A WORD

"Might I have a word?"
       I hear this phrase over and over as I watch English dramas.
              "Might I have a word."                                                        A WORD

I'm fascinated by that phrase yet I don't know why.
It seems quite obvious regarding content but the phrase seems awkward to me as an America.
I guess I might say, "May I speak with you for a moment."

So, what am I rambling about?
A WORD
WORD
It reminds me of the first scripture I memorized, "In the beginning was the WORD and the WORD was with God and the WORD was God . . . and the WORD became flesh and dwelt among us . . . " John 1: 1,14.

In Genesis, God SAID . . . and life began.
Just a WORD or two and voila, creation!                                              WORD

So, "may I have a WORD" can be a pretty profound statement.

It all comes down to the fact that words are powerful.
Time to share words is precious.
Permission to speak words to another is taken seriously.
In other 'words' WORDS are important.
WORDS can define who we are, how we think, what we desire, our daily perspective on life.
WORDS . . . A WORD.

So, when my friend asked me what WORD I had selected for the year, I had to think for awhile.
A WORD?
Just ONE WORD?
It's almost as awkward as saying, "Might I have a word."

And so I stop.
I think awhile.
I list all the words I have lived by over the years.
My 'life' word is GRACE.
A word I glued myself to for a number of years has been TRUST.
A word-phrase I use almost too often is BE PREPARED.
Then I recall my desire simply to BE.
These are all good words.
Yet, if I am to select ONE WORD to focus on for the entire year, I have to return to the very first  word that hit me between the eyes when I was trying to understand my Christian walk.

ABIDE
A continuous active verb.
To cling to, to remain attached, to stick with . . .                             ABIDE
Once I choose to ABIDE I cannot stop.
Of course I can choose with whom or with what I am to ABIDE.

35 years ago (gee, that seems long) I made a choice to ABIDE in Christ Jesus.
I have not wavered from that commitment yet someone might say I have pretty much figured out how to ABIDE.

Yet, just clinging to the Lord thy God is only the first step.
To truly ABIDE takes a lifetime of learning to remain focused on God's precious presence in my life.
True ABIDING is a process that will not be complete until I am with my Lord beyond this earthly existence.

Words motivate our future
Fill a bucket with motivating words

To begin to truly focus on ABIDING for only a year seems pithy .
Yet, I can try, for one year, to figure out how I am clinging to my God each day, each week, each month.

I can take time to focus and refocus on the words of John 15. . .
:4  "ABIDE in me (says Jesus) and I will ABIDE in you. . . "
:5 (Jesus said,) I am the vine and you are the branches.  If you ABIDE in me and I ABIDE in you, you will bear much fruit ..."
:7  "If you ABIDE in me and my WORD ABIDES in you, ask whatever you wish and it will be given to you."

So, I guess, "Might I have a word" really has expanded into something for my mind to cling to for the rest of this year.
How about you, "MIGHT YOU HAVE A WORD?"

WHATEVER

Whatever ...
Is this what our language, our sense of expression, our articulation of feelings is coming to?
Whatever?
Listen to the tone of voice when this word is expressed.
It begins with a lofty higher note and then our voice drops into oblivion.      Whatever
Is that what our spirit is saying?
Begin on a high note and then simply give up?
Whatever . . .

Perhaps this word is a new way to represent the feeling that, 'I will go along to get along.'
I will simply add my personal insight and when I meet with a roadblock I will go hide in a corner.
Whatever . . .

I love this sprinkle of sun on crisp snow.

Lately I have been waking up to a bit of sunshine piercing through the crack in the bedroom curtain.
That means the days are getting longer.
I actually see light!
Yet, almost as soon as that tiny spark of golden-yellow meets my eyes, it is gone.
Whatever ...
As soon as my spirit lifts in delight in hopes that the day will be sunny all day, the lingering clouds float past any hope of sparkle.
My high hope plunges downward as fast as the gray sets in.
Another gray day.
Whatever ...

This might be a gray day but only in winter can I see all
the buildings of our neighbor's farm.  It is like a
Currier and Ives painting that comes alive.

