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| Sunday, December 31, 2006 |
| res•o•lu•tion |
 (rěz'ə-lōō'shən) n.
The state or quality of being resolute; firm determination.
As far as years go, 365 days is only a way to measure time. But we start each of those measures with fresh hopes and plans, and maybe a little uneasiness about the unknown.
Personally, I'm very good at the hoping, not so adept at the planning, and pretty matter-of-fact about trusting God with the unknown. At my age, I've learned not to make impossible New Year's resolutions.
So for 2007, I hope I will:
~ grow a little more in the knowledge and grace of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. (2 Pet. 3:18)
~ make a new friend.
~ practice Phil. 4:6, 7 a bit more.
For 2007, I plan to:
~ complete the seminary program I've been working on.
~ learn to read music (again) so I can play that dusty hammered dulcimer that's been in the corner of the front room for I-forget-how-many-years.
~ visit my dad.
~ be content in whatever circumstances I am. (Phil. 4:11)
If I accomplish little in the new year, I'll still maintain my first goal and purpose every year, which is to know the Lord Jesus better and be more like him. And I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in me will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus. (Phil. 1:6) |
| posted by Joye @ 10:18 AM |
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| Friday, December 29, 2006 |
| Christmas Is Over |
Christmas is over, my mom has safely arrived back home, and my grandson has, well, safely arrived. It's been a good month. I'm sitting here with my feet up; sipping a cup of freshly roasted and ground French pressed coffee and reviewing the month for the first time. I'll wait a couple more days to reflect on the entire year.
I came into the month of December with trepidation, to say the least. Concern for the well-being of my daughter and the impending birth of her son was foremost on my mind. Silly me, I missed that event entirely since the baby made such a madcap entrance into the world before anyone could even think "what if" thoughts.
Then there was anxiety over leaving town for a respite so soon after Squish was born. We left on Tuesday, stayed Wednesday, and came home on Thursday. What can I say? The allure of R&R wasn't nearly as strong as that of baby Squish.
Although I fuss about the stress of the Christmas season, all the important things on my list always get done. This year was no exception. I didn't get Christmas decorations up until a week before Christmas, but I did get them up. I didn't finish gift shopping until two days before Christmas, but most years I'm still shopping on Christmas Eve. So all in all, December 2006 has been a good month.
We made it through the Christmas busyness just fine, in spite of me. It was quite wonderful, actually. I have mental images to enjoy forever of my family together to celebrate the Lord Jesus' birth: watching my Mom's tenderly emotional meeting of her great-grandson for the first time; all of us sitting together in church as Mike presented a Christmas message and Squeal's excitement when she saw him walk out onto the dais, then drawing a picture of Grandpa Mike presenting a Christmas message; gleeful chaos of the minis as they tore open their gifts and 4-year-old Squeak exclaiming, "I've always wanted (fill in the blank)," each time she opened something; my mom cradling tiny Squish in her arms; squeezing into a group photo with our extended family that are our son's in-laws.
I hope someday when I grow up, spiritually that is, to trust God with the details. We don't always see eye to eye, my Father and I. I like to focus on the obstacles. He looks at the Big Picture. I get stuck in mires of my own invention. He waits patiently to pull me out and set me on my feet again. (Prov. 3:5, 6)
The new year will be another year of increments. No matter what happens I will continue to press on toward the goal (Phil. 3:14) not by leaps and bounds, but step by step. And start planning in JANUARY for Christmas 2007!Labels: Christmas |
| posted by Joye @ 12:06 PM |
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| Monday, December 25, 2006 |
| Celebrate His Birth! |
What did you give Jesus for his birthday this year? Merry Christmas, everyone! |
| posted by Joye @ 9:40 AM |
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| Wednesday, December 20, 2006 |
| When you don't want to sit still... |
I have a new addiction. Rodrigo y Gabriela. I saw them on Craig Ferguson's Late Late Show in October and tracked them down online. They're from Mexico, but have lived in Dublin for several years. The style is kind of flamenco guitar crossed with rock/heavy metal. They play very fast and knock out a lot of percussion on their guitars. Not music to relax by, but very driving, exciting talent. So I downloaded their self-titled album. I lllike it!Here's their MySpace. Labels: music |
| posted by Joye @ 12:17 AM |
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| Monday, December 18, 2006 |
| Holly Jolly Christmas |
As usual around this time (a week before Christmas), I'm finally starting to get into the spirit of the season. Tonight we'll take the granddaughters Christmas shopping, and then drive around to see the lights and stop for hot chocolate somewhere. Then we'll come home and wrap gifts. If they ask, we'll make more cookies. And they'll probably ask.
* * *
Here's a Christmas groaner for you:
A Russian couple was walking down the street in Moscow one night, when the man felt a drop hit his nose. "I think it's raining," he said to his wife.
"No, that felt more like snow to me," she replied.
"No, I'm sure it was just rain," he said.
Well, as these things go, they were about to have a major argument about whether it was raining or snowing. Just then, they saw a minor communist party official walking toward them. "Let's not fight about it", the man said, "Let's ask Comrade Rudolph whether it's officially raining or snowing."
As the official approached, the man said, "Tell us, Comrade Rudolph, is it officially raining or snowing?"
"It's raining, of course!" he replied, and walked on.
But the woman insisted: "I know that felt like snow!"
