Thursday Thankfulness...Making Room for Jesus...

As we are drawing closer to the end of the year, I've been reflecting on some thoughts about what I've learned and how God has  blessed me and taught me throughout the year.  My "One Word" for 2025 was "Wisdom", and I've been scratching my head and asking myself if I've truly gained any wisdom this year, or have I stayed the same?  I'm not sure it is anything I can put into words or give any tangible proof that I've grown in wisdom, but as I've sat here contemplating what to write this morning, here's a few verses that have come to my attention while I was inserting pictures from the past few days with no  apparent rhyme or reason...and God helped me find these words to share...

Revelation 3:20 NKJV

20 "Behold, I stand at the door and knock. 

If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, 

I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me."

Interestingly, a little later today I saw a post on Facebook with a door much like mine, and the thought was about making room in our hearts for the Baby Jesus during this Christmas season and beyond...opening the door and welcoming Him into our lives both now at Christmas and forever... (look for (The HomespunWife, and her poem, "Is There Room" on Facebook.)  

That made me think about this old hymn, "Thou Didst Leave Thy Throne"...

1 Thou didst leave Thy throne and Thy kingly crown,

When Thou camest to earth for me;

But in Bethlehem's home was there found no room

For Thy holy nativity.

O come to my heart, Lord Jesus,

There is room in my heart for Thee.

(you can listen to the whole song here:)

The best part of that song is the refrain that repeats, 

"O Come to my heart, Lord Jesus, There is room in my heart for Thee."

And that is my prayer...that there will always be room in my heart for Christ.

But I got sidetracked there...I was talking about wisdom, wasn't I?   However, when we make room in our hearts for the Lord Jesus, that is probably the wisest thing we could do, Amen?  Anyway, moving along, these were some other verses that I came across this past week:

Psalm 90:12 NIV

12 Teach us to number our days,

that we may gain a heart of wisdom.

Proverbs 2:9-11 NIV

9 "Then you will understand what is right and just

and fair—every good path.

10 For wisdom will enter your heart,

and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul.

11 Discretion will protect you,

and understanding will guard you."

(Morning sky over Still Waters Pond earlier this week)

Jeremiah 6:16 NIV

16 This is what the Lord says:

“Stand at the crossroads and look;

ask for the ancient paths,

ask where the good way is, and walk in it,

and you will find rest for your souls..."

Galatians 5:1 NIV

5 It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, 

and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.

At our Ladies' Bible Study on Monday, one of our sweet ladies gave us each a new journal for a Christmas gift.  There was a variety of types and styles, and we could choose whichever one we wanted.  I chose this one, because I loved the verse that was written on the front:

Matthew 19:26 NKJV

26 But Jesus looked at them and said to them, 

“With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

(Excuse the picture from my lap while sitting in my recliner early in the morning)

And while we ladies were all talking and getting into our Bible study for the day (we are studying the book of Philippians, btw), one of the ladies said something about our "Lessons and Blessings"...and that struck a chord with me as I looked at us each sitting there with our brand new journals, and I piped up and said..."Oh, what a great thought for us each to pursue as we start the new year with these lovely journals...we should use them to write down our "Lessons and Blessings" for the year and see how God teaches and blesses us throughout the year!"   Everyone nodded and agreed and I thanked the Lord for His "wisdom" at that moment, and I immediately wrote that down on the first page of the journal for future reference and remembrance (because if I don't write things down when I am thinking of them, it will be gone in a flash...)

And so that is how I am closing out this old year and looking forward to the New Year, thankful for the "wisdom" God has taught me this past year, and looking forward to the Lessons and Blessings He will show me in the New Year.  I haven't decided upon my new "One Word" for 2026 yet, but I believe God is speaking to my heart and by the time the New Year rolls around I will know what it is. So stay tuned for that. 

But first things first...Christmas is coming next week, and that is what is predominantly in my mind right now.

