(Repost) In one minute...

This is an older post I found, but wanted to repost today.

(with a few edits...)

Have you ever thought about the significance of one minute? We live such busy lives in our society these days that a minute seems to not have much importance. However, in just one minute (60 seconds), lives can change...

In one minute...

...an Olympian sets a new record

...a man and woman say "I do" and a new family is born

... a puppy jumps out of a beautifully wrapped box and licks your face

...20 babies are born in the United States

...a butterfly emerges from a chrysalis being given new life

...a starving child receives a bite of food and life is extended one more day

...a broken relationship begins the path to reconciliation

...a cure has been discovered for a disease

...the first snowflake of winter begins to fall

...the phone rings and your life is never the same

...a teenager decides to try drugs "just this once"

...the winds of a hurricane begin to blow

...an expectant mother miscarries the precious life growing inside her and her life will never be the same

...an airplane plunges into the World Trade Center

...the stock market plummets as do your earnings

...the divorce papers have been signed and you feel like a failure

...the doctor walks into the room with a new diagnosis

...10 people in the United States take their last breath

And in the most important minute of your life, you accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, turning away from a life that pleases this world to a life that pleases Him. Your minutes begin to be led by Him, you begin to see things in a different light, your faith begins to grow as you trust that He is the Lord of everything, even down to the darkest minute of your life.

Jesus said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness but will have the light of life." (John 8:12) In one minute, your life can change. Have you played out the most important minute of your life? Did you once, but have turned away? It takes just one minute to turn back, to accept and to begin to follow.

I pray today is your day!

The Heart of Texas Movie

Jason and I just watched this movie. I am having a hard time putting into words just how powerful this story is. The movie takes place in Simonton, Texas and can only be a testament of God's amazing grace at work in the lives of people just like you and me. What begins as an unusual friendship between two families continues to be intricately woven by the hand of God when a terrible tragedy occurs; a tragedy that would by anyone's standards bring division, bitterness and hatred. If anyone questions whether there is a God, I would be willing to bet that this movie would heavily tip the scales towards His favor. No man on his own could write the same story.

I encourage you to watch this movie and then share it with your friends, coworkers, family and church community. You will be touched in an amazing way. I am definitely challenged to look at myself through the filter of forgiveness and find the areas in my life where I need to let go. The good news is, I don't have to do it on my own! Where I am weak, He is strong and I can lean on Him. Thank you, Lord!

Click here to visit the website and order the DVD.

Worship Upside Down

Our church showed this video...so cool! One thing our pastor said that has stayed with me is, "Worship is NOT about personal preference". Oh, how we have made it that, haven't we? Well, I "prefer" hymns or I "prefer" the pastor to wear a suit or I "prefer" contemporary music or I "prefer" a certain version of the Bible. Why don't we ever say I "prefer" that the Lord's name be glorified and that my worship is pleasing to him. Worship should not speak to "me" but to "Him"!

L.O.V.E. - Genesis 18

Genesis 18

L (Learn) -
Genesis 18:14 - "Is anything too hard for the Lord?"

O (Observe) -

I have a cross that has hung by my back or front door for the past 15 years that has this very verse inscribed upon it. Taken from a different translation, the word "hard" is substituted with the word "difficult". "Is anything too difficult for the Lord?" This verse has been an encouragement to me for 15 years on a daily basis as I read those words before heading out to begin the day. Many days, these words have been exactly what I needed as the tasks that awaited me were difficult, but not too difficult for Him. These words have encouraged me through times in my life of waiting and not knowing. Being reminded that my challenges are not above His power has been a great comfort on many worry-filled occasions.

V (Value) -

God's power is beyond my comprehension. There is not anything that will occur in my life that is beyond His covering. Matthew 11:30 says, "For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." Going back a few verses, Jesus says in Matthew 11:28-30, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." I praise you, Lord, for your amazing power and love!

E (Express) -

Thank you, Lord, for your constant presence in my life. When times are challenging, may I find comfort in the knowledge that nothing is too difficult for you and that you work all things for good. Help me to trust in you daily and not in my own ways.

