by Sharon O | Dec 2, 2015 | Uncategorized
Continuing on our talk from my pastor, he was sharing with us the miracles of Christmas and how Christmas cannot be without the Holy Spirit.
All throughout the Christmas story, the Holy Spirit unfolded many signs and wonders.
The significance of all of the events were amazing, and not often realized by the ones involved at the time they were taking place.
The supernatural and the expectancy was all over the Christmas story.
God came near.
He was showing us over and over the history of the miraculous.
Not just the New Testament miracles but even some of the old Testament miracles.
In Matthew 1:18 The story begins with Mary.
[While she was still a virgin, she became pregnant through the power of the Holy Spirit.]
In Luke 1:35 It tells us more.
[The Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the most high shall overshadow you.]
Not only did the Holy Spirit play an active role in the ‘story’ but the angels did too.
We cannot forget the angels who were messengers of both good news and alarming news.
Can you even imagine Mary a young ‘teen’ being told she would be expecting a baby?
In that culture it was a serious violation and could even be the cause for her to be stoned.
You can then imagine, how Joseph would react when hearing the news of the baby to be.
Matthew 1:19 tells us that part of the story.
[Joseph, her fiancé, was a good man and did not want to disgrace her publicly, so he decided to break the engagement quietly.
As he considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream.
“Joseph, son of David,” the angel said, “do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit. And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”]
vs 24 [When Joseph woke up, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded and took Mary as his wife.]
It is about obedience when we don’t understand.
It is about trusting when we remain unsure of the outcome.
It is about knowing and believing in the supernatural power of the story told.
The spirit of Christmas begins in the heart of those who are close to the story.
God came near.
So we can know the heart of the one who delights in us.
by Sharon O | Dec 1, 2015 | Uncategorized
Our Pastor began a teaching this last Sunday on the Spirit of Christmas, from the narrative through the eyes of the Holy Spirit.
We all know the Father, Son and Holy Spirit concept but do you know and realize it began many years ago?
The Gift of Christmas is Jesus, the Christ child. The real present who gives life and meaning.
Pastor told us the story of a family who had decorated for Christmas and then had all the gifts under the tree and yet never opened them.
People who knew them wondered why the packages were never opened, they sat in the corner and stayed there, season after season.
They had all the ‘look’ but never appreciated what was given to them.
He shared it so that we can see the imagery of ‘not’ appreciating the gift God gives us.
For some they don’t appreciate or open the gift because they feel unworthy or undeserving.
For others they just see it as an illusion, a story or an empty box representing Christmas, kind of like a decoration.
For others they won’t open it or receive it because it may not be what they want or even more than that, perhaps it might be life changing for them.
God is a father who loves to give good gifts to us. He delights in the giving and us receiving.
That is the whole point of Christmas. For God gave his SON so we can have life.
Sometimes we choose to not receive it. We say we want the season but no so much the meaning of it.
We can say just give us the stories and the songs and the feel good times of sharing.
The question to ask is how do we become people who both receive and believe the story of Christmas.
The Holy Spirit is supernatural all throughout the story, beginning with Angels.
So many angels in the story. All throughout the spirit of Christmas the angels were a part telling the news.
Announcing the message, proclaiming the truths.
“Glory to God in the highest” the multitude of angels were singing.
Can you even imagine the glory of the Lord in that moment?
It would have been wonderful to see and feel the ‘spirit’ of Christmas.
Let us prepare our hearts and our homes for the story to be real to us, perhaps for the first time this year. 
by Sharon O | Nov 26, 2015 | Uncategorized
From our house to yours ~ Happy Thanksgiving ~ 2015
by Sharon O | Nov 25, 2015 | Uncategorized
On the eve of Thanksgiving day, I asked my husband to help me think of other words of Thanksgiving.
Another one that we came up with is so ‘simple’ yet so important and valuable.
The word or words that we thought about and discussed is: Relationships and family.
Dictionary.com says:
Relationship is – association involving emotional connection between people.
Family is – any group of persons closely related by blood, a group belonging, whether dwelling together or not.
When we think of thanksgiving, we immediately think of spending time with those we love.
Oh sometimes we might volunteer in a community setting, and serve others who we do not know.
