Talented people featured in treasuries

Check out these talented people on Etsy. I made these treasuries over the last week.

'BE MY VALENTINE THE ERA OF RECYCLING TEAM #21' by WritingPlaces

The Era of Recycling Team does red well ...

Vintage Upcycled Jewelr... VintageChichib... $23.00	PATTERN Red Lacy Macram... Knotonlyknots $3.99	Valentines Day Handpain... CandTCustomLur... $9.00	Primitive Heart Appliqu... ITSYOURCOUNTRY $2.99
Shabby Chic Wood Candle... LittlestSister $12.00	PEACE STAR repurposed g... RosiesBooks $5.00	Recycled fabric toy / ... Gizabelle4kids $35.00	Red Black nuno felt sil... feltinga $32.90
Red and Silver Braided ... mlwdesigns $25.00	Pattern Knitted PREEMIE... thewhitedaisyd... $2.99	Peppermint Flower Brooc... itsyourcountry... $14.99	Fire and Ice Mini Stylu... craftcrazy4u $17.00
Felted Primitive Bear. ... seikashop $38.00	Lunch bag owl, reusable... coolrebag $7.00	Inspirational quote, or... aviete $5.80	Red Ladybug Blue and Bl... Rogiol $11.00

Treasury tool supported by the dog house

'Beauty and function' by WritingPlaces

A collection of beautiful yet functional items ...

handmade knit soft frin... GoldenYarn $200.00	Open Crescent Gown Antiquebeginni... $149.99	Blueberry Candle Mat rustiquecat $20.00	Vintage Crocheted Colla... WillowCreekSho... $12.00
Labradorite Jewelry wit... Lilyb444 $30.00	Bridal Crochet Capelet,... evefashion $40.00	Sodalite and Moonstone ... evecollection $21.00	Beautiful Blue Blossom ... wearlovenow $24.99
Navy blue satin ruffle ... VioletsBuds $8.00	White crochet doily rou... kroshetmania $14.00	40% Off Sale - Navy Whi... gogovintage $62.00	Delft Blue Pig Cotton H... TheBridesHopeC... $9.00
White Scarf Cotton Sca... fatwoman $15.00	Eric Carle's Animal... retrobookshop $12.99	Handmade tatting tablec... ShopGift $380.00	Felt blue flower brooch... feltinga $19.90

Treasury tool supported by the dog house

'Please, Sir, may we have some snow?' by WritingPlaces

Just thought I'd ask. It's really dry here. :0)

Handcrocheted Lace Whit... evefashion $20.00	1950's Vintage Oval... WillowCreekSho... $9.00	White Variety Pack Dish... rustiquecat $9.00	Vintage 1940's Cult... SheilasBlessin... $20.00
Baby Blanket - Hand Kni... Ednascloset $29.95	200 bulk buttons / mix... ValentinasTrea... $10.00	white fresh water pearl... pearlreef $25.00	Shabby Chic Wood Candle... LittlestSister $9.00
Jeremiah 29:11 For I Kn... WallBling $40.00	Mirror Shabby Chic Chip... WeeLambieVinta... $45.00	Handmade crochet dress ... GoldenYarn $420.00	Winter Waiting for Spri... ArtOnceAgain $20.00
White Cream Flat Sided ... BijiBijoux $8.50	Pearl bracelet - brida... anamarina $69.00	White Carnation Fine Ar... Antiquebeginni... $45.00	New handmade Hexigan Gr... nannycheryl $77.00

Treasury tool supported by the dog house

'Thank you for the snow, Sir' by WritingPlaces

It snowed the day after my treasury "Please, Sir, may we have some snow?" Thanks, God!

Knitted Beige and White... evefashion $35.00	Hand Crochet Neck warme... Antiquebeginni... $30.00	REDUCED FROM 190.00 han... GoldenYarn $150.00	In God We Trust - Needl... CraftyCutiesby... $4.00
ACEO- Limited Edition-S... CreativeXpress... $5.00	Vintage Restaurant Ware... WillowCreekSho... $9.00	Baby Blanket - Hand Kni... Ednascloset $29.95	Hat Knitted Wool Mohai... ButtermilkCott... $50.00
SALE Handmade Christmas... eljuks $12.80	Blue Christmas Poinsett... rustiquecat $24.00	Pink Pearl, Stardust Si... Lilyb444 $20.00	Off-white hand knit dre... Muza $800.00
Hand Crocheted Off-whit... luvs2crochet $14.00	White sparkly hat and s... ThePeacefulHea... $25.00	Vintage Tim Hortons The... WishfulSpirit $20.00	Gift for her Rustic Whi... baconsquarefar... $20.00

Treasury tool supported by the dog house

Unpacking Forgiveness How Should I Go About It?

Last time I wrote about the book  Unpacking Forgiveness: Biblical Answers to Complex Questions and Deep Wounds, we discussed whether or not we should just get over offenses rather than bringing up what angers us with the offender in every situation. Author Chris Brauns suggested questions that we can ask ourselves in order to decide:

1. Before confronting, ask, "Have I examined myself yet?"
2. Before confronting, ask, "How sure am I that I am right?"
3. Before confronting, ask, "How important is this?"
4. Before confronting, ask, "Does this person show a pattern of this kind of behavior?"
5. Before confronting, ask, "What do wise people counsel me to do?"
6. Before confronting, ask, "What else is going on in the other person's world?"