1.1.11

The Lord will give strength to His people;
the Lord will bless His people with peace.
~Psalm 29:11

One of the best things about living in Ohio is getting to experience the four seasons as they should be. Growing up in the south, I knew first-hand of one-and-a-half seasons; summer and sort-of-not-summer. I love how the seasons change here; four times a year we start a new chapter and four times a year, a chapter comes to an end. It's very easy to mark time by the seasons; there's definitely a beginning and an end and each to his own looks forward to one of those things and, in some cases, maybe both.

The seasons are a great reminder to me of how our Lord is a God of new beginnings. Each day is a new day in the Lord, a chance to love Him more than the day before, a chance to serve Him in bigger and better ways, and a chance to experience Him on a new level. I'm not usually one to make New Year's resolutions, as a year is a long time to try and stick to something new. Amen? However, I am feeling a "tug" in this new year to make 2011 a year of more of Him and less of me.

I struggle with the sin of passivity, the sin of the "I shoulds", the sin of the "maybe laters". I am as busy as the next person and definitely use my busyness as an excuse to not do more. I am also one that feels as if I need time alone on a regular basis and am very protective of "my" time. I am a perfectionist through and through. (I mean, really, I came from two perfectionists, it's not my fault; I can't help it!) It's easy for me to place importance on things that may not necessarily be that important.

But, I want this year to be different. I feel a "holy stir" in my soul and I'm not quite sure what it is just yet, but I know that God is beginning something in me and I better get myself ready for the job!

Well, ok, if I were to make a list of New Year's resolutions, it would probably look something like this:

Spend more time in the Word and in prayer.

Serve my family with a greater willingness and greater gladness.

Get involved in something that will make a difference in someone's

eternity and point them towards Christ.

These are truly what I long for, not just goals to check off with a gold star at the end of 2011. Authenticity is the word that keeps ringing in my head. I don't want to just have all the answers, I want to live them. I want to feel them. I want to share them.

I pray that 2011 is an exceptional year for you. 2010 has been a difficult year for many people. Cancer is a frequent word spoken around our dinner table as more people than I ever hoped to know personally with cancer have cancer. I pray that 2011 is the year of healing for those near and dear fighting this dreaded disease.

Here's to 2011! May it be a year of richest blessings!

My Story

Everyone has a story, a story that tells why you are who you are today, why you stand for the things you stand for, and how you hope to grow and change in the years to come. Our church challenged its congregation to put our personal stories to paper in 700 words or less. I will admit I have procrastinated organizing my thoughts and words into a story. That was until this past weekend. Jason and I were asked to share our testimonies with our new small group. Our group is made up of five couples and we have all been taking turns sharing our stories. Necessity trumped procrastination, and I finally took on the challenge. Written below is my story. My story is a story woven together by the grace of God. Why He would take the time to even notice me blows me away. But, this is the God I serve and will serve from today into eternity.

If you haven't taken the time to write your story, I encourage you to try. It can be a very therapeutic process, but my greatest reward in committing it to paper was another reminder of how amazing God is and how much I need Him and need Him to know how amazing He is to me.

I cannot tell you the exact day that I became a Christian as it seems like I’ve always believed in God and in His Son, Jesus Christ. I’ve known as far back as I can remember that Jesus died on the cross for my sins and that my salvation comes through faith in Him. I was baptized when I was 10 after walking down to the front of the church and accepting Christ publicly as my Lord and Savior. I have loved Him as long as I can remember and have experienced His presence in my life for just as long.

My family attended church regularly, sitting on the front pew every Sunday. I was active in Sunday School, church choir and youth group and became the church pianist when I was 15. Church was a big part of my life and became a place of refuge from living in a very dysfunctional family. My home life was a place of conflict and emotional abuse. My faith in God was all I had to hold onto at times, and I prayed to Him frequently.

The Lord provided a way for me to attend a small, private, Christian university and it wasn’t too long before I realized that my Christian walk was very shallow. I didn’t really have a true personal relationship with Christ. For the first time in my life, I felt free from all that I had lived with, and I no longer really needed God. I kept Him at a distance, calling on Him occasionally if I needed something, but most of the time, living my life for me. I made poor choices with my behavior and sacrificed my moral standards. However, the Lord never let go of me. He was always there to rescue me. I know He placed me in that environment to learn more about Him and to grow closer to Him.

