Welcome to the front porch! Just finishing up a great holiday season. I am using the term holiday because I am counting Thanksgiving up to New Years Day in my 2011 holiday celebration. In summary, great food (way too much food consumed on my part!), great family gatherings, great visits with church family and friends, received some thoughtful, very much appreciated gifts. Just a great time of celebration. I read a quote that if it wasn’t for Christmas, December would be the bleakest month of the year. Parable there I am sure. If it were not for Christmas and the Christ Child, what a bleak, bland, boring life we would live!
I think most of us really enjoy this season if we admit it. Yes, it can be so hectic, hurried and just plain make us feel hassled to the bone! But, there is no time like these times of gathering. It is important. It is important that we do stop and honor Thanksgiving and give thanks to our God above and be thankful for each other and the countless blessings we have! We are blessed! Blessed! Blessed!
Christmas means-even if your baby left you, somehow you ended up on a Naughty List or you walked around impersonating Scrooge-you are blessed. Because of the Babe in the Manger your life can have hope and happiness.
I started daily posting to Facebook this past year. Well, I will back up. I vowed I would not get involved in Facebook or texting. Had heard this and that. For one thing time was a factor, another I just didn’t want to post things such as”getting into my car, driving down the road, stopping at a stop sign’. A. Kinda silly. B. Who in the world would care? Now, don’t get me wrong. I LOVE seeing in a timely manner what the kiddos and grandkiddos are doing! Love it! I am mildly interested in what the rest of you are doing. Also, I enjoy in connecting with friends and church folk from 20-30 plus years ago! Amazing.
Well, when the kids would have events and celebrations and I would ask for pictures. One word reply: Facebook. So, my daughter Lori and I jokily said, “we will go to the darkside’ that is Facebook.
Now, I would cruise and was very selective about whom I ‘befriended’, made an occasional comment and very few post. I saw so many posts in October about Halloween and ghosts and goblins…and thought hum, there has got to be more. Then it seemed the Holy Spirit began to drop little inspirational nuggets in my spirit and I would post. I remember the light going off and the thought, ‘Facebook can be more than who is doing what, where and with whom and can be a network of inspiration for believers’. Now, I can hear the sneers and jeers. Facebook and the gospel?. Facebook as a tool to inspire and perhaps even encourage, evangelize, maybe enlighten? Why not? To quote a family member…’don’t like it..don’t read it or better yet unbefriend me or delete me’. I ask why not post inspiration? Other ‘social media’ is used for the Gospel, radio, TV, live streaming, websites, on and on. I am fully and firmly convinced God can use any tool that is relevant to our generation.
100% of the time the thought or inspiration first comes through and inspires me. Sometimes a scripture, picture or a song will also come along. Interesting.
So I am here in the New Millennium …got here as fast as I could.
As 2011 bows its sleepy little head, and those eyes get heavier and heavier, I am reflecting, reviewing and revisiting the Year. Overall, rough, twisty, turny, topsy turvy, bumpy, brusey, bouncing, discouragement, down one roller coaster and doomed it seemed to ride on it forever. Trials, tribulations and tears for family, friends, loved ones. A time of battering and beating by the Storms of Life. We have thrown up our hands and cry out. Wring our hands and sob. If we could we would climb the mast of our ship like Captain Dang from Forest Gump and shake our fist and dare our God to bring it on. But we know better or should know better!
But here we are on the tail end of 2011, the tired old man gave us his best shot, one right after another, and while we all had several near misses with disaster, here we are. Still Standing! We replied on the saying, ‘I stand tallest when I am on my knees”. Yep, the knees hand in hand with a contrite broken heart move the Hand and Heart of our God. Funny thing we read and know that He is aware of even when one little hair falling from our head. So why do we think He has forsaken us when our heart is broken into a trillion pieces. Oh, He does know about every little bump and scratch life throws at us…nothing absolutely nothing that happens to us surprises Him….but because of Who He is, He allows pain, sorrow and hurt into our lives. He had to do this when His own Son was suffering for our salvation. Who do we think we are? It is too complex and complicated for me to ever explain let alone understand! But by faith I trust in the Living God and His Son Jesus my Savior! He knows best-everytime.
But, we must keep our mind stayed-thinking of-Him. Trust Him. Believe Him. Know Him. Because this life is only a vapor as stated in James 4:14, The Message "What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes." As I get older the vapor seems to dissipate quicker and quicker! This is not our home nor is it our end. This is boot camp, training ground, school. Lesson after lesson until we are molded, formed and shaped into His Likeness day by day. 2 Corinthians 3:18 The Message “And we who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.” Not easy! Not easy at all! We are just like little stubborn children. We have our own mindsets and views and visions. They usually DON”T line up with His Plan.
So as we close out 2011-goodbye, good riddance, so long, see ya never again. BUT, the experiences, lessons and growth are ours. We are chiseled and sharpened, polished and perfected day by day by His Grace. We are His handiwork. His vessel, once made ready become a Weapon of His Warfare, by Him we have a part in tearing down strongholds.
So today on December 31, the last official day of 2011 and for me the last post about Christmas. Let’s move on, move up, move forward. We are a little stronger, hopefully a lot wiser, a little braver, a little apprehensive perhaps, a little excited I hope, but more determined to make the best of the gifts and callings God has given us! 2012 come on down! We welcome you with Hope, Faith, Joy and LOVE. May this be the best year yet for us all is my prayer. Amen.
Speaking of moving on, time to get up from this front porch and get busy. Lots to think about. Lots to do! Until we meet again, GOD BLESS YOU!
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