Speak to me in Sea Glass - Understanding the Search

As a young woman I recall my mother in law going on long walks in the early mornings.She collected treasures on these early morning beach walks. Beautiful colored glass that was then referred to as "beach glass". Nuggets of colored glass polished and worn smooth by the churning of the sea and the constant tumbling in the rocks.I asked her how she found it and she spoke of the color or the shine making it stand out. When I walked on the same beaches I would never find them so I gave up looking.
Only now, many years later do I understand what she was trying to teach me.Now when I go for my walks I know what I am looking for. I am drawn to it and excited with each new treasure I find.
So it is with faith. Sometimes in our lives we are blessed to be around someone who is more mature in their faith who reaches out to us and tries to show us how to find what they have found. Sometimes we are just not ready to really search for these nuggets of truth so we give up our search. Only later, sometimes much later, do we "get" what that person was trying to teach us. But when an "ah ha" moment happens we can go right back to that long forgotten truth and understand and grasp it and call it our own. We can recreate conversations that we thought were only passing time and realize that an important "nugget" of truth was being planted into our spirits lying dormant under the surface until the Father wills it to be born again in our hearts, take root, and grow into a belief.
At 55 years old I can remember my Aunt Bam telling me exciting, bewildering things about Jesus coming back that I did not understand. And now nearly 50 years later when I hear of the second coming of Christ I am once again in the backseat of her car hearing this amazing thing! Those seeds planted then, reaching maturity now, where the seeds can be passed to another generation of children. They too will hide things in their hearts and when the time is right it will spring fourth into a personal belief.
My mother in law did not live long enough to see me seek and find my own beach glass. Sometimes that is also how it works with faith. It is not our job to make someone find the treasure. It is our job to share what we know and to let God do with it what He chooses to do and when He chooses to do it.

"All generations shall call you blessed."

As a child I attended a beautiful Catholic Church in Southampton NY. It really was (is) an amazing structure and the ornate detail of each and every carving, painting,stained glass window gave a child much to study and day dream about during the weekly services and countless Catholic school related programs I was required to attend. The statues and impressions of Mary the mother of Jesus were beautiful and saintly often exposing her bleeding heart for the world to see.
I admired her but I did not 'get her' until many years later. When I was carrying my youngest daughter Melody. She was due in November so I was 'great with child' when all the Christmas activities started to get underway. And then, holding this precious babe in my arms so fresh from the heart of God at Christmas time caused me to have this wonderful realization. Mary was a mom. She nursed her baby and cared for all of his physical needs. She sang to him like I sang to my Melody. She felt the warmth of his breath on her cheek. She did not have a halo. She was a young girl. A girl who believed and obeyed. Her heart portrayed outside her chest was not unlike my own mother heart. Evident and obvious for everyone to see and to know that I loved my baby. She loved her baby. Just like I loved mine.
I don't pray to Mary but I understand why my mother felt that so easy to do. I admire her. I called her blessed because that is what he word of God tells me she is.And tonight, the night that we remember the birth of THE baby I thank God for giving us such a beautiful picture of the mother of my Jesus. And I thank my Melody for teaching me the tenderness of Christmas.

The Christmas Letter.

Some people hate them, some make fun of them. I spoke with a woman at the Post Office who had just mailed off her NINE page Christmas letter. I resisted the temptation for a long time. Too impersonal I thought. Corny. However each time a Christmas card arrived in the mail that contained a "Christmas Letter" I was really pleased. An added photo was a great bonus! In a world where distances prevent us from regular communication with friends and family and epically pre-facebook the Christmas letter was a great way to catch up with all the cousins and classmates and people you may not have seen or talked to for 20 years but still....it is nice to see their smiling face. If you have been sending me Christmas letters over the years, I still have them. Kept in a special (now over stuffed album) where from time to time I pull them out and see how you have grown and changed and aged...documented history of your life. The joys and sorrows the trips and weddings, the deaths and births..they are all there in your Christmas letter. I love Facebook and am amazed at how I have reconnected with so many from my past and delighted with the day in/day out interaction with my circle of friends and family. But you can't hold Facebook in your hands and read and remember.
Today I got a Christmas letter from a friend I met in 1980. We camped together at the Creation festival at Muddy Run in central PA. I was 24 yrs. old..Chris and I never lived near each other but for several years were always together at least that one week in June at the festival. Her daughter needing a place to get away for a time came to stay with my family..knitting our families in a tighter weave. Time and distance and Chris's family no longer coming to Creation did what one would expect. We drifted apart. But that time and distance did not change our love for each other and when we both found ourselves on Face Book we reconnected.
When the 'letter' arrived today I expected to see some crazy photo (like the one from her daughter's wedding where her whole family and the bridal party were dressed in roaring 20's garb...always an actress :) but instead of her smiling face I found myself looking at the latest photo of my daughter Gwenn and her husband Nick and all 11 kids they are raising in Haiti. I did a double take, turned over the envelope and then began to cry when I read the title "Thompson Advent conspiracy Letter" Instead of the normal things one might find in a typical 'Christmas Letter' this one was not about her family but about mine! She said
"When I asked the Lord what I could do in the world to make a difference this Advent/Christmas He inspired me to write this letter." She went on to share about the work my daughter is doing in Haiti and shared how to help with the challanges that they meet everyday in this broken country. I am crying as I write this. Honestly..the most selfless, beautiful greeting I could ever imagine! She spoke with graditude about her own family and the blessing they are for about two sentences. Then continued to tell the reader about child sponsorship and prayer support.
This letter will go in my Christmas letter album and it will stay very close in my heart.Feeling very thankful for "Christmas Letters."