During the summer before my senior year in college, I decided it was time to stop living for me and start living for Him. I ended the unhealthy relationships, began spending time in His Word and praying regularly. I took to heart the words of James 4:8 - “Draw near to God and he will draw near to you.” My relationship with Christ began to grow as I made time for Him in my life.

Having a relationship with Christ does not guarantee that life will be easy and free of hardship. In fact, the Bible tells us that we will have hardships and James 1:2 even says “Consider it pure joy…whenever you face trials of many kind.” I have endured many hardships in my life. I lived in a home that was very unloving and unkind. I have felt the pain of loneliness and depression. I have suffered marital strife as well as financial troubles. I could not have gotten through these things without my relationship with the Lord.

Although I sin daily and the distractions of life can pull me away from actively pursuing my relationship with Him, my desire is to be pleasing to Him and for my love for Him to grow stronger every day. Words cannot express how grateful I am that God loved me enough to sacrifice His own Son for my sins, and I know that I will spend my eternity in Heaven with Him.

Reminded, Renewed, Reassured, Refilled, Revived

There are many things I miss about being on a church staff and one of those things is being able to be renewed and revived in conference settings where those in attendance are of one heart. And for that one day (or few days), the daily grind that we are honored to be called to journey is paused for us to just be reminded, renewed, reassured, refilled and revived.

This is a video from a fantastic conference lead by Willowcreek Church. I had the privilege of attending the Leadership Summit for two years when I was on staff at our church in Houston. I loved the days to just soak it in. This video is about 10 minutes long, but is so worth your time.

We are beginning the process of joining a church here. It's been quite a journey for us to get to this place and, in turn, we drive 30 minutes one-way to attend this church. We were very spoiled in Houston. Our church was 4 minutes away, 6 if you caught the red light. Cuyahoga Valley Church is proving to be an amazing church and the right fit for us and what we prayed we would find in a church here. It's been a three-year journey, but so worth it.

I just encourage you (if anyone actually reads this...ha!), to find a church home for yourself and your family. This world is a difficult place and worldly solutions will not often pan out. Jesus Christ is the only way and surrounding ourselves with others of one heart keeps us reminded, renewed, reassured, refilled and revived.

Why are we here? What are we called to do? Does it really matter? I'm interested to know what you think after viewing this video.

Incredible Photos

I haven't posted much lately because I've been so busy and haven't felt too inspired to share anything noteworthy. That is, until today. I saw these photos on a blog I follow. They've left me speechless. To see more, go to this website, click on Galleries and then "Oil Spill".

Through an artist's eye, this shows the oil spill in a different light, doesn't it?

EVERY good and perfect gift is from above!

I will say it again...EVERY good and perfect gift is from above! (James 1:17)

I am still feeling so overwhelmed with joy and gratitude to my Heavenly Father for his healing touch on our Abby. Yesterday, we had the 6-week follow-up, which included a set of x-rays. I had been praying for this day for the past several weeks, not missing more than 2 or 3 days, and praying specifically that the scans would be clear and there would be no trace of the pneumonia or effusion.

I could tell that Abby was doing better and was back to herself (well, maybe a bit more rotten due to the additional attention), was not favoring her left side any longer, wasn't asking for Motrin for pain, and was sleeping through the night on a consistent basis.

The doctor entered the room and asked me some questions. Basically, he wanted to know what we were observing at home, so I described Abby as I did in the paragraph above. He, in turn, looked at me with a grin from ear to ear and said, "Well I have some great news!" He went on to say the x-ray was clear and beautiful and there was not a single trace of the pneumonia or the effusion!

We serve a mighty and loving God and the tears welled up as soon as I got into the parking lot yesterday, so grateful that He not only answered our prayers for healing but even to the very specific way I had been praying.

This has been a long journey and I have learned that I have one tough little girl. The doctor said she had probably been sick for a while before we actually began to see the symptoms, which was basically a high fever that hit very suddenly. He was careful in his word selection (as he actually said so out loud), but again reminded us that Abby's case of pneumonia was a very bad and serious case. The doctors were thrilled to see how things turned out in the end and will be using her scans in teaching students and residents in their facility.

Of course, I'm not amazed in the same way as the doctors...I know Who and How this happened...I am amazed that sometimes I have so little faith in what my God can do.

Praise the Lord, O my soul;

all my inmost being, praise his holy name.

