Malachi 2:15

You were united to your wife by the Lord. In God's wise plan, when you married, the two of you became one person in His sight.

Happy 48th Wedding Anniversary Coach Wonderful

As you can see it turns out good but we did have a little trouble getting to "ONE" in His sight. We started off with "I got my eye on you". But after the wedding day that quickly turned into "don't tell me what to do".  The years of the power struggle were and I for and I. Then life got busy with children and work and we spent many more hours apart than together.  We both misread the 'no time for' or 'lack of conflict' for a good marriage.  I have to laugh - how many people does that happen to?  Naive, not schooled in relationships, just doing the best we could to do good to each other. I took my helpmate role quite seriously and I set out to take care of everyone in this family. Of course I gleaned my wisdom from my own family experience.  It never occurred to me that my husband's wisdom from his family experience would be so contrary to my view. Yikes that caused serious trouble through the years and bad names formed in my brain towards my husband.  That's not healthy. We were both church people but neither of us had ever known to ask Christ into our lives as Savior and Lord. Through the Holy Spirit it becomes a living relationship with our Creator. 

Now you are probably thinking ok now that they have the Lord they are fixed.  Not exactly.  We seem to have a recurring pattern: we've got our eye on you Lord, not real comfortable being told what to do, an I for an I struggle, Bible studies, Christian family camps, church and community service kept us busy.  We both misread that full and busy life for being a good Christian family.  We were changing, we were growing but we were also missing something much needed.

A pearl to string: Receiving the Holy Spirit and being filled by the Holy Spirit are not functionally identical. All Believers receive the Holy Spirit at salvation but you don't get filled just one time and ride that out for the remainder of your life. In Ephesians 5:18 the Greek word for 'filled' is a verb (present passive imperative) that, based upon the tense, speaks of a continual process of filling.  In other words, the filling of the Holy Spirit involves a continual process in the Believer after salvation.  When you are full of the Holy Spirit, you are led by the Holy Spirit. When you are led by the Holy Spirit, people see the attributes of Jesus Christ flowing out from you, the "fruit of the Spirit." (Galatians 5:22-23)

And that my precious friends is beautiful

it's what we aim at and pray for in our walk with the Lord and in our marriage 

Immersed in His love

                               Lyndi

Merry Christmas & Happy Birthday Jesus

Mary Did You Know?

For those who may be grieving we stop to say a Christmas prayer:

We celebrate this time of year because our Lord was born;
But let us not forget that there are others who may mourn.

In times of sorrow, times of strife, it's sometimes hard to smile,
So, Holy Spirit, please come in and tarry for awhile.

Touch those who may be suffering; touch every wounded heart,
Touch all those burdened souls when they feel distant, set apart.

Remove the pain, and fill their hearts with happiness and mirth,
And let them all rejoice now in The Savior's holy birth.  Amen and amen

Mary Did You Know?

Somewhere in my forties the Christmas carols that I had been singing all my life sunk deeper into my soul.  It was as if the lyrics suddenly had profound meaning that I had never experienced before.  My heart and mind seemed to unite on the wonder of Christmas, the inexplicable joy of my Saviors birth.  “Mary Did You Know?” is a Christmas song written in the 90’s that causes me to meditate on the circumstance of Jesus birth every time I hear it.

The times were most difficult back then.  The people of Nazareth had a strong Jewish faith. Mary and many ordinary people of the land, were increasingly aware that they were powerless themselves, but God, the all powerful, could raise up the lowly. Their faith was of the deepest kind:

"The Lord hears the cry of the poor.  Blessed be the Lord.  The Lord our God, the Lord alone!  Therefore you shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, and with all your soul and with all your strength."

(Deut. 6:4-5)

Mary's faith was strong. Yet, in fervently religious Nazareth with its high moral standards, she hardly stood out at all, even in the eyes of those who knew her best. Besides, as a young woman living in a society where men counted most, she would be little noticed except as a mother and a wife.

