The Day After is Boxing Day!

December 26th is not only a day for Santas everywhere to catch their breath, but, I remember when we lived in Canada -- we celebrated Boxing Day! Though it lends to the fact that empty boxes from the gifts and presents are trashed and unwanted gifts are returned to stores, it came from a British origin that is traced back to 1833 when lords of manors and aristocrats distributed “Christmas boxes” filled with gifts, money and leftovers from Christmas dinner to their household servants and employees. They had been required to work on December 25th and were recognized for their good service throughout the year. It is also said that Boxing Day's name came from the charity boxes that were placed in churches during the Advent season for the collection of monetary donations to be distributed to the poor on December 26th. It is also the feast of St. Stephen, the first Christian martyr and and known for his acts of charity. (Ireland celebrates December 26th as St. Stephen’s Day.) So there you go -- now you know! You're welcome!

But we've taken Boxing Day to a whole new level in our family this year. Our birthday celebration for Jesus was literally amidst boxes and it will carry on in a ginormous way today. We are literally boxing boxes, loading them up and getting them to their new place. Today is the last day in the beautiful home where so many lives have been touched, healed, restored and have come into the family of God. So many precious memories here, but have no fear -- we expect even greater blessings coming in their new season.

We didn’t forget that yesterday was Jesus’ Birthday – so, as with another little tradition to savor, I made a lasagna for the “moving team”, but, most importantly, made my chocolate cake! We sang “Happy Birthday to Jesus “ and partied to “Boxes we have raised so high – sweetly towering to the sky!”

I would be remiss to end this blog with Boxing Day "talk", because while we'll soon be boxing away our Christmas decorations that include the manger scenes and Holy Family figurines -- we will never be able to box away God's great love for us. For some, seeing Jesus as a baby in a manger and "boxing" Him away for another year is as close as they want to get. Perhaps the grown-up Jesus seems too far removed from their every day life. If we keep Jesus at arm’s length, we’ll never get to know and love Him for Who He truly is. If we don’t get to know Him, we won’t love Him. If we want to move faith from our heads to our hearts, we must fall in love with the REAL -- alive and well -- Jesus.

To fall in love with Jesus, it must be more than a once-a-year way, but deeply -- everyday. That kind of knowledge takes time and persistence, just like any good relationship. Jesus invites us to abide in His love — rest, stay, tarry — not rush past it. In John 15:9, He said, “‘As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love.’”

How do we get to that kind of love? There are so many reasons to love Jesus. He is real, and He loves us so much. For us to experience that love, we need to really know Him. As we stand at the front door of the Wallace’s new home, and as we stand at the door of a new year, won’t you join me in seeking to know Him more? That’s my Priority #1 for the new year!

“And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge — that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God”. (Ephesians 3:17-19)

Going GREEN on St. Patrick's Day!

Happy St. Patrick’s Day! Do you have your “green” on? After all, it’s St. Patrick’s Day and who wants to get pinched? I’m told I’m 1/16th Irish so I’m wearing my Claddagh Irish ring and I’m wearing my sweetheart’s St. Patrick’s cross necklace that he wore almost all the time. He loved St. Patrick and what he stood for, and so do I. Hmm! It makes perfect sense on this special day to travel with my family to Ireland, but no, we’re on our way to Mexico — a great place to celebrate God’s green earth, His sweet blessings and to celebrate the true meaning of St. Patrick’s Day!

We always enjoyed corned beef & cabbage, Irish Stew, and Celtic music on St. Patrick’s Day. With all the good-hearted fun, I know, like other religious holidays, this is another “watered down, rather, beered down” day where we get distracted from the true story behind the day. The true meaning is about St. Patrick, and, in case you didn’t know, I’m giving you a little history lesson about why this man should be honored. Whether we’re in Mexico, Ireland, USA or anywhere in the world, he is worthy of celebrating and giving thanks for His example of great faith!