Praise the Lord, O my soul,

and forget not all his benefits-

who forgives all your sins

and heals all your diseases,

who redeems your life from the pit

and crowns you with love and compassion,

who satisfies your desires with good things

so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.

Psalm 103:1-5

Reflecting...

Does your life ever get so busy that you don't have the time to organize your own thoughts? It seems that way in our household lately. It's been a while since my last post, but I've had many thoughts bouncing around in my head, just not enough time to organize them into something of substance.

I have spent a great deal of time reflecting over the events of the past several weeks. Sometimes hindsight is 20/20 and sometimes, it's just plain unbelievable. I have to say that I have gained a greater compassion for those who have children suffering with an illness or challenge of some sort. I also have had a small sample of what it tastes like to have a healthy child in one moment and a very sick child in the next moment without any warning. (Although, maybe a warning really wouldn't be a good thing...with events like this, sometimes, being "surprised" gets you to the place you need to be to make it through.)

Looking back to the time that Abby began to be sick, I cannot help but offer full and overwhelming praise to the Lord for his provision, his healing, and the mere fact that He carried us through to the other side. He brought us through in an amazing way and there's no other person or place to give the glory. Abby's case of pneumonia coupled with an effusion (never heard that word until a few weeks ago) have amazed her doctors, both in Tennessee and here in Ohio. I am grateful that the doctors in Tennessee were conservative in their approach to surgery and allowed her body to begin to heal on its own. I am grateful that the doctors here in Ohio were comfortable with the previous decisions and continued with the healing process. We have been told that Abby's case of pneumonia and the presence of her effusion was a very serious case. One doctor even commented that this was the worst case she had seen. Our doctor here has said that every patient he has had with this amount of pneumonia and fluid has either been on IV antibiotics at home or had a chest tube surgically placed.

I am overwhelmed with gratitude for the healing the Lord has done with our sweet Abby, even to the point of not needing any invasive medical treatment. We have one more x-ray next week and I've been praying daily that the scans will be clear and any trace of pneumonia or fluid is gone and she will not have any lifelong effects (i.e., asthma, etc.).

I have to say, however, I feel as if my reflections over the past few weeks have been concentrated more on what it would be like to have a child who is sick, who is constantly in and out of the hospital, who is more familiar with doctors than with other children his/her own age. I have only tasted 7 days of what it would be like to live this way, the stress and emotions that immediately escalate every time the door opens and a doctor walks in.

I have been following the blog of a beautiful little girl who is fighting a battle with cancer. You can read all about her on her family's website here. Please be warned...you will fall in love with her big, beautiful blue eyes. Her parents are believers and the sharing of their faith is incredible. I have often wondered and even said aloud, "I don't know how people can get through this life without faith in Jesus Christ". This world can be so difficult and so painful. We all need a Savior to carry us through the difficult times.

One thing I learned during this time is that a simple gesture of kindness goes a long way. Emails, voice mails, comments on my Facebook, etc. were what I looked forward to during that week. Those messages and prayers gave me the encouragement and the boost I needed to keep going and to be reminded that God was/is in control. Knowing that others were sharing my burden and praying to our Father on my behalf was like food to my soul. If you know someone in your life who is going through a difficult time, don't miss the opportunity to be the love of Christ to them. A simple card or email will go a long way (even if they don't reply). It may be the very thing at the very right moment in time that gives them the confidence that was fleeing.

I am just as baffled as anyone and can get just as angry as anyone when I know or hear of a sick child. It doesn't seem fair to me, it doesn't seem right. I came across this verse in Ecclesiastes this week: "As you do not know the path of the wind, or how the body is formed in a mother's womb, so you cannot understand the work of God, the Maker of all things." ~Ecclesiastes 11:5 This is so true! I cannot understand the work of Him, but I can understand and believe that He is the Maker of all things. I know that He loves His creation because I've read it in the Bible. I also know that children are adored and loved by Him. Mark 10:16 says "And he took the children in his arms, put his hands on them and blessed them." I will never understand the suffering of children, but I do understand that their Maker loves them even more than a mother's love.

This post has been so random, I know. I just want to encourage you to reach out to those around you who may be going through a difficult time. Don't be afraid and don't let the opportunity pass. Pray for the children who are sick, like sweet Kate. One day, our eyes will be opened, one day our understanding will be deeper. For now, I will continue to question, but my answer for this life will be faith.