In response to this a couple of you responded that you really liked Brauns' advice to choose your battles. I liked it too. In fact, as a result of reading this book, my perspective on forgiveness is changing. I'm learning that it's okay to ask the above questions, to choose my battles and to just let things go.

Now comes the hard part. What do we do when we actually have to confront someone?

I've told you in previous posts that in my younger years, my church taught the process correctly - about going to the person you're having a problem with and explaining the entire thing.  After a while, however, it just got too embarrassing, especially when people got angry over the fact that I could actually have a problem with their behavior. Because of this, I withdrew and held those feelings inside. What happened was that these people made me feel like the issue was completely my fault. They claimed no responsibility, nor did they value my feelings, or me as a person for that matter.

It can become easier to either let everything go or to just let go of the friendship, and eventually it becomes easier to remain an introvert and not get close to anyone. Or, allow anyone to get close to you. You may have "friends" on the surface, but really they are acquaintances. You do not share who you really are with them.

Matthew 18: 15 - 20 has some good advice for settling conflict.  Jesus, as we know, was very wise about handling and settling differences. Of course, this passage in context applies to church discipline, or how conflict is supposed to be solved within the church body - the people not the institution, but Brauns wrote that "... it is a mistake to think of these verses only applying to church discipline. The principles in these verses apply to other relationships as well."

Brauns' interpretation of what Jesus said in Matthew 18: 15 - 20 is in italics below.
First, if possible, settle matters privately ... Keep the circle small. In other words, don't tell everyone you're going to talk to so and so and then give a full account of the issue. If necessary, talk to a mature Christian then go to the person who has given offense in private. Do not write about the issue on Facebook. Do not call the prayer chain. Do not talk to your group of friends. Keeping the matter private will solve a lot of problems before they start.

When you speak to the person, be gracious. Being gracious means that you are kind and courteous. Your manner is "marked by tact and delicacy," according to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary. Interestingly, an obsolete definition of being gracious is "... to be godly". So, when you go to someone, pray that you will be like Jesus to them.

Take no revenge, not even a little. As a young person, I learned that revenge, or getting back at people, could indeed be sweet. There was nothing like returning a snappy comeback or seeing the look of shock on someone's face when I unexpectedly returned their ill treatment of me. However, in God's kingdom that kind of behavior is unacceptable. We are to let God deal with people in his way and time. This does not mean that we become doormats; however, we must be humble and prayerfully consider the situation when people hurt us.

Listen first and be prepared to ask forgiveness yourself. Your actions may have provoked the offender. Or, if you are accompanying another person in a confrontation, you may also have to ask forgiveness, Brauns writes. The situation may be more convoluted than previously anticipated.

Take the other party at his or her word. Don't try and evaluate motives.

Choose the time and place carefully (Proverbs 27: 14).

Choose your words carefully (Proverbs 25: 11).

Be patient and have modest expectations. Do not expect the person to respond positively. Give them room to take in what you are saying.

Follow the scripture. If the person does not respond to the first attempt take one or two others along. Then, if a third attempt is needed "follow formal church  discipline," Brauns writes. By other relationships in the quote above, I'm not sure that step two applies to those outside the church body. Step three - applying church discipline - certainly does not. His suggestions that I listed above are wise to follow in any relationship.

Next Thursday, we'll discuss the chapter "What if I Won't Forgive?"

A prayer request ...

Hello, everyone. I haven't written anything on this blog for a couple of weeks so I thought I should try today.

I've taken an unintended break and for those who have been looking for the series on Unpacking Forgiveness, I apologize. That series, good Lord willing, will continue this Thursday as previously scheduled.

The reason I have taken a break is because I was setting up another blog for the Create in Christ team on Etsy. For those who are unfamiliar with the way Etsy operates, the shop owners and some customers form teams according to their interests. These team members promote each other hoping that it will result in sales and/or contacts. The Create in Christ team is a group of sellers who want to uplift Jesus in their work. Our products are not all religious, but we hope to create an environment of support and encouragement for each other so that we will all do well on Etsy. Shortly after I joined the team, the leader asked me to work on the blog. It was one of those situations in which the Lord smacks you on the back of the head and says, "Do it." How could I not after that?

So now that the Create in Christ blog appears to be running smoothly, maybe I can refocus on this one a bit more. I did not count on taking a break but that's why I did.

Is anyone out there who will pray for me? At first, this blog served as an outlet to express my frustrations with the church. Now that I've moved past that a bit I want to make it a place where people can read about spiritual formation as it pertains to the Christian life. I want it to be a place where God can minister through his Holy Spirit.

Because of the Internet, this blog has reached places I probably will never go. We've gone into China, Russia, Eastern Europe, even Iran and Iraq at times. As someone who grew up in the 1980s, before the Berlin Wall fell, it's been incredible to see the places the Internet takes Yahbut. However, I can't do this without your prayers.

So I ask again. Is there anyone out there who will pray for me as I write this blog?

If so, will you let me know in the comment section? Thanks.

Don't forget. Have faith.

"We want water!"

Moses had heard enough. The people were whining again. They seemed to do that whenever they encountered difficulty. They were like children on a road trip: "Are we there yet?"