When she was 14 or so, Mary's parents made plans for her to be married, as was customary in those days. They chose Joseph of Nazareth, a carpenter, for her husband. The engagement took place and Mary returned home to wait about a year before she would go to live with her husband as his wife. But then, something happened.............

Mary was chosen by God to bring forth the Savior of the world.  An astounding series of events and responses took place for the miracle of all miracles.  What grips my heart as a mother is imagining Mary holding her baby – what went through her mind?  Next time you hold a baby imagine you are Mary, you have just gone through extraordinary unexplainable events but now your baby is in your arms.  This is finally a normal experience looking at her baby something Mary shared with millions of moms. Mary lovingly and tenderly kisses her precious baby boy – she kissed the face of God.  Doesn’t that just take your breath away?  Focus in on that – she kissed the face of God.  Mary held her child in her arms, the child she delivered would deliver her.  Awe-inspiring reality – did she know? Could she sense it? Did Mary feel it?  She kissed the face of God.  Moses couldn’t even look at the face of God but Mary kissed the face of God.  Oh Mary, that sleeping child you held so long ago is the Great, I am and you kissed the face of God. In my mind I want to go to the manger, I want to sit beside Mary, I want to hold her baby, I want to kiss the face of God.

A pearl to string: Present day wise men worship the Child of Bethlehem who was born to be the Man of Calvary.

Following that Christmas star -

May His presence light your way.

                               Lyndi

A 2010 Christmas Song

Here’s the story behind the song: While at the mall a couple of years ago, my then four-year-old nephew, Spencer, saw kids lined up to see Santa Claus. Having been taught as a toddler that Christmas is the holiday that Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus, he asked his mom, "Where's the line to see Jesus"?
My sister mentioned this to my dad, who immediately became inspired and jotted words down to a song in just a few minutes. After putting music to the words, and doing a quick recording at home, he received a great response from friends. He sent the song off to Nashville without much response, except for a Christian song writer who suggested adding a bridge at the end of the first chorus.
My dad then asked if I wanted to record the song to see what we could do with it. I listened to the song, made a few changes to the words to make it flow better, and we headed to Shock City Studios. It was at the studio where Chris, owner and producer, rewrote the 2nd verse and part of the chorus... with goose bumps and emotions high, we were all hopeful and felt like we had something special. The demo was recorded in just under 2 hours and sent off again to Nashville... still no response.
Then 2 weeks before Christmas last year, my cousins Greg and Robbie decided to do a video to see what we could accomplish on YouTube. The first day we had 3000 hits and it soared from there. We received e-mails, phone calls, Facebook messages from people all over asking for the music, CD's, iTunes, anything... we had nothin'.
After a couple of meetings with Chris following the amazing response, we got serious. We headed back into the studio this past spring... this time with guitars, drums, bass, pianos, choirs... the real deal..... and here we are today. Getting iTunes set up, a web site put together, and loving that thousands upon thousands of Christians have come together... remembering the true meaning of Christmas.
Out of the mouths of babes come profound truths that many adults cannot understand. Hopefully Spencer's observation will cause people all over to reflect on the love of Jesus, and that one day we will all stand in line to see Him. We are most thankful to our Heavenly Father to have this chance to share our music with you. Merry Christmas everyone.

Becky Kelley - Where's the Line to See Jesus

Heaven Knew

Amazing testimony
The George Street Video

It’s Christmas Time

Let’s Sing with Michael Bublé:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8t_forzHXzE

I'm dreamin' tonight of a place I love
Even more then I usually do
And although I know it's a long road back
I promise you

I'll be home for Christmas
You can count on me
Please have snow and mistletoe
And presents under the tree
Christmas Eve will find me    
Where the love light beams
I'll be home for Christmas
If only in my dreams

(I'll Be Home For Christmas - Kim Gannon, Walter Kent (c) 1943)