St. Patrick was born around A.D. 389 in England. At the age of 16, he was kidnapped and sold as a slave in Ireland. Six years later he escaped and returned home to Britain, but became burdened for the spiritual condition of the Irish. He eventually returned to their land as a missionary for 30 years where he established more than 200 churches and led more than 100,000 to faith in Christ. He used the 3-leaf shamrock to talk about the Trinity. His death on March 17, 461 is remembered each year as St. Patrick’s Day. Patrick was sold as a slave, and like Joseph in the Bible, “what the enemy meant for evil, God turned for good”. Genesis 50:20.

Can you imagine what must have gone through Patrick’s mind when he heard the Lord’s call to return to the land where he was once a slave? Instead of running to his safe place, he followed God’s plan for his life. And, isn’t that exactly what we are called to do? Jeremiah 29:11 says “For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.”

Listen to how utterly consumed St. Patrick was in his relationship with God in his prayer:”I arise today through God’s strength to pilot me, God’s might to uphold me, God’s wisdom to guide me, God’s eye to look before me, God’s ear to hear me, God’s word to speak for me, God’s hand to guard me. Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me, Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me, Christ on my right, Christ on my left, Christ when I lie down, Christ when I sit down, Christ when I arise. Christ in the heart of everyone one who thinks of me, Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me, Christ in every eye that sees me, Christ in every ear that hears me. I arise today through His mighty strength.” That prayer tells me St. Patrick wanted to be consumed by God!

St. Patrick was a man who boldly listened to God’s call for his life and achieved so much for God’s glory. His witness, his prayers, his passion, and his example really are something to celebrate today. The green I wear today honors him and honors the God he served. I’m in good company with him because I also desire to be consumed by Christ. St. Patrick’s prayer is my prayer, too!

St. Patrick Knew Who He Belonged To

Happy St. Patrick’s Day! I know, like other religious holidays, this is another "watered....er' beered down" day when we get distracted from the true meaning of this day, but, just in case you may not know, I want to honor St. Patrick by sharing who this man was.

He was born around AD 389 in England. At 16, he was kidnapped and sold as a slave in Ireland. Six years later he escaped and returned home to Britain, but became burdened for the spiritual condition of the Irish. He eventually returned to their land as a missionary for 40 years and established more than 200 churches and led more than 100,000 to faith in Christ. It is told that he used the shamrock to talk about the Trinity. His death on March 17, 461 is remembered each year as St. Patrick's Day. "What the enemy meant for evil, God turned for good". (Genesis 50:20)

St. Patrick REALLY knew God -- and that He belonged to God. This is part of his Breastplate Prayer. Read how utterly consumed he was with his relationship with God in his prayer.

"I arise today through God's strength to pilot me, God's might to uphold me,
God's wisdom to guide me, God's eye to look before me,
God's ear to hear me, God's word to speak for me, God's hand to guard me.
Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me, Christ in me,
Christ beneath me, Christ above me, Christ on my right, Christ on my left,
Christ when I lie down, Christ when I sit down, Christ when I arise.
Christ in the heart of everyone one who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of every one who speaks of me,
Christ in every eye that sees me, Christ in every ear that hears me.
I arise today through His mighty strength."

No doubt, St. Patrick knew God’s plan and purpose for his life. Today, you may be facing a storm of monumental proportions. Your world may be turned upside down. Maybe a dream you worked so hard to fulfill, flopped. Or your once rock-solid marriage has started crumbling. Or the cancer came back. Or something you were positive God put on your heart to do didn’t quite turn out the way you expected. I’ve learned that in these times of disappointment, failure or loss we need to be grounded in our identity in Jesus Christ. Look at St. Patrick’s prayer again. He was consumed in God. Sometimes we cave into the pressures of life, and we allow the things of this world to define us — like what we look like, what kind of car is parked in our garage, what title we hold at the office, how much money is in our bank account, our marriage, how well our kids are doing, how many followers or likes we have on social media.

