That's What Christmas Is All AboutBecause my mom loved Christmas so much, the year after she passed away my family began the tradition of going to Frankenmuth together. We always choose a day close to the date she went home to Heaven. My husband and children, spouses and grandchildren, my brothers and dad~ all go to celebrate the start of the Christmas season and to remember my mom. We eat together and then walk around Bronners enjoying the beauty and magic of each decoration. I can guarantee that every year, without fail, my husband will question my sanity in choosing a date so close to Christmas. It is always completely chaotic at The Bavarian Inn and if it weren’t for our cell phones, we would surely lose each other in the crowds. This year was no exception and somehow in Bronners we all got separated. I suddenly found myself walking alone among the twinkling lights of their beautiful Christmas trees and wondering where everyone was. For a fleeting moment my thoughts sounded something like this... “my kids know this is my favorite time of year. Christmas. And it’s my birthday. And here I am, alone, with all these thoughts of missing my mom. Why aren’t they spending time with me?” But then I’d get a text or a snap chat or a picture and any negative thoughts were immediately pushed aside as love for my children overwhelmed my heart. I realized the logistics of the situation and my heart understood. When I look back on that moment, as a parent I can’t help but think of my Heavenly Father. We can get lost in the Christmas season, among the crowds and shopping, among the Christmas plays and parties, the cookie exchanges and present wrappings. At times we can feel our hearts become heavy with the busyness of it all and the forgetfulness of why we celebrate Christmas to begin with. And if it weren’t for our ability to call out to our Father, we would stay lost. I am so very thankful that my Heavenly Daddy understands all of this, and in the middle of the chaos He is not complaining about us neglecting thoughts of His Birthday. He knows that we haven’t forgotten His Son. He does not get angry that we aren’t spending endless amounts of time with Him each day~ because He loves us. Because He understands that we are only human~ because He became human for us. And just like my heart is overflowing when I get a loving text or picture from my own children, my Heavenly Father loves when He hears from us. We might not have hours to spend with Him each day but we do have tiny bits of time throughout each 24 Hour day that we can talk to Him, love on Him and listen for Him. And He understands. Tiny bits of time that twinkle like beautiful lights. Tiny pictures throughout each day that light up our hearts like the glow of our trees. Each one so small and yet~when they are all strung together give us incredible joy in the beholding. Each text and picture from our family day in Frankenmuth bring back beautiful memories of the meaning behind our time spent together, just like each tiny moment spent with the Savior will bring back memories of this beautiful season in our lives and remind us what Christmas is really all about.
Philippians 2:7
12/9/2017
A Picture Of The SaviorWe were on our way to get groceries the other day with three of our four grandchildren. The sky was absolutely beautiful with big fluffy white clouds set against a pink sky line. Out of the blue, 4 year old Ethan said- “If the clouds could reach down and touch the ground I would take them home and play with them and pretend they were snow.” Sometimes children can say something that just awes you. What a thought to ponder...”if the clouds could reach down and touch the ground”. Just a few weeks back when Clara’s daddy came to pick her up she looked up at the sky and in her cute little hoarse, 3 year old voice exclaimed-“I wish I had a ladder to climb up and lay in the clouds”. They both painted a precious picture in my heart with their sweet words. A picture that makes me smile each time I think about it. As adults we can get so skeptical and think-“How silly. The clouds can’t be played with, they can’t touch the ground and you certainly can’t climb a ladder to them”. Today I want to paint a picture in your heart, a picture of the Savior that will make you smile over and over again. As majestic as the clouds seem to us, the majesty of our Heavenly Father is beyond what even our adult minds can comprehend and yet in all His majestic greatness and power, He reached down and touched the ground and became a little baby for each one of us. He came to us, for us, because He loves us and any time we desire we can go to Him in all His majesty and rest in His presence. When we are adults we tend to try to fix or figure out everything on our own instead of having the heart of a child and realizing the awesomeness of going to God and resting in Him, like a ladder to the clouds. We forget in our busy lives that He reached down and touched the ground for us. This Christmas become a child again. Talk to Him, play with Him, laugh with Him, cry with Him and rest with Him in the sweet softness of His presence and each time you look up at a beautiful sky, be reminded of these words and allow your heart to smile in child like wonder.❤️
Matthew 11:28
12/2/2017
Anything Is Possible With GodIt was like a Hallmark Christmas movie. Quiet and magical, peaceful and beautiful and I wanted to capture it and hold on to that moment forever. The kids were nestled all snug in their beds, while visions of sugar plums... Yes, it was Christmas Eve and our tiny little town appeared to be fast asleep. Almost Christmas. Almost midnight. But my sweet children had been praying for there to be snow on Christmas Day the entire month of December, and I knew I had to share this moment with them. I’m not sure if they were really asleep yet, or just faking it because it was, after all Christmas Eve. I think every parent threatens their children that if they don’t go to sleep on Christmas Eve, “there will be no presents under the tree in the morning”. Not wanting to startle them I left the lights dim but couldn’t hide my excitement. “Kids!!” I whispered loudly, “It’s snowing!!” Michael jumped out of bed first and ran to the stairwell window, looking at the beautiful blanket of white. “God answered our prayers!! He whispered in awe. “Who wants to go for a walk with me?” I asked.
I know. I’m crazy. Yes, we all bundled up at midnight on Christmas Eve and softly trod down our street with our dog Mandy by our side. It was completely covered in pure white snow. Every branch was a sparkling white canopy that hung over our road. There was no traffic. No noise and no lights. Only the beautiful path the moon gave on that street that night. It was as if we were in a magical, Christmas snow globe. The kids were quiet the entire walk. Almost reluctant to take a step in the beautiful whiteness that surrounded them. Later as I was tucking them back in bed, Michael whispered “I’m so glad God answered our prayers”. No matter what your situation might be, no matter how big, no matter how small, teach your children to bring it to God. To pray about every single thing in their lives, even the things we might feel are silly, are never silly to God. Sometimes we might feel that the things our children pray for are trivial but if we don’t teach them to go to God for the little things, when the time comes they won’t know to go to God for the big things. They will feel lost and alone, scared and uncertain. Without even realizing it they will seek help from everyone but their Heavenly Father. And He’s the only One that can truly answer. I’m not sure my kids can even remember the gifts they got that year that were under the tree the next morning, but I’m sure they will never forget our midnight walk and how miraculously God answered their prayers and I pray that moment will be like a little snow globe tucked away on the shelf of their hearts, constantly reminding them how anything is possible with God. ❄️❤️ Matthew 19:26 |
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