SAVING WORDS

This evening, daughter Nicole and her sweet Kyle become Mr. and Mrs. 

Since a picture is worth a thousand words, here’s their engagement photo.  

I’ll say no more.

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, thank you for families and for arranging them, just so. Amen.

WHAT ABOUT YOU? Any loved ones celebrating an engagement, wedding or anniversary soon?

AFTERGLOW

This post is part of the Christian Writers blog chain. Our theme for this month is “Gifts from the Heart.” Please see the list to the right and visit my friends’ blogs to see what they have to say about this topic.

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Breathe. Inhale and exhale. Enjoy the rest after the boxes and wrappings; too much food and never enough time.  

Now we relax from the celebration of Christmas.

Yet, it was after that first Christmas that the shepherds and wise men started arriving to worship baby Jesus.  

And it was after that first Christmas that God continued to work His plan—growing Jesus to maturity; sending John the Baptist; preparing hearts and minds to understand the good news. 

And God is still at work on His plan; His plan that was the gift from His heart.  

God’s plan didn’t end on Christmas morning. It didn’t end on Easter morning. And the celebration of Christmas doesn’t end for us at Christmas time. 

Christmas is a pause in the plan. Not a stop or a bump or simply a sparkle point.  

It is a time to wonder at the power and creativity of a God who would send our savior in the form of a human; a tender babe, perfect and innocent at the beginning of His earthly life. Perfect and innocent at the end of His earthly life. Perfect and innocent throughout time. 

It is time for the afterglow. The soft-focus filter of God’s holy light to shine on us and through us, catching fire and burning brighter each day from now on. 

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, thank you for the celebration of Christmas. Please help us maintain the celebration throughout the coming year. Please shine on us and through us for your glory. Amen.

WHAT ABOUT YOU? How will you maintain the afterglow?

WEDDING COUNTDOWN: 4 DAYS

It’s Boxing Day.

In the UK, Boxing Day is the day when the master of the house took boxes of small gifts to the servants.

Here in the US, Boxing Day is the day we smash up the empty Christmas packages and stuff them in the burgeoning garbage can.

As it relates to Christmas, the magi arrived several years after Jesus’ birth to bring their gifts. That first Boxing Day would have included boxes of gold, frankincense and myrrh.

As it relates to Jesus’ gift to us, Boxing Day came 33 years later—on that amazing Easter morning when Jesus’ horrible death was turned into a glorious gift—nestled in a golden box of salvation, wrapped with his eternal love and tied with the ribbons of sacrifice and grace.

In our house, this year, Boxing Day means we have 4 days left to stack up the boxes of dishes, goblets, tablecloths, candles, platters and all other things wedding, stage them in the garage and wait for the enormous truck to take them to the venue.

Boxes and boxes of boxes. Praise God for boxes.

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, now that we have unwrapped the packages that have perched beneath our trees, please continue to remind us that your gift of Jesus’ humanity is the most precious gift of all. Amen.

WHAT ABOUT YOU? Other than Baby Jesus, what gift outshone them all this year?

DEATH AND NEW LIFE

Yesterday was the first day of winter.  

Winter—the day that recognizes the beginning of the earth’s dying cycle so nicely coincides with the celebration of the birth of our savior—the day that symbolizes our spiritual rebirth.  

Bible historians say that the actual day of Jesus’ birth was not recorded and is therefore not known. They guess—based on astronomical events at the time in history that would account for a bright “star” in the sky pointing the magi to Bethlehem—Jesus was probably born in the springtime or summer. 

Other bible historians tell us the date of December 25 was selected to celebrate Jesus’ birth because a widely observed pagan holiday already occurred on that date and thus Christmas would already have a popular following for celebration on that date. Or that early Christian leaders selected the date in order to dilute the pagan celebration. 

Mankind’s calendar notwithstanding, we celebrate the birth of our savior on December 25. Just days after we recognize the entrance into the earth’s dormant stage, we celebrate the way God brought new life to His people throughout time. 

Thank you, Jesus.

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, thank you for your plan. Thank you that you have created a cycle of life and death and have included a plan where we can have eternal life spent in your presence. Amen. 

WHAT ABOUT YOU? What interesting insights do you have about the coincident celebration of the beginning of winter and Jesus’ birth?

A LIVING MENORAH

This post is part of the Christian Writers blog chain. Our theme for this month is "Gifts from the Heart." Please see the list to the right and visit my friends’ blogs to see what they have to say about this topic.

This post is a recognition of the importance of Jewish history to me—a gentile, adopted into God’s family through my Jewish savior. The Jewish celebrations are mine, because they were first His. Thank you, Jesus.

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Tonight begins the celebration of Hanukkah, also known as the Jewish "Festival of Lights."

I grew up wishing "Happy Hanukkah" to my Jewish friends, but not understanding the reason behind the celebration, thinking it had little relevance to my own faith. Why should I—a Christian—care about a Jewish holy day?