But as Jesus followers, none of those things define us. Looks fade. Financial situations change. Jobs come and go, friends and followers, too. So who are we? Maybe the better question is, Whose are we? We are children of God. And because we belong to Him, we can endure even the toughest of times. Psalm 16:8 “I have set the LORD continually before me; Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.”

When life throws us curve balls and surprises us, it’s easy to doubt ourselves, God’s plan, even God Himself. But when we’re hurt, disappointed or frustrated by the plans-gone-awry, crushed dreams and painful losses, we can still hold on to God’s truth. Like St. Patrick, we can set the Lord continually before, in front, behind, beside, inside, underneath, when we arise, lie down or sit down. We can choose over and over to trust God and believe He’s still got a plan for our lives, even when we don’t have a clue what that is. We may feel shaken by emotions and circumstances, but we’ll always have Someone to hold on to. Someone who will never ever let us go. When we know Whose we are, it changes everything ABOUT everything.

When Irish Eyes Are Smiling

Day 114 of Photo Inspirations -- When Irish Eyes Are Smiling
Today we made journeys across country by ship, by train, by taxi and a lot of walking, and it was beyond spectacular.

Two months ago I never gave a second thought to being in Ireland on April 25th, 2015, and then I found a pot of blessings when friends asked if I'd like to take a journey to Europe with them.

Today we took our time to make a journey through diverse surroundings -- hills and valleys, cobblestone streets, up through tiny passage ways in Blarney Castle, through splendid gardens and lush landscaping.

We walked through mystical and magical places.  From the top of Blarney Castle, which for over 200 years has been the place where millions of pilgrims climb the steps to kiss the Blarney Stone and receive the gift of eloquence (aka gift of gab).  I was told that since I was already gifted in that area -- it was unncessary for me to kiss the stone (LOL).

After this adventure and then to the wool mills where gorgeous sweaters were made, we made way to a traditional pub, O'Clancey's, for yummy fish and chips,  

It's in the 50s year round here -- and it rains a lot!  We only experienced a little rain -- most of the day was warm sunshine.

But, as in previous travels of my Sweetheart and I, we carried on our tradition of visiting beautiful cathedrals and churches in the cities we visited today.  There is something about walking into the sacred places of worship that draws us to the reason for it all.

I loved stopping in the midst of all the wonders outdoors, to give thanksgiving for He Who created this wonderful world we live in.  And, what He creates.....He decorates.....and what He decorates....He gives us every reason in the world to celebrate -- "to be still and KNOW He is God" Almighty!

How can I express enough appreciation for He Who opened this amazing door of opportunity to me to experience His grandeur and splendor.

Where Can I Go From Your Presence?

Day 113 of Photo Inspirations -- Where Can I Go From Your Presence?
Psalm 139:7-10  "Where can I go from your Spirit?   Where can I flee from your presence?   If I go up to the heavens, you are there;  if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.  If I rise on the wings of the dawn,  if I settle on the far side of the sea,  even there your hand will guide me,  your right hand will hold me fast."

Today, we're heading North passing through the Bay of Biscayne that lies along the western coast of France.  We'll enter the Celtic Sea toward the south coast of Ireland.  We'll be docking in Cork, Ireland tomorrow morning.

I think about the constants in my life today -- Me (I can't get away from me -- I'm always with me) and Father God.  I think about how blessed I am to never know what it is to be alone or lonely.  I acknowledge the real fact that I will never be without Him and His presence.  My Lord and my God.  I see Him in the oceans and I saw Him in the sunrise as a took to the treadmill and watched the sun rise early this morning.  I hear Him in the laughter of people around me.  I feel and sense Him when I open my eyes and heart to Him as I meditate on Him when I start to write my morning FB post.    "When you seek me, you will find me."  Jeremiah 29:13