I give in.
I go to my corner.
I linger into nothingness . . . for a moment.
And then . . .
      And then . . .
              Hope springs eternal . . .
                     Whatever . . .  turns into determination.
I am determined to make this day come alive . . .  sparkle . . . become a memory that lingers in my heart.
How do I do that?
Choice
Determination
Perseverance

I CHOOSE to overcome these cloudy days by pure will power.
I consciously evaluate my choices.
I can either remain paralyzed by the gray and cold or I can rise above my physical and emotional discomfort.
I choose to look on the bright side of things.
I choose to not disintegrate into tiny pieces just because the weather does not meet my desires.

I become DETERMINED to maintain that 'upward' tone rather than linger in the lower depths of my negative attitude.
I become determined to change my voice.
I am determined to change 'whatever' into curiosity, into a high note of my day.

I CHOOSE to be DETERMINED to PERSEVERE . . . with a positive attitude . . . no matter how many gloomy days greet me shortly after waking each morning.

I will persevere in changing 'whatever' into 'what' . . .  into curiosity . . . forever.
What is my day going to look like?
What might I learn today?
What ways can I ever be of greater help to others today?
What ever are the possibilities if I ask for God's help in leading me each day?

My 'winter' garden, safely growing inside.

With God's help, how could my voice ever drop into oblivion?
How could I hide in a corner and mope?

A voice within me murmurs, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. . . "
That voice sounds positive.
That voice ends the sentence strong and does not allow my sense of well-being to hide in a corner.
That voice is God working in and through me as I remember His Word.
How could I possibly not resist singing high notes when I know God is with me throughout each day?

My hubby loves to play tunes
to old hymns on a gray day.

How could I not linger a little longer with a positive song on a cloudy, cold day?
God helps me choose.
God helps me remain determined.

Read Ann Voskamp's book, One Thousand Gifts
 to learn about giving THANKS to God daily
Also go to her blog: aholyexperience.com

God helps me persevere until I can return to digging in the dirt.


WHATEVER I do I will give thanks to God.
That's why I write out at least three graces, three thanks each day.
 See my blog: dailygracesfromgod.blogspot.com
Instead of saying, 'whatever', I choose to give 'thanks forever' for the graces I receive each day.

AHAAAAAA

Although the Christmas season officially ended on Epiphany,  January 6, I keep my little box in plain sight that says, "I will honor Christmas in my heart and try to keep it all the year."
 Wouldn't that be fun!
Yet, like the tree that by now has shed most of its needles and is lying somewhere waiting to be recycled, we might feel pretty ready to 'recycle' this wild season of giving and receiving, of food and fun, of celebrating with friends and family.
That's what is so wonderful about the changing seasons.
We can shift gears.
We can look forward to new discoveries based upon our past experiences.
Perhaps that's why we make resolutions for the new year.
We want to build new structures upon our old base.

As I linger a little longer with my daily reflections, I do wonder if those astronomers looking for a new king were just like us.
Perhaps their expectation was to begin anew, make new discoveries, start fresh with a new leader.
Perhaps they expected to find what they were looking for and bring this 'new hope' back to their home base.

Yet, they had an 'epiphany' . . .  an 'ahaaaa' experience when they 'discovered' Emmanuel, God with us.
Their entire life-focus changed.
They came.

They saw.
They understood.

Their expectation made a dramatic turn as they returned home via a different route in order to protect the One they honored.

They returned empty handed . . .
    Or did they?
Leaving gifts of Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh shows me that something profound happened that caused these men to change.
They came home filled to the brim with an 'aha' experience, an epiphany!

I, personally, cannot turn on a dime like that.
I would need to mull over the situation, linger over the ramifications, study, wonder.
I would need to "sit on it' awhile.
'Epiphany' takes me a loooooooong time for some reason.
Yet, I too had a personal 'aha' experience with God through the power of the Holy Spirit years ago.
I still wonder, discover and continue to build on past experiences with my Emmanuel.

What joy I feel to look forward to another day of questioning, lingering a little longer over a passage of scripture and actually 'getting it'.

I may have read the same passage a thousand times and even reflected upon it several different ways.

Yet, I seem to always be surprised when I see the same words from a different perspective.

That's why I remain motivated to stick with daily my scripture reading.

I come into my quiet place.

I see words that seem to come alive in new ways each time I read them.

I gain new understanding that aids my daily journey.

These small 'aha' experiences seem to make my day.

I feel refreshed.

I'm energized to head into the day with renewed energy.
. . . until the next day
 . . .  when I seek more understanding
 . . . in order to renew that sense of Epiphany.

