Christmas thoughts for my children..... This has been my favorite Christmas so far! Watching the joy in your faces and your ability to shine God's love is amazing. You sacrificed in a special way this year and I'm so proud of you! 

I've had Christmases where I received very few gifts, ones where I've received plenty, ones where I pleaded to God to spare Uncle Darryl's life while in the emergency room, ones where I've sang sweet Christmas hymns to my rocking babies, ones where I'd seen people give freely out of poverty, ones where Bubbe has scraped together enough money and time to host anyone in the neighborhood who needed a warm and loving home environment for Christmas, ones in new places, and ones at home, ones where I felt out of place and others where I felt unconditional love, ones where I've been humbled, and ones where I've been selfish, ones where I have chased down a Christmas tree that my dad ran over, and others where our tree constantly fell over! But what doesn't change is God's amazing grace. No matter what my current feelings or circumstances He would have come to save us all and he knew my heart before He breathed me into this world. I'm so overwhelmed this Christmas by His grace and redemption. I'm so thankful and tearful this evening at I watched you spend time reading with my brother, cuddle with my mom, and snuggle deep in your daddy's arms. Life is so precious and I am so thankful you for and for our beautiful family. May God walk with you during each of your Christmases whether they be years of plenty or those that are lean. He is always faithful sweet, children. Always. 

Thoughts for my children...

Dear Children, 

I write this praying at you have a saving faith in Jesus by the time you are able to read it for yourselves. Our society is being shaken by a group of people who desire death and murder. They are a small group with great power. Our culture is afraid and people are seeking one extreme side or the other. All over the world in many countries people fight every single day for their lives. They always have and always will. Now that it affects “US” we desire to be more involved. 

I need to remind you that the world is a crazy place. It has been since sin first entered the world. Remember Babylon? Noah and the flood? Sodom and Gomorrah? You are living in a society that is so obsessed with internet communication that it is forgotten the true connect of humanity through personal relationships. In my opinion, this is the biggest tragedy that our culture could ever face. The ability to eliminate the personal connection dehumanizes us. You are living in a world where people take the words of BLOGS written by people they don’t even know then call it their Gospel truth. If you do believe in fact that the Holy Bible is the Word of God then that is where you should seek soul shaking wisdom. Through prayer, through scripture, and through personal relationships with people who you value and admire- these alone should be your sources of worth and wisdom. Please do not get sucked in to a world of tainted media, secret agendas, advertisements, opinions of those you don’t even know. Set you hearts on Christ alone. He is enough. He will provide you with the wisdom, strength, grace, and peace that you need. Hold fast sweet ones to connecting to those who are made in the image of Christ by serving them, knowing them, praying for them, spending time with them, and just being with them. I pray that others would do the same for you.

 I love you and pray that your eyes are forever fixed on God alone and not on the world.

Read Psalm 119