Because I’m that dog eating scraps under the table that the gentile woman spoke to Jesus about. I wasn’t born as part of God’s chosen people (the Jews) but by His grace I was adopted in to His family.

When I was adopted in, I adopted God’s plan, including the story of how He led His people. That made their history important to my future because my faith through my Jewish savior’s life was part of His earthly life, too.

It was my sweet mother-in-law who first introduced me to understanding Hanukkah as a Christian. One day I asked her, "What’s your favorite book of the Bible?"

Without missing a beat, she responded, "The Macabees."

Wait a minute, I thought, that’s not in my Bible.

But it is in the Bible of many versions of Christian faiths--sometimes in the Apocrapha; sometimes as part of the Old Testament. The Maccabee are a historical account of the time less than 200 years before Jesus’ birth when the Syrian army had taken over Jerusalem. Once the army was ousted, the Jews found that everything inside the Temple of Jerusalem had been desecrated—including the sacred, refined and holy oil that kept the lamps in the Temple lit.

A single sealed container of lamp oil was found—enough to keep the lamp lit for one day and night. Yet it would take eight days for new oil to be refined, purified and made holy. By God’s miraculous power, that single container of oil kept the lamp lit in the Temple for the entire eight days until the new oil was ready.

Thus, Jews celebrate the Festival of Lights as a way to remember God’s miracle of provision and sacred power.

The story of Hanukkah reminds me of Jesus and the many times he miraculously fed the hungry crowd with a few fish and a loaf of bread.

And it reminds me that Jesus is the true light of the world and we are meant to be lamp stands to light the way for others to find Him.

Can God do a miracle in our lives and make our very small amount of spiritual oil last? He can because of Jesus.

In fact, as Christians, we can look to the celebration of Hanukkah for the truth: not only did God stretch that holy oil for eight days; He made it last all the way until Jesus’ birth—nearly 200 years later—when the eternal light of life came to earth and lit the way for all of us.

I’ll be celebrating Hanukkah tonight and praising God for His power and for the gift of His heart of lighting this world with His love through Jesus.

In fact, consider me a lamp stand for Jesus—a living menorah, all lit up and praising His name!

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, thank you for your miraculous provision; not only throughout history but in our lives today. Thank you for keeping the light of your love lit until you sent us Jesus. Please help us shine our lights for you for the world to see and understand what you have planned. Amen.

 WHAT ABOUT YOU? What does Hanukkah mean to you?

WEDDING COUNTDOWN: 11 DAYS

Hair up? Hair down?

Hair part up and part down?

Red shoes? White shoes?

Black shoes? Barefoot?

 

Red roses. White lilies.

Curly willows. Glitter twigs.

Piles of meatballs. Platters of cheese.

Cups of toothpicks and stirrer sticks.

Don’t leave out the programs.

Don’t forget the lights.

Flicker candles on and off.

Do they work? Do we need more?

Who has the hammer, pliers, wrench,

electrical cords, drill and screwdrivers?

Why do we need to take the contents of the garage to set up a wedding?

Did you remember the ladder?

Chafing dishes, plates and goblets.

Tablecloths, napkins, forks and spoons.

Food and drinks and candies and cookies.

Little cakes and one b-i-g cake.

Can we overdose on sugar? 

Pillars. Draping. Tables.

Better rent a truck.

And several strong guys. 

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, please give us strength to prepare for celebrations but please remind us that the reasons for the celebrations are more important than the preparation or even the celebrations themselves. Fill us with joy from you. Amen. 

WHAT ABOUT YOU:  What are you celebrating in the near future?

33 YEARS

Thirty-three years and counting…As of tomorrow, that’s how long Jimmie and I will have been married. What does it mean?

33 years of fun

33 years of teasing

33 years of laughter 

33 years of family

33 years of time together

33 years of laughter 

33 years of loving each other

33 years of loving God

33 years of laughter

33 years of tenderness

33 years of sharing with each other

33 years of laughter 

33 years of holding hands

33 years of growing together

33 years of laughter 

33 years of sitting in dark rooms watching movies and not speaking

33 years of reciting favorite lines from movies

33 years of laughter 

33 years of walks on the beach

33 years of walks in the woods

33 years of laughter

33 years of walks in the park

33 years of walks in the dark

33 years of laughter 

33 years of walks around the block

33 years of walking with the Lord

33 years of laughter 

33 years of finding constellations

33 years of looking for satellites

33 years of wishing on shooting stars 

33 years of learning from each other

33 years of teaching each other

Did I mention 33 years of laughter?

Never enough years to spend with you, Jim.

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, thank you for arranging marriages and families. Please help marriages grow stronger over time and help us love you more. Amen.

WHAT ABOUT YOU? Got a special thank you to God for time spent with a special someone?

KISSES FROM CHRIST

I post each Wednesday on the theme set by ChristianWriters.com. This month our theme is "Gifts from the Heart." Please see the list of other ChristianWriters.com blogs to the right and check out what my friends have to say this month.

