ForeverLOVEd

Now may the God of hope fill you with all  joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope  by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13  I hate the end! The last page of a good book, or the final line of a romantic movie have me often begging, "Please do not stop here, I want more". This morning I sent my brother back to his home in Seattle with a big hug. And as much as I told myself I would not cry, a small tear or two streamed down my cheek as well! Tomorrow I head back to work after almost a full week off; another ending. And as we carefully wrapped up ornaments last night,  it was clear the Christmas season was coming to an end. In only two short days we will see the end of the year. And as it often seems to happen over the holidays many people are saying good bye as they watch the end of a loved one's life. So as you put the Christmas decor back in the attic and wave good bye to the last family members to head back home after a holiday together, h...

In the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people;" Luke 2:8-10 As I carefully took out the pieces of our family nativity, I placed them out on my mom's favorite table in the entry way. Beautiful Mary, strong Joseph, and sweet baby Jesus. The animals spread out around them. I opened up the box with the three wise men and placed them off to one side. To the other side I gently placed the shepherds. An angel and stars completed the scene and I stood back to see the display. There in front of me, in wooden figurines, was the Christmas story.  Every year as I place out each piece of the story, I imagine what it must have been like to live each different char...

...for “ Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved .” Romans 10:13 I put my contacts in for the first time in almost a week. And sure enough, within minutes my eyes looked like I had been crying for hours or running on no sleep again. Burning and red, as soon as I returned home I sadly ripped out my contacts and put back on my glasses. Because without them, the truth is I can barely see.  It looked like I might be wearing my pretty little glasses for an undisclosed amount of time.  It is funny that the thought had me annoyed today, and yet I can remember a day only years ago when I had longed to wear glasses. I used to make up not being able to see just because I felt left out that I did not need them. I even had one of those fake pairs I put on to pretend while I played school with my friends.  Then one day, my senior year in high school, I could no longer see the white board in chemistry. And when I had my annual eye exam, I did not pass. I needed glasses....

For  if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? Matthew 5:46 The art of picking a Christmas tree...I guess I never really appreciated the process until this year as I stood in the beyond freezing (for SoCal) night air and observed the countless people selecting their trees. As I moved the tree, which was two feet taller than I, up the line, I saw people with varying trees by their sides. It certainly spoke to each of these people, you could almost tell by their tree what kind of people they were, and what kind of lives they led.  There were the middle aged men with average size trees. Young families collecting little trees for each kid. My dad and I giggled as the man, who appeared to be a surgeon, wheeled the biggest tree on the lot up to the cutting station and proceeded to recommend just where they should cut the trunk. You could certainly  tell each family had a dream for their tree and that this tree would bec...

"Put me like a seal over your heart, Like a seal on your arm. For love is as strong as death, Jealousy is as severe as Sheol; Its flashes are flashes of fire, The very flame of the LORD." Song of Solomon 8:6 My family has known and loved our fair share of pets! We raised three parakeets consecutively by the name of John the first, John the second, and John the third. All of which were named by my brother, who apparently was fond of the name, John. We have had fish, frogs, walking sticks and a hamster. There was a brief period where we were owners of a rambunctious lab named Griffey and a period of time when the main pet in the house was our floppy eared bunny named Brownie.  But amidst Beethoven and Madonna, there was one pet that kind of stole our hearts more than any other. The day we brought him home, he could fit in the palm of our hand. The kind and gentle yorkie, that lived without a name for the first week we owned him, made his way into our lives and gained our lo...