But for the purpose of this writing, relationships in the form of family is what holidays are all about.
It would not be the same, if we had no one to enjoy the holiday with.
Relationship is a part of ‘who’ we are as people. Who God made us to be.
We love and care for our friends and loved ones. We wish for them health and peace deep in their spirits.
Family is often times who we spend holidays with, but even more than that, it is about who means the most to us.
Sometimes holidays can bring unhealthy relationships.
These are the worst calls for fire or policemen. Family issues escalating because of the holiday.
It is not always that serious, that one would need to call them, but I do know
we all have had that experience, where we had to show up when we really didn’t want to.
Unfortunately that does happen, but most of the time the holiday season is spent with those we love and care for.
Those we choose to spend time and make special moments and memories with.
Even Jesus showed us the importance of family and friends.
As he ministered to others, he wanted to get away with those he truly cared for and loved.
On this eve of Thanksgiving, let us think on and pray for our relationships and family.
The other words of the season.
by Sharon O | Nov 24, 2015 | Uncategorized
As I have tried to focus on the words of Thanksgiving, I have come up with a few that are most meaningful.
The first one I wrote about was gratitude, adding in thanksgiving and being grateful.
The second word I am focusing on today is tradition.
Dictionary.com says: it is the handing down of statements, beliefs, legends, customs, from generation to generation, especially by word of mouth or practice.
It is also a long established inherited way of thinking, a continuing pattern of culture belief or practices.
When I think of our homes of origin, my husbands family had very different traditions then my side of the family.
We could not and never would have Thanksgiving without my grand mother’s traditional menu.
That was a tradition….a knowing, a familiar experience, even long after she passed away.
Now I am not just speaking of the food that would be on the table, but even more when I was growing up, our tradition was the Macy’s Thanksgiving day parade.
I remember to this day of getting ready, all day long it seemed, doing our hair, getting dressed up, making ourselves presentable.
I remember those prickly black metal rollers in my hair with a plastic stick holding it in, till my hair dried in hopes of making it curly.
I remember we always dressed up. It was not ever a casual day, no it was special, you were expected to look nice.
That is a part of tradition that I am talking about.
My husbands side, of his family often ate in a much more casual setting.
In our house, it was a time of pretty and nice and festive and formal.
I believe every one has traditions they remember around the Thanksgiving holiday.
For some maybe there was nothing to expect. Nothing repeated. Just a dinner.
In my home of origin. We knew we would always have Turkey, potatoes, gravy (oh so good), dressing and green beans always with bacon, rolls covered in butter, relish dishes of pickles and olives, carrot slices and celery, oh and never forget the pumpkin pie with whipping cream, as you sat next to grandpa’s warm fire in the fireplace.
Traditions are good.
I love the memory of our grandpa and grandma’s traditions.
It really is a very important part of the day we call Thanksgiving.
by Sharon O | Nov 23, 2015 | Uncategorized
Today is the beginning of Thanksgiving week. Many will be taking vacations to go visit family.
Others will be shopping and preparing for the festive feast.
Some will be working single or double shifts. Holidays are hard in some professions.
There are some words I would like to challenge us with, words that give meaning to the day and season.
As we move forward into the fast chore list of what needs to be done.
Today’s word is going to be gratitude.
Dictionary.com says Gratitude is the quality of feeling of being grateful or thankful.
When we look up the words we learn of these meanings:
Grateful is warm or deeply appreciative of kindness or benefits received.
Thankful is pleasing, agreeable, welcome or refreshing, feeling or expressing gratitude.
Do you see where I am going with this?
Thanksgiving… giving thanks with a grateful heart.
It is a time of reflections, observations, remembering and expressing.
Giving thanks for all we have now, for love of family and friends.
Giving thanks that we live where we can worship without fear, sing songs without worry, and choose our acts of freedom every day.
Many cannot do this without great concern for safety and peace.
On this day of Thanksgiving, I pray we not only give thanks for our peaceful lives, but to say a prayer and
send a thought, or perhaps even tell someone, how grateful you feel to know them and have them close to your heart and life.
It is a time of giving thought for how much we are given.