“Why did you bring us up out of Egypt to make us and our children and livestock die of thirst?”

Moses cried out to the Lord, “What am I to do with these people? They are almost ready to stone me.”

The Lord answered Moses, “Go out in front of the people. Take with you some of the elders of Israel and take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go. I will stand there before you by the rock at Horeb. Strike the rock, and water will come out of it for the people to drink.” So Moses did this in the sight of the elders of Israel. And he called the place Massah and Meribah because the Israelites quarreled and because they tested the Lord saying, “Is the Lord among us or not?”

The journey from Egypt was long and the people's constant griping had made it even longer. I'm sure Moses wondered many times how a people could gripe so much, especially after God had delivered them from slavery under Pharaoh in such a miraculous way.

"Is the Lord among us or not?"

Could they be serious, given what the Lord had already done for them?

Unfortunately, they were. Check out a portion of Psalm 95:

Today, if only you would hear his voice,
“Do not harden your hearts as you did at Meribah,[a]
as you did that day at Massah[b] in the wilderness,
where your ancestors tested me;
they tried me, though they had seen what I did.
For forty years I was angry with that generation;
I said, ‘They are a people whose hearts go astray,
and they have not known my ways.’
So I declared on oath in my anger,
‘They shall never enter my rest.’”

God was angry for 40 years?  That's a long time. Yet, as a parent I can understand his anger. If one of my children ever said that I had not done anything for them and doubted me every time they needed something I believe that you could describe the emotion that would surge through me as anger. Here, God had delivered the children of Israel from the grip of cruel slavery by sending ten plagues on their captors; he had divided the sea so that they could cross ahead of the Egyptian army and then drowned all of the soldiers; he had provided meat for them because of their whining. He had made their daily bread fall from the sky. He had done so many things and yet they accused God of deserting them when they needed water. Yes, I think if I were God I would be mad. 

 This portion of Psalm 95 with its poignant reminder of the Israelites constant griping, sends a strong warning to my heart, "Don't forget how God has blessed you. Have faith. Don't worry."   If God has helped me in times past, he will do so again. There's no reason to doubt when trouble comes.  Yet, sometimes I forget and the mountain of trouble seems too difficult to cross. It seems there are no streams of life-giving water. The heavens become a glass ceiling through which my prayers may not pass.   And then, in his goodness, God makes water flow from the rock. I am humbled. I tell myself to remember next time; to quit forgetting that God never leaves me even though his presence is not evident.    

And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. Hebrews 11:6.

We must endeavor to think the best of God no matter what. That is faith. This pleases God. How is your faith?        

a.Psalm 95:8 Meribah means quarreling.
b.Psalm 95:8 Massah means testing.

Unpacking Forgiveness: Should I Just Get Over It?

"Just get over it."

Has anyone said that to you? Depending on the circumstance, when someone says that to me I usually don't like it. It tells me that my opinion does not matter. It tells me that when I am trying to stand up for what I believe is right the other person could care less.

No one likes to feel as if they are not important, but aren't there times when "Just get over it" is the best advice we could receive?

When my three boys were little, they often nitpicked at each other and squabbled over issues. Serving as judge and jury (a trial to the court, if you please) I would hear each side and then attempt to mete out justice. This worked well most days, but there were times when the argument would continue despite my best efforts. On these days I would end up yelling "ENOUGH!" over the noise. It would grow silent and then the 'buts' would start:

"Yeah, but he did ..."

"But, Mom, he ..."

"Enough!" I would exclaim again. "I don't want to hear anymore. You guys just need to forgive each other and go on. And, if you can't get along, perhaps you need to clean your room until you can."

That usually fixed the problem. They would suddenly remember how much they liked each other and begin playing again.

In his book Unpacking Forgiveness: Biblical Answers to Complex Questions and Deep Wounds, author Chris Brauns writes, "Can you think of a time in your marriage or friendships that you blew something up when you should have let it go? This brings us to an important truth: we do not need to formally resolve every conflict that takes place. Some offenses need to be dropped."

I think we can all answer "yes" to the question about blowing things up. Knowing when to drop an issue takes a certain degree of discernment. I have found that this discernment is just not available when I am holding a grudge or if I refuse to think that the other person may be right, or at least partially right. Therefore, I must continually allow the Holy Spirit to cultivate a spirit of humility in me.

"Each time you are offended, you need to wisely decide whether or not you need to bring it up. Only you can make that decision," Brauns writes.

Brauns provided several "diagnostic questions" to ask ourselves when a problem arises:

1. Before confronting, ask, "Have I examined myself yet?"
2. Before confronting, ask, "How sure am I that I am right?"
3. Before confronting, ask, "How important is this?"
4. Before confronting, ask, "Does this person show a pattern of this kind of behavior?"
5. Before confronting, ask, "What do wise people counsel me to do?"
6. Before confronting, ask, "What else is going on in the other person's world?"

I won't provide Brauns' full explanations. I just want to provide a framework for your information. I really suggest you obtain the book in order to study further (your local library should be able to get for you) because Brauns has good practical advice for everyday issues. What it all boils down to is whether or not we let love cover over offenses, or should we confront in order to get it off our chest. The thing to remember is that whatever you decide, love should be at the heart of what you do. If you choose not to confront, don't talk about what a slimeball the person is to everyone else. If you can't let it go, talk to the person. If someone comes to you with a problem, offer to help him or her talk to the offender, Brauns writes. Don't allow yourself to get caught up in gossip. That will just make the problem worse.