Are you lonely today?  He's standing at the door and knocking -- desiring to come in a fellowship with you today.   He desires to be the CONSTANT in your life.  Notice there is no door knob on the outside of that door.  He will not barge into your heart. He is simply waiting for the invitation to come in.  Go ahead -- open up your heart and invite Him in.  He'll always accept the invitation. "Behold I stand at the door and knock."  Revelations 3:20

God's Road Map

Day 112 of Photo Inspirations -- God's Road Map
Since I was a young child, I've loved reading maps.  My Dad taught me to read a road map at a very young age as we made our way to West Virginia to see my oldest sister and her family.  Then I was the navigator, using the Atlas Map Books as Ron & I and our ministry team traveled the U.S. and Canada in our 28 ft Winnebago.   And then we progressed on to flying in our Cessna 182 and I was his Co-Pilot and Navigator.  Flying takes mapping to a whole new level of mapping using coordinates and considering wind velocity and other factors essential to staying on course.

This is the 17th cruise I've been on -- two of which have been as a "single" since my sweetheart went to heaven.  I really enjoy seeing the world this way and as I look at places I'd like to go to on maps, I dream about new horizons that are just waiting for me to explore.

This photo is of where we're heading today enroute directly north to Ireland and then to Holland, France, Germany and then on to Denmark.

Mapping certainly causes me to consider the road map that has been the most beneficial to me in my life .  I love God's Word that gives me the proven ways to succeed in my life experiences and voyages.  I can't begin to tell you how many times I've read a scripture multiple times and then all of a sudden, a certain scripture will be illuminated to be  -- with a fresh perspective that gives me the navigation I needed to go from Point A to Point B in decision making.  Like a good road map, God's Word points us to the best roads and places of insight and illumination so that God's Spirit can shine His Light into our minds and hearts.  And that "road map"  NEVER needs updating.  The roads, the destinations, the promises and the treasures are as sure today as at the time they were written when He illuminated them to His transcribers.

Happy St. Patrick's Day

Day 75 of Photo Inspirations -- Happy St. Patrick's Day
This was the Washington Post's headline for today.   "Happy St. Patrick’s Day! Here’s the chemistry that makes your beer taste good (or bad).  The flavors and aromas of beer all come down to chemistry.  St. Patrick's Day is here, and that means the world is about to consume a lot of beer: 13 million pints of Guinness alone are expected to be consumed."

Quite amusing, and it's a great day for celebrating, but I'm NOT thinking about beer OR science today when I think about St. Patrick's Day.  I know, like other religious holidays, this is another "watered....er' beered down" day where we get distracted from  the true meaning of this day, but I want to honor St. Patrick by sharing who this man was -- just in case you may not know. He was born around A.D. 389 in England. At the age of 16, he was kidnapped and sold as a slave in Ireland. Six years later he escaped and returned home to Britain, but became burdened for the spiritual condition of the Irish. He eventually returned to their land as a missionary for 40 years, where he established more than 200 churches and led more than 100,000 to faith in Christ.  It is told that he used the shamrock to talk about the Trinity.  His death on March 17, 461 is remembered each year as St. Patrick's Day.  WOW -- like Joseph, St. Patrick, was sold to slavery, and like Joseph, "what the enemy meant for evil, God turned for good". (Genesis 50:20)

Listen to how utterly consumed St. Patrick was with his relationship with God in his prayer:  
"I arise today through God's strength to pilot me, God's might to uphold me,
God's wisdom to guide me, God's eye to look before me,
God's ear to hear me, God's word to speak for me, God's hand to guard me.
Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me, Christ in me,
Christ beneath me, Christ above me, Christ on my right, Christ on my left,
Christ when I lie down, Christ when I sit down, Christ when I arise.
Christ in the heart of everyone one who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of every one who speaks of me,
Christ in every eye that sees me, Christ in every ear that hears me.
I arise today through His mighty strength."

St. Patrick, his witness, his prayer, his passion and his example really is something to celebrate today.  The green I wear today, honors him, honors the God he served and HE is also MY Lord, and MY God!
#StPatricksDay #ChristInMe