What will you choose?

Reflecting on the Sacrifice...

Being on the road this week is taking the place of what we usually experience during Holy Week. It's hard to get into the spirit of Holy Week with 7 wild and crazy kids around me this week. However, we are thankful for the gift of family and enjoying our time with our cousins. So, this video sent to me today from a dear friend is perfect timing. It's so difficult to watch, but I long to soak in a fraction of the depth of pain to keep my eyes focused on Him and His love for me. Take some time to see this...somehow, getting the eggs dyed might not be the most important thing after doing so.

Tears in my eyes...seriously

When the dreaded hits close to home...

If you are like me, one of the greatest fears that lurks in the back of my mind is one day being diagnosed with breast cancer. I'm sure I don't need to explain much further the reasons why, especially if you are female reading this post. I've pretty much put myself in the category (out of defense and denial) that I will never have this dreaded disease. I mean, no one in my family has had breast cancer, so it surely won't happen to me. And, to take it a step further, it's not going to happen to anyone I personally know either. As long as I can float along in this fantasy world, life is just fine.

Well, insert reality here.

My very first friend I made in Cleveland, one of the nicest gals one could ever know, shared with me this weekend the horrible news that she's been diagnosed with breast cancer. This cancer, in particular, is a very aggressive form of cancer. To spare you all the details, I'll just give you a glimpse of her 5-day journey last week. From Day 1, going to the doctor with a suspected breast infection to Day 5, being pumped with her first treatment of chemotherapy, I'm sure I don't have to fill in the details of Days 2, 3 & 4.

My mind has been consumed with her and her family. The "fixer" in me wants to find the magical thing that I can do that will fix this problem and make everything just fine. And yet, here I sit feeling so helpless. I googled "what to do when your friend has cancer" and came across some ideas. If you have a friend who has cancer or has been through cancer, hopefully these ideas will help you. And, if you have some ideas to share, please post them.

A few years ago, I learned a valuable lesson. I was at a point in my life when I absolutely couldn't do it all. I had a newborn baby at home, a 3-year-old preschooler, and my husband went into the hospital with MRSA. It was the longest week of my life. He was there for 6 nights/7 days and we were on the day-to-day "wait and see" plan. I was so torn, wanting to be with my new baby and 3-year-old and needing to be right by my husband's side. I learned in that week what it means to be blessed by others. Our friends and family lined up to bring meals, babysit, run errands, visit Jason, etc. I had a hard time at first allowing them to help me as I didn't want to feel like an imposition or pitied. I wanted to be able to throw on my cape and conquer it all! But, a friend told me that allowing others to help me is also allowing them to be blessed. This is what the church was intended to be and I needed to let the church be the church. Isn't this true? Don't you always feel blessed when you have helped someone else? They receive the blessing of your help and you receive the blessing of knowing you have helped someone in need.

My friend has so many people who love and care for her. I pray she will quickly let go of wanting to be Super Girl and allow her friends and family to pick up the slack. I pray that God will show me the best way to be her friend and to walk by her side through this journey. For now, I will start with some of these...

Send a card or email just to let her know you are thinking about her.

Don't expect a response, know that she's read it and your contact is for her to know you care.

Volunteer to run some errands for her family:

carpooling, grocery shopping, laundry, etc.

Cook dinner for the family.

Go a step further and arrange for meals to be delivered on a regular basis for a certain period of time.

Enlist family and friends to sign up.

(Make sure you gather any nutritional information, such as allergies, dislikes, etc.)

Take her to get a mani/pedi.

Buy her some new earrings or a new piece of jewelry.

As she begins to lose her hair, this will boost her spirits some.

Offer to accompany her to the wig shop.

This may be a very private task for your friend, but at the same time, she may appreciate another female's feedback.

Offer to communicate updates for her so she doesn't have to repeat herself several times.

No doubt, she will have many friends who want to know the latest news. Compose an address book that will allow this information to be sent once and reach many people.

Bring flowers.

Who doesn't love a vase of fresh flowers?

This is a great website I've found that offers advice for the time your friend is diagnosed and through the chemo and radiation treatment.

For now, I will be in constant prayer for my friend.

January is the Sanctity of Life Month...watch this!