On Thursday we'll discuss how you can go about confronting people. See you then.

A delay in the Unpacking Forgiveness series

With the Christmas holiday this week and relatives still visiting, I will not be able to post today's installment of Unpacking Forgiveness: Biblical Answers to Complex Questions and Deep Wounds. I apologize for this; however, I should be able to post today's chapter on Monday so that we can get back on schedule by Thursday.

In case you would like to review here are the links to all of the previous posts:

Forgiving from a Distance ...

Unpacking Forgiveness: How to Start

Motivation to Unpack

Defining Forgiveness

A Definition for Christians

More than a Feeling

The Way Up is Down

Unpacking Forgiveness: Unpack with Great Urgency

Joy in the ordinary

It's the day after Christmas! I hope you all had a wonderful Advent season and are excited that the Lord will come again one day - not as a baby but as a triumphant king who will make everything right.

How was your Christmas Day? I must say that ours was quite happy - the best one in years, according to my husband and I agree. There was nothing unusual about it. We had everyone over on Christmas Eve, ate delicious food and unwrapped gifts. On Christmas morning we all slept in a bit (that's the beauty of having teenagers), got up, unwrapped gifts, ate more delicious food and lazed around the rest of the day. It had  snowed overnight as well so we had a beautiful white Christmas.

It was all rather ordinary. In fact, celebrating Christmas is an ordinary annual occasion.

Christmas always makes me think of Mary, the mother of Jesus. Here was an ordinary girl living in a typical farming community in the Roman Empire. She and her community worked hard to stay alive. They were all poor, yet they had a rich heritage with the promise of a coming king who would end all of their strife.


One day Mary's life turned upside down. An angel visited and told her a marvelous thing. She would bear the long-awaited king - the Messiah. Now her life was anything but ordinary. Her obedience led her on a great adventure marked by delicious joy, wonder, grief, sorrow and peace that passed her understanding. However, she still led an ordinary life by everyone's standards. She didn't leave her culture, nor was she escalated into a life of luxury and ease just because she carried God's son. If anything, for the first two years at least, it was the exact opposite. Once everything calmed down, however, she and Joseph settled down to an ordinary life. She was a mother. She was a wife. She raised her children and the family worked hard to survive like so many of us.

The ordinariness of Mary's life adds wonder to the Christmas story. It brings full meaning to the term Emmanuel, which means "God with us." If God had come to Herod's family, or some other aristocratic clan, rather than living among the people who worked for their survival, the story would lose its wonder. Knowing that the God of the Universe placed his son in the midst of regular people lets me know that God truly understands us. God knows how hard we work. He has done it too. God knows temptation, boredom, sickness, death, joy, laughter, compassion, sorrow. God rejoices in and chooses to work in the ordinariness of life.  He chooses ordinary people through whom to accomplish his purposes here on earth.

It is because of God's presence that we experience joy. Even in our most ordinary times, his presence can add a sense of wonder to everything we experience. His presence somehow makes the hard times endurable.


On Christmas afternoon Mike and I decided to take a walk. Our neighborhood is located in a farming community so there are empty fields to the south of us. As we walked by one of these fields we noticed that there were hundreds of Canada geese on the ground with more circling overhead so that they too could settle down. It was an awesome sight! Mike and I stood still watching them fly in descending circles for a little while and finally land. Then, as soon as they got comfortable a car driving on the road next to the field frightened them. They were in the air again madly honking. I couldn't help but laugh. That car wasn't going to drive into the field and mow them down, but they didn't know that.

It was all so ordinary, but it was beautiful.

The delicious joy and deep peace I felt made it beautiful. Mike and I talked about how good the day was this morning and wondered what had made the difference. Now, as I reflect, I am sure, that it was a direct result of concentrating on the Advent readings and adding tangible elements to our celebration. By doing so it appears that we invited the presence of God to flow through our festivities and add wonder to the ordinary celebration of Christmas.

This is true for every day we live. God's presence adds joy to life. How can we bring that presence in to the ordinary everyday flow? How can we maintain that joy despite circumstance? It's something to consider.

God and Art Series: Christmas trees

No one is sure just when the Christmas tree came into the picture. It originated in Germany. The 8th century English missionary, St. Boniface, Apostle to Germany, is supposed to have held up the evergreen as a symbol of the everlasting Christ. By the end of the sixteenth century, Christmas trees were common in Germany. Some say Luther cut the first, took it home, and decked it with candles to represent the stars. When the German court came to England, the Christmas tree came with them.

Source: Christianity.com

In America, many people still put up real evergreens in their houses for Christmas. Others put up artificial trees because of allergies to real trees or because it saves on cost or reduces fire hazards. This year, some are putting a different spin on the old-fashioned tree. In celebration of Christmas, I made a treasury on Etsy called Oh, Christmas Tree. For this blog post I chose some of the artists from the treasury who use recycled materials for their item. It's fun to see what people are doing with everyday objects.

Enjoy!



