Anticipation

"But when the fullness of the time came,God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law,"
Galatians 4:4

Christmas approaches,
days filled with anticipation.
We sing the songs,
bake the cookies,
decorate our homes and trim the tree.
We search for the perfect gift
and wrap it with hope.
We read the ancient story, light the candles
and wait for His coming.

And what of heaven over two thousand years ago?
How to calculate
the sense of anticipation
or know its parts?
Was it made up of an equal measure
of joy and sorrow,
as the Father gazed at His only Son?
Was there a small portion of regret
as He held Him in His arms?

The days counted down;
all of heaven must have held its breath,
watching love send the most
precious of gifts
to hearts that were waiting,
and to hearts that would not care.
He came.

Blessings,
Linda

On, In and Around Mondays: Jesus

The choir sang the powerful message of Christmas; the children joined them, sweet voices, proclaiming the birth of the King of kings; the dancers moved to the music with beauty and grace. Resounding applause filled the huge auditorium.

A hush fell as the lights were dimmed - a single beam, center stage. Josh Lopez quietly began to sing the names of Jesus. Savior, Light of the World, Redeeming Friend, Counselor, Prince of Peace... The choir sang softly in the background and the volume began to increase until one name, repeated over and over, echoed across the vast expanse:
"Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus..."

One by one people rose to their feet - arms lifted high to the One whose name is above all names. "Jesus. Jesus..." - hundreds of people standing before the One, the only One, who is worthy of all our praise.

And Christmas came.



Linking to L.L. Barkat's On, In and Around Mondays



and Laura's Playdates





Blessings,
Linda

The Gift

The gentle whisper has been quite persistent in recent months. I listen, nod in agreement and in a shamefully short period of time slide right back to where I began. Still the whisper persists. I hear it in the voices of Ann, Lisa-Jo, Emily and a number of other much admired women. "Yes," my head says, but the stubborn heart refuses to be moved.

The gentle whisper increases in volume when it is filtered through the pages of scripture. I hear it in the most unlikely places. Reading through the Old Testament stories - walking through the wilderness with the Children of Israel - and it speaks so clearly I am brought to tears.

"Then Moses spoke again to Korah: 'Now listen, you Levites!. Does it seem insignificant to you that the God of Israel has chosen you from among all the community of Israel to be near Him so you can serve in the Lord's Tabernacle and stand before the people to minister to them? Korah, He has already given this special ministry to you and your fellow Levites. Are you now demanding the priesthood as well? The Lord is the one you and your followers are really revolting against! For who is Aaron that you are complaining about him?"
Numbers 16:8-11

Here I stand again, with those Children I used to shake my head in wonder over. How often have I compared myself to others and wished I could be more like them? How many times have I looked longingly at their gifts and wished they were mine? If I look deeply into my own heart I find those same seeds of discontent and longing.

And the voice of Moses carries down through the centuries and implores me to embrace the gift I have already been given and to be content to serve in the way that the Lord has chosen for me.

It is the season of giving. A beautifully wrapped package sits under the tree with my name on it. Will I open it or will I look around at the other beautiful gifts and wish I could have them too? This gift is mine, the one He chose especially for me. It will only have value if I open it, embrace it and then give it away.

He has special gifts for each one of us - gifts that are uniquely chosen just for you by the One who knit you together in your mother's womb and wrote your story before you ever drew one breath. Every gift is of equal value - for each of us is equally loved and cherished.

linking to Emily's imperfect prose:

and:




Blessings,
Linda

picture: my dear friend Mary's home all dress up for Christmas

Happy Birthday Jesus

The birthday cake made its first appearance when our children were young. I got the idea from a Christmas devotional I had been reading. The author was writing about her family's Christmas traditions, and the idea for the birthday cake was tucked in among the others. Every Christmas she baked a birthday cake for Jesus - a reminder to her young children of what we are celebrating.

That Christmas, after all the Christmas cookies had been safely stored away in tins awaiting the big day, I baked the birthday cake. Double layer - frosted in creamy chocolate. On Christmas Day, after the tumult of gift giving and feasting on the traditional lasagna dinner I slipped into the kitchen and put the candles on the cake.

A hush settled over the dining room as I walked in. We dimmed the lights and struck a match to light the candles. In the soft glow we sang "Happy Birthday dear Jesus."
It seemed such a simple thing - not very "spiritual" in comparison to some Advent traditions - but it did something to our hearts as we gazed at the brightly lit cake and sang a birthday song to the One who had given so much for us.

These days it is the youngest grandchildren who blow out the candles. There are more voices joining together to sing birthday wishes to the King of kings. And I am filled with gratitude - for each one, from the seven year old to the one who is in his nineties, holds Him in their heart. He has given us the most precious of gifts.

Happy Birthday Jesus!

linking to the High Calling writing project at Charity's blog

Blessings,
Linda

photo: courtesy of photobucket

Thankful for Christmas

Winter has arrived in South Texas. We huddle under quilts at night and hunch our shoulders as cold winds buffet - but I remember those seemingly endless days of triple digit weather and smile with gratitude as I shiver my way to the car.

I am thankful for Christmas. It is, I think, my favorite time of year. When I was younger, the season was all wrapped up in Santa, presents, tins of cookies from my Mom's kitchen, caroling, Christmas programs and wishing for snow.

As I got older, I continued the traditions in my own home, but slowly, quietly, the emphasis has changed. My longing is to move slowly through the days with eyes lifted heavenward - to somehow take in the wonder of His coming and wait with hope for His coming again.,

Yes - I am so thankful for Christmas:

- a Savior who left the glory of heaven to become one of us
- a Father who sent His beloved Son to live and die that I might live
- a young girl who willingly surrendered her life to the call of God
- an honorable man who willingly bore the shame
- a group of shepherds, who heard the news and believed
- wise men who followed the star, worshiped the tiny King, and defied the evil one
- a Father who could not contain His love for His Son and sent angels to herald His birth
- a love I could not possibly deserve come to life
- a promise fulfilled - Unto us a child is born!
- the Word - the perfect Word of God that traces the promise from beginning to end

He came quietly - a baby's cry breaking the silence of 400 years. He came, and nothing will ever be the same. He lives, and He still offers the gift of His sacrifice. The gift of eternal life.

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth Him should not perish, but have everlasting life."
John 3:16

Joining the Gratitude Community at Ann's today.



Blessings,
Linda

The Magnificat

"Oh how my soul praises the Lord.
How my spirit rejoices in God my Savior!
For He took notice of His lowly servant girl,
and from now on all generations will call me blessed.
For the Mighty One is holy
and He has done great things for me."


Luke 1:46-49

Linking to Deidra's today:

Blessings,
Linda

painting:  Giovanni Battista Salvi da Sassoferrato

Waiting

T'is the season of waiting:
Zechariah waiting in silence
for the promised son;
a young girl waiting expectantly
for the Word to become flesh;
a star waiting
for the mighty to bow low;
a world waiting, groaning
beneath the weight of despair.

At just the right time
He came.

T'is the season of waiting:
for peace, when life is filled
with turmoil and worry;
for comfort, when sorrow
fills the heart;
for grace, when the worst
we feared comes calling;
for love, when we feel
so unlovely and unworthy.

At just the right time
He comes.

Linking to Emily's imperfect prose:




Blessings,
Linda

picture credit http://www.patheos.com/blogs/markdroberts/series/introduction-to-advent/