Where's Jesus?

"You will call to Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart." Jeremiah 29:12-13

These verses were emailed to me by a friend this morning. I liked them so I posted them on facebook.

Then I started thinking... Search for Jesus. How? With child-like enthusiasm!

When we were kids we used to get those Highlight magazines full of activities. Hidden pictures was always a big favorite. It's self explanatory; you had to find the hidden objects in the picture.

Or maybe you were a child who loved 'Where's Waldo?'

The minor league baseball team here in town started a new game this year between innings of 'Where's Waldo?' Excitedly everyone searches the stands to be the first to find the silly guy dressed in red and white stripes.

Screaming, "There he is!" you start pointing.

There's Waldo sitting in the open (not hiding in the bathroom) waiting for you to find him.

Jesus isn't hiding either. He may be sitting right next to you. He may be the guy in line behind you to get a ballpark hot dog. But if you aren't looking, you won't find Him.

If you are enthusiastically searching to find Jesus today, you will. I'm kind of excited for the challenge, much like I was when the new Highlight magazine arrived in the mail.

Turning the Christmas Corner

I heard a TV anchor this morning ask, "Aren't you sad Christmas is over?"

"NO!!!" I replied; not that he could hear me.

It's not a secret that I'm not a fan of Christmas. I know it almost sounds blasphemous that a Christian say "I don't like Christmas." After all it is the celebration of the birth of Christ, my Savior. It is the greatest demonstration of love. God sent His Son to become flesh, live a sinless life as a human, and then sacrifice His life so that I can have a personal relationship with Him.

As a Christian my soul rejoices that I have a heavenly Father that loves me that much, but during this season even Christians lose focus. 

Between my last blog on the Thanksgiving Challenge and the state of my Christmas blues, I feel a little unstable. It's not that I go straight from joyful to depressed in a matter of a day or two. It's a process. After Thanksgiving has passed, I slowly begin to fade.

The pressure of the Christmas season drains me of all energy.

The calendar shows the hectic schedule of one Christmas party after another.

No doubt the high sugar intake from all these parties contributes to feelings of lethargy as my body is trying to process all the extra calories.

Society places so much emphasis on gifts that it is hard not to get caught up in the commercialism. There are so many important and cherished people in my life I would love nothing more than to get them the gifts they want and truly deserve.

Unfortunately, this leads to the problem of my financial situation... I can't.

In addition to all of this, my job of helping people 365 days a year demands extra of me during the holidays. Extra is hard when the fuel tank is already on empty.

Ovewhelmed? Yes! I want to solve all problems. I want to give special people what they deserve. I want to let anyone and everyone close to me know how much I cherish and love them. Society tells me that to do that I need money. Ugh!

The realization of my disheartened state seems to come too late.

Once I've realized how all the pressure has effected my personal state, I can begin to work out of it. Those same people I cherish and wish I could do more for at this time of year have stepped up the challenge of helping me feel better (which means I'm even more indebted to them.) God calls me to check my focus and not lose sight of what's most important... Him.

Alas I turn a corner. Christmas is now over and I can move on to my "normal" (whatever that is) routine, thankful God hasn't given up on me.

Thanks Givings Challenge

November is officially over, the time of year that everybody looks at the blessings in their lives. People make a conscious effort to stop and thank God for what is good. From grace to trials; from children to parents; from sunshine to cold rain. There is beauty all around and for one month out of the year even the bad can be good.

I enjoy it. Some may call me a sap, a wimp, or too soft-hearted, but when I can feel the genuine gratitude from someone it can bring tears to my eyes. I have one cousin in particular that has blessed me this month with her thankful posts because her gratitude comes from deep in her heart. I know she means it, and without knowing it she has challenged me to dig a little deeper.

Here are the basics: I'm thankful for Godly parents; I'm thankful for my house; I'm definitely thankful for my car; every day I'm thankful for food (those that know me know just how much this is true); I'm thankful for my church; I'm thankful for friends that love me despite my faults; and, especially dear to my heart, I'm thankful for my four legged children.

However, here is the first challenge: Be thankful for the things below the surface. Can I be even more specific about the blesssings in my life?

