Nativity

                               We celebrate because He Lives! Merry Christmas!

The Gift of Healing

I love stories of reconciliation. Relationships can be most challenging. Isn't it awesome when a broken one finally begins to be woven back together? It is often difficult to find the very thing that will restore and bring healing to a severed bond.

Susan Panzica, my soulmate, invited me to return to her blog, Eternity Cafe today. Please pop over and visit her 40 Days of Christmas where I share how the Lord inspired a way to mend a broken relationship that I had with a member of our family. It inspires me to keep seeking Him for other relationships in my life where I haven't discovered what it will take to restore that which has been broken ... yet.

I am so thankful that the Lord coming has brought to us the ministry of reconciliation. God to man, man to God, and oh Lord, help us, man to man. The Lord is amazing, as you will see in my post, The Gift of Healing. Prayerful blessings!

Cheri

Do You Hear What I Hear?

An angel spoke ... a handmaid humbled herself, bowing low to receive heavenly words, life altering words, brimming with redemption. Holy encounter sealed calling of great price.
"Holy Spirit will overshadow you and you will give birth" ...
Fruit of Spirit lay nestled in womb until the time of His revealing.
A handmaid heard ... sleeping world lay deaf to expectation.

Shepherds heard ... angels declaring promises, heavenly words of peace for men's souls. While hearing, angels words of proclamation transformed to dancing words, songs of rejoicing filling heavenly skies ...
Shepherds heard ... sleeping world lay deaf to Divine revelation.

Simeon heard Spirit of God ... Deliverer would be arriving, Simeon waited, anticipation rising, expectation filling every fiber of being, eyes seeking until door of temple opened and handmaid, arms filled with heavenly promise, caught his eye ...
Simeon heard ... sleeping church lay deaf to anticipation.

Humble folk heard Godwords ...
What were they doing when they heard celestial voices ...
was handmaid washing stained garments? Dishes? Changing a siblings diaper?
were shepherds counting sheep? Poking one another in fun? Perusing mountains for ravage beasts?
was Simeon dutifully stoking fire on altar at temple? Counting offerings in the treasury? Dusting scrolls and putting them in order?

Were they tending to humdrum life with faithfulness when the Lord saw and with joy blessed their mundane moment with awe?

Almost twenty years ago I was was going to have a baby. I was bedridden, sick, so sick, with four very active children playing around me. I could hardly move. I rested my heavy laden body, burdened with child and pain on our couch. I waited. Difficult day followed difficult day.  Several days before bringing our newest joy into the world, I had a revelation ... a silent voice powered with knowing ... the child would be a boy. Instruction was clear, "make Christmas photo cards with a nativity on them". My children would depict a handmaiden, a faithful carpenter, tiny shepherds, and a baby Jesus. Of course LambsyChops would represent a lamb in the manger scene.

Christmas cards from twenty years ago have been framed and continue to rest on mantles in homes around the country every year. Celestial spoke to simple and simple and others are still being blessed.

No one heard what Mary heard ... she had to share it ... Mary did not hear what shepherds heard ... they had to tell her. She did not hear what Simeon heard ... he was bursting with news ... you might never hear what I heard ... I hope you didn't mind that I wanted to share ...

We may not hear the same thing ... but hosts from heaven speak ... sometimes so that we can hear. We will hear, sometimes when we are listening for a voice of instruction, and sometimes when life is mundane or even hard.

Have you ever been inspired by heavenly voices? Your sharing would be a gift that I would love to open this Christmas.

My prayer for all, Word of God speak ...

Excuse me, the mundane calls ... must go and work out!

Merry Christmas Blessings!

Cheri

Sharing Christmas

My friend Susan asked me to be a guest on her blog today. I hope you have been following her forty days of Christmas where she has been posting wonderful Christmas devotions. I am humbled to share her vision. You may visit me there today. Forty days of Christmas . Many blessings to you, sweet friends. Cheri

Christmas Lamb

  

                                              A Lamb was born on Christmas night ... 


                                              Born to give His life that others might live ...


                                             "Who for the joy set before Him endured the
     
                                               cross ..."


                                              Angels sang to shepherds praises about


                                              a Lamb, born to die, that men might live


                                              forever ...


                                              Shepherds said, "Let us go now ... "


                                              and they came with haste ...


                                              and they found the Babe (Lamb) ...


                                             then they told everyone they saw.


                                            All who heard  marveled ...


                                             
                 


                                              

Words

The Lord whispered to me Sunday morning, "you need to ask her to forgive you ... ".

He didn't tell me why ... no need to ... my conscience has been wringing its hands and wringing its hands causing much grief and bother.

Words I had spoken had crossed boundaries that were not permissible. I was weary with wrenching of soul.

He did not rant, rave, throw a fit, or even try to hurt my feelings. He just wanted me to get it right.

Lots of sorrow had moved into me. It was stealing my peace ... filling me with regret.

So when He spoke, it moved me to a different path ... the right one ... the one He always treads. Suddenly I wanted her to hear my sorrow and know my regrets. They were a burdensome load. Confession had power to loose their hold on me.

Later that morning, I crossed the threshold of church looking for her face among the followers. Where was she? I couldn't find her so I went through the motions of service, wearing my cloak of heaviness.

There was lots of greeting with happy hugs, worship following, then sitting down with attentive ear, we listened to the message of the morning.

Words ... the message was about words ... about their boundaries ... things that should be spoken ... things that should not.

The Lord's whisper that had exhorted me earlier in the day was being confirmed by the preacher. It was time to right a wrong. Time to humble myself and admit that the bit on my tongue had gotten loose, unnecessary  fires had been started. Fires that needed to die. (James 3:1-12)

I talked to her today. I couldn't hold it in any longer. I needed to be free.

Pent up, anxious words were finally released as she attentively listened to my plea ...

"I am so sorry! My words crossed boundaries. Please, please forgive me!"

"Without hesitation!" she exclaimed, setting this captive girl free.

Then I ran to Him, "Lord, please forgive  me!"

"Without hesitation," He replied.

Oh, the power of words!

"Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips." Psalm 141:3

Offering

What may I offer You in this sanctuary of worship? What is it that would please Your heart most? I ask for grace to bring You fruit ... the fruit of Your Spirit ...

                                        love born of sacrifice
                                        joy blooming, full measure, complete
                                        peace of heart, resting in gratitude
      

                                        patience, stilled soul, full of grace
                                        kindness, giving and forgiving, voiced love
                                        goodness, a standard exalted
                  
                                        gentleness, whispers of mercy, tender touch
                                        faithfulness, anchor of heart
                                        self-control, self bowing to Spirit

Oh, Lord of the heavens, would You but give me this one grace ...
that I may bring You an offering of a Spirit filled vessel, this jar of clay, brimming with fruit to worship You? Will You take it and feed hungry for Spirit nations ... fill and make full and pour ...

"Only that which is born of Spirit is spirit. The flesh can never be converted into spirit,no matter how many church dignitaries work on it. Confirmation, baptism, holy communion, confession of faith ... none of these nor all of them together can turn flesh into spirit nor make a son of Adam a son of God." Tozer


"A sinner cannot grow into repentance. God's power puts him there, and being there, then he grows in grace." Tozer
                      
                                         " ...  be filled with the Spirit ..."