by Sharon O | Jan 11, 2017 | Uncategorized
Breathe. Let go. And remind yourself that this very moment is the only one you know you have for sure.
Oprah Winfrey
As I have been thinking of my word of the year and processing what it means for me.
I was reminded of the time many years ago when I was in our Lamaze class preparing to have our first baby.
The instructor told us, when a contraction comes close breathe through it as you count, relax and breathe.
I have found myself doing that pretty much all my life since then.
Breathing in, a cleansing breath and breathing out the old.
It is both relaxing and good for one to slow down just enough to breathe.
In fact when it was time for me to deliver our daughter who is almost 39 years old, I remember clearly the breathing I did.
All night long, I felt it was not time to deliver but just a lot of pressure.
Breathing, in and out, deep cleansing breathes.
When we arrived at the hospital I was very close to delivering her and I didn’t even know it because I was so relaxed and so focused on the breathing process.
I think that is what we all need.
To focus, slow down and breathe.
It has been cold outside in our area in fact snow fell last night and the air was very cold when we were outside.
We went for a walk and I found myself focusing on the cold air, breathing in and breathing out.
I found it healing in a way for me to not only walk for health but to also focus on breath.
I could feel it, and I kind of felt like I needed an inhaler to help me, but the air was cold and it was so good as I kept walking.
As we focus on breath let us remember this one thought.
Let everything that breathes praise the Lord! praise the Lord! Psalm 150:6
by Sharon O | Jan 5, 2017 | Uncategorized
Every year for the last five years or so I have received what is called, “my word for the year.”
Last years word was REVEAL.
I wasn’t sure at first why that word, but as the month’s moved on, it became very clear to me.
My best friend was diagnosed with a life threatening illness and I was diagnosed with early diabetes.
Major life choices and changes had to take place for both of us, revealing the necessary disciplines we both needed to get the help we needed to learn how to take care of ourselves in a better way.
It is strange how a word just fits. It became a life challenge.
Reveal – exposing what is hidden. Maybe one could even say a rude awakening?
It has been hard to hear the news about my best friend, my prayers are with her.
In reality diabetes can also be life threatening if not taken seriously.
The new word I have sensed for this year, is simple but very necessary.
It has depth of meaning on many levels.
We sat in a room one time with a man who was dying.
His labored breathing was the indicator of how soon, he would be leaving.
It’s strange how that is, what we listen for when a baby is born.
That cry, that first breath. That pours oxygen into a little soul or in the case of someone passing,
that last gasp from the lungs.
Without it we cannot live.
Without it there is no spirit connected to soul.
In Genesis 2:7 it says:[He breathed the breath of life into the man’s nostrils, and the man became a living person.]
(Reminding me of what takes place when CPR is done.)
Life…giving measures.
When Jesus was with the disciples in the New Testament, it says in John 20:22
[Then he breathed on them and said, “receive the Holy Spirit.”]
It all involved on thing. One purpose. One life giving measure.
In Daniel 10:17 we read: [‘”My strength is gone, and I can hardly breathe.”]
While we were in the room with our dear friend who was dying, we had turned the tv down to almost a mute tone while we watched the quiet screen in front of us. Then one of the ladies said, “silence”… we sat in the quiet while she counted, One, Two, Three.
Three deep gasps and then he was gone.
In Psalm 144:4 It says: [They are like a breath of air, their days are like a passing shadow.]
In the book of Job in the Old Testament, it says:
[But a man dies and is laid low; he breathes his last and is no more.]
It was just like that. He was no more the man we remembered.
In a moment in time we saw life then we saw no life, all because of breath.
My new word of the year is breathe.
by Sharon O | Dec 27, 2016 | Uncategorized
For the last few weeks we have gone back and studied and remembered what it took for the Christmas story to take place.
The many people like casts in a play, each had a role, each had a circumstance they were involved in.
God directed and placed each and every one of them in a certain role so that the story could be fulfilled.
John 3:16-18The Message (MSG)
[16-18 “This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son.
And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life.
God didn’t go to all the trouble of sending his Son merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was. He came to help, to put the world right again.
Anyone who trusts in him is acquitted; anyone who refuses to trust him has long since been under the death sentence without knowing it.
And why? Because of that person’s failure to believe in the one-of-a-kind Son of God when introduced to him.”]
I believe nothing was by accident. God KNEW Mary needed Joseph, HE knew Joseph needed her, He KNEW Mary would need the encouragement of Elizabeth.
