I added the following song to my playlist because it ties in with the previous blog: Reminder to Self.
Your Hands
by JJ Heller
I have unanswered prayers
I have trouble I wish wasn't there
And I have asked a thousand ways
That You would take my pain away
That You would take my pain away
I am trying to understand
How to walk this weary land
Make straight the paths that crookedly lie
Oh Lord, before these feet of mine
Oh Lord, before these feet of mine
When my world is shaking
Heaven stands
When my heart is breaking
I never leave Your hands
When You walked upon the Earth
You healed the broken, lost, and hurt
I know You hate to see me cry
One day You will set all things right
Yea, one day You will set all things right
When my world is shaking
Heaven stands
When my heart is breaking
I never leave Your hands
Your hands
Your hands that shape the world
Are holding me, they hold me still
Your hands that shape the world
Are holding me, they hold me still
When my world is shaking
Heaven stands
When my heart is breaking
I never leave You when...
When my world is shaking
Heaven stands
When my heart is breaking
I never leave...
I never leave Your hands
Saturday, December 25, 2010
Reminder To Self!
(Caution: Read only if you are filled with Joy and Love at this time of year, otherwise you may tear up or even cry.)
I began writing this blog containing Christmas cheer at the beginning. However, I decided to post two separate blogs--one of things I like about Christmas and then another as sort of a reminder to myself that not everyone sees this as a joyful time.
I suppose not everyone enjoys Christmas for one reason or another. There are a lot of hurting people in the world--all around us, in our own family, in our church, in the workplace and in third world countries. Stress takes its toll on some of us: loss of a loved one, financial burdens, loss of a job, prodigal son or daughter, family, or poverty and hunger. Whatever it may be, not everyone is enjoying the season. I’ve seen facebook posts of friends losing their “Christmas spirit”, including myself. Perhaps I’m missing family, maybe it’s something else. Maybe I need a heart checkup like the people in the following examples.
The other night I watched a Christmas movie--a man returned to his home town after several years and demanded the nativity on display be removed since it sat on public land.
I just read a quote from the letters of C.S. Lewis when he recounts the time his brother ‘...heard a woman on a bus say, as the bus passed a church with a crib (manger) outside it, _”Oh, Lor’! They bring religion into everything. Look...they’re dragging it even into Christmas now!” (C.S. Lewis, Letters to an American Lady, 29, December, 1958.) I found that interesting.
I saw a billboard (on the news) put up by an atheist group in New York that said ‘You KNOW it’s a Myth, This Season Celebrate REASON!’ Well, in my opinion, Jesus IS the reason!
Not everyone has the opportunity to celebrate the birth of Christ--some have never even heard the nativity story in their own heart language. There are those that have lost all hope. They may be starving. They may see “no light at the end of the tunnel”. They may be homeless and destitute.
Whatever we’re going through, God is right there walking along side of us, that is, if we’ll only let Him. He is our strength. He’ll lighten the load. He’ll make it a little easier. Will we let Him? Will I let Him do that for me this Christmas season?
Why would I dare write a depressing blog? Actually, it wasn’t intended to “be a downer” but a reminder to pray for one another and pray for the world during this special time of the year.
For those that know me, I’ve had Africa on my mind for years, however, Africa is not the only continent that fights the pangs of poverty, famine and drought. Back in the ’80’s--1984 to be exact, a group called Band Aid put out the following song, “Do They Know It’s Christmas Time?”. I’m posting the song to my playlist and will post the lyrics below:
Do They Know It’s Christmas Time?
It's Christmas time
There's no need to be afraid
At Christmas time
We let in light and we banish shade
And in our world of plenty
We can spread a smile of joy
Throw your arms around the world
At Christmas time
But say a prayer
Pray for the other ones
At Christmas time it's hard
But when you're having fun
There's a world outside your window
And it's a world of dread and fear
Where the only water flowing
Is the bitter sting of tears
And the Christmas bells that ring
There are the clanging chimes of doom
Well tonight thank God it's them instead of you
Feed the world
Let them know it's Christmas time
Feed the world
Do they know it's Christmas time at all?
And there won't be snow in Africa
This Christmas time
The greatest gift they'll get this year is life
Where nothing ever grows
No rain nor rivers flow
Do they know it's Christmas time at all?
Feed the world
Let them know it's Christmas time
Feed the world
Let them know it's Christmas time again
(Here's to you) raise a glass for everyone
(Here's to them) underneath that burning sun
Do they know it's Christmas time at all?
Feed the world
Let them know it's Christmas time
I do hope you have a wonderful Christmas celebration, remembering the Christ of the season and those hurting all around us.
I began writing this blog containing Christmas cheer at the beginning. However, I decided to post two separate blogs--one of things I like about Christmas and then another as sort of a reminder to myself that not everyone sees this as a joyful time.