Romans 12:3 [a book of The New Testament] The Message (MSG)
3 I’m speaking to you out of deep gratitude for all that God has given me, and especially as I have responsibilities in relation to you.
Living then, as every one of you does, in pure grace, it’s important that you not misinterpret yourselves as people who are bringing this goodness to God.
No, God brings it all to you.
The only accurate way to understand ourselves is by what God is and by what he does for us, not by what we are and what we do for him.
by Sharon O | Nov 20, 2015 | Uncategorized
I love to participate in the Friday’s word prompt, as it challenges me to think on a word, and the many directions one can go with it.
Today’s word prompt is: Dwell
I have read some who chose to write about the homes we live in as we dwell together. Yeah that is a great choice.
The word has three parts to it: dwell, dwells, and dwelling.
The Bible mentions them 179 times which is pretty significant.
The idea or concept from the dictionary is to live, stay or reside or to ponder upon a thought.
One of my favorite verses in the Old Testament of the bible is in Isaiah 32:18.
The message version is: My people will live in a peaceful neighborhood – in safe houses – in quiet gardens.
The revised standard version: My people will live in peaceful dwelling places, in secure houses, in undisturbed places of rest.
Both of those verses are full of calming promises.
In Psalm 4:8 it says: In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, Lord, make me dwell in safety.
Don’t we all want to claim that verse? No fear, no restlessness? no danger.
There is so much chaos these days for many, how we stay strong and with hope?
Another verse I like is Psalm 27:4:
One thing I ask of the Lord, this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the Lord and seek him in his temple.
It is all we can do in this crazy unsettled world. Ask for safety, and peace and pray for those who are on the journey of finding that too.
In Psalm 91:1 it says: Whoever dwells in the shelter of the most high will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
I think we all need and want to find the ‘rest’ that is promised to us.
by Sharon O | Nov 17, 2015 | Uncategorized
Soon we will be entering into the time of Thanksgiving.
It really should be a life time of giving thanks, but we have a ‘calendar day’ we set aside for a big meal.
A warm inviting day full of family, friends and perhaps a fire in the fireplace, with the smell of turkey and baked pies cooking in the oven.
I remember the days of younger years, when we would go to my grandma’s house. She made everything.
The meal was carefully chosen and always the same.
Never changing the menu of the day which was turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes, green beans and bacon, gravy. Oh and always the relish plates full of a variety of pickles and olives and carrot sticks. Grandma took great pride in making the meal and she did it up into her early 70’s all by herself.
I loved those times, when I could see the chandelier’s light reflect multiple prisms of beautiful colors, on the white ceiling in the dining room.
We didn’t always have warm fuzzy moments as a family, but it was a tradition I do remember.
The table was beautiful with china settings and crystal glasses, candles flickering, and often a beautiful bouquet of fall flowers as a center piece.
I learned the value of a beautiful table. Then as I became older and wiser I also learned the value of conversation and tradition.
We make the fancy dinner always on Thanksgiving.
Last year there were only three of us and it was still a festive time of sharing life together.
Thanksgiving is a time to pause… to think and to remember.
Giving thanks with a grateful heart, to the God who allows us to remain here one more season.
Life is challenging for sure. I am thinking of a family who will have this holiday without their loved ones.
Tragic circumstances took them away and it is a difficult journey to enter into the ‘holidays’ remembering.
Thanksgiving is a time of slowing down, sipping the coffee a bit slower, eating the pie and enjoying it.
Sharing conversation and prayers, enjoying the quiet time spent together.
It is a time to remember what we are giving thanks for and why we need to slow down.
In life we all need a time to pause. A time to think. A time to remember.
Traditions are good and wonderful, but let’s try to do something this year a little different.
Let’s try to take note of ‘what we are giving thanks for,’ and remember all that we have been given.
1 Chronicles 29:13(NIV)
Now, our God, we give you thanks, and praise your glorious name.
Psalm 7:17(NIV) I will give thanks to the Lord because of his righteousness;
I will sing the praises of the name of the Lord Most High.
Psalm 69:30(NIV) I will praise God’s name in song and glorify him with thanksgiving.
Without God, our lives would be without purpose and without hope.