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TV commercials announce “Xmas” sales and church members complain that stores have taken Christ out of Christmas. 

There definitely is a commercialization of Christmas. But the term Xmas isn’t part of it.

As we know, God sent Jesus first to save the Jews and only secondarily to save us gentiles. Thanks to Paul and his traveling band of evangelists, Christianity arrived in Rome and Greece. There the early church found a solid base and secured the formation of the Roman Catholic and Greek Orthodox Christian churches—from which our other varieties of Christianity have evolved.

Because in those early years, Christian leadership was focused in Rome and Greece, many of the words and phrases in Christian-ese come from the Roman and Greek languages.

One of those is the word “Christmas.”

In Roman Catholic tradition, Christmas is the celebration of the “mass of Christ” or “Christ’s mass.”  It is a celebration of the rite of the Eucharist (Holy Communion) or "mass" of Christ.

That’s the Roman Catholic part of the word “Christmas.” Now for the Greek Orthodox twist.

In the Greek alphabet, the letter “X” is pronounced “chi” and the Greek letter “P” is pronounced “rho.” The letter “Σ” corresponds to our letter “S.” The Greek letter “I” is pronounced “I,” "T" is "T" and “O” is “O.”

End of the Greek language lesson. Now you know enough to read the Greek word, ΧΡΙΣΤΟΣ. It is pronounced “Christos”—Greek for “Christ.”

Just as we sometimes use initials or monograms for our names, the early Greek Church used the letters XP (chi-rho) to refer to Christ. Often, the two would be combined into one symbol, like this:

You will still see this symbol in Greek Orthodox, Roman Catholic and even in Protestant churches—on altar cloths, banners and vestments, bible bookmarks, pulpit cloths—embroidered with the Greek monogram of Jesus, the Christ. Here's a sample of a protestant church parament:

Just as you might sign a note with the initial of your first name only, so early Christians sometimes used just the single letter “X” to refer to Christ.  

Hence Xmas.   

I’ve decided not to let the use of “Xmas” bother me. Instead, if I hear someone say “Merry Xmas,” it’s an opportunity for me to pronounce it clearly for them: Christ’s mass.  

And then share with them what it means to me. And what it could mean to them. The gift from Christ’s heart to us. 

In our modern world, we often sign letters to those we love with our initial, preceded by XOXO—sending along our kisses and hugs.  

That’s what God, did, too—when He sent Jesus. Jesus (X) is God’s kiss to the world.  

The Kiss of Christ. 

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, you know how important words are. You spoke our world into creation and you gave us the ability to read and speak languages. Remind us of the meaning of words; remind us of the meaning behind the name “The Christ.” Thank you, Jesus for becoming human for our sake. Amen. 

WHAT ABOUT YOU? Have you used the opportunity to share the meaning behind the word: Christ-mas?

WEDDING COUNTDOWN - 18 days

As I have blogged in anticipation of baby girl’s wedding, I have tried to keep the focus on the joyful busyness of the planning and preparation.

The next 18 days will be filled with extra busyness with added excitement as Nicole finishes school and comes home for the holy days. There will be family Christmas celebration and birthdays and anniversaries.

Before that happens I want to pause and appreciate God’s hand on our family.

Our heavenly Father orchestrated Jim and my lives, brought us together in marriage and blessed us with children. He also placed Kyle in Nicole’s life nearly six years ago. Together they journeyed three states away to attend college together and made lives that were independent from family and dependent on each other. 

Today I praise God for His plan. When I find myself spending too much time referring to my lists of things to do, I pray that God will remind me that He is in charge—always has been and always will be.

God is our heavenly wedding planner.

PRAYER: Thank you, Father, for being in charge of everything. Please remind us that in the symphony that is our lives, you are the conductor, the leader, the orchestrator of all things. Amen.

WHAT ABOUT YOU? How do you remind yourself that God is in control?

MORE PRAYING NAMES

As part of my ongoing ministry to provide a way for us to pray for our loved ones, today I offer you four more names, their meaning and ways you can pray for people who have those names.
 

These names will be added to the burgeoning list of names and prayers, found on the PRAYING NAMES page of this blog. Go to the tab, titled “PRAYING NAMES” to find prayers for your loved ones. 

If a name is not there, please leave a comment here with names you would like me to research and create prayers for.

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Constance, Connie: constant

Heavenly Father, I pray that Connie will live her name. I pray that her faith and trust in you will be constant and ever growing throughout her life. I pray also that you will be her constant guide, counselor and friend and that her example of faith will be a constant encouragement to others.

Gregory, Greg: vigilant, watchful

Heavenly Father, I pray that Greg will live his name. I pray that he will live his life, ever vigilant in right living. I pray that he will be watchful for your leading, blessings and grace in his life and give thanks to you in all things.

Harold, Harry: army ruler

Heavenly Father, I pray that Harry will live his name. I pray that as a soldier in your army, he will fight against evil wherever he sees it and will live his life wearing the full armor of God for his protection and for your fight.