God is The Creator!

Training those little minds & hearts!

Our family enjoyed the Advent devotionals so much that we decided we would continue with some family devotional time. We're using this book and it's great to use at the dinner table, first thing in the morning, or at bedtime. I like this book because it speaks to all three of my children, despite the span of their ages, and each devotional takes about 5-10 minutes, depending on the depth of your conversation. Each reading ends with a fact from "our amazing world". The kids have enjoyed these as well. This book has 100 devotionals, so we don't feel pressured to do one every day. I'd say we're keeping up with a pace of about three a week.

(Click on the image to link to Amazon's website.)

Emily and I are enjoying going through this book together. This book is written with 365 "sticky situations", so there's one for each day of the year. We spend some time at bedtime reading one together. The reading starts with a small story ("situation") and then gives 4-5 choices as to how to handle the situation ("what would you do?"). This has triggered some great conversations, mainly that many times, the easy way out is not always the right thing to do. Each day gives a reference to a Bible verse to back up the virtue and Emily's doing a great job finding these verses in the Bible with minimal help from me.

(Click on the image to link to Amazon's website.)

So, check these books out.
I recommend both of them!

Happy New Year!

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation;

the old has gone, the new has come!

2 Corinthians 5:17

We serve a God of new beginnings.

May this day be the best new beginning for you and yours!

Preparing for the Big Day, Part 5, 6, 7, 8 & 9

So, I'm catching up the Advent posts today. We've been doing them every night and the kids are doing great! They look forward to our time right after dinner. We sit down in front of the fire and read the new story for the night. Of course, the main highlight right now is whose turn it is to open and hang the ornament. But, they are learning and we are training those little hearts...

Day 5: Isaac and the Lamb

(Ornament: a lamb)

In my opinion, there are some very strange stories in the Bible. I would definitely classify this as one. Do you know the story of Abraham and his son Isaac? Just imagine this... You have waited and waited and waited to have a child. You are beyond the point of thinking it will ever happen and you suddenly learn you have a baby on the way. Not only have you pined for years for this child, but the child itself is a miracle because you are easily the age of a grandpa or even great-grandpa! One day, the Lord appears and tells you to take this precious child and sacrifice him on the altar. I don't know about you, but I think I would have run the other way (with said child in hand) and kept running.

But, not Abraham. Abraham had such faith in God that he would obey his direction. He took his son and they traveled to the altar and Abraham prepared his son to be the sacrifice. On the way, Isaac asks his father what will be the sacrifice as they didn't have an animal with them. Abraham's reply to his son, "God will provide". I know there have been times when I, myself, have answered questions my children have with answers more for the purpose of reassuring them than for actually giving them the facts. I wonder if this was the case with Abraham. Was this response a way of easing Isaac's mind or was it a true statement of Abraham's faith in God's provision?

Abraham gets all the way to the point of raising the knife when God intervenes, provides the lamb for sacrifice and saves Isaac. God commends Abraham for his faith.

The Bible is full of prophecy and foreshadowing and symbolism. Abraham was willing to give his Son, but God didn't ask that much of him in the end. However, many years later, God would do this Himself. He would finish the job and His Son would be killed. He provided the lamb, yet again, and this time, the Lamb was Jesus Christ.

Lord, thank you for your Son. Thank you for the gift of the lamb, Jesus Christ. Deepen my faith, Lord, that I might have the faith of Abraham even to the point of obeying you in the most difficult tasks.

Day 6: Jacob's Ladder

(Ornament: a ladder)

I have a recurring dream. I dream often that my college degree is being "called back" because I am short one course and I must return to my university to complete the course. What's the course? P.E.! If I have dreamed this one time, I have dreamed it 100 times. Silly, huh?

In the Bible, God spoke to several people through the dreams. One of these dreams is known to us as Jacob's Ladder. Jacob was Isaac's son. Remember Isaac? He was the son of Abraham. (Read above.) We are moving through the descendants of Abraham as we move towards the birth of the Christ Child.

Jacob had a dream one night. He had set out to another country to find a wife. On his journey, he felt lonely and tired. One night, as he settled in for sleep, he lay on the ground using a stone for a pillow and fell asleep. Now, I don't know about you, but I don't think I would sleep very soundly if I was sleeping on the ground and using a rock for a pillow. (Thank you, Lord, for the house over my head and my pillow!)