AnthologyOnMain




artinredwagons




cardboardchristmas




AtelierboisdAme




idreamingreen




1molly01




cupcakegangster



Unpacking Forgiveness: Unpack with Great Urgency

 Mike and the Mechanics - "The Living Years"

What would you do if you knew tomorrow was your last day on earth?

It's ironic that tomorrow is December 21- the last day of earth's existence, according to the people interpreting the Mayan calendar. It doesn't worry me at all as I am not buying into that, but what if it were true and you knew that tomorrow was actually the last day ever? What would you do?

Or, what if you had a terminal illness or someone you knew had one. As the end drew near what would be your priority?

I remember back in the 80s when as a teenager I would go to summer camp or a revival. The altars would be lined with people my age who were scared to death of Christ returning before we had a chance to make it right with someone whom we had offended or vice versa.

As an adult, I must admit that I have lost that urgency.

Why? Because reconciliation takes time. And, it is not easy.

However, in his book Unpacking Forgiveness: Biblical Answers for Complex Questions and Deep Wounds,  author Chris Brauns reminds us that unpacking forgiveness is an urgent matter.

Consider this scripture:

Matthew 18:5-10

New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

⁵ Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.⁶ “If any of you put a stumbling block before one of these little ones who believe in me, it would be better for you if a great millstone were fastened around your neck and you were drowned in the depth of the sea. ⁷ Woe to the world because of stumbling blocks! Occasions for stumbling are bound to come, but woe to the one by whom the stumbling block comes!⁸ “If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away; it is better for you to enter life maimed or lame than to have two hands or two feet and to be thrown into the eternal fire. ⁹ And if your eye causes you to stumble, tear it out and throw it away; it is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and to be thrown into the hell of fire.¹⁰ “Take care that you do not despise one of these little ones; for, I tell you, in heaven their angels continually see the face of my Father in heaven.

Jesus is pretty emphatic that making someone stumble is sinful.  Quite frankly, his words scare me. 

"If we don't work through conflicts immediately, there is a possibility we may cause others to stumble, and that is a responsibility we do not want to shoulder; better to gouge out our eyes, cut off our hands, or tie an anchor to our ankles and pitch it over the side of the boat than do that," Brauns writes. 

Jesus, the master of metaphor, used graphic examples to illustrate the passion we should have for following God's word. However, rather than actually cutting off our limbs, scooping out our eyes, and so on, I believe that he wants us to exuberantly follow his directions as if we would rather gouge out one of our eyes than cause someone to stumble. 

Conflict between people is never just between those who are directly involved. Conflict can cause other people to stumble.

Can you think of a time when a disagreement between you and someone else negatively affected the people around you? What did you do about it? If you haven't done anything, what will you do?

Brauns concludes: "In Matthew 18: 4 - 14 Jesus taught that we must work out differences with the greatest sense of urgency. Christians should take drastic measures to avoid causing another brother or sister to walk away from the faith. We should love one another with the same level of risk-taking urgency that we would demonstrate in the face of some great crisis. There will probably be a time when you are called to resolve a situation even though you don't feel you can handle it perfectly. Do it. Be urgent. Those who are willing to continue conflicts even at the expense of a negative impact on others should fear for their souls." 

This is definitely something to seriously consider. Next week, we will discuss chapter 8, "Should I Just Get Over It?"

Advent emphasizes our need for Jesus

As we lit three candles on the third Sunday of Advent, our family prayed:

God of hope, you call us home from the exile of selfish oppression to the freedom of justice, the balm of healing, and the joy of sharing.

Make us strong to join you in your holy work, as friends of strangers and victims, companions of those whom others shun, and as the happiness of those whose hearts are broken.

We make our prayer through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 

Brothers and sisters, as we joyfully await the glorious coming of the Christ, let us pray for the needs of the church, our community, and the world.

God of joy and exultation,
you strengthen what is weak;
you enrich the poor
and give hope to those who live in fear.
Look upon our needs this day.
Make us grateful for the good news of salvation
and keep us faithful in your service
until the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ,
who lives for ever and ever. Amen.  

O God of the exiles and the lost,
you promise restoration and wholeness
through the power of Jesus Christ.
Give us faith to live joyfully,
sustained by your promises
as we eagerly await the day when they will be fulfilled
for all the world to see,
through the coming of your Son, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Advent emphasizes our need for Jesus.

As I read through this prayer, the phrase "whose hearts are broken", instantly brought to mind a sign written by the people who had lost their children in the Connecticut school shooting.

It said: "Our hearts are broken."

Indeed. Our hearts are too. Why these things happen is a mystery to me. My religious training answers that question for me - We live in a sin-cursed world, bad things are going to happen. This is true; however, this knowledge does not keep tears from coming to my eyes when I think of this tragedy. It does not stop the questions. I still look to God and ask why.

It was Jesus, after all, who said, Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.

I do not know why bad things happen. I do not know why people shoot children. I do not know why there are mentally ill people who do not receive the professional care they need. What I do know is that these things happen because of our desperate state in a world cursed by sin. It wasn't meant to be this way, but God in his loving wisdom allowed us to have free will and we have abused it. 

What all of this emphasizes - Advent, the school shootings and everything else that is happening in the world - is that people are in desperate need of a savior. We need Jesus. Please don't misunderstand me. I am not saying that it's my religion or else. If you are sincerely seeking truth, you will find Truth if you search with all your heart.

