So Excited to Receive a Gift!

I am so excited to tell you that today I received a special gift in the mail from my blogging friend, Martha Jane Orlando!  Here it is:

Click HERE to learn more about Martha Jane Orlando at her blogsite "Meditations of My Heart"

A couple of weeks ago Martha had posted on her blog, "Meditations of My Heart", that it is "More Blessed to Give"...and she offered a free gift  (to the first 25 to respond) of Book 1 of "The Glade Series", A Trip, A Tryst and A Terror.   Lo! And Behold!  I happened to be one of the first to respond to her offer...and she sent this lovely book to me. Of course, there is a condition...I need to read the book and comment on her Website Adventures in the Glade, as well as on Amazon...which I will be more than happy to do!

As a matter of fact, Martha,

I already started reading it as soon as it arrived!  After finding this in the mailbox, I headed straight for the rocker on the front porch and sat down and started reading!  This looks like an excellent summer reading adventure for young and old...(like me...young AND old! Ha Ha)....and I am excited to find out just what young Davy Murray gets into in this intriguing story.  I'll be sure to let you know when I'm finished!!

Thank you, Martha Jane, for sending this interesting little book  (& bookmarks to share!) my way!  This was was a wonderful way to brighten a rather cloudy, somewhat drizzly, sultry summer day! 

This is the Bible Verse Martha inscribed in the front of the book with her autograph, 

I assume as her life verse:

Micah 6:8(NKJV)

8 

"He has shown you, O man, what is good;

And what does the Lord require of you

But to do justly,

To love mercy,

And to walk humbly with your God?"

Wonderful verse for us all to remember today.

Thank you, Martha!

And now...I need to get back to

A Trip, A Tryst and A Terror

and find out what happens!!

The Greatest Gift of All - Updated again!

I just re-read this post that I had updated last year from the original post of 2014. Today is 12/21/2016...and I'm not much better off as far as the gift wrapping and shopping goes...been wrapping all day,

Yes, that is an ironing board, disguised as a gift-wrapping table
in my bedroom.  Once a year I pull it out of storage and put it
to a good use! The adjustable height makes it a good table to
do my wrapping!  I can iron out the wrinkles of the wrapping
paper and recycle the gift bags as I go...Ho! ho! ho!

and trying to be sure I don't need anything else while I still have a few days left before Christmas...I wish I could say that being retired for a whole year changed my habits regarding shopping, etc., but alas! Some habits are very hard to break. Next year is a new opportunity to try again...we'll see what happens.  Meanwhile, this message written originally in 2014 is still very poignant and meaningful today.  I hope you will take the time to read it and be blessed as I was in writing it.  Yes, I am blessed when I write, because the Holy Spirit seems to take over and minister to me as He directs my thoughts to write what He wants to share with you and me.  

This was my update LAST year, 12/23/2015:

So, this is where I was around this time last year...Last year (2014) WAS a difficult year, and Christmas was something that I wanted to avoid.  Be sure to read the links included in this post from last year.  Now today, one year later, I am doing much better.  Although here it is December 23rd (Christmas EVE EVE), and I just finished wrapping our gifts. Finished the shopping yesterday...and can you believe that I actually retired a month ago, so I really shouldn't be so far behind...but some habits are hard to break...procrastination..especially regarding Christmas...I am hoping to be much better by this time next year, since I am retired I have no good excuse!

Anyway, please read on to get the full impact of this message written one year ago.  The purpose and plan of Christmas has never changed.  Jesus is the Greatest Gift of All!

Original post from 12/21/2014:

This post is not what it appears on the surface...Please keep reading...

By now most of my friends and family know that we did not send out our annual Christmas letter...and only a very few cards to some who don't have email or do Facebook.  And many of you also know that I had a hard time getting myself into the proper spirit for Christmas shopping, etc.  (click on the blue words for a link to these posts).
But if you have been following along the past week or so, you also will know that God came through, and He met me in my deepest place of sorrow, and gave me the strength and courage to choose JOY!

I am happy to report that after two long, grueling days of shopping and gift wrapping...I am feeling much better prepared to face this week and truly enjoy Christmas!  Thank you all for your prayers and words of support and comfort. You have blessed me with your love and wisdom, and I thank God for you.

Today has been a wonderful day of Sabbath Rest.  We had our

morning worship service here in our home, and the lesson today was taken from Matthew 13:45-46, which says:

"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls,

who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it."

