It's not the wrapping, but what's inside that counts

Good Morning Friends!  Wondrously wrapped in HIS loving arms Wednesday!  Well, yesterday we took care of the shopping, now it’s time to start wrapping!  Last night as I sat in the middle of the living room floor surrounded by gifts waiting to be wrapped I thought….oh gosh….what a job!  I have never been real good at wrapping, I love to see beautiful packages, fancy bows and ribbon, tight crisp edges, but I just never have been able to conquer that art!  My husband says I don’t have enough patience…..I say it’s just not my forte!  So consequently, the gifts under my tree and especially the ones being sent in the mail just don’t look all that pretty…..Well anyway, as I was saying, as I sat in the middle of the floor wrapping the thought occurred to me…..well you know…..I wasn’t alone, HE was there twinkling in the lights of the tree….so HE was guiding my thoughts….And this is what HE came up with….”My child, don’t you know that it’s not how the package is wrapped that counts, it’s what inside!”   I felt a smile welling up inside of me, from deep in my heart…..Oh goodness, we spend so much time worrying about how we look, getting our hair cut, colored, new style, painting our nails, and clothes…crazy how we worry about what we wear, oh let’s not forget all the wrinkle creams, diets….so we look good….on the outside…..And so what if we do look awesome all “wrapped” up in our styles and creams….Our Father doesn’t even see all that, HE is looking to what is inside.  What’s in our hearts and minds, what shows through our words and actions….that’s what needs to be pretty!  Sure is a relief to know HE doesn’t care what we look like on the outside (cause my wrinkles are out of control)….I was still smiling as I finished my wrapping for the evening…..smiling to think that the receivers of my gifts will delight in what’s inside even if the “wrapping” isn’t so pretty!   Thank you Father for looking past our wrinkles and gray hair to what’s inside….help us to always be “pretty” on the inside….to Your glory.

 

This will be a sign unto you:  You will find a baby “wrapped” in cloths and lying in a manger.  Luke 2:12.  Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes.  Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is great worth in God’s sight.  1 Peter 3:3-4.  The Lord said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him.  The Lord does not look at the things man looks at.  Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”  1 Samuel 16:7. 

Love you all!

 

The beauty in a dead tree

Good Morning Friends!  Wise and Wonderful is our God, Wednesday!  Yesterday I told you about our wonderful Thanksgiving at the cabin, today I want to share a little story from that afternoon.  Last Christmas Eve Papa and I took Cooper and Katy to the cabin for the day to have an old-fashioned Christmas!  We cut down a cedar tree, took it in and decorated it with homemade ornaments, we decorated cookies, had hot chocolate and cooked lunch on the camp stove and even took our naps there!  A wonderful time was had by all for sure.  Well, as things go….Kim and I don’t always get things done in a timely fashion….I think I got the tree undecorated and outside about…..April…..Kim always intended to cut it up and burn it, but just never got to it.  The once pretty little cedar tree with a homemade base still on it was still lying outside the cabin…..Thursday while Mom, Dad, Nana and Papa were sitting by the fire Cooper and Katy were doing some serious exploring!  Guess what they found???!!!  Yep, last year’s once beautiful, now dead, brittle Christmas tree….Cooper was thrilled!!!  He hollered at us, “look what I found, look it’s our Christmas tree from the cabin!” He was so excited, it was precious….Papa and I asked them, “remember last year we spent the day in the cabin and made cookies and decorated the tree?”  Oh yes they both remembered and were so excited sharing things they remembered.  Cooper was holding onto the tree, trying to get it up.  Mom and dad told him to get away from it because it was on prickley….but as they spoke, right in front of our eyes…..Cooper made his move to the cabin door……he was on a mission…..the once beautiful Christmas tree, now to say the least unattractive was going back into the cabin for this year’s Christmas celebration!  Cooper only saw a Christmas tree……he saw only the beauty of a day with Nana, Papa, and Sissy….a day he treasured, more than we could have ever imagined, in his heart.  Of course we had to stop him from putting it in the cabin (with a promise of doing it again), but I couldn’t stop thinking about Cooper and that tree……Cooper saw beauty in that dead tree.  Oh Cooper, sweet boy, what a wonderful lesson you have given your Nana….We are so quick to see the unattractive, past actions, or life styles of people in our lives…..remembering hurts, mistrusts, poor choices while missing the beauty inside, the beauty and forgiveness that God offers everyone….Makes me sad to think of the opportunities I have missed to share happy, loving times with people that might have “unattractive” trees in their pasts…..judging what I think I see or know…missing out on what God sees, missing out on the blessing of sharing with another of HIS children.  Father, forgive us when we misjudge one of Your children, give us eyes and hearts that see as You do.

 

You were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.  1 Corinthians 6:11.  If you forgive men when they sin against you, your Heavenly Father will also forgive you.  But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.  Matthew 6:14-15.  God has shown me that I should not call any man impure or unclean.  Acts 10:28.  Do to others as you would have them do to you.  Luke 6:31.  How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity!  Psalm 133:1  Let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.  Hebrews 10:24.  Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God.  Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.  1 John 4:7. 

Love you all!

 

December 21, 2012

Good Morning Friends! Forever His, Friday! A few weeks ago we decorated our front lobby for Christmas (remember I am the receptionist). We put up a big tree and as a final touch to the decorations we hung candy canes all over, our plan was to offer everyone, little and big a candy cane from the tree. Oh what a pleasure I have had offering young and old alike a chance to take a candy cane from the tree….bright smiles, sincere thank yous….simple pleasures….Christmas joy! Candy canes have been a part of Christmas for as long as I can remember….how about you? Did you know that there’s real thought and meaning behind the candy cane? The candy cane was invented by a candy maker in Indiana, his main purpose to make a candy that would really represent the true meaning of Christmas….a witness to our Greatest Gift….JESUS….THE REASON FOR THE SEASON….Here’s his analogy…..the first candy canes were all white to represent the virgin birth and the holiness of Jesus…..the candy is hard to represent THE SOLID ROCK of our faith. The candy, first is in the shape of a J….for JESUS; when you turn it over it becomes a cane….a shepherd’s cane to represent that we are children of the GOOD SHEPHERD….who takes care of us, nurtures and protects us and brings us back to HIM when we stray. Last, but certainly not least, he added the red stipe……red to represent JESUS blood shed for us…..no price for us….freely HE gave HIS life for us……We need only put our faith in HIM, the Good Shepherd, our Solid Rock! So in the next few days when you come across a candy cane….remember the candy maker from Indiana that shared so wonderfully the REASON FOR THE SEASON…..and share HIS PERFECT LOVE with someone…..Father, help us to remember the true gift of Christmas every day! Not just once a year...and help us to share the message of the candy cane!

I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you: He is Christ the Lord. This will a sign to you: you will find a baby wrapped in “swaddling” clothes and lying in a manger. Luke 2:11-12. Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be glory both now and forever! 2 Peter 3:18. 

 

Merry Christmas to you and your loved ones….Love you all!