In this season for giving thanks and remembering, let us give thanks for his glorious love and provision for our lives. Let us begin to give thanks with a grateful heart, for we have many things to be grateful for.
by Sharon O | Nov 13, 2015 | Uncategorized
One more time we enter into the challenge of a word prompt.
Write for five minutes then stop, with no editing and no revising.
I have to admit here, I did spend more than five minutes on this.
In order to look up what I needed, it took a bit longer to get my writing finished.
Today’s word is weary.
The verse I am going to work with is this one, from the New Testament book of the Bible,
“Come to me all, who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”
Matthew 11:28
The word come means to approach or move towards, a place or a person.
It is an active word, to move into view and appear or extend or reach.
It means we must make a decision to ‘come’ to Him who can help us.
“Come to me,” It is realizing we can enter into a place of peace if we decide to.
The word weary, means to be physically or mentally exhausted fatigue.
We have all been in this feeling at one point in time and understand the fog it leaves us in.
The word burdened means to have a difficult obligation or feelings of heavily troubled oppression.
“Come to me – walk towards me in your deepest heaviest spirit and accept my peace (my interpretation)“
The word rest means refreshing quiet, refreshing ease, relief and freedom from trouble or deep disturbance.
It is a quiet stillness that restores your unsettled spirit.
“Come to me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28
In the message Bible, this is the way it says the same verse.
Matthew 11:28-30The Message (MSG) 28-30
“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me.
Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest.
Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace.
I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”
I think this could be a life verse. I love the line ‘learn the unforced rhythms of grace.’
Shall we drop our heavy hearts and let something go today?
There is so much in this life that can weigh us down, so many worries and stresses.
Perhaps it is time to finally, once and for all, ‘come to HIM’ who is able to help us, find the true internal peace we so desperately need.
by Sharon O | Nov 8, 2015 | Uncategorized
This was our anniversary week.
We did a variety of fun things to celebrate our ‘time’ together.
The day is always a good time for us, to remember how far we have come.
When we stood at the altar of the church as young, barely out of high school teens.
We had no idea what kind of dance marriage is and would be for us.
I call it a dance because there are moves in many directions as the years come and go.
The stage of young marrieds, alone and discovering how to navigate out of your parents home.
Then the stage of new expectant parents, anticipating a new baby and what that would look like together.
Then the parenting stage of crying infants, diapers, and lack of sleep.
Then the stage of no money and little sleep again, and toddlers and no energy.
Then the stage of preschool and driving to a place who you trust, to take care of your child.
The stage of trusting and hoping all will be well when they enter into grade school.
Then the stage of junior high and then on into high school, and you wonder and you wait, to see if you did a good job or not as they grow into young adult hood.
Then the stage of them emancipating themselves and moving out, starting a new journey of their own.
Then you drive away from the college campus and you pray for safety and the money to be enough and for them to make good choices.
Then you find yourselves standing as the parents of the groom, and you are now in the role of in-laws and how proud you are in this stage of life.
Then you find yourselves sitting in a nicu room filled with tiny babies, with your daughter, and one of them is YOUR first grand baby.
Then you become the parents of the bride, and then more grand babies come into your lives, and soon you find yourselves calling each other grandma and grandpa.
The dance of marriage is ongoing. You grow old together, seasons change just like the beat of the music.
The journey is easy if you follow slowly and learn to be adaptable.
The dance of growing older and marveling at how far you have come, and knowing that forty two years is a long time to learn this dance.
I love the imagery of dancing together, because every season of life is different and we must learn new steps to get through it.
We have years ahead of us, where the dance of aging will be even more difficult, than the young parenting years.
Oh we thought that would never pass, we just could not see how it would be ‘different’, those who told us, someday you will look back and realize how far you have come.
The dance of remembering is sweet and sad at the same time.
We moved through the dance of losing our parents and letting go of that part of our lives.
The days now are quiet and sometimes lonely.
Often you find ourselves in the stage of waiting again, and wondering if they will call or come visit, just as your own parents did many years ago.
The caretaking days have ended and even though, the dance of marriage is both difficult and rewarding.
In the end, it is beauty and a story unfolding, of life and of love, and of a familiar commitment.
This was our anniversary week and I pray for many more.
{THIS is part of the five minute writing challenge on one word: the word was dance}
