Yes, I know. I haven't posted anything for a while.Here's the story, my excuse as it were.  I've been busy. No, I did not get a job. My dear friend and I are working on a project.  It is something new for me. I'm not willing at this point to say what it is but if it turns out ok, I might let you know what the project is. I have really enjoyed working on it, learning something new, recharging my batteries. The whole Christmas season was just very pleasant. We cut back on the number of gift purchases so there is a lot less pressure/stress involved with that.  I've increased my baking and have given a lot of cookies and fudge and other goodies away.  I've really enjoyed that. Two Christmas gifts (from others to us) involved donations to Heifer International and St Jude's Children's Research Hospital .  Those were wonderful gifts! Our pastor led an Advent Bible Study, focusing on the "support people" as I call them, the shepherds, Joseph, the wi...

Colossians 3:5 put to death whatever belongs to your earthly nature.... The rest of the passage lists some of the "earthly nature" that the people from the church in Colosse were dealing with: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. Of course the earthly nature is our sinful nature. We can blame it on Adam and Eve but we are no better. If they hadn't fallen, we would have. The "earthly nature" mentioned by Paul is not exactly the earthly nature I need to put to death. I do have an "earthly nature". Pride. Disobedience. Laziness. Distrust. Gluttony. I am not always righteous, upright, and God-centered as I should be. Actually, I may not even be God-centered most of the time. A God-centered nature would crowd out the earthly natures in me. I wouldn't feel lost, broken, dissatisfied if I were able to focus more on what God wants and less on what I think I want. A person could tell immediately how I differ fr...

Do you know that Joseph didn't say anything?  Look at the Biblical account.  It's in the first chapter of Matthew and in Luke 1 and 2.  He doesn't say anything.  An angel appears to him and says something like "go ahead and marry Mary and raise God's child". So Joseph does.   After the visit from the wise men, an angel appears to Joseph in a dream and says "go to Egypt and take Mary and Jesus with you".... and Joseph does. He never protests.  He never asks for an explanation. He just obeys. He does as instructed by an angel - in a dream. There are two lessons I take from this (after a Bible Study lesson this week).  One is that Joseph must have known scripture and prophesy.  Many of the Old Testament Prophets predicted the coming messiah. Isaiah 9:6 tells of a baby being born who will be Prince of Peace. Isaiah 7:14 says the baby will be born of a virgin.  Hosea begins chapter 1 with the passage " out of Egypt I called my son ". Mica...

ExpressionsbyD 2 Corinthians 4:1 1 For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that his life may also be revealed in our mortal body. I was contemplating this sentence from my readings today ( 2 Cor 4:7-12 ) . "Always being given over to death"  is the part that I was having trouble with. I do not die every day. I don't even get close to death (as far as I can tell). What does "given over to death" mean? I thought about this and reread it several times. Then my recent study on Job popped into my mind.  In Job , chapter 1 verse 8, God draws Satan's attention to " my servant Job ". Job 1 :  7 The LORD said to Satan, “Where have you come from?”    Satan answered the LORD, “From roaming throughout the earth, going back and forth on it.”   8 Then the LORD said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil.” ...

I thought I'd attempt to be a little creative this year for Christmas. I am not the creative type.  I don't see marvelous things hiding in ordinary items. I don't easily picture adding this to that to get some really nice centerpiece, or wall hanging, or door decoration.  That's not one of my strong suits. But sometimes I get the urge to try.  I prevented my husband from pruning the holly bushes a couple of months ago just in case I might want to decorate for Christmas with some real holly branches. He had doubts that I'd do anything with the holly (I did say I'm not the creative type!).  In spite of his doubts, he left them alone to be pruned later. Today, the sky is gray, covered in clouds. The sun is not shining brightly. So I went outside to cut some holly to see what I could do with it. My plans were to make something for the windows in the front of the house.  Some holly with a bow, perhaps in the center of each window. I've seen that before and fi...