Not exactly an Advent or Christmas message for this fourth Sunday of Advent, the Sunday before Christmas.  At least not at first glance.  But as the message unfolded, we were asked to imagine ourselves as a person who had been captured and held prisoner, chained to others and forced to walk many days in the hot desert, back in the days of the Roman Government, which was in power at the time of Jesus' birth. Instead of food we were given very little water and a detestable watered down broth of some kind, just barely enough to keep us alive. As our horrendous journey continued, we were not permitted to speak or cry, and if one did, he would be severely punished by many lashes of the whip.  

After many days we finally arrived in a city, where the slave auction was held. One by one we watched our traveling companions be auctioned off to the highest bidder, to be purchased as a slave to cruel taskmasters who would make the previous journey seem like a vacation.

Suddenly it was my turn on the auction block. I was forced to stand before the bidders, my clothes were tattered and torn and filthy. I had not eaten or bathed in many days. My hair was matted and dirty, my body was bleeding from the many lashes I had endured. Weak, weary, and fearful, I tried to stay conscious as the bargaining and bidding began for my life. As I struggled to stand, listening to the jeers and jests of those around me shouting all manner of ugly and disgusting insults regarding my appearance, there was One bidder who stepped forward, and with a commanding voice He spoke His bid loud and clear above all the others.  The amount that He shouted out caused all the other slave traders to stop and turn around and look.  They began to question among themselves, "Who can this be? Why would He want this worthless prisoner...the one who looks completely beaten and defeated...the one who probably couldn't do a day's work no matter how hard she's whipped?  And what is that He said? He's giving all that He has to purchase this piece of human refuse! Who IS He?

And who can this person be who has such value in His eyes?"

Finally I heard the auctioneer shout, "Sold to the Highest Bidder! Take her away!"  I was expecting to be yanked up and rudely jerked off of the block and dragged along by my chains.  But instead, my Purchaser was kneeling before me, tenderly washing my wounds, removing the chains from my ankles and wrists, holding a cup of water to my lips, lifting me up and carrying me away in His arms. As He lifted me high above my previous tormentors, He gently whispered my name and called me His beloved child. I thought I must have died and gone to heaven, but He said, "You are my precious child...my chosen one...my "Pearl of Great Price!" 

I did not quite understand then what He meant by that...but when the day came that I saw this One hanging on a cross, crucified and dying, I understood.  You see, He did give all that He had for me...He gave His life, so that I might live.  And before He died He told me all that I would need to know so that I could one day join Him.  He said,

"Let not your heart be troubled; 

you believe in God,

believe also in Me.

In My Father's house are many mansions,

if it were not so, I would have told you.

I go to prepare a place for you.

And if I go and prepare a place for you,

I will come again and receive you to Myself,

that where I am, there you may be also.

And where I go you know,

and the way you know...

I am the way, the truth, and the life.

No one comes to the Father except through Me."

John 14: 1-6 

You may be asking yourself, "What does this story have to do with Christmas?"  Well, my friend, it has EVERYTHING to do with Christmas!

Why did Jesus come to earth in the first place?

"For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, 

but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many."

Mark 10:45

And again:

This sign hangs in my living room...a very old heirloom from my husband's grandparents' home.  A powerful message there to remind us every single day that we were bought at a great price...the very life of our Savior, Jesus Christ.  He gave His life a ransom for us all...(see I Timothy 2:5-6)

This Christmas song tells it clearly: (click below for the song)

"Redeeming Love"

Bill & Gloria Gaither,  copyright 1963

Sung by Ernie Haase and Signature Sound

"From God's heaven to a manger,

From great riches to the poor,

Came the Son of God, a little Child;

From the azure halls of heaven

To a lowly manger stall,

Jesus came, and here He gave His life for all.

From a loving heavenly Father

To a world that knew Him not,

Came a man of sorrows, 

Jesus Christ, the Lord;

In my wandering Jesus found me,

Touched my life with His great love,

And this Babe has grown to be my sovereign Lord.

Chorus:

Redeeming Love,

a love that knows no limit;

Redeeming love,

a love that never dies;

My soul shall sing 

throughout the endless ages

The adoration of this great love on high!"

My friend, I am that precious pearl...and so are YOU.  This same Jesus left the "azure halls of heaven...to a lowly manger stall...Jesus came, and here He gave His life for ALL!" ...and that includes YOU! YOU ARE ALSO THAT PRECIOUS PEARL!  JESUS CHRIST HAS PAID YOUR RANSOM WITH HIS LIFE.  Won't you accept this greatest gift of all this Christmas?  The gift of your redemption from sin and sorrow...from the slavery of this old world...freely given for you, so that you might live! Yes, that IS THE GREATEST GIFT OF ALL!