As a young teen girl celebrating my Christmas’ in the California sunshine each year I had to use my gift of imagination to turn my world into a winter wonderland.  I just had to touch and gaze upon the red & green decorations throughout our home over and over again. I loved our Christmas tree and all the lights twinkling – so beautiful, so happy.  The aroma of fresh baked cookies, cakes and the Christmas roast just made my senses dance with joy. I loved going to church, singing Christmas carols and listening to the story of the birth of Jesus.  But every time I would hear the song:  I’ll Be Home for Christmas, on the radio my eyes would fill with tears. My heart would feel like someone was standing on it and I’d break into these big sobs. A deep sadness would come over me. I was home so I can’t recall what troubled me so – perhaps just the thought of loved ones being separated from one another. The saddest separation of all has been living in a society that has created

a secular holiday. The stark change has literally sucked the joy out of Christmas and booted Jesus out.  How did giving turn into getting? And how did get to’s turn into have to’s? How did deck the halls with boughs of holly turn into the best, biggest most outrageously expensive decorations? It has all created stress beyond measure. People are angry and frustrated and tired. STOP! Dial the activity down and the spirituality up and find that celebration of Jesus birth again.

A pearl to string: Love brought Jesus to us and love is what peoples all over the world are lonely for. Let’s bring love back to Christmas. Let’s decide to slow down, give warm smiles and a helping hand or hold a door for someone.  Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. (James 3:5) Can you imagine what a small amount of love from your heart would do when you reach out and bless someone else?

Let’s bring Jesus home for Christmas as He tells us "Make your home in me, as I make mine in you" (John 15:4). Home is where the heart is.

Merry Christmas

Happy HolyDay Season

Pass the love on,

                          Lyndi

A Christmas To Remember

This is a first-person account from a mother about her family as they ate dinner on Christmas Day in a small restaurant many miles from their home. Nancy, the mother, relates:

We were the only family with children in the restaurant. I sat Erik in a high chair and noticed everyone was quietly eating and talking. Suddenly, Erik squealed with glee and said, "Hi there." He pounded his fat baby hands on the high-chair tray. His eyes were wide with excitement and his mouth was bared in a toothless grin. He wriggled and giggled with merriment.

I looked around and saw the source of his merriment. It was a man with a tattered rag of a coat; dirty, greasy and worn. His pants were baggy with a zipper at half-mast and his toes poked out of would-be shoes. His shirt was dirty and his hair was uncombed and unwashed. His whiskers were too short to be called a beard and nose was so varicose it looked like a road map.

We were too far from him to smell, but I was sure he smelled. His hands waved and flapped on loose wrists. "Hi there, baby; hi there, big boy. I see ya, buster," the man said to Erik.

My husband and I exchanged looks, "What do we do?" Erik continued to laugh and answer, ""Hi, hi there." Everyone in the restaurant noticed and looked at us and then at the man. The old geezer was creating a nuisance with my beautiful baby.

Our meal came and the man began shouting from across the room, "Do ya know patty cake? Do you know peek-a-boo? Hey, look, he knows peek-a-boo."

Nobody thought he old man was cute. He was obviously drunk. My husband and I were embarrassed. We ate in silence; all except for Erik, who was running through his repertoire for the admiring skid-row bum, who in turn, reciprocated with his cute comments.

We finally got through the meal and headed for the door. My husband went to pay the check and told me to meet him in the parking lot. The old man sat poised between me and the door. "Lord, just let me out of here before he speaks to me or Erik," I prayed. As I drew closer to the man, I turned my back trying to side-step him and avoid any air he might be breathing. As I did, Erik leaned over my arm, reaching with both arms in a baby's pick-me-up, position. Before I could stop him, Erik had propelled himself from my arms to the man's.

Suddenly a very old smelly man and a very young baby consummated their love relationship. Erik in an act of total trust, love and submission laid his tiny head upon the man's ragged shoulder. The man's eyes closed, and I saw tears hover beneath his lashes. His aged hands full of grime, pain and hard labor - gently, so gently cradled my baby's bottom and stroked his back.