I suppose not everyone enjoys Christmas for one reason or another. There are a lot of hurting people in the world--all around us, in our own family, in our church, in the workplace and in third world countries. Stress takes its toll on some of us: loss of a loved one, financial burdens, loss of a job, prodigal son or daughter, family, or poverty and hunger. Whatever it may be, not everyone is enjoying the season. I’ve seen facebook posts of friends losing their “Christmas spirit”, including myself. Perhaps I’m missing family, maybe it’s something else. Maybe I need a heart checkup like the people in the following examples.
The other night I watched a Christmas movie--a man returned to his home town after several years and demanded the nativity on display be removed since it sat on public land.
I just read a quote from the letters of C.S. Lewis when he recounts the time his brother ‘...heard a woman on a bus say, as the bus passed a church with a crib (manger) outside it, _”Oh, Lor’! They bring religion into everything. Look...they’re dragging it even into Christmas now!” (C.S. Lewis, Letters to an American Lady, 29, December, 1958.) I found that interesting.
I saw a billboard (on the news) put up by an atheist group in New York that said ‘You KNOW it’s a Myth, This Season Celebrate REASON!’ Well, in my opinion, Jesus IS the reason!
Not everyone has the opportunity to celebrate the birth of Christ--some have never even heard the nativity story in their own heart language. There are those that have lost all hope. They may be starving. They may see “no light at the end of the tunnel”. They may be homeless and destitute.
Whatever we’re going through, God is right there walking along side of us, that is, if we’ll only let Him. He is our strength. He’ll lighten the load. He’ll make it a little easier. Will we let Him? Will I let Him do that for me this Christmas season?
Why would I dare write a depressing blog? Actually, it wasn’t intended to “be a downer” but a reminder to pray for one another and pray for the world during this special time of the year.
For those that know me, I’ve had Africa on my mind for years, however, Africa is not the only continent that fights the pangs of poverty, famine and drought. Back in the ’80’s--1984 to be exact, a group called Band Aid put out the following song, “Do They Know It’s Christmas Time?”. I’m posting the song to my playlist and will post the lyrics below:
Do They Know It’s Christmas Time?
It's Christmas time
There's no need to be afraid
At Christmas time
We let in light and we banish shade
And in our world of plenty
We can spread a smile of joy
Throw your arms around the world
At Christmas time
But say a prayer
Pray for the other ones
At Christmas time it's hard
But when you're having fun
There's a world outside your window
And it's a world of dread and fear
Where the only water flowing
Is the bitter sting of tears
And the Christmas bells that ring
There are the clanging chimes of doom
Well tonight thank God it's them instead of you
Feed the world
Let them know it's Christmas time
Feed the world
Do they know it's Christmas time at all?
And there won't be snow in Africa
This Christmas time
The greatest gift they'll get this year is life
Where nothing ever grows
No rain nor rivers flow
Do they know it's Christmas time at all?
Feed the world
Let them know it's Christmas time
Feed the world
Let them know it's Christmas time again
(Here's to you) raise a glass for everyone
(Here's to them) underneath that burning sun
Do they know it's Christmas time at all?
Feed the world
Let them know it's Christmas time
I do hope you have a wonderful Christmas celebration, remembering the Christ of the season and those hurting all around us.
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Christmas Cheer!
Things I like about Christmas:
Kids being kids up on stage at the Christmas performance--love, love it!
Christmas trees!
Lights strung on the tree, across the houses, even in the bushes (even the moving deer that lights up)!
Stockings hung by the chimney with care--though ours are on the bookshelf!
Christmas music playing on the radio, in the stores, and in the elevators!
Smells of pine trees, cookies baking, cider brewing!
The taste of FUDGE!!! YUMMY!! My favorite!
Children laughing, sizing up and rattling their gifts, trying to “guess” what’s inside!
Christmas carols being sung around the Yule Log--or just around!
Christmas movies--tiring of the same old ones year after year, but watching them anyway!
Christmas decorations, though before Thanksgiving is a bit too early if you ask me!
Making gingerbread houses with the kids. After our kids had grown, I began having the Abdelaziz children over at Christmastime to make gingerbread houses. Of course, my grown kids continued having fun making one or helping the younger ones. After moving to Tennessee, I had to find some more children to come over to make our Christmas decorated houses. Over the past 4 years, we've had several coming over to decorate.
Most of all, I enjoy the nativity scene which represents the reason that we celebrate Christmas. We have 3 in our house. One makes into a puzzle. Jim made it years ago. He’s the only one that can fit it back together. One my niece Jenni made for us. And this year we get to use Carey’s Willow Tree. All reminders of Christ’s birth and childlike faith.
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