Merry Christmas to All

Merry Christmas to all...
First of all I noticed my last posting did not post. I will have to reinvent that one. It took a lot of time to compose and I put a link to an awesome sermon. I will put in a little detective work. Anyway.

I have been thinking about this blog a lot lately. I realized I am long overdue for a posting and yet really would like to post much more often. I get a lot of positive feedback and really want to encourage everyone in the Lord. I like everything very organized and want to pray more before I begin any new threads. I would also like to finish the series on adoration. We still have T-Z. Look for that in the next few days.

The biggest obstacle to posting lately has been my health. I have been feeling rotten for about 2 weeks but just yesterday scraped myself out of bed. I am feeling much more chipper today. I had an infected salivary gland that swelled up my face to my eye, down one side of my face down my chest and down my arm. It was very painful. Antibiotics did not act quickly enough and I was put on a short course of steroids. Just when this resolved I was hit with a nasty headcold, body aches, etc. So here I am blogging my little heart out and feeling fine.

It's Christmas morning and I must say this is really my favorite time of year. This is my favorite day of the best day of the year. We are always very careful to keep Jesus as the real reason to celebrate this fine day. Well..for all our work this is what my 7 year old got out of it. We are sitting in the car about 3 weeks ago and my daughter is talking about all the gifts she believes she will receive on Christmas morning. I am excited with her but say, "But you know the real meaning of Christmas is...." and she says.."All the gifts we get!" and she meant it. I told her it was Jesus' birthday. She said she really didn't know. DIDN'T KNOW!!??!! How can this be!? She has been in Sunday School, AWANA, Tuesday morning Bible study and homeschooled her whole life. We talk about it all the time. How is it her little mind did not hold on to that fact? We pointed out all the Christmas Carols and how they talk about the birth of Christ and she says Oh Wow like it is a new revelation! Wowie Zowie What the heck?

Two days later we are at flag salute for Awana and there are about200 kids. The Director on his bull horn asks "Who knows the real reason for Christmas?" And goes right on up to my daughter. She thankfully held on to the right information she just learned and shouted out it was Jesus' birthday. Can you imagine if we hadn't had our conversation. That would have ended differently and maybe my husband and I would be fired as leaders! So anyway, now she mentions Jesus birthday all the time. So yesterday she says "I know it's Jesus' Birthday but how old is He turning." Again I am thrown for a loop but quickly answer 2007 years old. She said He must be getting really tall. .....OK.....

I have really been overwhelmed by the power of Christ and the Holy Spirit lately. My pastor taught on the Holy Spirit the last few weeks and the sermons are powerful. If you go to www.hopechapel.org and click on sermons you can download them for free. If you have access to itunes you can even subscribe to the sermons and they are automatically downloaded each week. This is free as well.

One fact I learned from the sermon is that the Holy Spirit is a person and not an "it". The Holy Spirit is one of the persons of the Holy Trinity. God in three persons...Father, Son and Holy Spirit or Holy Ghost. He is a person. I started to read a book about living a Spirit filled life and it is really encouraging me to live that moment by moment life for Christ. I will not settle for less than a totally sold out heart for God. He tells us He wants it all my heart, my soul, my mind and my strength. Wouldn't that be the best gift you could give God...To return to Him what is rightfully His. Give God yourself for Christmas. You are the perfect gift.

Merry Christmas