I'm not just thankful for my parents; I'm thankful for the childhood they provided me. Every day I come in contact with people who had absent parents that provided no structure; or helicopter parents that rescued them from having to solve any of their own problems; or parents that used punishment out of anger rather than discipline out of love. They taught me the value of hardwork while allowing me to be a child. And as an adult, I will always have the support and help of my parents. I am beyond blesssed.

Many people say they are thankful for the roof over their head. What about all the items under that roof? The Lord has given me the opportunity to own my home. It is a simple and old home that has its quirks, and I definitely fill up every space in it. I have been able to furnish it with couches, tables, beds, and dressers. The closets are full of clothes and lots of shoes ;-) The plants have managed to stay alive. I'm thankful for the washer and dryer that keep my clothes clean, a vacuum and broom that pick up dirt off the floor (at least when they're put to use), and hot water for showers and dirty dishes. It may be strange to some people to be thankful for these things, but they shouldn't be taken for granted!

My car... It's paid off so I'm grateful for no car payment! It's comfortable and rarely has problems beyond regular maintenance. Yes it burns oil, but I'm able to keep up with regular oil changes. I guess I should put a plug in here for my amazing mechanic. Since he knows my financial situation, he tries to keep me prepared for any upcoming expenses. This car has assisted me in meeting the requirements of my job all over the state. And it has taken me and friends on many trips. Here's to hoping it sticks around for a little while!

I have a church family that believes in the mission of touching lives. We do not claim to be perfect; we are a body of sinners, saved by grace. I grew up in church; however, I've never seen so much passion in one place. I've had the privilege of watching miracles happen in people's lives through the ministry of my church.

Friends are very special to me. I wrote about different types of friends and their purpose here.  The handful of roots in my life really help shape who I am. There are friends I can count on to pray for me; there are some friends that get to see my goofy side and share my strange sense of humor; there are a few people that I can share my soul with; and their are those that are only around for a season. My friends help make my life rich, even the leaves.

Fur children definitely bring happiness to life. No one is as excited to see me as they are when I walk in the door. The wagging tails, purring hearts, and hugs around my legs are some of the best 'I love you's!' in the entire world. It doesn't matter if my hair is a mess or I've had a bad day; they love me no matter what!

 

I hope you're getting the idea.

In addition to going beyond the surface, the second challenge is to be thankful for the trials.

One day a friend wrote "I'm thankful for trials and tribulations." How many can say this and truly mean it?

I'll say it... it's hard! I woke up this morning still mad about some things I was thinking about last night. People I thought were... well they aren't. My throat hurts. And being a woman just plain sucks about once per month. I want to complain, not be thankful.

Hindsight often shows me purpose in a problem. Broken relationships have often brought to light things I need to change about myself and they have also proven that I have some positive attributes.

It's easier to be thankful for lessons learned after I've learned them. But, can I be thankful during the trial? God promises to never give me more than I can handle. Trials produce patience and endurance so that I can become "mature and complete, lacking nothing." My God promises never to leave me.

I'm thankful that I'm not in control of the circumstances in my life. Even when I feel there are things to complain about, there are positives to be found in every day.

The final Thanks Givings Challenge I have is... let's do it for the entire year!

Thanksgiving Day is my favorite holiday. It is a holiday with meaning and purpose. There is no pressure to buy presents in order to make others happy. I don't have to analyze and refigure my budgets to avoid leaving out anyone. For the most part, we spend time with family and we EAT!

As much happiness as this holiday brings me, it is one weekend out of the year. The family I'm thankful for in November is the same family I should be thankful for in April. The house and hot water that serves me in November, keeps me cool and sheltered in July. The car that transfered me from Springfield to Republic repeatedly last week, will take me from Springfield to Fair Grove next week. And fur babies, I'm always thankful for cuddles from them whether it's January, June, or September :-)

Let me also point out that thankfulness has proven benefits for your mental and physical health. It can help with depression, stress, blood pressure, sleep patterns, and improving relationships. I challenge you to keep life in perspective with grateful hearts!