Susan, Susannah, Suzanna, Susie: lily

Heavenly Father, I pray that Susan will live your name. I pray that she will live her life focusing on purity. I pray that, like the lilies in the field, she will be beautiful to you and to others. I pray that her faith in you will blossom and grow throughout her life and that her life—like the lily—will be representative of Jesus.

GROWING FAMILIES

This post is part of the Christian Writers blog chain. Our theme for this month is “Gifts from the Heart.” Please see the list to the right and visit my friends’ blogs to see what they have to say about this topic. 

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Twenty-two Christmases ago, our son was three years old; our daughter was 6 months. I remember sitting under the tree, watching husband and son opening gifts; watching baby girl google at the soft blanket in her chubby hands. I smiled and thought, “Now, our family is complete.”

Fast forward 22 years and I smile once more, realizing how wrong I had been. This year will be the last year we are a family of four. Nicole’s fiancé, Kyle joins our family at the end of the month. Next Christmas our family will be a family of five. And one day—God willing—there will be a wife for our son. And grandchildren, too. 

That reminds me of Jesus.  

No doubt, when baby Jesus was born, Father God smiled down on the earth. But surely He didn’t say, “Now, my family is complete.”  

Father God knew that because of Jesus, there would be millions of souls who would be adopted into His family. In fact, God’s family will only be complete at one point in the future; on a date no one but He knows; growing larger each moment, day, month, year, millennium.  

Meanwhile, we celebrate being adopted into God’s family with our earthly families and friends—made possible by the birth of baby Jesus.  

I like to think of Jesus googling at the soft blanket in his chubby hands that Christmas morn, and thinking, “Now my family begins.” 

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, thank you for adopting me into your family and for sending Jesus to make it possible. Thank you for the gift of your heart—Jesus. Amen.

WHAT ABOUT YOU? Is your family still growing? Have you added anyone new this year?

WEDDING COUNTDOWN: 25 DAYS

December has arrived; the month of Nicole and Kyle’s wedding. 

Why December?  

In the Peterson family, December is the month of weddings.  

Hubs mom and dad started it all when they were married December 5

Then Hubs and I continued the tradition when we were married December 17

Sister and hubby were married December 18

Brother and wifey were married December 7

Another brother and wifey remarried each other December 9. 

Did Nicole and Kyle have to select a December wedding date? No, but all the marriages that happened in December are happy and long-lasting. Why tempt fate? 

Better yet, why not keep a family tradition that has brought so much joy to so many people over three generations? 

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, thank you for your tradition of marriage and thank you for opportunities to celebrate anniversaries and new beginnings. Please bless the marriages of your children and help us make them pleasing to you. Amen. 

WHAT ABOUT YOU? Is there a traditional “wedding month” in your family?

POINSETTIAS AND PROMISES

Every month has a birthstone. Every month also has a birth flower. Can you guess the birth flower for December? Of course you can! It’s the poinsettia. And it reminds me of Jesus.

Growing Wild 

If you’ve been to the Caribbean, Hawaii, Mexico or Central America you may have seen enormous poinsettia bushes growing wild. The red of these tropical plants are actually leaves. The flower itself is small and located in the center of the leaves.

The ancient Aztecs believed the poinsettia was a symbol of purity. In modern times, it has become a symbol of celebration, reassurance and good cheer. All of which epitomize Jesus.

A Christmas Symbol 

The poinsettia is the number one, best-selling potted plant in America. Nearly all of the plants are sold in November and December. Because of the flower’s brilliant red and vibrant green colors, the poinsettia is an almost universal symbol of Christmas. And Christmas, of course, is all about Jesus.

A Christmas Story 

One Christmas Eve, the church in a small village held a special evening service. Attendees were to bring gifts in honor of baby Jesus. A young girl wanted to attend the service, but she was poor and had nothing to bring. Rather than dishonor Jesus by not attending the worship service, she picked some weeds alongside the road and humbly laid the bouquet on the altar.

This modest gift was pleasing to God because it had come from the heart of a child in true worship. In delight, God caused the weeds to blossom into brilliant red flowers. This is the Christmas miracle of the poinsettia plant.

Happy birthday to everyone born in the month of December.

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, thank you for Christmas and for everything that reminds us of this season that celebrates your love for us. Every time we see a poinsettia plant, remind us of your son Jesus and your promise through him. Amen.

WHAT ABOUT YOU? Do you have a poinsettia plant sitting on your counter this month?

THANKING GOD FOR BLESSINGS TO COME

Today ends November—the month of counting blessings. It’s interesting—from a human point of view—that we set Thanksgiving at the end of our calendar year and just before Christmas.

November is just at the end of the harvest season in the Northern Hemisphere. Here abundance is emphasized. The crops are in. The pantry is stocked and the freezer is full. We face the cold winter months (cold is relative here in California) but we face them at this point in the calendar from the perspective of plenty.