The man quietly replied: "Ah! But Rudolph the Red knows rain, dear!" |
| posted by Joye @ 9:57 AM |
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| Thursday, December 14, 2006 |
| Ho Ho Bah! |
I know I'm not the only one that feels stressed at Christmastime. I found a truckload of articles about it online. Click here to read a good one. I teeter on the verge of coming unhinged when I start to sweat the Christmas card deadline; the unending list of people we want to show appreciation to with a gift or baked goods; the groceries I need to stock up on and cooking I need to do; the decorating; THE PERFECT GIFTS; etc., etc…… Every year I grinch and scrooge about Christmas and what it has become in our culture. I'd like to "rein it in" for our family; make it a simpler time of reflecting on Jesus' birth over a meal, express our thanks, and maybe share one token gift as a remembrance of the season. We already have our traditions. Christmas Eve service. Tamales and chili. The Christmas story. Happy Birthday to Jesus. Blow out a candle on His cake. Open the gifts. I like our traditions. I just don't like the expectations that I've put on myself. (Pause) Ahh, the truth comes out. I don't make New Year's resolutions, but I think I need to make an exception for 2007. Do you savor this time of year or do you just survive it? Lord, I do want to savor the season of Your birth and the true Light that is You. Help me to pitch the unnecessary expectations I've picked up along the way and distill Christmas to its essence."And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth." John 1:14 Labels: Christmas |
| posted by Joye @ 11:06 PM |
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| Sunday, December 10, 2006 |
| We baked Christmas cookies. |
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| posted by Joye @ 11:18 AM |
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| Thursday, December 07, 2006 |
| The Rest IS the Story! |
Ah, rest: the 'refreshing ease or inactivity after exertion or labor.' The 'relief or freedom, especially from anything that wearies, troubles, or disturbs,' or so the dictionary defines it for us. I suppose 'rest' looks different to each of us. Mike and I just returned from a few days of rest at our friends' lake house. I really think the only way to truly gain rest from a busy life is to leave home for a bit. Even in seclusion it's hard to get away from worrisome thoughts and responsibilities that characterize one's life. Finding "neutral ground" seems a good way to set those tendencies aside if just for a brief moment. We were pleasantly refreshed by walking around the lake, watching ducks paddle by, and enjoying the beautiful serenity of our surroundings.
In his book, The Call, (a book which I cannot recommend too exceedingly, by the way) Os Guinness addresses the pluralization of American life which leads to too much busyness. Bear with me:
"Pluralization is the process by which the proliferation of choice and change rapidly multiplies the number of options.
"Some of the effects of pluralization are devastating but subtle. For example, the increase in choice and change leads to a decrease in commitment and continuity - to everyone and everything. Thus obligation melts into option and givenness into choice. But other effects are terribly obvious - above all the way in which choice and
change lead quickly to a sense of fragmentation, saturation, and overload. In the modern world there are simply too many choices, too many people to relate to, too much to do, too much to see, too much to read, too much to catch up with and follow, too much to buy.
"Each choice sprouts with its own questions. Might we? Could we? Should we? Will we? Won't we? What if we had? What if we hadn't? The forest of questions leads deeper and deeper into the dark freedom, then to the ever darker anxiety of seemingly infinite possibility.
"At some point different to us all a cut-off switch kicks in. We are overloaded, saturated. There is too much to do and too little time to do it. But life goes on. Neither planning nor juggling can span the gap. But life goes on. At the level of our relationships alone, their sheer number, variety, and intensity become impossible. But life goes on. One minute we feel the vertigo of unlimited possibility and the next the frustration of superficiality. But life goes on."
Does Guinness's description hit a nerve with you? It does me. I stretch my physical, mental and emotional attentions to extreme degrees and easily lose sight sometimes of the goal. The goal being to know God and reflect his glory until the day I breathe my last breath and enter into His Ultimate Rest that Paul wrote about in Hebrews chapter 4, when I will receive my full inheritance. Hebrews 4:10 says, "For the one who has entered His rest has himself also rested from his works, as God did from His." As God did from His. Wow.
Guinness goes on to say that the only way to have a truly focused life is to tune in to the voice of Jesus and let all other voices fall by the wayside.
"Do you lead a saturated, overloaded, and fragmented life? Are you pulled around
by the nose through appeals to need? Are you frustrated at yourself over the times the best in your life is diverted by the good? Do you long to know the overriding passion and purity of heart of willing one thing? Listen to Jesus of Nazareth; answer his call."
If I believed in making New Year's Resolutions, this would be mine: to listen to Jesus of Nazareth above all other voices. But I don't make resolutions. And I know in this fallen state of being, that even when I do listen to the Lord's voice, I have the attention span of a gnat, and most certainly will be "pulled around by the nose" in the new year as I have been in this.
My great encouragement is that as I practice listening to His voice, He will help me stay open and laid bare to the eyes of Him (Heb. 4:13); that the voice of His word will keep me focused, "for the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. (Heb. 4:12)
I am encouraged, too, that He sets the standard to incorporate rest into our lives, as on His seventh day. Maybe next year I'll be able to mute a few of those competing voices and the call of Jesus will resound a little louder in my spirit. A bit more freedom from anything that wearies, troubles, or disturbs will undoubtedly make any rest a bit more restful. |
| posted by Joye @ 10:58 PM |
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| Saturday, December 02, 2006 |
| About 12 hours old |
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| posted by Joye @ 3:12 PM |
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| Welcome, sweet baby boy! |
Meet our new grandson, Squirt (if you want to know his name, just call us). He was born this morning at 12:54, about three minutes before the midwife arrived! He weighs 8 lbs., 13 oz. and is 21 inches long. He already has a voracious appetite and he makes cute, little puppy noises. He has a head-full of curly hair which looks like it will be mostly blondish! Sorry for the quality of the photo. I took it with my cell phone. We dashed out of the house so quickly, we forgot the camera after Zach called and told us he was already born. Thanks to all of you who've been praying for Lindsay and the baby. Her labor was very short and Squirt is just perfect! |
| posted by Joye @ 3:45 AM |
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