No two beings have ever loved so deeply for so short a time. I stood awestruck. The old man rocked and cradled Erik in his arms for a moment, and then his eyes opened and set squarely on mine. He said in a firm commanding voice, "You take care of this baby." Somehow I managed, "I will," from a throat that contained a stone. He pried Erik from his chest unwillingly, longingly, as though he were in pain. I received my baby, and the man said, "God bless you ma'am, you've given me my Christmas gift."

I said nothing more than a muttered thanks. With Erik in my arms, I ran for the car. My husband was wondering why I was crying and holding Erik so tightly, and why I was saying, "My God, my God, forgive me." I had just witnessed Christ's love shown through the innocence of a tiny child who saw no sin, who made no judgment; a child who saw a soul, and a mother who saw a suit of clothes.

I was a Christian who was blind, holding a child who was not. I felt it was God asking --"Are you willing to share your son for a moment?", when He shared His son for all eternity.

The ragged old man, unwittingly, had reminded me, "To enter the Kingdom of God, we must become as little children."


Author Unknown

Busy Angels

This was written by a Metro Denver hospice physician.

I was driving home from a meeting this evening about 5:00, stuck in traffic on Colorado Blvd., and the car started to choke and splutter and die. I barely managed to coast, cursing, into a gas station, glad only that I would not be blocking traffic and would have a somewhat warm spot to wait for the tow truck. The engine wouldn't even turn over.

Before I could make the call, I saw a woman walking out of the quickie mart building, and it looked like she slipped on some ice and fell into a gas pump, so I got out to see if she was okay. When I got there, it looked more like she had been overcome by sobs than that she had fallen; she was a young woman who looked really haggard with dark circles under her eyes. She dropped something as I helped her up, and I picked it up to give it to her. It was a nickel.

At that moment, everything came into focus for me: the crying woman, the ancient Suburban crammed full of stuff with three kids in the back (one in a car seat), and the gas pump reading $4.95. I asked her if she was okay and if she needed help, and she just kept saying “I don’t want my kids to see me crying!”

So we stood on the other side of the pump from her car. She said she was driving to California and that things were very hard for her right now. So I asked, “And you were praying?” That made her back away from me a little, but I assured her I was not a crazy person and said, “He heard you, and He sent me.”

I took out my card and swiped it through the card reader on the pump so she could fill up her car completely, and while it was fueling, walked to the next door McDonald’s and bought two big bags of food, some gift certificates for more, and a big cup of coffee. She gave the food to the kids in the car, who attacked it like wolves, and we stood by the pump eating fries and talking a little. She told me her name, and that she lived in Kansas City. Her boyfriend left two months ago and she had not been able to make ends meet. She knew she wouldn’t have money to pay rent Jan. 1, and finally, in desperation, had called her parents, with whom she had not spoken in about five years. They lived in California and said she could come live with them and try to get on her feet there.

So she packed up everything she owned in the car. She told the kids they were going to California for Christmas, but not that they were going to live there. I gave her my gloves, a little hug and said a quick prayer with her for safety on the road. As I was walking over to my car, she said, “So, are you like an angel or something?” This definitely made me cry. I said, “Sweetie, at this time of year angels are really busy, so sometimes God uses regular people.”

It was so incredible to be a part of someone else’s miracle. And of course, you guessed it, when I got in my car it started right away and got me home with no problem. I’ll put it in the shop tomorrow to check, but I suspect the mechanic won’t find anything wrong.

Sometimes the angels fly close enough to you that you can hear the flutter of their wings… Psalm 55:22 “Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and He shall sustain thee. He shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.”