One more month in the year. Some of us look at the calendar and wonder where the year went. What moments slipped by without our even noticing? What things could we have accomplished but didn’t?

But...

...the year is not over. We still have a whole, entire, fresh and vibrant month left in 2011. And in that month, we have the best and most wonderful celebration in the history of the universe: the celebration of God setting aside his divinity and becoming human for our sake.

 

As we count our blessings this month, we count the past and thank Jesus for his earthly life that made our eternal lives with him possible.

 

And we count the future for the time of celebration—on December 25 and in the life to come with Him.

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, thank you for your blessings, too many to count. Thank you for the blessings you give us that are beyond our comprehension; blessings that would defy our capacity to understand. Help us to see more of your blessings each day. We thank you for them. Amen.

WHAT ABOUT YOU? What are you counting?

WEDDING COUNTDOWN: 32 DAYS

Baby girl is back at college. Back to her routine that ends on December 17 when she receives her BS in Physics. Back to her routine that ends December 30 when she receives her MRS with Kyle.

I miss her again and still. Miss the little girl she was for those few seconds. Miss the grown-up woman she is now.

But the countdown to the wedding keeps tick-tocking along. Thirty-two days left. Seems like so much has been done already. Yet my 5-page "list of things to do" contains enough things to fill up 32 days several times.

Last minute things, like:

• All the grocery shopping
• All the cooking
• 38 tablecloths and 150 napkins to be ironed
• 150 water goblets to be washed and packed 
• 200 drink glasses to be washed and packed 
• 150 champagne flutes to be washed and packed
• 150 plates to be washed and packed
• 600 knives, forks and spoons to be washed and packed
• Platters. bowls, chafing dishes and serving spoons to be washed and packed
• Several million crystal beads to be glued onto several dozen birch branches--oh, yeah!

Oh, and isn’t Christmas in there some place? Yep, and Mom’s birthday, hubs and my anniversary, a couple of Christmas parties and at least a cursory "happy graduation" whing-ding.

Praising God for time management!

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, help us to enjoy the moments of celebration rather than being caught up in the "have-to’s" of preparation. Thank you for time and planning but help us to rely on your guidance in all things. Amen.

WHAT ABOUT YOU? Are you a list maker?

STILL THANKFUL

Yesterday was our official day of thanksgiving, but every day is a day to be thankful.

After yesterday’s feast, here are some more things to be thankful for.





Heat and toss storage containers
Roasting ovens that cook a 22-pound turkey in under 2 hours
Non-stick pans and electric knives
Refrigerator space
Elastic waist, stretchy pants and baggy shirts

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, thank you for your abundance. As we continue to feast on yesterday’s leftovers, we ask you to watch over those who have no food. Please also pursue the hearts of people who are starving for your love. Be with them in Jesus’ name. Amen.

WHAT ABOUT YOU? What are you thankful for the day after Thanksgiving?

NEW MATH

This month the CW has selected the theme of “nine” as the topic. Please go to the links on the right side of the page and see what my friends have to say about the number nine. 

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Did you read my post on November 9? [Timely Blessings] There I explain that—even though November is the 11^th month in our Gregorian calendar—its name “novem” means nine because originally, November was the ninth month on the year.  

For me, the word “novem” is all about math. And math reminds me of Jesus. 

When we read scripture, we see the same numbers come up again and again—40 as in the 40 days and 40 nights Jesus spent in the desert; the 40 years the Jews wandered the desert. 

We also see 12s—the 12 tribes of Israel; the 12 disciples; 12 pearly gates; 12 foundations of New Jerusalem.  

Threes, of course, are vital theologically because God is God in three persons—the Trinity of Father, Son and Holy Spirit; along with the three days of Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection. 

Then there’s the number seven. Seven means perfection.

When God created heaven and earth, He took six days and then rested on the seventh. John’s Book of Revelation shows us God’s 7 churches in Asia, 7 spirits before His throne, 7 golden lamp stands, 7 stars that are the seven angels of the 7 churches, 7 trumpets, 7 seals, the Lamb with 7 horns and 7 eyes, 7 plagues, 7 golden bowls filled with the wrath of God.  

Revelation also tells us that the sign of the beast is 666. In Hebrew tradition, because seven is perfection, the number six often refers to anything that falls short of perfection. Like man.  

The number 666 in Revelation is humanity’s number. Is the number six used three times for the sign of the beast to correlate with our falling short of each person in the Trinity? And Satan’s falling short of his creator?  

Why am I talking about six and seven when the theme for November is nine? 

Because of the “new math.” 

When Jesus became the blood sacrifice that made us acceptable to God, the number of the beast was washed from our foreheads. Although we are still one less than God’s perfection, we are no longer marked as sixes. We now belong to Him.

Under the new covenant, Jesus—our heavenly math teacher—gives us new math:

The Trinity                               3

Plus Humanity’s number      6 

Equals                                      9

Math is good.  