God with us, Emmanuel.
Like the little box, He will remain with me through all the year . . .  forever.

CHRISTMAS JOURNEY

Christmas continues.
We're half way through these twelve days of celebration.
Great stories of prophecy fill the air.

Wonderings about the 'wise' men prompt us to dig deeper.

I journey with the seekers as they follow the Star.
I wonder as I wander through the brightness of scripture.

We never got around to putting up the big tree.
Our little tree should be full of decorations but . . .
Too much happened this year.
I did place a star on it, given to me in a card sent by dear friends.

I chuckle.
I have been focusing on this little star . . .
. . . just as the wise astrologers did over 2000 years ago.

They followed a brilliant light in the sky.
They knew it was unique, a once in a lifetime happening.
After all, they knew the skies better than anyone.
Perhaps this bright light would lead them to the king they had been seeking according to their Zoroastrian belief.  A human king . . . to lead those residing in a place very near where Abraham began his journey from Ur into Canaan.

These twelve days from Christmas to Epiphany play out the pageant of the journey of the Wise Men.
In these twelve days we race through great stretches of time.
Wandering takes time.
Just think of the Israelites wandering for forty years in the wilderness.

These Holly berries have taken three years to hold
strong through the wind and snow.  Their journey of
growth is not much different than ours.

It may have been well over a year before the astrologists began to wander.
We forget that Harod's temple, gilded in GOLD, was meant to reflect the sun as a beacon of light to draw crowds to his depraved territory in Jerusalem.
Travelers could not help but stop at the top of this highest point to wonder at the sight.
So, too, the wise men wandered . . . and wondered . . . visited Herod . . . and kept wandering.
When the brightest light in the sky stopped, they stopped.
When they moved, the bright sky-light moved with them.
And so the wandering and wondering continued for . . . we do not know how long.

They sought the answer to their wondering.
They sought a final destination to their wandering.

Don't we also do that?
Something sparks our attention that compels us to journey until we say, "Ahaaaaa, I understand."
Often the seeking seems endless.
My own journey into the presence of God's light in Christ took a long time.
My journey was circuitous, meandering endlessly . . . or it seemed so at the time.

Red poppies and peppers pop as Paper whites bloom
in the midst of a snowstorm.  Rosemary sprigs remind
 us of new life.  Slowly 'the light'  helps my little potted
 plants bloom and give life to my inside-world.

Tiny lights turned on in my heart as I felt compelled to seek more.
Tiny lights became stronger 'epiphanies' as I asked questions, dove into scripture and joined another group of seekers on the same journey.

And then, finally, quietly, I had my own personal 'ahaaaa' moment, my epiphany.
But that's for another time.

We have a long way to go with the wise men before they reach their final destination.
The journey is the best part.

May we all journey into the NEW YEAR with eager anticipation to expand upon the flicker of light or the vibrant beacon that draws us into a deeper love relationship with the Lord, thy God.

A NEW DAY!

Tiny spots fill the room as I turn on the lights draping our little version of Christ's birth.

My hubby's dad brought the creche home after being stationed in Germany during WWII.

The figures are simple but the scene tells the story every year.

I wind up the attached music box and listen to Silent Night for the kazillionth time.

Today I place baby Jesus in his simple manger.

It's a new day.

We celebrate the birth of the king of kings and lord of lords.

Of course, one look at the little scene and we see a helpless little baby in a feeding trough.

Who would think that this helpless little one would change the world . . .  again and again . . . as God-followers come to understand the significance of this new light that fills dark days.

I have come to follow the path of those celebrating Christmas centuries ago.

Carols to celebrate Christ's birth do not begin until today, Christmas.

In fact, it is at the Christ Mass that we pull out all the stops.

Every carol is sung with full orchestra . . .  or whatever instrument players are available in the congregation.

We don't decorate the church until just before the Eve of the Christ Mass.

It's so magical.

There is something that happens within me that is beyond magical.

God is doing a mighty work to re-energize my oneness with Him.

It's like the little light within me begins to shine more brightly than ever before.

You see, I have chosen to walk with Mary through her last four weeks of pregnancy.

It's that anticipation any new mother feels . . . anticipation of the 'advent' of a child to be born.

Advent

A pregnant pause.

Four weeks of quiet.

Not necessarily a time of emptiness, far from it.

