Ponder This!

One activity that I enjoy is to read the hymnal that I grew up singing out of. Sometimes I sing the songs I know...sometimes I set at Rylee's keyboard and try to figure out the tune....sometimes I just read them meditatively and prayerfully. This hymnal is one of my most treasured possessions. I love it because it smells like church to me. I remember sining many of these songs at church back in the day when we turned in between each song instead of some seamless transition. I remember the transition being the sound of pages ruffling. I remember my dad's favorite being page 125. I remember Ann at the piano and Carlos at the the music stand leading us with their beautiful harmony. I remember my mom's neck turning red when she was moved by the words. I used the hymnal to as something hard while I wrote notes to my friends when the service was going too long. I know I didn't appreciate it then. Now I love these songs because I believe that songs should teach something...like doctrine and biblical truth. Often times modern music leaves me feeling disapointed...too simple and usually too repetitive...oh and way to much about me instead of Him. I believe it was the great reformer Martian Luther that said that when we sing God's truth our soul says "Amen!" I love that feeling!

The past couple of weeks I can't get the second verse of "Good Christian Men Rejoice" out of my head.

"Good Christian Men rejoice! With heart and soul and voice! Now ye hear of endless bliss Jesus Christ was born for this. He hath opened heaven's door, and man is blessed forever more. Christ was born for this, Christ was born for this!"

Christ birth is wonderful because he was born to bring us redemption. He was born to save! Salvation came because HE died in our place. He was born to die. My heart turns to his mother. The one who pondered things in her heart. The one who knelt beside a manger He used for a bed, wrapped in him swaddling cloths (and I believe mostly held her sweet lil' boy in her arms. After all he was her first and there were wild animals and strangers there who I am sure did not wash their hands!) This is the same mother who knelt at the foot of the cross and then wrapped Him in burial cloths and held her son again in her arms.
I am sure her whole life long these two moments were replayed in her mind. He was born to die. He did a lot of great living in the middle. I wonder what the ponderings were? She was told from the very beginning that a sword would pierce her own soul. It is not easy to be a mom who know that her child will live a life of suffering. I know that when you watch your child suffer you human instinct is to pull back your heart because the pain of a breaking heart is so great. I know that her heart must have been swung back and forth as she she was comforted by the truth that Jesus Christ was born for THIS! and then the frustration of Jesus being born for this? Each time over the past few weeks when I sing or hear this song It comforts me to know she understands all those things she pondered about and that it was those treasures that she laid at Her Saviors feet. I keep thinking of her looking down on us from the Great Cloud when we sing the third verse. I wonder if they get to sing with us? Oh, I hope so!

"Good Christian men rejoice. With heart and soul and voice! Now ye need no fear the grave Jesus Christ was born to save; Calls you one and call you all, To gain his everlasting hall. Christ was born to save, Christ was born to save!"

My soul this Christmas says "Amen!"

A Moment with Anna

One of my favorite people is the story of Jesus' birth is Anna. She gets little fame in the story because she plays just a small role. She isn't found in any nativity collection or probably even known about unless you actually read the Bible. She only gets remembered in a few yet powerful verses. Every year she is one of my favorite parts but I find myself drawn to her anew.

"Anna the prophetess was also there, a daughter of Phanuel from the tribe of Asher. She was by now a very old woman. She had been married seven years and a widow for eighty-four. She never left the Temple area, worshiping night and day with her fastings an prayers. At the very time Simeon was praying, she showed up, broke into an anthem of praise to God, and talked about the child to all who were waiting expectantly for the freeing of Jerusalem." Luke 2:36-38

I have found that the last few months have been a season of solitude for me. Regan is sleeping a lot and so I am "home" alone a lot. I know many mom's out there would find this find some time like this a great reward but it grew old very fast. So, I decided maybe I could learn something from sweet Anna. That in her grief she found purpose. She lost her husband after seven years of marriage. It says she never left the Temple area. Now as New Testament believers WE are the Temple of the Holy Spirit. So in my heart I can continually pray and worship God in all things. What I love most is that when Jesus showed up she recognized Him. Oh, that my heart could be these ready, that my heart could be so in tune with the Spirit that I would know when Jesus shows up. I also love that she waits expectantly for the freedom of Jerusalem. I pray God create in my a heart that continually expects the full freedom of sin when Christ's comes again. My heart cries out this Christmas...come Lord Jesus come.

ps our sweet lil Regan is singing this morning! I think she is taking the role of "breaking into an anthem of Praise to God" part of Anna's story. It seems to be a private matter for her because she rarely does it in public.

Our Little Dicken's

Ryder was apart of the 20th year of Christmas in the Chapel. He only had a small part as the young Charles Dickens. He did a great job. Here he his with Brady the guy who played his dad. We love Brady. He is a preachers kid with a great heart and great acting skills. He and Ryder hung out a lot when he was in Romeo and Juliet. Brady can be critical of himself and Ryder has noticed. Ryder said, "I can be that way to but Brady says not to do it." I am hoping some of Brady's finer qualities continue to rub off on our youngin'. Brady's girlfriend Emily and I say that Ryder and Brady are BFF's. Well maybe not but I sure hope Brady knows that my little guy is watching. Below he is with Adam (who is great as well) who played Charles Dickens.
It is moments like these when I really love our life/ministry here at LCC. I relish the opportunities that my kids have to see great Christian young people and aspire to be like them. The world through media doesn't offer great examples but our life at LCC does.

Here is Rylee and Kate with our Lilian..(she really goes by Lil but we like to call her Lilian!) My kids see her nearly every week day. She hangs out with Regs in the afternoon. They study Hebrew History together. Lil is not perfect but she is struggling to know Jesus. I want Rylee to not think she has to be perfect but to find herself in the struggle just like Jacob did and Lil is doing.

It reminds me of what Paul wrote to the church in Philippians 3:9. "The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me practice these things and the God of peace shall be with you. " We are at peace with God when we dwell with him in our mind, actions and heart. Part of how we know HOW to do it is by watching others do it. I know that I am an example to my kids and their friends but they need other examples too.

Rylee and Kate hanging out with Kim, Chelsey, and Claudia over at the Casa de Maupin. There are so many people in my life who have and are these examples to me It is part of why I love Christmas because I love the cards from many of these people. They cheer me! Their words encourage me to keep believing...keep pressing on! They remind me of what is excellent. (phil. 3:8) But today I give praise to God for his faithfulness to my children by always (throughout their whole life) giving them folks who can show them what a life of "whatever" looks like. "whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, let your mind dwell on these things." (phil 3:8)