Wednesday, December 31, 2014

Great promises for a New Year

So, I hope the one or two of you that read this had a great time celebrating our Savior's birth. 

I would post more often, but I can't post from my iPad, and I can only post on the work computer because Blogger doesn't seem to like to find pictures from the iPad, and what is a post really without pictures?  :)

I am working on a cross-stitched picture for my youngest niece, Miss Alyssa Jane.  For her sister, Kaelynn, I did the priestly blessing in Numbers 6.  For baby Alyssa, I chose one of my favorite verses, Zephaniah 3:17. 

Of all the times and in all the translations I have read this verse, it never really dawned on me that this verse is a promise.  I have finished the below and needed to move the hoop (that keeps the material taunt so the stitches are even and smooth).  I looked at what was there and thought, "wow, I'm so glad He is."




Then after I had been working a couple days more, I saw the actions - The Lord..He is...He will..He will...He will".  Our God is not passive-aggressive.  He is a God of action.  Sometimes it might seem like He's letting a situation fester, or the evil win out, but the Bible is clear in other places that He is righteous and holy and vengeance is His.



I think maybe that's the best promise we could have for 2015: The Lord is with us (Emanu-El).  Facing tough job decisions?  The Lord is with you.  Health concerns?  The Lord is with you.  Relationship issues?  The Lord is with you.

He is with you.
He is for you.
He will take your hand,
He will quiet your heart,
He will never leave.
He will. He will.  He will.

Wednesday, December 24, 2014

What it's all about

One of our traditions in the M family is that my Dad would read the Christmas story from Luke's gospel on Christmas morning before we would open our presents. I just came from the first Christmas Eve service I can remember where my Dad wasn't there, because he was in too much pain to sit that long. (He had spinal fusion surgery in April.)

It's been a hard year. But praise God, He cares about Dad, about you, about me. The first glimpses of that in human form came in the form of a helpless baby. Here it is, what this season is all about...

1 At that time Emperor Augustus ordered a census to be taken throughout the Roman Empire. 2 When this first census took place, Quirinius was the governor of Syria. 3 Everyone, then, went to register himself, each to his own hometown.4 Joseph went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to the town of Bethlehem in Judea, the birthplace of King David. Joseph went there because he was a descendant of David. 5 He went to register with Mary, who was promised in marriage to him. She was pregnant, 6 and while they were in Bethlehem, the time came for her to have her baby. 7 She gave birth to her first son, wrapped him in cloths and laid him in a manger—there was no room for them to stay in the inn.The Shepherds and the Angels8 There were some shepherds in that part of the country who were spending the night in the fields, taking care of their flocks. 9  An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone over them. They were terribly afraid, 10 but the angel said to them, “Don't be afraid! I am here with good news for you, which will bring great joy to all the people. 11 This very day in David's town your Savior was born—Christ the Lord! 12 And this is what will prove it to you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”13 Suddenly a great army of heaven's angels appeared with the angel, singing praises to God:14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven,and peace on earth to those with whom he is pleased!”15 When the angels went away from them back into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us.” 16 So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph and saw the baby lying in the manger. 17 When the shepherds saw him, they told them what the angel had said about the child. 18 All who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said. 19 Mary remembered all these things and thought deeply about them. 20 The shepherds went back, singing praises to God for all they had heard and seen; it had been just as the angel had told them.--Luke 2:1-20 | GNT

Merry CHRISTmas!