What I'm saying is that our world is in such bad shape. We need to trust the one who can heal our hearts and souls.

Another part of the Advent prayer says:

O God of the exiles and the lost,

you promise restoration and wholeness

through the power of Jesus Christ.

No other god can do this. No other god cares about us that much.

That is what Advent is about. The great God, maker of the universe, came to earth as a baby. He was born to poor parents in a stable. He learned to live as we live. He experienced everything we go through. He was born, he lived, he died. He rose again. He beat death into submission and he fills our hearts when we let him in. He heals the ravages that sin has created in our lives and loves us like crazy. He is also returning someday to set things straight.

This knowledge gives me hope. It is my prayer that you have hope as well.

The Parable of the Shopper

I thought you might enjoy this story I found on Bible Gateway:

The Parable of the Shopper

Author unknown

My feet were tired, my hands cold, my arms exhausted from the weight of the packages, and it was beginning to snow. The bus was late. I kept rearranging my packages, trying to hold them in a different way in order to give my poor arms a rest. I still remember that day as if it were yesterday, and yet fifteen years have gone by. Nevertheless, when Christmas rolls around, I remember that day on the bus.

I was tired. I had been Christmas shopping all day long. When the bus finally arrived, it was packed with holiday shoppers in the same exhausted mood as I. I sank into the only vacant place, near the back, by a handsome gentleman. He politely helped me to situate my packages and even held some of them himself.

“My goodness," he said, "did you leave any merchandise still in the stores for the rest of us?"

"I don’t think so," I moaned. "Worst of all, I still haven’t made all of my purchases."

The woman in the seat behind us joined in my grief and added, "No, the worst thing is that the day after Christmas we will be carrying this same armload back to the store to exchange it."

Her comment brought a general chuckle from all those within earshot, including my seat mate. As the laughter subsided, he began in a quiet, melodious voice, deepened with experience, to teach me a lesson that I have never forgotten:

"Hear now the parable of the shopper," he said, speaking gently and indicating my packages. "A woman went forth to shop, and as she shopped, she carefully planned. Each child’s desires were considered. The hard-earned money was divided, and the many purchases were made with the pure joy and delight that is known only to the giver. Then the gifts were wrapped and placed lovingly under the tree. In eager anticipation she scanned each face as the gifts were opened."

"'What a lovely sweater,' said the eldest daughter, 'but I think I would prefer blue. I suppose I can exchange it?'

"'Thank you for the cassette player, Mother. It’s just what I wanted,' said her son. And then aside, secretly to his sister, he continued, 'I told her I wanted the one with the automatic reverse and an extra speaker. I never get what I want!'

"The youngest child spoke out with the spoiled honesty of her age, 'I hate rag dolls! I wanted a china doll. I won't play with it!' And the doll, still in the box, was kicked under the couch."

"One gift still lay under the tree. The woman pointed it out to her husband. 'Your gift is still there.'

"'I'll open it when I have the time,' he stated. 'I want to get this bike put together first.'

"How sad it is," continued his soft, beautiful voice. "When gifts are not received in the same spirit they are given. To reject a thoughtful gift is to reject the loving sentiment of the giver himself. And yet, are we not all sometimes guilty of rejecting?"

He was talking not only to me, but to all of those on the bus. They had all gathered around. The bus was parked.

He took a present from my stack.

"This one," he said, holding it up and pretending to open the card, "could be to you." He pointed to a rough-looking, teenage boy in a worn denim jacket and pretended to read the gift card. "To you I give My life, lived perfectly, as an example so that you might see the pattern and live worthy to return and live with Me again. Merry Christmas from the Messiah."

"This one," he said, holding up a pure, white present, "is for you." He held out the gift to a worn-looking woman, who in earlier years must have been a real beauty. She read the card out loud and allowed her tears to slip without shame down her painted face. "My gift to you is repentance. This Christmas I wish you to know for certain that though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be white as snow. Signed, your Advocate with the Father."

"That isn’t all. No, here is a big, red package." he looked around the group and brought a ragged, unkempt, little child forward. "This package would be for you if He were here. The card would say, 'On this Christmas and always, My gift to you is love. From your brother, Jesus.'"

"One final gift," said my seat mate. "The greatest of all the gifts of God--Eternal life!"

He held our minds and our hearts. We were a hungry audience. Though our shopping had left us drained, now we were being filled by his words.

"How we receive these gifts, these precious gifts from the Babe of Bethlehem, is the telling point. Are we exchangers?" he asked. "Is there really anything else we would rather have? It is what we do with a gift long after we have opened it that shows our true appreciation."

With those words he was gone. That was fifteen years ago, only a wink in time. But not even an eternity could erase the sermon, or the man.

God and Art Series: Artist seeks to bring positive message

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Today we are talking with Jen Morrison from Aloquin, a shop on Etsy. You can also find Jennifer on her blog aloquin.

Tell us a little about yourself and your artwork. When and how did you start developing your artistic-self?


I believe artistic development is an ongoing process. We are always inspired by different things we see, and bits and pieces inevitably work their way into our art.

As far as beginning, I was drawing ever since I can remember. It was just something I always loved to do, and even got in trouble in school for doodles all over my desk and inside my math book. It seemed only natural to follow my passion.