Even though November is no longer the ninth month in our modern calendar, each November I’ll still be reminded about the meaning of the month and the number 9. And that’ll remind me to praise God for Jesus’ new math that includes you and me.

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, we know that your scripture is full of symbolism and that no one but you is perfect. We recognize that we fall short of your glory in so many ways. Thank you, Jesus for being our sacrifice that washes away the mark of the beast and allows us to join your perfect family. Amen.

WHAT ABOUT YOU? Want to share another important numerical reference from scripture?

                       

WEDDING COUNTDOWN: 40 DAYS

Forty days to wedding day. Three days until Thanksgiving. Five days until Nicole’s shower.

Minus 2 days until Nicole and Kyle have come home for Thanksgiving break.

Every year I give thanks for God’s blessings; most especially this family He has graced me with. This year will be the last year our family of four remains four. Next year, our family will be five plus Kyle’s family, who will be joined to ours through marriage.

That will be more thankfulness. But for this year, I thank God for His blessing me with a fabulous husband and two wonderful kids. I didn’t deserve them. I never will. But by God’s grace and excessive generosity, He gave them to me anyway.

So I will spend the next three days thanking God for family. Then I’ll pack up the roasting pan and the extra turkey napkins; pull out the pink plates, dip the strawberries and praise God for the next phase in the wedding countdown: the wedding shower.

It’s raining blessings!

PRAYER: Thank you, Heavenly Father for showering us with the blessings of family and time together to celebrate our love for each other, based on our love for you. Amen.

WHAT ABOUT YOU? Any special preparations happening at your house this Thanksgiving.

THE SMELLS OF NOVEMBER

What does November smell like?

In my house, November smells like cinnamon pinecones because there’s no way I can wait until December to buy them.

In my house, November smells like pumpkin pie and pumpkin bread and pumpkin bars. That means it actually smells like nutmeg, ginger, clove and cinnamon.

In my house, November smells like dusty boxes—the ones that are beginning to make their way out from the closet underneath the stairs and fill the corners of the family room. In a week, the boxes will be open, the tree will be up, the lights will be on, and Mannheim Steamroller will be giving us its lively rendition of Christmas carols we can tap our feet to but can’t sing along with.

Inside, those boxes smell like pine spray and oh, look! Last year’s cinnamon pinecones!

This year, November in my house also smells like vanilla, lemon, grapefruit, and lavender—scents nestled in a giant box, tied with thank you ribbons, waiting for my daughter’s bridal shower in one week.

I’m still looking. If I can find some, I’ll add cinnamon to the box, too.

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, thank you for giving us so many ways to experience this wonderful world. Liven our senses to experience even more of your glory through the sights, sounds and smells of this harvest season. Amen.

WHAT ABOUT YOU? What does your house in November smell like?

NINE LIVES AND COUNTING

This month the theme of the Christian Writers blog chain is "nine" because the meaning of November ("novem") is nine. Please go to the posts listed in the right column and follow along with what my friends at CW.com have to say about "nine."
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Spot, the Wonder Cat was 20 years old. At least.

He arrived on our patio in 1992, fully grown.

He wandered away from our front yard on October 24, 2011—ancient and listless. We haven’t seen him since. I like to imagine he’s meandering in the nearby field in search of mice, having adventures and stretching sinuously in the sunshine.

I’m not sure if Spot was on his first life or his ninth. But I am sure he lived each day to the kitty fullest.

Spot was my writing buddy. He followed me upstairs every morning and climbed onto the window sill over my desk. He commented on my plots, assessed my research and moaned at my third-grade humor. I miss him.

During one of my book writing breaks many years ago, I wrote this poem to Spot. My daughter always said it was the best thing I’d ever written.

Thanks, Nicole. Spot—I hope you like it, too.

KITTEN SONG

Kitten sitting in a window.

Eyes like slits.

Whiskers twitch.

Gentle motor starts up slow

Singing to the world below.

Oh, to know such kitten pleasure.

Pink foot curls.

One ear twirls.

Dream the kitty dreams you treasure.

Live the kitty life of leisure.

What does every kitten cherish?

Sleep and dream?

Hunt and scheme?

Listen quick to sounds that vanish!

Did you see it? Small and brownish?

Now you have an anxious thought—

Sitting still.

Watching skill.

Spy it now! With swinging swat

Pounce with sharpened claws. 

Mouse caught!

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, thank you for our lives. Thank you for this life we have here on earth and thank you for our eternal life we will have with you. Please help us live this life in a way that is pleasing to you. Help us enjoy all the earthly blessings that make life here a small glimpse of heaven, including enjoying the companionship of all your creatures—great and small. Amen.

WHAT ABOUT YOU? Share a story about your pet.
　

　




　

WEDDING COUNTDOWN: 47 DAYS

Forty-seven days until the wedding. That’s less than half of 100. Does it send me into spiraling stress over all the things left undone? Not even a bit.  