Merry Christmas from our house to yours!

Update:  These pictures are from our front porch this year, 2015

Merry Christmas from our house to yours, 2015

This is the Greatest Gift of All! 

"I Am Not Worthy"

Have you ever had a song in your head and you couldn't quite remember it all, but it became an obsession to find it?  That's where I was tonight.  So I went online http://www.namethathymn.com/and typed in the title, and finally found the lyrics and the composer:

"I Am Not Worthy" by Beatrice Bush Bixler.  

I also found out that Mrs. Bixler passed away in November of 2013 at the age of 97, having written many such songs, but they never truly received the attention that they should have.  

This particular song I remember hearing first in a Christian & Missionary Alliance church, but I don't know which one or when.  My husband served as a pastor in this denomination from the late 1970's through the early 1990's, and after hearing this song I soon learned it and sang it many times.  Come to find out, Mrs. Bixler was also a member of the C&MA, and she sang at many conferences and churches throughout the years...I may have actually heard her sing it at one time, but I am not certain.

Tomorrow is my birthday. I have already received a couple of "surprise" birthday gifts from totally unexpected sources...and this is how this song came into my mind tonight.  I felt unworthy to receive such thoughtful and sweet gifts from these dear ones, and it reminded me of what Jesus has done for me...also totally unmerited and unexpected...

The words to this song express it best, so I will share them with you here.

"I am not worthy the least of His favor, 

But Jesus left heaven for me; 

The Word became flesh and He died as my Savior, 

Forsaken on dark Calvary. 

Chorus: 

I am not worthy this dull tongue repeats it!  

I am not worthy this heart gladly beats it? 

Jesus left heaven to die in my place 

What mercy, what love and what grace! 

I am not worthy the least of His favor, 

But "In the beloved" I stand; 

Now I'm an heir with my wonderful Savior, 

And all things are mine at His hand.

(Chorus) 

I am not worthy the least of His favor, 

But He is preparing a place 

Where I shall dwell with my glorified Savior, 

Forever to look on His face."

(Chorus)

Words and Music by Beatrice Bush Bixler

Copyright 1949 by Singspiration, Inc.

If you would like to hear Mrs. Bixler singing this song herself, you may listen here.

I am happy to report that I found my own copy of this music in an ancient file cabinet full of old sheet music and songbooks that I've saved for all these years.  I don't do much singing anymore, at least not as a soloist.  Age has a way of changing the vocal chords, along with lack of practice and exercise.  But one of my "birthday gifts", lovingly created for my kitchen window by my carpenter son, inspires me to smile and sing every time I walk into the kitchen.  These windows look out into the woods next to our house, and we never know what we might see out there...but most often we see many different birds winging their way from tree to tree, singing their songs of joy as they go about their daily routine of gathering seeds, fruits, insects and worms to feed their families and keep themselves able to fly and sing.  This particular cornice board above the windows needed a message...

(windows before)

and the more I thought about it, the only message that made sense to me was this:

and after...

So now, my heart and soul sing out with the birds as I stand at the window and wash the dishes and prepare our meals...and daydream about the things I'd love to do someday...or pray for friends and loved ones as the Lord lays them on my mind...and think about how...

 "I am not worthy...this dull tongue repeats it! I am not worthy, this heart gladly beats it!" But,
"Jesus left heaven to die in my place! What mercy, what love, and what grace!"

I don't feel worthy of the gifts I've received...more than just the physical birthday gifts...also the gift of salvation. I'm not good.  I've sinned and have fallen short of God's Glory,  (Romans 3:23),and "the wages of sin is death...but the GIFT of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." (Romans 6:23)   Because of Jesus, I AM WORTHY!!!  Not because of any good I have done, but only because of Jesus.

The greatest "birthday gift" of all is this gift of new life...eternal life...through Jesus Christ.  Because of Him, I can enjoy my birthday tomorrow, knowing that because of my "Second" birthday, the day I accepted His free gift of salvation...I will one day accept my inheritance of heaven..."forever to look on His face."

I hope you've received this wonderful gift too.  Even if you feel "unworthy" to accept it...Jesus wants you to have it.  So go ahead and take it, it's FREE!