His Birth & Our New Birth

December 25, 2011

"Behold, a virgin shall bring forth a son, and they shall call His name Emanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us." Isaiah 7:14

His Birth in History. "Therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God." (Luke 1:35). Jesus Christ was born into this world, not from it. He did not evolve out of history; He came into history from the outside. Jesus Christ is not the best human being, He is a being who cannot be accounted for by the human race at all. He is not man becoming God, but God incarnate, God coming into human flesh, coming into it from outside. His life is the highest and holiest entering in at the lowliest door. Our Lord's birth was an advent. 

His Birth in Me. "Of whom I travail, in birth again until Christ be formed in you." (Galatians 4:19) Just as our Lord came into history from outside, so He must come into me from outside. Have I allowed my personal and human life to become a "Bethlehem" for the Son of God? I cannot enter into the realm of the kingdom of God unless I am born from above by a birth totally unlike natural birth. "Ye must be born again." This is not a command, it is a foundation fact. The characteristic of the  new birth is that I yield myself so completely to God that Christ is formed in me. Immediately Christ is formed in me, His nature begins to work through me. 

God manifest in the flesh - that is what is made profoundly possible for you and me by the redemption. 

- Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest

On this holiest of days, may we see through the things of the world so that the One who came to save us from it is glorified.

Merry Christmas from our house to yours!

Life's Sweet Moments

He wanted Dairy Queen, I wanted Sweet Frog. It was our only dilemma after a challenging day. It was one of those days where marriage gives you a swift kick in the bum and reminds you of what a horrible human being you are. Why must it be like that? I want to be perfect all the time... ;) 

The beauty of marriage is that despite one's shortcomings, your other half still loves you. And not the kind of love I have for Sweet Frog, but the kind of love Christ has for us. Selfless, sacrificial, stubborn, and most of all, beautiful love. On days like this, I am reminded how no matter how many times I have fallen in my own sin nature, I have a loving Father that patiently waits for me to get back up, dust myself off and look upward. 

I am reminded that if a human being - a sweet man who had only an idea of what he was getting into by falling in love with me - comes to me with arms open wide after that marital swift kick, then how much greater is the love of God? How many times have I disappointed Him and yet He loves me? Stubbornly loves me. 

"For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." - Romans 8:38-39

In the midst of life's trials... there can still be sweetness. Like when your husband understands the utter importance of getting the right dessert, and pulls into the parking lot of the place that means so much. :)

Happy Tuesday!

Today

...is for learning to be patient. And it's for peaches, clearly. As I await a certain canker sore that has nearly paralyzed my entire mouth to retreat from existence, I have resorted to eating my food like a toddler: cut up into tiny little pieces! It shouldn't take any more than a minute or two to down a perfect peach, yet I struggle just to get a sliver squared away without a thousand razor blades attacking my mouth. So, I am once again reminded of the importance of patience. One sliver at a time, one day at a time. As my mom always says, "This too shall pass." 

Everything in life shall pass. Life shall pass at some point for everyone. We are only here for a short blip on the radar screen of life. So often we are consumed with our trials and struggles that we forget this life is not about us. It's not about our hopes, dreams, jobs or possessions, but fully about His glorious plan for eternity. God's plan is not known to us finite human beings. We are just here to play our tiny part in bringing it to completion.

I often struggle with the weight of the corruption on this nation, and that of the world. Strom is my constant reminder that it is in God's hands, but I can't help feeling despair at the decisions being made by the president and his administration, by the bills our congress passes, the direction they are taking us, and the alliances they are building. Not to mention, the lifestyles that are so embraced, the culture that is eroding faster every day and the earthly stability that is no longer existent. (Yeah, you feeling pretty good now? haha) But I have to remember that God is King of these people, the Lord of this nation, and He is in control. That this is all somehow part of His plan. Whether they realize it or not.

It says in Phillippians 2:10-11 that "...at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."

Amen to that!!

So again, the patience lesson! I have to learn to be patient and wait on His hand to work in this nation and in this world. (And for this canker to go away!) And I expect miracles. Greater things have yet to come, greater things are still to be done here. And I expect greatness from my King. 

(PS: If you're looking for a little encouragement, check out Aaron Boyd of Bluetree here.)

Our First Easter

This Easter marked two things for us: 1) Our first Easter as a married couple, and 2) My first Easter away from my family. So while it was all fun to start new traditions together, I couldn't help but feel the ache of missing my family and all our crazy traditions. But what does one do other than press onward? Despite the distance, we made the day really sweet - even if there were video games going on throughout most of the day! 

I'll warn you, this may be a long post

In the 9 months we have been here in Virginia, we have visited a fair number of churches, yet we've been churchless - nothing has felt quite right for us. We have recently found one that has filled us with hope, and this past Sunday, it filled is with joy! One thing I have noted about this church is how joyful the congregation is. What a refreshing thing that is! The Easter service was such a blessing to us, from the hour-long worship service, to the flowering of the cross, we walked away filled with excitement over the glory of the Lord and our hopes that this church very well may be "the one."