That, and Blackie, our sweet porch kitty.  He was looking up at me while I was taking pictures of the still very still and dry "Still Waters Pond".   By the way, we are supposed to get some rain tonight and maybe tomorrow, so here's hoping and praying they are right this time!

Somehow when I went back into the house and then went out on the front porch to put out the flag, as is my usual morning routine after I feed Blackie on the back porch, he somehow appeared on the front porch and scooted in the front door when I opened it. He's getting pretty good at that and I have to be quick to catch him. He thinks it's a game and I guess I sort of play along...

Because here's what happened...I grabbed him up and carried him over to look at the Christmas tree (while he wiggled and squirmed and tried his best to get down)

(oh, do you see hubby's big feet? He was sitting in his recliner and taking these pictures. Funny, huh?)

(And please excuse my hair...it

 was still wet from my morning wet my hair and style it and let it dry on its own routine)

As you can see, I had my hands full, so after we walked around looking at all the lights and decorations in the house, I took him back outside and put him down on his own back porch where he belongs! LOL.

A little later that morning hubby and I went to Walmart, and as we were checking out this interesting  lady was walking around wearing a Christmas tree on her head!  It was all lit up and very clever indeed. I did ask her permission to take her picture, and I also asked if her headdress was for sale, but she said "no, it was too much work to make another one."

She looks like a fun person!  That made our Walmart shopping experience a bit more interesting and joyful. You just never know what you'll see at Walmart! LOL.

Another thing I'm  thankful for are crafty people...One of our ladies at church made these cute little candle jars for the choir members...she decoupaged tissue paper on a glass jar, and in this case the tissue paper had all kinds of music notes and scales on it, and then glued a black ribbon and bow around the top to match...

And then put a little string  of fairy lites inside to light it up! You could probably use the little battery operated votive candle lights too if you didn't want to use the wired ones, but it sure made a cute little candle to set about! What a thoughtful gift! People are so clever!

Speaking of choir and music, tonight we go to the little church out in the country for their annual Carols and Candlelight service, and our choir will sing a couple of songs. It's always a very special time.  I will share more about that later.    And our own Christmas Cantata will be presented this Sunday morning in church. We did our dress rehearsal and recorded it Tuesday night. We did okay for the most part, but I know I flubbed up a couple of times, which will probably show up in the recording, but we did our best and hopefully we'll do even better Sunday morning. Praying our voices hold up. There's a lot of colds and illness going around. Tomorrow night there's a group of us who plan to go do some caroling around town at the homes of some of our church's shut-in people.  I am planning to go unless the weather gets too bad or my voice gets too stressed...

Meanwhile, as I've been sitting here writing, I've been enjoying this view from my window here in my "room with a view":

It's kind of cloudy out, and actually now they are saying it's going to start raining in a few minutes (hope, pray!)

You can see we still have a bit of fall color over there on the other side of the pond where there are a few maple trees.   And you can also see how dry the pond is...so please pray for that rain to come here!

This Bluebird has been out there periodically...still too soon for nesting, but they come and go and check things out at their "house"...

And just now there was a bit of a standoff at the bird bath:

I think the Cardinal was patiently waiting his turn for a bath, but that gray Catbird was taking his sweet time...

So finally the the Cardinal flew away and the Catbird had the birdbath all to himself.  I think I could actually hear him singing as he bathed..."O Solo Mio"....LOL.

And with that I will close this post for today.  I am thankful for YOU, and your kind comments on my previous posts. I've been trying to get around to visit but it seems like as soon as I think I'm caught up there's a whole new bunch of posts to read! If you're like me, most likely our time for reading and writing is going to get less and less in the next few days as we get closer to Christmas

I will close with this song that is actually from our cantata, "Close to Christmas".  

 "Come, close to Christmas, behold the wonder, look what God has done, sent His one and only Son...Come, close to Christmas, see, hallelujah, this is what we've waited for, God with us forevermore!

Come and worship, Come and worship, worship Christ the King...Come and worship, come and worship, worship Christ the newborn King..."

"O Come to my heart, Lord Jesus! 

There is room in my heart for You."

Amen.