As Jacob falls into deep sleep, he dreams a strange and awesome dream. Jacob saw a ladder that reached all the way to the sky. Angels were going up and down the ladder and God was standing at the top. Jacob was told that many wonderful things would happen to him because God loved him. From Jacob's family, Jesus would come. Jacob awoke from the dream with the reassurance that God was with him on his journey and his life would never be the same again.

Lord, what an amazing and reassuring reminder that you are always with us. In our times of loneliness and despair, we are absolutely not alone. Help us to remember this, Lord, and to know that no matter what is going on around us or who has turned their back on us, You will never leave us or forsake us! We love you, Lord!

Day 7: Joseph's Coat of Many Colors

(Ornament: a colorful coat)

This is sibling rivalry at its best! Joseph was one of 12 sons and was the favorite of his father, Jacob. Joseph's brother knew that Joseph was the favorite and were very jealous of this affection. One day, Jacob presented Joseph with a beautiful coat. This only stirred the pot of jealousy and the brothers began plotting a way to get rid of Joseph, yes even to kill him. Read about the story here.

God, however, had grand plans for Joseph's life and saved him from death. Joseph encountered many troubles to get to the place where God would use him in a mighty way. The Bible tells us that God works all things for good for those who love him (Romans 8:28). Joseph had no way of knowing that one day he would be a great ruler in Egypt and when his brothers needed help, he would be the one to take care of them. He could have easily turned away, bitter from the mistreatment during his younger years, but instead, he chose to forgive them and to help them.

What can we learn from Joseph? God is always with us, even in our times of trouble when He might feel far away. God also calls us to be forgiving just as He has forgiven us our sins through His Son, Jesus Christ.

Lord, what an amazing feat it is, at times, to be forgiving. Help me to forgive those who need forgiveness so that I might not sin. Thank you for being with me in the hard times and molding me for Your purposes.

Day 8: Moses and the Ten Commandments

(Ornament: a tablet with numbers)

I'm sure that most people have heard of the ten commandments. Sometimes, they are viewed with a pessimism as if God is barking down orders and ready with his lightsaber to zap us when we break one. This is not the God I serve, however.

The Bible says that God is love. I know as a parent, it's important for me to set boundaries for my children and I do so out of my love for them and hopes that they will become Godly grownups.

I am not a rebellious person by nature. I'm actually a rule-following nerd, so I like rules. But, as I get older, I really like to pick and choose my rules. (As if I know what is best for me...) Just like a small child needs the guidance of parents, I need the guidance of my Heavenly Father who loves me beyond measure and knows what's best for me.

Father, help me to be obedient to Your Word. Thank you for the Bible. I long to be pleasing to you.

Day 9: Canaan, The Promised Land of Blessings

(Ornament: a cluster of grapes)

Have you ever seen a bunch of grapes so big and juicy that two men had to carry it? Read this! I can't imagine such abundance of grapes, figs, pomegranates and more as those found in Canaan, the promised land. We are reminded again, today, God keeps His promises! Sometimes, the timeline is adjusted due to our lack of obedience and faith, but He does not waver from what He has promised His children. Hallelujah!

Moses worked to free God's people from Pharaoh and it was not a simple feat, to say the least. Very soon after their departure from Egypt, the people turned away from God. This didn't change God's promises, yet increased the time it took to reach the land He had promised. Finally, when the people were close enough to step into the land, they still turned to their own ways, which resulted in 40 more years of wandering. However, God's promise was fulfilled when the people chose to return to being obedient. He had brought them to the place He promised and provided all their needs along the way, even in their times of disobedience and faithlessness, He was moving them towards the Promised Land.

I like to think the Promised Land could be a glimpse of heaven. The land was abundant in blessings and was theirs to have if they were only obedient and followed God. The result of their disobedience was an additional time in the desert, a time when many died. However, the few who lived made it to the Promised Land and from those people, would come King David, moving closer to the birth of Jesus.

Lord, it is so easy to trace your hand in the Bible, moving through the descendants and following your plan from Adam all the way to Jesus. However, sometimes we refuse to see the trace of your hand in our own lives. Help us to remember that we belong to You and You have everything we need. Praise be to you, Lord!