Alright, let's get down to business. As I mentioned before, it was just the two of us for Easter. I can recall childhood memories of it just being me and my immediate family on every holiday (and all year long for that matter) and us all sitting on the sofa with a self-timed camera and tripod. Well, those memories became very real when it was once again, my new tiny family on the sofa with a self-timed camera. Only it was on the over sized chair, rather than a tripod. As the camera ticked and beeped off preparing for a sudden flash of continuous shooting, dear Miss Scarlett was intrigued and jumped up to investigate. We have the whole series of photos, yet this one speaks volumes: (Don't mind my extremely large open mouth...I obviously find my cat to be hilarious)

Yup. That really happened! Too bad she's completely out of focus! This happened three more times, but eventually, we got one that we settled for:

After our Sunday's Best were hung up, the food prep began. I suppose I am used to being in the kitchen all day when it comes to holidays. I have always been my mother's right arm in the kitchen, so I wasn't too surprised that I spent my whole day in the kitchen on my own. Although Strom was a help, I flew solo for the most part. My mom and I chatted the afternoon away to make it feel normal, but there was no hiding it: I missed being her right arm. 

No, I did not sneak that muffin. I cut the recipe in half and it made one muffin short of a dozen. They look awfully delicious, right? (Lemon Poppyseed Muffins). So, this is my first attempt at putting on an Easter dinner: 

It wasn't bad at all, if I do say so myself. The muffins killed the rest though - absolutely delish! We topped off the evening with some decadent chocolate mousse and decided we did pretty well for our first run! :)

"Surely He has borne our griefs
      And carried our sorrows;
      Yet we esteemed Him stricken,
      Smitten by God, and afflicted.
        But He was wounded for our transgressions,
      He was bruised for our iniquities;
      The chastisement for our peace was upon Him,
      And by His stripes we are healed."

-Isaiah 53:4-5

And for this very reason, we celebrate this day each and every day from now until forever!

The Gospel

Hello Blogger world! I have been MIA this week for various reasons, but mostly because I haven't had anything important to say. It happens to all of us, so don't hold it against me! 

Well, i just have one thing to share today. On this hollowed day, Good Friday, I have been reflecting on what my Savior Jesus Christ did for me so many years ago. I am certainly not worth of His sacrifice, but I accept it with the utmost humility. He gave His life that I may live...There are no words for such an act. Just profound gratitude... 

I came across this video by Eric Ludy and want to share it with you. If it moves you as it has me, please share it with at least one more person. 
The Gospel is the greatest gift we will ever be given.

Enjoy!

Amazed

 

{Image Source}

Do you ever have those moments when you are simply humbled by the greatness of God? Perhaps it is perfect peace in the midst of a great trial, or even the beautiful mountain top highs in life when joy fills you to overflowing. Whatever the reason, an awareness of how small you are and how great He is is almost more than you can handle. And the fact that no matter how full of sin, cynicism, sarcasm, complaints or ungratefulness we are... No matter the sin, or the amount of time we spend with Him... He loves us. And we're not talking weak, sappy, frou frou love; but a love that rocked the history of time. A love that put my Savior on a cross for me. That I may live and be set free. 

I truly stand in awe. 

This past Saturday night I returned from Maine, thoroughly exhausted of course. I'll admit that when Sunday morning charmed in with the sound of a cell phone alarm, I wasn't exactly thrilled to jump out of bed and get ready for church. But we don't operate by our feelings, right?? So off to church it was! I believe that when you operate in the spirit for the glory of God, He blesses you. I came away from church so filled with joy and humbled by God's amazing love. Our service closed with this hymn... One I have known my whole life, but I truly heard it for the first time this Sunday. Simply awesome. 
I have an amazing heavenly Father. 

"I Stand Amazed" 

Charles H. Gabriel

I stand amazed in the presence
Of Jesus the Nazarene
And I wonder how He could love me,
A sinner condemned, unclean.

Chorus:
How marvelous, how wonderful
And my song shall ever be.
How marvelous, how wonderful
Is my Savior's love for me.

For me it was in the garden He prayed,
"Not my will, but thine"
He had no tears for His own griefs,
But sweat drops of blood for mine.

He took my sins and my sorrows,
He made them His very own;
He bore the burden to Calv'ry,
And suffered and died alone.

When with the ransomed in glory
His face I at last shall see,
'Twill be my joy thro' the ages,
To sing of His love for me.

Christmas 2010

Once again, Christmas has come and gone. But I must say, it was most definitely one of (if not thee) best Christmases ever. And quite honestly, I miss it now that it is over! With my brother and sister-in-law (and my precious nephew, Evan) up from New York - and Strom and I up from Virginia - it was a family holiday at its fullest! 