In answer to the question so many of you have asked: No I have not found the M.O.B. (mother of the bride) dress. But I’ve still got 47 days to find one, right? 

Undaunted, I remain committed to not being the guest who looks like part of the cleanup crew. No offense to the cleanup crew. In fact you guys in those spiffy burgundy aprons I picked out might look better than I’m imagining myself at this point. 

Yes, the bride is supposed to be the focus. And she will be, beautiful as she always is; more beautiful on December 30.  

But I’d like for one or two people to say, “Oh, Nicole looks so much like you” even if just one more time. 

So, after the dress…on to finding the shoes. Ouch!  

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, thank you for it all—the busy-ness, the joy, the gotta-do’s—everything; because everything in this world is yours. And it is good. Help us to do it all for your glory. Amen.

WHAT ABOUT YOU? Any suggestions for formal footwear based on your own experience?

MORE PRAYING NAMES

As part of my ongoing ministry to provide a way for us to pray for our loved ones, today I offer you four more names, their meaning and ways you can pray for people who have those names.

These names will be added to the burgeoning list of names and prayers, found on the PRAYING NAMES page of this blog.

Go to the tab, titled “PRAYING NAMES” to find prayers for your loved ones.

If a name is not there, please leave a comment here with names you would like me to research and create prayers for.

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Daphne: laurel tree

Heavenly Father, I pray that Daphne will live her name. I pray that, like the aromatic, ever green laurel tree, she will be a sweet fragrance to those around her. I pray that her faith will be ever fresh and always green—sprouting off shoots to encourage others in their faith. I pray that she will remember the laurel wreaths given to winners of Olympic games—and be victorious through Christ. 

Dorothy: gift of God 

Heavenly Father, I pray that Dorothy will live her name. I pray that she will recognize that she is a gift from God to the world and will live an example of a godly woman to others. I pray also that she will live her life in acceptance of the greatest gift from God—salvation through Jesus. Amen.

Lyle: island  

Heavenly Father, I pray that Lyle will live his name. I pray that he will be a place of safety and rest for those around him needing respite from the seas of life. I pray that his name will remind him that although we must live our lives as a separate island one from each other, we are never separated from the love of God. Amen.

Walter, Walt: commander of the army; powerful warrior 

Heavenly Father, I pray that Walter will live his name. I pray that he will live as a powerful warrior for Christ. I pray that he will remember that you are the eternal, heavenly commander of his life and of your divine army, but that you will use him in a strong way in your fight against evil. Amen.

TIMELY BLESSINGS

"November" means "ninth month." 

Wait a minute. November is the eleventh month in the calendar.

Yes. But it was originally the ninth month when the Roman calendar—from which our present calendar grew—was created.

Way back when, folks didn’t recognize Earth’s position in the solar system. Early calendars were therefore based on the moon’s position in the night sky. One full moon to the next full moon cycled at approximately 29 days. Twenty-nine days equaled one month.

In 753 BC, the Romulus (Roman) calendar contained ten months and a total of 304 days. The year began with the spring equinox generally in March and included 60 days of winter that were not officially part of any month.

Fairly messy calendar, that.

This is what the Romulus calendar looked like:

Martius: We pronounce it March
Aprili: We pronounce it April
Maius: We pronounce it May
Iunius: We pronounce it June
Quintilis: quint means five; this was the fifth month
Sextilis: sext means six; this was the sixth month
September: sept means seven; this was the seventh month
October: oct means eight; this was the eighth month
November: novem means nine; this was the ninth month
December: dec means ten; this was the tenth month

Plus 60 days of winter, sitting all alone and lonely

About 50 years later, Roman King Numa Pompillus added January and February to the calendar and made the year equal 354 days. By sticking January and February at the beginning of the calendar, the names of the months, based on their numerical meaning no longer correlated to their position in the calendar. But the names were kept anyway.

Because, who likes change…really?

Politicians do. And those Roman politicians lengthened and shortened the calendar at will to affect their term of office.

Until the first century B.C., when Julius Caesar began to overhaul the calendar to avoid those political shenanigans. Augustus Caesar finished the overhaul. The month of Quintilis was therefore renamed Iulius (July) in honor of Julius Caesar and Sextilis was renamed Augustus (August) in honor of Augustus Caesar.

This new Julian calendar was based on astronomy rather than a lunar cycle. It thus had a regular year of 365 days with a leap day added to February every 4 years.

That calendar was used until 1582 A.D. when Pope Gregory XIII endorsed a new calendar (ours, the "Gregorian calendar") to take into account 11 minutes per year that the Julian calendar became out of alignment with astronomy. Although 11 minutes per day doesn’t seem like much, it adds up to one day every 134 years.

Maybe you didn’t realize the month of November was named because it was originally the ninth month of the year. Maybe you didn’t care. Or still don’t. But if anyone ever asks, now you know that originally November was the ninth month of the Romulus calendar.