It's a time of fullness, of joy, of wonder, of heavy anticipation.

It's a time of hustle and bustle as with any new mother who wants everything to be just right for the day of birth.

I don't think Mary was anticipating a long journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem.

What is normally a three day journey by foot might have taken twice that long.

Just imagine yourself . . .  pregnant . . .  trying to stay on a donkey.

I think I'd rather walk, thank you.

So, I did imagine a little bit.

The closest I got was when dear hubby, as usually, parked the car at the furthest spot from the entrance to the store. 

 The wind was blowing at gale speed at below freezing. 

 I was not a happy camper.

My plight lasted about three minutes, the time it took to scurry to the store entrance.

I cannot even begin to imagine the God-strength of Mary, carrying a child whose seed did not belong to her husband, bravely traveling during her most uncomfortable month before delivery of a child in a dung-smelling barn.

That's why we journey through Advent with songs foretelling, not celebrating, the 'coming' of Christ.

The One who 'was and is and is to come' cannot be celebrated until He is actually with us . . . 

   Emmanuel, God with us.

So, for four weeks we take a very pregnant pause and walk with Mary as she and Joseph journey to Bethlehem from Nazareth to be counted  . . . and taxed.   

We take time to hear the story of the miracle of inception.

We wonder as Mary and Elizabeth meet just months before John, the baptist, was born.

As John comes upon the scene and exhorts good Jewish God-followers to repent and return to sole worship of their one and only God, I reflect on my own journey.

Wonder

Reflection

Waiting

Anticipation

It's all part of pondering on that pre-Christ time, or without Christ time, when we wander in the wrong direction.

Just as those who wandered in the wilderness before they entered the promised land, this is our time to wander a bit.

Am I wandering aimlessly, in constant circles?

Without God's precious presence in my life I have no beginning or end.

Wandering is like that.

That's why Advent is so refreshing.

It's a time I can rethink my walk in Christ.

It's a time to reconnect with the story . . .  of how God came down to us . . . as a helpless babe.

This helpless babe grew up to lead any who chose to return to God and follow His direction.

So,  today, Christmas, the light breaks through.

Because I opted to take time to reflect, to ponder, to take that pregnant pause, I am ready to celebrate another year rejoicing in the presence of God in my life through the God-man, Jesus Christ.

I continue this pageant through Epiphany, the twelfth day . . .  the day the wise men come on the scene.

Cookies to give to neighbors

So now it's time for:

MUSIC

FOOD

GATHERINGS

STORY TELLING

ANTICIPATION . . .  of a better year.

Rosemary for remembrance.
Mary, the Rose, a greater God-follower than I could ever be.

CELEBRATE!
My little 'merry christmas' angel I pull out each year.

DARK DAYS

Dawn comes later each day . . .
    still later when combined with rain clouds.

The darkness sweeps me into a numb state.
I slog through daily chores.
I look for the days to grow longer, to show me a tiny bit more light.
The day with more light is soon . . .  just before Christmas . . .  just before we celebrate the day the Light of Christ came into our world.

My mind lingers on the news of the weekend.
I am stunned at my sense of emptiness.

Dark days swirl about me, not just physically, but emotionally.
Evil lurks in the shadows and pounces on innocent children.
Evil is defined in ways too numerous to count.

In the dark days, people spew out platitudes meant to console grieving hearts.
The words sound hollow.
Deep in my heart, I ache for those parents who don't need fine speeches.

Those words are for the rest of us who feel so helpless and want to do something.
We want to say something but words will not bring back a child who was so eager to grab life!

I cannot imagine how a parent can deal with the fact that pieces of metal ripped through their child.
I cannot imagine what is running through the hearts and minds of  brothers and sisters and aunts and uncles and grandparents and close friends of those whose lives were snuffed out by one evil act.
DARKNESS.

ALL of us want to hug those people and say . . .  say what? . . . words don't work!
Words are band aids that don't fit on oozing wounds that slice through the ones who are left.
Words in the darkness seem empty.

And then we hear of another who lives in our county, a county full of faith-filled people.
He is filled with darkness.
He bound up three elderly women, 84-90, and taunted them as he sparked their flesh with a taser gun.


He screamed with anger as he ripped pages from their bibles.
These are old women who are on the edge of life .  . . physically and verbally abused by one who is just beginning life on his own.
He lives in a very dark world.
They all survived but with severe injuries and emotional distress.
Darkness lurks around them.
Yet, they know how to overcome the darkness.