AMI GRANT - HEIRLOOMS

The older I get the truer it is. I love Christmas. The lights, the music, the colors but mostly I love the connections.I love that we can choose to focus on each other and on Jesus. Like most Americans I must check myself and learn to not give in to the frenzy. Like today.. I am thinking "Denise, do you realize how many grandchildren you have??? You can't shop like you did when there was only one or two...or three..or four..and so on." I am thankful that my children and grandchildren don't have great expectations in terms of gifts from me. I am glad they all 'keep Christmas' all during Advent and share with me the joys of the simple things. I am glad that my grandchildren do not love me for what they can get from me. I have a long blog stirring but for now Amy Grant says it best.

I can't slay the dragons

Keep You Safe - JJ Heller
Quiet your heart
It's just a dream
Go back to sleep

I'll be right here
I'll stay awake
As long as you need me

To slay all the dragons
And keep out the monsters
I'm watching over you

My love is a light
Driving away all of your fear
So don't be afraid
Remember I made a promise to keep you safe

You'll have your own battles to fight
When you are older
You'll find yourself frozen inside
But always remember...

If you feel alone facing the giants
And you don't know what to do...

My love is a light
Driving away all of your fear
So don't be afraid
Remember I made a promise to keep you...
Safe

My love is a light
Driving away all of your fear
So don't be afraid
Remember I made a promise to keep you safe

I have mentioned in the past that I really love the songs of JJ Heller. Except this one. It has a beautiful calming melody and I want to love it.I want it to be real. But I have seen too much in the last few years... I know that parents can't keep their children safe. In our culture, the American culture where life revolves around our children we perhaps can take measures to keep our children safer. We can even say with some confidence that "I will be here to protect you."
But tonight in the tents of 1.3 millions people there are mothers and fathers how can't say that. They love their children like we love ours. They desire long and full lives for their children just like we do. But their words of "Don't be afraid." are coming from fearful lips. They can't promise to keep their children safe nor can they slay the giants of poverty, disease, earthquakes and hurricanes.
The last time I came home from Haiti I did not come home and look at all my things and think "I am so blessed." No I thought "I have sinned."I waste my resources on 'things' when I could be freeing a parent to care for his child but investing in his life.
So tonight I sit here in my dry big house on a rainy night thinking about the thousands who have tents and tarps for homes and not way to assure their children that they will be kept safe from the storm..I'm not writing this to you. I am writing this to me..Jesus help me to love your children.

The question of Halloween.

Today my blog will not be popular.
Melody says I have scarred her for life.
But here goes...I HATE HALLOWEEN!
There I said it. I do not hate little kids dressed up. Heck my grandchildren play dress up nearly every time they visit.
What I hate is the open mockery of my faith.What I hate is tombstones and making death look like a funny game. Demons and witches are glorified.
Any one who has lost a child knows that death is not a joke.
Anyone who has been confronted with violence knows that blood is not funny even if it is fake. Anyone who understands that in some places human sacrifice is still very real and Halloween is a Holy Day for the enemy. He knows that he has a lot more power if people do not take him seriously.
Would it be right to celebrate the evil of the Holocaust? Why is it ever ok to celebrate evil? Murder? Demons? I don't get it. At all.
Yeah.. I don't even like Halloween alternatives that are often offered by churches.We don't need to sugar coat it any more than it already is. I just wish Christians would say "No." The other holidays (ie:Christmas) have pagan orgins as well but at least they don't openly delight in evil.I pray that Christians would read in Ephesians about the battles that are going on even now in the spirit world.
When the Lord first convicted me of this my youngest daughter Melody was so embarrassed when I took her out of public school on that day. I told her art teacher that scarecrows were fine. Witches were not. No doubt it was hard for Melody.I get that.But God said it and that pretty much setteled it.
I was raised believing in real ghosts and even lived in a haunted house. I know that it is not a joke. The Bible tells us to avoid even the "appearacne of evil".
When children knock on my door I will give them some candy. I'm nice to them. It's not their fault.
I know I am rambling and I would love your comments. But I'm pretty sure you won't change my mind. OH... And by the way Happy All Saints Day. That is on Nov. 1st.

The Little Prophet

I was coming out of the grocery store with my cart overflowing with food and house hold supplies. I don't go to the store often but when I do it is an event. No one wants to get behind me in the check out and cashiers usually take a break when they are finished with me.
As I opened my truck a mother and her small (4-5 yr. old) son pulled their cart up to the car next to mine.The little boy wearing a blue Mount Olivet nursery school tee-shirt says to me "You better get your bags in the car quickly there is going to be a big storm. It smells like rain." I looked over to east over the ocean and while it was a bit gray I saw nothing to indicate a "big storm". He continued to say "Wait..let me see your hair. Yeah the wind is coming from over there." as he points North East. A little bemused I smiled as he continued. "I tell you what. You can follow us and we will make sure you get home safely." At this point I am loving this kid and wondering which one of my grandaughters he should marry. But he is not finished. "Yeah, we have lots of things at home to be ready in case we have a hurricane." We parted ways and I thanked him for his concern.
Five minutes down the road I noticed the rain strating to fall on my windshield. The sky opened up and by the time I reached Manteo the streets where beginning to flood. While driving down Airport Road the road was flooded and I could not see more than 15 feet ahead of my car. I kinda wished I had someone to follow to get me safly home! I unloaded the bags in a massive downpour and wished I had listned to the small voice that said "You better get your bags in the car quickly..."
God tells us in His word that things are going to happen. He tells us to prepare. He tells us to follow Him and he will guide us safely home. He tells us that He has made provision for me and He will take care of me.I choose to believe Him or not. I choose to follow Him or not. His word is true if I believe it or not..
Thanking God for this little man, his kindness and for the lesson this little man was teaching me.