My favorite thing about the way we do Christmas in my family is that the big celebration goes down on Christmas Eve. So instead of early mornings of running down staircases, all of my childhood memories and present traditions hold scenes of candlelight, crackling fires (though my parents' house now has a gas fireplace), glowing lights, and Bing Crosby crooning in the background. It's much cozier late in the night to say the least. And in case you're wondering how tiring it is staying up late, let me just say there are endless piles of fudge, cookies, and brownies. Not to mention coffee, hot chocolate, and mulled cider. The sugar highs are inevitable. Don't forget: presents. The excitement of presents keeps the energy flowing!

This year was no exception: Christmas Eve service led to our friends' Christmas party, which traditionally led to our own little birthday celebration for Jesus (and Mom's insanely delectable cheesecake) and Scripture readings back at the house. This then led to our tradition of us "kids" running to change out of our church clothes and into our pj's and heading to the basement as my parents set out all our gifts in perfect piles by the tree.  We realize that three out of four of us are in our 20's, and two of us are married, but we insist on playing the "kid card" every year. This part of course, had us anxiously awaiting the "Alright, come on up!" call, as it always does, as well as a viewing of "A Charlie Brown Christmas," with some last minute wrapping. Once the call came, we grabbed our own gifts and came bouncing up the stairs (playing that kid card ever so realistically! *wink*) and into the magical Christmas land - AKA our family room. The night began at 2330 and didn't end until 0300 and even then, we were still having fun! 

Here's a little peak into our Christmas with my family! 

And the moment came where the energy went missing...Sweet husband of mine!

At some point we all woke up on Christmas morning - each one of us with a sugar hangover of course! Most of the day was spent in our pajamas, looking like this:

My stocking was filled with cooking spices, which in my opinion was brilliant on my mom's behalf! I hate having to buy spices! I feel like I can cook a dozen new meals thanks to my mom's creativity! 
(Take note of the lovable Ralphie partaking in our Christmas fun! Can't have Christmas without a 24-hour "A Christmas Story" marathon!)

 A Christmas breakfast consisting of pancakes, bacon, cinnamon bread, and fresh Florida oranges...

And nonstop games of Rummikub and Bananagrams...

And an absolutely delicious Christmas dinner...and more dessert. I'm still full after Sunday! I admit, I went on a cleanse after Christmas, but I don't regret eating all that delicious goodness! 

What a wonderful time with family! I wish we could do it all over again. My brother and his family are sadly gone, but the husband and I are happily enjoying the remainder of our Maine visit! And of course, the blizzard that blew through today! 

I hope your Christmases were as wonderful as ours! 

25 Questions for Mary

A moving passage taken from Max Lucado's God Came Near:  

I hope you enjoy!

 

"Majesty in the midst of the Mundane. He looks like anything but a king. His face is prunish red. His cry, though strong and healthy, is still the helpless and piercing cry of a baby. He is absolutely dependent upon Mary for his well-being.

Holiness in the filth of sheep manure and sweat. Divinity entering the world on the floor of a stable, through the womb of a teenager, and in the presence of a mere carpenter. God had come near! Travel back in time and relive Christ the Son of God becoming man."

1. What was it like watching him pray?

2. How did he respond when he saw other kids giggling during the service at the synagogue?

3. When he saw a rainbow, did he ever mention a flood?

4. Did you ever feel awkward teaching him how he created the world?

5. When he saw a lamb being led to the slaughter, did he act differently?

6. Did you ever see him with a distant look on his face as if he were listening to someone you couldn't hear?

7. How did he act at funerals?

8. Did the thought ever occur to you that the God to whom you were praying was asleep under your own roof?

9. Did you ever try to count the stars with him....and succeed?

10. Did he ever come home with a black eye?

11. How did he act when he got his first haircut?

12. Did he have any friend by the name of Judas?

13. Did he do well in school?

14. Did you ever scold him?

15. Did he ever have to ask a question about Scripture?

16. What do you think he thought when he saw a prostitute offering to the highest bidder the body he made?

17. Did he ever get angry when someone was dishonest with him?

18. did you ever catch him pensively looking at the flesh on his own arm while holding a clod of dirt?

19. Did he ever wake up afraid?

20. Who was his best friend?

21. When someone referred to Satan, how did he act?

22. Did you ever accidentally call him Father?

23. What did he and his cousin John talk about as kids?

24. Did his brothers and sisters understand what was happening?

25. Did you ever think, That's God eating my soup?

Mary’s Song

   “My soul glorifies the Lord
 ⁴⁷ and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
⁴⁸ for he has been mindful
   of the humble state of his servant.
From now on all generations will call me blessed,
 ⁴⁹ for the Mighty One has done great things for me—
   holy is his name.
⁵⁰ His mercy extends to those who fear him,
   from generation to generation.
⁵¹ He has performed mighty deeds with his arm;
   he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.
⁵² He has brought down rulers from their thrones
   but has lifted up the humble.
⁵³ He has filled the hungry with good things
   but has sent the rich away empty.
⁵⁴ He has helped his servant Israel,
   remembering to be merciful
⁵⁵ to Abraham and his descendants forever,
   just as he promised our ancestors.” 

Luke 1:47-55