More and more people struggle in a dark world,

        without the extra love they so need,
              without sources of 'light' to guide them.
This world seems more topsy than ever before.
Nothing seems logical ...
hurting children killing other children.
   Hurt       pain         darkness       evil.
It does not end.

Sometimes the nicest, sweetest child is pushed into darkness, to seek evil solutions to problems that only silence envelopes.

Darkness . . .  silence . . . absence of light . . . emptiness . . . pain . . .
Evil lurks,
   ready to pounce on a tender, hurting soul.

 Emmanuel . . . God with us . . .  God IS with us . . .
But, if we humans are unable to take the hand of one living in the darkness and lead that person to "God with us, Emmanuel," that child will remain in the dark and evil will suck the life from this tormented soul.

One more . . .  and one more . . .  and one more . . .  remains in the darkness.
Who can lead hurting souls to the place of love and healing?
Who can lead one from darkness into a place of assurance that all have value, that all are created with value and can provide value to the community?

Where are we?
Can we each lead one  . . . just one . . .  out of darkness into the  LIGHT?
GOD .... IS .... WITH .... US.
HE       IS     OUR     LIGHT    IN     THE    DARKNESS.
God sent His only begotten Son to BE OUR LIGHT .... to guide us through the darkness .... to show us a way to skirt around the evil that lurks around us in those dark corners or our lives.

May DARKNESS turn to LIGHT this Christmas season.

HOME SWEET HOME

I love traveling . . .
. . . but I'd love it better if I did not have to pack quickly and dash out of the house during this wonderful season of Advent.

I had a long layover at the Charlotte, NC airport
It was a wonderful mid-way rest.

I missed a few Christmas events but I was glad to be of help.
Dad, almost 98, was doing quite well after surgery.

I was part of a 'tag-team' to give respite to my sister and her husband.
They were only two hours away when dad entered the hospital the beginning of November.
Between his hospital stay and nearly a month of rehab, they took charge.
Then dad ended up having surgery to insert a pacemaker.

Dad's surgery was on a Saturday and the hospital released him on Sunday.
Needless to say, we all responded to the call for help as we were determined not to send dad back to the hospital or rehab.
So dad slept . . .  and slept . . . almost twenty hours a day for three days.
Healing took place.
On the third day he 'resurrected' back into life.
Sound familiar?
I don't know what it is about three days but I have seen this happen many times.

We thought dad was going to spend the rest of his days sleeping.
Yet, by Wednesday he was up and alert and ready to go.
Only . . . his body said otherwise.
We had a trained aid to help us by this time.
Dad had spent over a month with almost no movement.
He was 'walked' twice a day but left alone most of the time.
Dad needed stimulation.
So, we stimulated him.

Six days after surgery dad is ready to roll.
Notice to rosy skin color.  Something new!

Dad's skin glowed after his bath.
The barber clipped off locks of white hair that had grown too long.
The podiatrist trimmed his toe nails that were cutting into his skin.
           Dad commented often that his feet felt good.
Dad's hand nails were next.
          I was not around for that one but dad has never had a manicure.
I bet he is more dashing than ever now.
It's like Rip Van Winkle woke up after sleeping a year.

Dad was ready to learn to walk . . . with a walker and the aid holding on to this six-four gorgeous hunk of a guy.
Dad felt better each day.
His skin glows.
He smiles, knowing he has accomplished something amazing.
I think dad is good for another few years.

My brother took over after me.
He was just in time to see dad hungry, enduring long days with short naps and with his sharp mind totally in tack.
Dad is ready for intellectual as well as physical stimulation.
Except for his 'shuffle' one would not know anything happened.

Knitted ornaments and garland drape a
Christmas tree at dad's condo.

I'm told that, with daily practice, his walking may also improve.

Dad does need more help than usual so he will return to his northern home where he is surrounded by all sorts of aids in his assisted living facility.
Too bad his 'southern' sojourn was short.
Yet, we made sure dad enjoyed sitting outside and driving around his 'winter homeland'.
We ate at old haunts and drove to all his favorite places so he can retain thirty years of memories in these warm environs.

As I traveled back north to celebrate this season with my hubby, I was reminded that we don't know what the future brings but it's always good to be HOME SWEET HOME.