The Love Just Keeps on Giving

Here we are on the last day of February! It's hard to believe -- only ten months till Christmas. So if you're desiring a November or December baby -- pitter patter -- better get at 'er!

Awww! Babies! Be still my heart! This photo isn’t of me, but it sure looks like me singing to my baby boy. Same color of hair (the baby and me), that thin, and that love she has for her baby! Oh, how I loved singing to my babies AND grandbabies. As I scroll through my Facebook timeline, I can't help but slow down when I see a mom or dad's new baby photos with their cutest, enormous bows ever on little girls and "future football player" shirts on little boys! Forgive me, but I'm a gawker, smeller (heaven's scent is all over them), a rocker (in the chair sense) AND singer. The maternal instincts in me want to get my hands on those little darlings.

I am biding my time until my grandson and his wife give me my first great grandbaby. Lord knows (and maybe they know all too well also) that this Nana will be invading their privacy when that precious one arrives someday. I’ve been planning their baby since I started encouraging my grandson to find himself a Spanish senorita because I declared “you’d make beautiful babies”! He fulfilled my request and gave me a senorita beauty -- inside and out! Check! Okay, I was sort of kidding about all that, but I know one of these days I’ll hold that little bundle of joy and oh the love songs I’ll sing to him or her or THEM (Ruth is a triplet!). In the latter case, all hands will be on deck!

Now picture this: God holding us in His loving arms like the photo of this young mom holding her baby, and singing. God’s quiet love, tender hugs, and gentle whispers of acceptance and delight are the greatest love song our spiritual ears will ever hear. Maybe if we'll find a quiet place to listen, we just may feel His embrace and hear Him singing His love song to us right now! Zephaniah 3:17 says: "The LORD your God is with you, He is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you WITH SINGING."

One of my favorite "baby/kid" songs was Skidamarink: It went like this:
Skidamarink-a-dink, a-dink, skidamarink-a-doo, I love you. (2x)
I love you in the morning and in the afternoon;
I love you in the evening, and underneath the moon.
Oh, skidamarink-a-dink, a-dink, skidamarink-a-doo, I love you.

I can picture our Heavenly Father singing over us "I love you in the morning and in the afternoon and in the evening. I LOVE YOU ALL THE TIME!"

When I think of how Father rejoices over us with singing, another image comes to mind. I envision Him swinging us around in circles, all the while bellowing His song of extreme affection over us. He is not ashamed of the love He has for us and He wants the whole universe to know it. The next time you worship the Father in song, remember that as you sing of your love for Him, He, in turn, sings His song of love over you! Can you hear Him singing now?

An Explosion of Worship

Last Sunday, some friends in Tulsa invited me to join them for their weekly Sunday night singing group at Christ the King Church. These are folks that love singing and worshipping God -- but, not just singing, they are a musical ensemble of singers that CAN really sing. Four-part harmonies par excellence! Not only was I awe-struck at their love for singing, but they welcomed me in to sing with them, and then they had me stand in the center of them while they placed their hands on me and prayed for God's leading and guidance in my life. I was so touched by their love and kindness.

But when I first arrived at the church, the doors that I thought I should go in, were all locked. I tried them all. I thought that just maybe they had canceled their meeting, but I pursued my quest and as I drove around the church, I saw my friend's parked car and then I saw a brightly lit front porch at the church and it invited me in. As I walked through that door, I heard a magnificent sound of a Gregorian chant being sung by a melodious choir of singers coming from down the hall. But what struck me as I walked through that door was this Manger Scene that was beckoning me to it. In fact, I turned on a brighter light in that room so I could get this photo. The music I was hearing in the background, combined with the beauty of this manger scene caused me to pause and worship. I recognized the manger scene isn't just a display of what we know as the "Christmas Story", but that scene before me was an explosion of worship and adoration. Notice that each character, whether it be the shepherds, the wise men with their offerings of gold, frankincense and myrhh, the angels -- even the animals that God created, were worshipping this newborn King. Advent and Christmas are about worship. Worshipping He who left the glories of heaven to take on human flesh to be one of us, to be acquainted with our frailities, our needs, our challenges and our concerns. In fact, even more so does He relate to us and says "I understand, and I came to bring you hope and assurance that you will conquer!"

As I finally made it past that gorgeous manger scene, I followed the singing, passed a magnificent dining room, and entered the room that the music was coming from -- it was a living room....with no choir ensemble. I realized that I might just be in someone's home instead of the room the musical group was meeting in, when I turned the corner and there was a kitchen where Monsignor Dan Mueggenburg was at his kitchen table, meeting with another priest. He looked up, shocked to see me, and my quick hand to my opened mouth, certainly revealed my shock. I was in the rectory -- not the church! Msgr Dan was gracious in escorting me to the front door and pointing the way where the church's small chapel was and where the group was actually meeting. I even smile big now as I recollect that night. An "oops" accident? No, for me, it was one of those divine encounters with God's perfect orchestration of putting me at the right place at the right time to know, just a little more clearly, that "There are no accidents with God, and even the smallest coincidences and signs are part of His love, His divine plan for us, and even opportunities to worship Him!"

Just a reminder to us all -- this beautiful season of Advent and Christmas is brought to us by the Creator of us -- Himself. Let's be sure to give Him the time and thanks for loving us so much that He decided to make this earth His home.....just long enough for us to relate to Him in His humanness, but then to give Him the worship and the praise and the honor for starting as a seed in a peasant girl then to a manger to a cross and dying for us....so that we can live with Him forever. I'd say that's the GREATEST GIFT given to us -- let's unwrap THE GIFT and share it everywhere we go!

Role Model - Mentor - Women of Example

I have been blessed to have so many amazing female mentors in my life -- that started with my precious mother who showed me the power of profound faith -- in action. I don't remember ever hearing her complain about HAVING to work to bring in the needed income when my dad was so sick for many years, and eventually passed away. I don't ever remember her murmuring about being a widow and being lonely. I remember hearing her faith-filled prayers and singing about God's love while doing daily chores. I remember her having to go pawn her wedding band just to have the finances to make ends meet. I remember her heart of giving -- even with a small social security fixed income. She ALWAYS delighted in giving to her church and to others. She made so many sacrifices for me -- just so I could be dressed impeccably. I remember the sweet and tender heart she had for everyone. I don't remember her being fixated on how her body looked, but I do remember her caring about always dressing like queen. It was her example, as well as other wonderful Christian women who helped me gain a vision for what God desires from His daughters -- living strong, motivated, positive, determined, faith-filled, and energetic lives -- especially eager to make a difference in their world around them.

FB Girl Friends -- let's determine to carry the torch to be that light in the darkness to others, and we can not only be that role model and mentor they need, but will cause them to desire to leave their imprint on their next generation. Let's be those resilient, tenacious, can-do, strong, power-packed, all-out-hearts-for-God women that leave a legacy for others to follow.