Acts of Martha

Christmas Christmas

Oh it’s that time of year where the Martha work crescendo is about to culminate at the feet of Jesus.  Move over Mary.  Christmas is a beautiful Holy day and it is jointly celebrated with a holiday for families by the same name but we don’t call it Christmas Christmas.  Even Christians can get a little confused.  The hustle bustle of the holiday part of Christmas is a love story gone slightly askew.  We get all bunched up trying to create a beautiful place to celebrate making sure there are gifts for all, and scrumptious food prepared for family and friends.  There are parties to attend and cards to send to wish far away loved ones well.  There are cookies to bake, lights to string, trees to trim, popcorn to pop, mistletoe to hang, and shop, shop, shop, wrap, wrap, wrap and smile, smile, smile.  .  Our hearts want to reach out to others with food, clothing, prayer, acts of kindness, love and we want to sing, sing, sing.  The list of “to do’s” can sometimes seems endless

Years ago when fresh 6’ Christmas trees were still $14.99 at Frank’s nursery in Ann Arbor, Michigan, we set out to choose the perfect tree.  Young, though the family was, we had six very strong oppositional opinions eagerly expressing there views simultaneously.   To the outside ear it may have appeared this family was argumentative.  Ok, they were right. The lively dialog continued all the way home and until the tree was completely decorated.  We all sat back to admire the work of art.  I think God must have kicked the tree over.  We watched in horror as the Christmas tree crashed to the ground and the pretty blue and gold ornaments smashed to smithereens while the strings of cranberries and pop-corn and glittery tinsel flew all over the room. The silence expressed our disgrace.  Where did we loose Christmas?  Coach Wonderful began to read Luke chapter 2.  Listening to the Christmas story my heart grew heavy with sorrow for how I steered our family astray. God sent His Son into this world as a baby, dependent on human kind. To believe in Jesus is to take His love every where we go – for others to see His love in everything thing we do – Sometimes I get a busy momentum going and  I go sideways from the Lord.  Whenever that takes place Lord – PLEASE – kick over my tree. And Mary – move over I want to sit at Jesus feet and listen too.

A pearl to string: And in that region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.  And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with fear.  And the angel said to them, "Be not afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy which will come to all the people; for to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.  And this will be a sign for you: you will find a babe wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger."  And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom he is pleased!"  Luke 2:8-14

The tiny Baby in the manger is the mighty Creator of the universe

Happy Birthday Jesus and Merry Christmas

                                                                       Lyndi

Back from the Dead, Reborn Into the Light

Jeff Markin: Back from the Dead, Reborn Into the Light

Boneless Chicken

 

When traveling to far away lands the food can often be challenging.  In China for instance, chicken is frequently served "cleaver style," leaving the meat and bones chopped up together, making it difficult to eat. 

A friend traveling in China along with her fellow sojourners were all missing their typical Western fare of hamburgers and fries.  Figuring the local hotel might serve up their beloved American 'junk delicacies' they searched out the best.  One lady wanted to eat chicken without needing to spit out the bones, so she ordered "boneless chicken."

The waiter, whose English was quite good, could not imagine what the woman wanted. She was very insistent, saying, "I want boneless chicken. Chicken with no bones!"

After more confusion and more insisting, the waiter finally said he understood, wrote something down, and returned to the kitchen.

After about 15 minutes, their orders started coming out to the table. The woman anxiously awaited her boneless chicken and it was the last to arrive.  When the waiter placed her dish in front of the woman, her friends fell over laughing. It was a plate of fried eggs.

Ever notice WE DON'T ALWAYS GET WHAT WE WANT.  You make plans and then life happens as the saying goes.  I get the "poor me's" too but really when I'm all hurt and disillusioned with life I'm not living in sink with God's Word. I'm living in sink with MY thinking.  Honestly.... not a good place to be. 

A pearl to string:  Don't get disappointed when God doesn't give you what you want..... for He knows the best time for you to have it.  A long time favored Scripture verse for many of us fits so beautifully here. Jeremiah 29:11 "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future".

Share with me out of your personal life experiences of not getting what you wanted. Which Scripture verses have blessed your boneless chicken experience.

I'll place them on the blog for all to enjoy.

Keep walking in Sonshine

                                    Lyndi