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Have you received any awards or other achievements? Where can people find your work? What teams do you belong to and how did you come up with the name for your shop?

How I came up with my shop name is rather funny. The first job I ever had was at 16, when I worked in the snack shack of the local animal farm petting zoo. I was bored waiting for customers, so I'd brought along paper to write or doodle on, and I was trying to think of interesting words for a pen name for myself. Somehow I got to looking at the back of the packages of food items in the snack shack, and I came across either the word "Aloquin" or a created it from a combination of ingredients on something. Either way, I liked how it sounded, and it's stuck with me ever since.

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I've won some awards, yes. In High School I won the LILCO - the Energy Wise on Long Island Poster Contest- that was very big for me. It was amazing because everyone was making a huge deal, and I was ecstatic because they were paying such attention to my art. I really felt I could do something in the world from that point on.

This past month of October my entry was chosen for inclusion in the Embracing Our Differences Art Exhibition 2012. This was a very humbling experience because I realized what an important event I was honored to be a part of. All the artists who were chosen got to attend and be recognized at an appreciation celebration, and I earned a beautiful plaque, but more importantly, I was able to use my art to help spread a positive message.

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What attracts you to drawing illustrations, work with paper (have I missed anything)? How do you gain inspiration for your work?

I suppose the most significant inspiration for my work is the emotion evoked by music. I will listen to songs, and the lyrics will just MOVE me, and I must create in that moment. I will immediately have to start drawing or externalizing my creativeness onto some substrate. My work doesn't become a physical representation of the lyrics I hear, but is more a result of how I feel while listening to the song. I have been creating a lot in Mixed Media lately... it is a freeing and wonderful form of expression.

How have the events of your life affected your art? How has art affected your life?

I have always been drawn (no pun intended) to illustrative work. I enjoy creating ACEOs (Art Cards, Editions, and Originals), working in my art journal, and, more recently, larger canvases/backgrounds. It has simply always been something I've loved to do ... even now, if I go somewhere, I must have a book or paper with me to doodle/create upon if I end up waiting. I can't imagine what my life might have been like if I'd not had my art ...

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Art has affected my life in the fact that it IS me. I am never not working on something or other. It's as me as eating or breathing ... seriously. I am so grateful to God for giving me this gift. I am inspired by such stories as that of Joni Eareckson [Tada], that I heard of when I was little ... she was paralyzed but still created paintings with the paintbrush manipulated by her mouth. I think that's beautiful!

When did you begin your relationship with God and how? How has your relationship with God affected your art? How has art affected your relationship to God?

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I am happy to say that, growing up, in a family of born-again believers, I've always had a relationship with God. I remember being passionate about God's love even at age five. I was in the backyard, intent on digging a hole down to the devil so I could witness to him! I was convinced that if he only knew how much God loved him, then he would stop being bad! LOL ... rather naive in retrospect, but not really ... the ideal was sincere, and very real. So many people are caught up in their sinful lifestyles because they just don't know the love of God. I understood at only five years old that we are called to be his light and be used by him to show his love.

How has art affected my relationship with God and vice versa leads into your next question:

Any future goals you'd like to share? Any encouragement for other artists?

My future goals? I believe that God has given me my talent for a reason, and I am open to direction from him for any way that I can use my art to glorify him. I feel my art will one day be used in a big way. I am not saying I'm exceptionally good as compared to others at art, I just feel that I am meant to do something for him with my art, and I am eager to find out what :)

We are eager to find out too, Jennifer. Thank you for visiting with us!

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Unpacking Forgiveness: The Way Up is Down

Few people like conflict. Oh, there are some who seek it out and thrive on it, but generally speaking, most human beings would like a stress-free life with smooth, enjoyable relationships.

Sadly, that is far from reality.

Conflict in every day relationships is common. It seems we can't escape it. But why?

Consider two scriptures from Matthew 18:

1 At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who, then, is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”2 He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them. 3 And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 5 And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.

And,

 21 Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?” 22 Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.[Or seventy times seven]23 “Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. 24 As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand bags of gold was brought to him.25 Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt.26 “At this the servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’ 27 The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go.28 “But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred silver coins.[i] He grabbed him and began to choke him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ he demanded.29 “His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay it back.’30 “But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. 31 When the other servants saw what had happened, they were outraged and went and told their master everything that had happened.32 “Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. 33 Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’34 In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.35 “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”

Now compare the two stories. What trait would be present in a child that was not present in the servant who owed his master a lot of money?  

Humility. Does that surprise you or did you guess? 

In his book Unpacking Forgiveness: Biblical Answers for Complex Questions and Deep Wounds, author Chris Brauns writes that children in the ancient Middle East were expected to "be seen and not heard". They did not seek status. Children had a humble position in society. They knew their place.  

This is not to say that the followers of Christ are to not try to succeed or achieve greatness for the kingdom. This means that in light of God, our Father, we are to know our place. We are to remember who gave us everything we have.  "Jesus encouraged the disciples to pursue greatness," Brauns writes, "and the way he taught them to pursue it was by serving one another, by being truly humble."

How this fits with forgiveness is evident in the second passage of scripture. If the servant who owed his master that huge amount of money had been humble (and truly grateful, I might add), he would have cancelled the debt, or would have been more patient with other servant who owed him such a small amount. After receiving forgiveness for so much, you would think that the smaller amount would mean nothing.

