Sunday Morning Sleep-In

Good morning! It's a sleepy-eyed Sunday morning! We had a very full day yesterday and I'm glad to be able to just hang-out in my favourite jammies for a little while (thanks for the jammies, Mom :0) We had our first Christmas Recital yesterday (both girls played), Louis went skiing with his friend from school and then it was off to Mita and Pito's for a quick 'pupusa' (don't ask me how to spell that - they just taste REALLY good! :0) And finally on to church!

The recital went really well. I enjoy looking out at all the people's faces - parents, families, friends and all the children ... there's expectation, excitement and hope in those faces. It's truly a wonderful sight. One of the highlights of the recital was listening to our guest vocalist sing "Breath of Heaven" ... it's such a beautiful song and it was the perfect way to start the concert. All of the kids were great - my favourite Christmas carols are the ones played by little fingers who can barely reach the notes! :0) Those kids have great courage to get up and play in front of 100 people!!! To be able to share the celebration of the Christmas story with our students and their families and friends as well as our own ... it was a blessed time and it made me thankful that I'm a teacher.

Our pastor's wife gave the message at church last night. The message was on "Communidad" (Community). I mentioned to my friend (who graciously translates for me whenever I lean my ear over) that at some point I will stop giggling everytime I understand what's being said :0) The message was very clear - and something that spoke right to my heart. When our family came to this new church, I knew that God was showing me to "wash some feet". In other words, I know that for me, it is a time of humility and service. It's no burden, however, because as my love for this new church family continues to grow - I'm happy to serve. My cousin Jenn and I had a good laugh yesterday as I was explaining this to her. Funny how God brought me to a place where I can't 'speak' - just be quiet and serve. She thought this must be terribly difficult for me :0) Brings a whole new meaning to "Let my words be few" ... :0)

Well, today is the first day of Advent ... I always love this family tradition. As we rush around from place to place - celebrating, visiting, shopping - I love that our family can take a few minutes at the end of every day to remember why we have this sense of excitement and anticipation. When I think of how God came in the flesh - as a BABY, no less! - it really helps me to understand that WE ARE KNOWN. He knows how we feel, what we think, when we struggle and what our struggles are! He knows why we laugh, how we like to celebrate and enjoy Him as well as our desire for community - family, friends, church, neighbours, co-workers, cities, nations and even our little globe :0) These are His desires too - for harmony, unity and peace (No, Hallmark did NOT come up with that idea! :0) If I ever start misunderstanding God's "intentions" or will for my life - if I ever start thinking that He is 'just waiting for me to screw things up' or feeling that He is far away - just Someone 'out there somewhere' ... all I have to do is remember the little baby Jesus in the manger. - fully God and fully man.

Here's a good word to remember at this time of year. RELAX - Webster's Dictionary defines it as "make or become less stiff, rigid or tense; make or become less formal or strict; cease work or effort; at ease, unperturbed". Okay - can I get an AMEN! :0) I don't think relax is equal to lazy!! But where are our efforts to be directed and what is the source of our strength? We do not need to EARN our salvation (our desire for REAL life - our desire to be SAVED from that darkness that tries to invade our daily thoughts - the REALITY of sin). We do not need to expend EFFORT into trying to be "good enough" for God - He already KNOWS us ... do I hear a collective sigh of relief? He has taken away the sins of the world - sound familiar? We are not going to have some ultimate screw up that will cause Him to say, "hmmm - where's my eraser? that one's out of my book!" :0) Guess what? That 'ultimate screw up' has already been taken care of - thank you Adam and Eve ... and that's who's inheritance we share (life away from God) until we receive our adoption into God's kingdom through the blood of Jesus.

It's all been done. Or in the words of our Lord, "It is finished" ... We all have a desire for peace - don't we all at some point every day just wish that we could slow down and RELAX just for five minutes?!?! What if that peace and that sense of RELAX (of BECOMING less stiff, rigid, formal and structured) was the gift that Jesus gave when He came - lived and died - for us? He, Himself said, "My peace I give you - go in peace". Hallelujah! Does that mean we just lay around and wait for the glorious returning of our Lord? Ummm - sorry - No. But it does mean that we can find our strength in the One greater than ourselves. Isn't it a great feeling when we can reflect on a good days "work" and know that what we accomplished came out of knowing that we were doing exactly what God asked us to do? Even if our bodies are tired - don't we feel satisfied and happy? Don't we feel thankful because we can hear Him say "well done, good and faithful servant" ? That's all the encouragement we need! :0)

My prayer today is this: Lord, thank You for Your wisdom. Thank You for the way You KNOW our needs - so much more than we do. Thank You that You LOVE us with a perfect, holy love. Thank You that You LOVE us as a Father - our Abba - our Dad ... Thank You for Your desire for us ... for coming in the flesh to make the way for us - thank You for taking away our sin and offering us life in abundance. Thank You for peace. Lord, I ask today - simply this - that everyone who reads these words will have an increased sensitivity to You, Lord. That You would open our eyes to see and our ears to hear all the ways You reveal Yourself to us. Open our heart to You, Lord and let us be "gratefully grace-filled". In the Name of our friend, Jesus. Amen.

I'll leave you with one of my favourite Christmas Carols. It describes the longing that Israel felt waiting for the Saviour to come and the expectations they had. BTW - Emmanuel means "God with us" and it is one of the names of Jesus.

"O Come, O Come, Emmanuel"

Words Translated by John Mason Neale

Music: Thomas Helmore

O come, o come,
Emmanuel

and ransom captive Israel,

that mourns in lonely exile here,

until the Son of God appears

Rejoice! Rejoice!

Emmanuel - shall come to thee, O
Israel

O come, O come, Thou Lord of Might,

Who to Thy tribes, on Sinai's height,

In ancient times didst give the law,

In cloud, and majesty, and awe.

Rejoice! Rejoice!

Emmanuel - shall come to thee, O Israel

O come, Thou Rod of Jesse,free

Thine own from Satan's tyranny;

From depths of hell Thy people save

And give them victory o'er the grave.

Rejoice! Rejoice!

Emmanuel - shall come to thee, O Israel

O come, Thou Dayspring, come and cheer

Our spirits by Thine advent here;

Disperse the gloomy clouds of night,

And death's dark shadows put to flight.

Rejoice! Rejoice!

Emmanuel - shall come to thee O Israel

O come, Thou Key of David, come,

And open wide our heavenly home;

Make safe the way that leads on high,

And close the path to misery.

Rejoice! Rejoice!

Emmanuel - shall come to thee O Israel

O come, Thou Wisdom from on high,

And order all things, far and nigh;

To us the path of knowledge show,

And cause us in her ways to go.

Rejoice! Rejoice!

Emmanuel - shall some to thee O Israel

O come, Desire of nations, bind

In one the hearts of all mankind;

Bid Thou our sad divisions cease,

And be Thyself our King of peace.

Rejoice! Rejoice!

Emmanuel - shall come to thee, O Israel