He knew that the Shepherds would not be believed as credible witnesses had they NOT seen the baby and proclaimed with ‘conviction’ what they had seen.
God KNEW everyone would need the guidance and shock value of the Angel Gabriel to make HIS point.
It was all thought out and all master planned.
Isn’t it wonderful?
Isn’t it so simple?
John 3:16Revised Standard Version (RSV)
[16 For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.]
I hope you have come to believe too.
by Sharon O | Dec 23, 2016 | Uncategorized
Matthew 2 The Message (MSG)
Scholars from the East
[1-2 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem village, Judah territory— this was during Herod’s kingship—a band of scholars arrived in Jerusalem from the East.
They asked around, “Where can we find and pay homage to the newborn King of the Jews?
We observed a star in the eastern sky that signaled his birth.
We’re on pilgrimage to worship him.”
3-4 When word of their inquiry got to Herod, he was terrified—and not Herod alone, but most of Jerusalem as well.
Herod lost no time.
He gathered all the high priests and religion scholars in the city together and asked, “Where is the Messiah supposed to be born?”
5-6 They told him, “Bethlehem, Judah territory. The prophet Micah wrote it plainly:
It’s you, Bethlehem, in Judah’s land, no longer bringing up the rear.
From you will come the leader who will shepherd-rule my people, my Israel.”
7-8 Herod then arranged a secret meeting with the scholars from the East.
Pretending to be as devout as they were, he got them to tell him exactly when the birth-announcement star appeared.
Then he told them the prophecy about Bethlehem, and said, “Go find this child. Leave no stone unturned.
As soon as you find him, send word and I’ll join you at once in your worship.”
9-10 Instructed by the king, they set off.
Then the star appeared again, the same star they had seen in the eastern skies.
It led them on until it hovered over the place of the child.
They could hardly contain themselves: They were in the right place! They had arrived at the right time!
11 They entered the house and saw the child in the arms of Mary, his mother.
Overcome, they kneeled and worshiped him.
Then they opened their luggage and presented gifts: gold, frankincense, myrrh.
12 In a dream, they were warned not to report back to Herod.
So they worked out another route, left the territory without being seen, and returned to their own country.]
The story is wrapping up and soon Mary and Joseph would go not be able to go back to their homeland with their baby boy.
Herod was very angry that the wise-men did not do what he told them.
So they headed to Nazareth where they stayed for many years.
The birth of Jesus is full of intensity, of miracles, of communication between angels and man.
It is a wonderful outpouring of God’s great love for us.
A baby was born so we could see that God would go to great length’s for us to be saved and have salvation.
There is more to the story for us found in the New Testament books.
The baby grows and becomes a KING and humbled himself on a cross so we could have hope.
I pray we can see and feel this wonderful love through the Christmas story.
by Sharon O | Dec 21, 2016 | Uncategorized
The next cast of characters we see in this story of baby Jesus, were the Wisemen.
In our modern day ‘versions’ of Mary and Joseph and Jesus in the manger we often have the Wise-men arriving when the shepherds were there.
That actually was not a very accurate bit of information for it was months even up to a year or two, before they saw the child.
There were no names given that we could know but modern ‘theologians’ say they were named, Gaspar, Melchior and Bathasar.
I am not sure how anyone would know that, but some say these men were considered wise men or Magi.
They brought to the baby special gifts not normally given to a young child.
Gold was considered to be a symbol of divinity, frankincense was a symbol of righteousness, myrhh was a spice used for embalming it symbolizes bitterness, suffering and affliction.
Now if Mary or Joseph knew any of this information it would be quite unsettling for them I would assume.
As young parents you are not expecting these type of gifts given to your tiny little son.
It has been said they arrived on the scene after traveling 800-900 miles on camel or by walking.
It took a long time of travel to get there.
There were no fast cars or ways of travel in those days.
They were sent by Herod who had a motive unknown to them as they traveled.
They were actually doing a ‘duty’ for him, only we will find out later it back fired on Herod.
Some of the nativity story as we know it has been created to make a ‘wonderful little’ story book setting.
It actually was a rough road for many who journeyed their way to Bethlehem.
The travel was long, hard and tiresome.
The marvelous ways God showed up were amazing, and the story continued with each and every character.
The next cast of characters were the wise men, playing a part of the role that God had chosen for them.
They followed the star and trusted in the process.
The teach us to listen to the stillness of God. To follow what they knew to be true.
They humbled themselves and they recognized the worth of their gifts, for they knew the word of God
and they knew it was a appointment for them orchestrated by God.
The story continues as we journey towards the end.
