Happy New Year

Today I have been taking a look back into 2008 and recalling God's goodness and endless mercy. There are so many things to be thankful for and even when things weren't going so good, we knew that God was always with us.

• I am thankful that Robert has continued to love me these 25 years that we have been together. I can be hard to live with sometimes.



• I am thankful for my two beautiful children, who are no longer children, but young adults. It has been such a blast watching them grow into the great people they are today.



• I am thankful that Robert and I both still have our parents and for their love and guidance.



• But the thing that I am most thankful for is that God continues to love me even when I am an unlovable, spoiled, ungrateful human being. The list of my shortcomings could go on and on.

Many people look forward to a new year as a new beginning. A fresh start. A do over.

We don't have to wait an entire year for a new start or a do over. Lamentations 3:22,23 says this: Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.

His mercy and compassion is new every time we ask for it. Praise Him that we can come before Him any time we want to and confess our sins and our less than holy attitudes and He will wipe the slate clean.

Happy New Year!



Life is Good,

Cindy

My Favorite Story

1And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed.

2(And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.)

3And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.

4And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:)

5To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.

6And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.

7And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.

8And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.

9And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.

10And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.

11For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

12And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

13And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,

14Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

15And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.

16And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.

17And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child.

18And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds.

19But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.

20And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them. (Luke 2:1-20 KJV)

I pray that all of you will have a very Merry Christmas filled with the wonder and awe of a Savior who came down from Heaven as a baby to live among us. He then gave His very life for us. He took the punishment for our sins so that we could live forever with Him.


Life is Good,

Cindy

Patience is a Virtue

Patience is a virtue. It is also included in the fruit of the Spirit. Alas, today I am not very virtuous and someone has plucked it from my fruit bowl!

My daughter and I are in San Antonio at my sisters and we are waiting on a television to be delivered. We have been waiting since 8:00 a.m. this morning. It is now 3:36 p.m. to be precise. Apparently the delivery guys do not care that we had plans. Sharon had to leave to pick up her son Connor from school. My daughter saw an opportunity to get out of the house. Someone had to stay behind. I am that someone.

Today really hasn't been that bad. Sharon has baked yummy treats all day long and I sat on the couch and smelled them. I even got to lick the bowl. And I spent some much needed time in Bible Study.

Proverbs 19:11 says that a man's wisdom gives him patience. God pointed out to me that my impatience sometimes impedes God's plan for me. I want to help God out, hurry things along. That sometimes I just need to patiently wait on His timing. Sometimes waiting on God is just what I need to show me that God is always on time. And when I am impatient it hinders my ability to be still and know God and hear His voice. I needed this lesson in patience today.


Life is Good,

Cindy

The Perfect Gift

Today was a wonderful day. I spent a couple of hours wrapping Christmas gifts and listening to beautiful Christmas CD's by Travis Cottrell, Casting Crowns and Mandisa.

As I wrapped each gift, I said a prayer for the recipient. I enjoy picking out the perfect gift and then wrapping them in pretty paper and ribbons. As I wrapped, I thought about how much time and money we spend each year on buying the perfect gift. I began to ponder God's perfect gift to us, His Son Jesus. What if God had decided that we weren't worth saving? What if God hadn't sent Jesus to die in our place?

"For God so loved the world that he gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." John 3:16

God's perfect gift came to us as a "baby wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger". Luke 2:12





Life is Good,

Cindy

What Was I Thinking?

I keep my Christmas decorations in the attic. When you are hormonal, you forget things very easily and so every year when the decorations come out it's like having new stuff because I can't remember things from year to year.

I happened upon a black garbage bag and had no idea what treasure awaited me. Inside were two small Christmas trees made of feathers and adorned with pearls. You heard me correctly. Feathers. And Pearls.

I took them out of the bag and feathers flew everywhere. The inside of the bag looked like some sort of strange bird had molted. Did I mention that there were feathers everywhere?

Apparently these were purchased in an after Christmas sale. Which just goes to show you that just because something is on sale for half price or less, it doesn't necessarily mean that it was a good buy. I guess when that little voice of reason started screaming "No, no", I should have just walked away and said good-bye.

I tried to send them home with my 21 year old daughter, but she used the excuse that she wasn't going to decorate because as soon as finals were over, she wouldn't be around very much.

I offered the little trees to a friend who had decided not to put up any decorations this year. This friend, who shall remain nameless, (you know who you are) was not at all enthused about these trees and then made some sort of comment about my taste! I have good taste. I just had a momentary lapse in judgment. I am not sure whether she meant it as a compliment or not. Actually I am sure. It was no compliment. I started to leave the bag of trees, or at least a bag of feathers, on her doorstep while she was running errands. But she knows where I live.

I contemplated taking them with me to San Antonio next week when I visit my sister. I have carried stranger things on an airplane. She sent me home with a frying pan from the Siesta Fiesta in August. It was a very large frying pan that my friend Leah carried on because it wouldn't fit in my suitcase. And when we put it in hers we couldn't lift it. But I need a place to sleep in San Antonio so I guess I won't.


Life is Good,

Cindy

God's Word

Don't you just love the Word of God? 2 Timothy 3:16 tells us: "All Scripture is God-breathed...". I have been rejoicing over the fact that the God of Heaven loves us so much that He gave us His written Word.

In What Every Christian Ought to Know, Adrian Rogers says, "I want you to learn how to study your Bible, to make it burst aflame in your hand. Knowledge is power in any realm, whether business, athletics, or theology. But nowhere is it more true than in relation to the Word of God."

This is what I want. To be so hungry for His Word that my Bible bursts aflame every time I study it. And this is what I want for you as well.


Life is Good,

Cindy

What is the Truth?

For the past few nights I have had trouble sleeping and last night was no different. After tossing and turning for awhile I got up and got on the computer. Somehow that led me to a post about how Jesus wasn't born on December 25th.

The woman who made the post was very upset because she had been doing research and had come to the conclusion that Jesus really hadn't been born on December 25th like she had always believed. She stated that she couldn't believe that we "had been lied to and we are living with a myth." She goes on to say that everything about God is important to her and she needs accuracy pertaining to God. She isn't a Christian , is New Age and doesn't believe what the Christians believe about Jesus. She was getting ready to celebrate Jesus' birthday and now she can't because it isn't really on the 25th. She will never again have anything to do with Christmas. She doesn't believe that Jesus saves us, but thinks that we save ourselves. She didn't want to go to the Bible to find answers since the important detail of the actual date of Jesus birth had been left out. She was desperate to know the truth. Over 4oo comments were made pertaining to this post. Obviously I couldn't read them all, but I read enough to be deeply burdened for this woman and for several of the commenters who think that Christianity is based on lies. I stopped reading and began to pray that she would find the Truth.


Sometimes even we who are followers of Christ tend to get hung up on "details". Luke 2:6 says this about Christ's birth, "the time came for the baby to be born". We don't need to know the exact date. Just that Jesus came at the right time. In God's time.


So what is the truth? "The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth" (John 1:14).

Jesus is the Truth.


Life is Good,

Cindy