Learning to live for HIS glory

Hello friends! Happy Thursday :) Today I am thankful for: The chance to sit down and write this, The Christmas season, And it's reminder of the great love of our Savior. I'm marveling especially this year that God stepped down into His creation, And became a baby. The One who holds the universe together, Humbled Himself as an infant in need of constant care. All that one day He could go to the cross, And die a horrific death to take the punishment for the sins of the world. I'm thankful that the gospel is indeed a TRUE story, And that Christ offers Himself to all of us as Immanuel. All we must do is believe God raised Him from the dead, And confess Him as Lord. I'm thankful He is such a good Lord. Faithful to show us where we stray, Yet loving and liking us despite our sin. He is SO good. I'm thankful for Hudson, For the gift of a son. For sweet snuggles as he falls off to sleep, For the beginnings of little smi...

Days, Months, and Years... They all just fly away. Each moment is but for now, The next it is lost. And I don't want to miss a chance to praise, to thank, to bless Jesus, make my heart pure. Today I pause and thank You for: Your purity bestowed on me. Old journals. Writings. Studying and Straightening up. Conviction. Change in becoming like you. Fresh air to breathe. Walks on the driveway. Back mending slowly, surely. Yarn crafts. Accomplished tasks. Your presence with me. And Lord,  I know I have it, But continue to make me more aware... You are with me. Each moment. Through each struggle. In each joy. Giving peace, Giving grace, Giving joy, Giving love. Emmanuel. I'm thankful for Emmanuel. See, Without You  I'm simply useless. You make beauty from dust and ashes. Emmanuel has come to me. He lives with me. He abides with me, in me, calls me to abide in Him. Joy... Joy... Joy....

As I've been going about life these past few weeks I've heard a lot of talk, seen a lot of hustle and bustle, heard a lot of music, and seen a lot of decorations for Christmas, or as some people say--to be more politically correct--"X-mas."  You know . . . when I hear that I want to respond with, "What's that?"  Don't take the meaning out of Christmas!!  Yet, so often I become guilty of that.   It's so easy, isn't it?  SO easy to get wrapped up (I didn't intend that pun.) in all the "trimmings" of Christmas and forget about what the season really should center on . . . Christ.  The incarnation.  The God-man who gave up Heaven's highest throne to be born as a frail human baby who came into this world in a stable and was laid in a feed trough.  So often I forget about all that in the day-to-day living that fills the holiday season--the decorations, the parties, the concerts, the food, the shopping, the presents . . . and yet...