November is also the month in America when we are reminded to be thankful for our blessings. I’m thankful that somebody else is in charge of figuring out our calendar.

More than that, I’m grateful for a God who knows we need times and seasons. And so right there on Day Four when God was creating the universe, He thought of us and created our solar system so we could have our handy calendars. And before that, on Day One, He created time itself.

PRAYER: Thank you, Heavenly Father for time and for creating ways for us to track the minutes, days, years and seasons you have blessed us with on this earth.

WHAT ABOUT YOU? What little known fact do you know about the month of November?

WEDDING COUNTDOWN - 55 DAYS

It seemed like plenty of time—15 months. Certainly long enough to plan and execute a wedding for under 200 guests. Extra time even.

Fifteen months gave us the luxury of winding through an entire year’s worth of holidays and celebrations; enabling us—should we wish; and we didn’t—to purchase extra heart shaped candies on Valentine’s Day, fizzly sparklers on July 4, and red wax lips on Halloween.

We did wish to participate in two—really two?—after-Christmas sales for glitter covered snowflakes, twinkly white light strings, and crystal champagne flutes.  

But here it is the November 7. Fifty-five days of preparation left. Fifty-five days until I spend the evening—Kleenex in hand—watching my daughter take the hand of her new husband. 

What was it I wrote about in my last blog post? Something about not despairing over lack of time? Guess I’d better go read it again.  

The wedding dress is bought and altered. The decorations are organized. The set up instructions are revised, printed and awaiting lamination (you knew they’d be, didn’t you?). The menu is set and the shopping list is compiling. The tuxes are ordered. The trial hair appointment is scheduled and anticipation is in the air. 

I suppose I can no longer avoid it. It’s time. Time to suck it up and suck it in.

Yep. Time to shop for my dress. <sigh> Fifteen months is never enough time for that.

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, help us not worry too much about what we will eat or what we will wear. Remind us of the lilies of the field and the birds of the air. Remind us that in all areas of our lives, the important thing is that you love and care for us. Amen.

WHAT ABOUT YOU? When was the last time you felt like there wasn’t enough time?

COMING TO THE END

As we begin November, we are reminded that this year is coming to an end. Yes, we still have two months left; 58 days left including today. Plenty of time to get plenty of things done.

Still, our human minds look at all the pages of our calendar now on the left-hand side; just one more page to turn and 2011 will be over.

It’s not time to despair over time lost. Rather, it’s time to think about what we can accomplish with what time we have left. It’s God-given time and it can be God-blessed time if we consecrate it and our part in it to Him.

And then we can take it one step further. What can we accomplish for God with the time we have left on this earth?

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, thank you for the time you’ve given us. Help us to use it wisely and for your glory. Amen. 

WHAT ABOUT YOU? What one thing would you like to accomplish before your 2011 calendar expires? What one thing do you intend to do today to work toward accomplishing that?

MUM'S THE WORD

Each month has a birthstone. The birthstone for November is the topaz. But each month also has a birth flower; some months have two. Overwhelmingly, the birth flower for November is the chrysanthemum. And it reminds me of Jesus.

The chrysanthemum is a member of the daisy family. Remember plucking the petals from a daisy and singing: “He loves me. He loves me not”?

With Jesus, the answer is always, “He loves me.”

The chrysanthemum was first cultivated in China 15 centuries before Christ as a flowering herb. The flowers can be boiled to make a sweet tea. According to eastern medicine, drinking this tea improves blood flow, reduces varicose veins and treats influenza.

Tea or no tea, Jesus is the Great Physician, both for our physical health and our spiritual well being.

The chrysanthemum was originally golden in color. It became a symbol of the sun. Jesus is not the “sun,” but the Son.

The chrysanthemum flower symbolizes long life, joy, optimism and fidelity.  In Japan, the chrysanthemum’s orderly petals represent perfection. Like Jesus.

Happy birthday to everyone born in the month of November!

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, thank you for the abundant variety of life on this earth. Thank you for creating flowers that bloom each and every month of the year so that we are never without a delightful bouquet of love from you. Amen.

WHAT ABOUT YOU? What do you think of when you see chrysanthemums? Mother’s Day? Garden plants? Foil-wrapped pots on window sills?

Here are the links to previous posts about birth flowers of the month:

June - the rose
July - Larkspurs and Lillies
August - Gladiolas and Poppies
September - Asters and Morning Glories
October - the Marigold

ODE TO HALLOWS EVE

JUST FOR FUN...

THE QUEST

Plastic, handled pumpkins;

Felt pen ghouls on paper bags;

Spiderman pillow cases and Hello Kitty shams

match spiders and kitten costumes.

Neon neck rings announce 5-year old mayhem

Pudgy hands plunge into buckets of delight

Boo!

Thank you!

+ + +

JACK

Eyes lit by candles.

Three days later

shrunken heads still sit on ledges

brought back to life by ants.

+ + +

May your jack-o-lanterns always stay fresh and your candy supply be endless! Happy Halloween.