"True humility nips conflict in the bud. In one way or another, selfish pride causes all quarrels and fights (James 4: 1 -10; Matthew 7: 1-5). Second, if we are truly humble, then when we do have conflicts, they will be resolved far more quickly," Brauns writes.

Do you remember the last conflict you had? Were you humble or not? How did that go?

Being humble is not easy for anyone. At the base of humility is the absence of pride, but pride can take many forms. The thing to remember is that pride "is not just an inflated opinion of oneself," Brauns writes. "Pride is any way of putting self into the central focus."

Wow. Or should I say "ouch"?  Brauns says that people who are overly critical, insecure, shy, sensitive, presumptuous, impatient with others shortcomings, easily embarrassed or those who worry a lot are examples of those who struggle with pride. All of these shortcomings, plus more overt displays of pride, can cause conflicts and can prevent the resolution of conflicts (p. 82).

No wonder we struggle so much. Often, in the church, displays of humilty are shown by calling ourselves "wretches" or saying that we are nothing. This does not follow the Biblical definition of humility because it puts the focus right back on ourselves.

Although pride is difficult to overcome, it is possible. I believe that if Jesus did not mean for us to overcome sin he would not have told us to do so, but we first must give the Holy Spirit control of our hearts. I also like what Brauns recommends in this chapter: "The only way to grow in humility truly is to take our eyes off ourselves and meditate on the beauty and glory of the Lord Jesus Christ."

Brauns recommends reading and meditating upon Isaiah 40 as a way to help develop humilty. I also recommend the Psalms, any of the church canticles and Job 40 and 41.

"Biblical humility is increasingly seeing ourselves as completely dependent on God. It is serving others for God's glory. We achieve humility only by seeing and savoring Christ. The more we see Christ, the more we will be truly humble, the more conflicts we will avoid, and the more easily the ones we do encounter will be resolved," Brauns writes.

That is not bad advice.

Next week we will review chapter seven, "Unpack with Great Urgency."

Dealing with holiday stress

Christmas has always been a special time. During my childhood there were special art projects to do at school, yummy cookies to help decorate and eat, music programs, special church services, presents, fun with my cousins, and, of course, vacation from school. That's always a plus.

As I grew older, I became increasingly aware of the drama that surrounded the Christmas season. I didn't notice it so much in college, but when I got married and moved away from home, I realized how hectic it could be, especially since we did not have money. Before that, I had never realized that Christmas could be such a pain between the ears.

It's a good thing that I did not realize the stress surrounding Christmas before adulthood. I credit my parents for that. It is because of this that I have sought an answer to bringing the fun and peace of the holidays back into my life.

This has not been easy at all. The stress of the holidays can make you crazy. For years, I have struggled under the belief that I had to do everything people wanted me to do, give gifts, baked goods and/or cards to relatives, friends and acquaintances; participate in every church activity and make my children happy to boot. It was a terrible burden - one that I did not really become aware of until a few years ago. I just thought that being dog tired and cranky was part of the holiday season for adults. Do you feel that way this time of year?

This year I've rebelled against all of that. I'm really tired of allowing the world's expectations of what makes a good holiday to hijack my celebration of Christ's birth. You'll recall that I wrote a post earlier this year about not shopping in stores on Black Friday. Later on this season, I realized that this decision was a culmination of many things that the Lord has taught me over the last few years in order to bring Christmas to my heart in a more refreshing way.

So far, it seems to be working. And, it's a shock.

So, what is the difference?

1. Our family bought an Advent wreath. This turned our focus upward. Every Sunday we've gathered around the candles and have prayed a prayer asking the Lord to come.

2. I'm praying the Advent liturgy of the church every day and night. This is not to say that I'm ultra pure because of this. I really need this to center my focus. This liturgy is found in the book of "Christian Prayer" on Amazon.

3. We did not shop in stores on Black Friday. What more terrible way to start off the Christmas season is there than fighting - sometimes quite literally - your fellow human beings at stores for senseless merchandise at ungodly hours of the day and night? Staying at home and making gifts and shopping online a little bit at normal hours made the start of the season much more relaxing.

4. We have changed our idea of gifting. We are only buying gifts for people who are close to us. Everyone else gets a hearty Merry Christmas. We may send cards to far away friends and family who, again, are close, but for the others we can always greet them on Facebook.  One thing I need to do is spread out making homemade gifts throughout the year. I've got three crochet projects still in the yarn stage that I really want to get done by Christmas, but there's no pressure! That will have to change next season even though I am enjoying myself.

5. We are not participating in a lot of outside activities. In order for us to participate in an activity, such as a Christmas program, the activity has to involve our family members, preferably in home-centered activities. Many of our activities are in fact centered at home, and we are finding that this works out much better. We've had a tree decorating get together and we plan to decorate cookies as a family.

6. We are going to give cookies, or perhaps bread, to our neighbors. Although we live in a very small town, more of a village than a 'town,' we really don't know the people who live around us very well. Nonetheless, they are all good neighbors, and I want our family to do something nice for them to show that we appreciate this.

I hope my words have helped you today. Maybe you feel frazzled. Maybe you have some other suggestions that will help us this season. I'd love to hear what you have to say.