Well, as I implied before...Christmas this year was rather quiet and laid back for me. I flew out of Arkansas on Dec 24th, just before a big storm and blizzard hit the Central midwest region. It was so bad in Oklahoma, in fact, that they closed the airport, highways and Interstate. Thankfully I missed all that excitement. However, when I got to Chicago, everything was in a hub-bub! Traffic was being delayed, flights cancelled....people were getting bumped. Initially I was hoping I'd get bumped too....because then maybe I could get a free airline voucher. (Last year I got TWO of them!!) But no such luck...my flight was as scheduled...and only a few minutes late in departing for Dayton, OH. Later as I was watching the news, I realized that God was actually looking out for me, for bad weather was predicted to hit Chicago later that night. I didn't need to be stuck in Chicago!
It was good to be with my sister Sunny and her husband Tim again. Tim is a Internal Medicine resident at Kettering, so he was on call. So we spent our Christmas eve having supper with him at the hospital in the doctor's lounge. (Wow - they treat the doctor's good! I had no clue!) They even had a beautiful tree set up in the lounge...as pictured here. That was cool since we didn't have our own tree this year. When Tim had to go back to work, Sunny and I came home and talked and listened to Christmas music. We wished more of our family (Hollands & Arakawa's) could have been with us...but we were thankful that at least we could be together!
Christmas day we slept in, had a late breakfast, and then began cooking for Christmas dinner. Sunny is quite the little "home-maker." I'm soooo proud of her!! Tim came home from the hospital and then slept for awhile as he'd been up all night answering the frantic calls of "agency nurses." (I can only laugh!)
Christmas dinner began about 6:30pm. Sunny and Tim had invited a couple friends over. It was small, quiet and nice. Sunny had prepared the American traditional: turkey roast (vegetarian of course), green beans, mashed potatoes and gravy, salad, rolls, stuffing, cranberry relish....and I helped her make her first apple pie. It was all scrumptious...and we had enough left-overs to invite everyone back for Sabbath lunch the next day.
Christmas evening, after our company left, we opened a couple gifts. Tim's parents had sent them a beautiful personalized calender with his mom's beautiful photography. Wow...we ooohhed and ahhhed over that for awhile. Then Mom and Dad Holland had sent Sunny a cool recipe book (which now I'm gonna have to get) and Tim some home-made wheat-sticks. (These unfortunately were too good for us to allow him to eat all by himself!) They had sent me a sweat shirt from my favorite Botanical Gardens in OKC. Then Sunny and Tim gave me a new heart.....just what I've been praying for! (Actually...it's a silicon heart-shaped baking dish. But it was something I'd been looking for for a couple years...so that was exciting!)
The big moment of the evening was when Tim gave Sunny a Vita-Mix!!! He'd told Sunny not to get anything, because they weren't gonna do gifts this year. (I guess he knew he was getting his own gift as well as Sunny's!) Needless to say, Sunny was pretty excited. (The picture below is of the gag-gift Tim gave her to start with. It was a box of Vita-Mix "spatula's"...the real blender was TOO BIG to wrap...but it was funny, because Sunny saw "Vita-Mix" written on the box, and she knew a "Vita-mix" was around somewhere. She's like, "So WHERE is the rest of my gift???????" We were all laughing...) So, as to be expected, all our meals since then have been made using the new Vita-mix!! :-)
And so my Holiday here in Ohio has gone...nothing fancy or too dramatic...(besides the "Vita-mix" entrance!) Just balanced and restful! Just quiet and simple. Time to talk and share, cook, rest, spend time with God, read...watch a few cute "Youtubes" and enjoy the gentle falling snow, which finally reached us yesterday.
And to be honest, this was just what I needed. As I've been contemplating life...and my life from the last year, I've realized the hazardousness of my natural tendencies to live on the edge of my endurance and capabilities. I don't know if it's my type "A" personality that doesn't know how to stop, if it's the urgency of the times in which we live...or just the fact that I like to be involved in everything that comes along. The fact is...it's been too busy of a year, and I'm tired!!
Of course, I know that our lives here on this earth aren't meant to be a relaxing vacation. God has called us to a life of active service for Him. But as I read Mark 3:14, I'm reminded again that all those deeds, all that "doing for God," all those commitments, all those acts of service - even though they may be good...they are fruitless unless we have FIRST taken time to really "be still" and be with Him! This balance we must have in order to not just survive, but THRIVE!!
Recently some quotes I read really convicted me afresh of times in which we live, how the enemy is constantly working to control and distract our lives (anything to keep us from God) and yet how our only safety is our continual "abiding in Him."
“An intensity such as never before is taking possession of the world. In amusement, in moneymaking, in the contest for power, in the very struggle for existence, there is a terrible force that engrosses body and mind and soul. In the midst of this maddening rush, God is speaking. He bids us come apart and commune with Him. “Be still, and know that I am God.” Ps 46:10
"We are to love God with all our hearts, and if we have an eye single to His glory we shall eat, drink, and clothe ourselves with reference to His divine will. Every one who has a realizing sense of what it means to be a Christian will purify himself from everything that weakens and defiles. All the habits of his life will be brought into harmony with the requirements of the Word of truth, and he will not only believe, but will work out his own salvation with fear and trembling, while submitting to the molding of the Holy Spirit."
5 comments:
Thanks for coming to spend the Christmas with us, Mel. It was really nice having you here! :)
Dear Melody,
Christmases as He ordains them are truly the most lovely and divine, no matter how unconventional! :) I remember one Christmas in Illinois, I actually spent that season all alone. But, it was the most deeply touching Christmas in my life! Even though I didn't have family around or friends to celebrate with, somehow I had ended up with presents under the Christmas tree, and it was the year that I officially and personally celebrated Jesus' birthday.
I remember celebrating how every GOOD and PERFECT gift comes from above from our Father! Even as I reflect now it's so awesome how, ultimately, THE gift is Jesus Christ! And, through Him, we are filled with gifts to give to others! :)
I wanted you to know that I appreciated reading this post because it showed me how God does have seasons of quiet for His children in the midst of holiday conventions to bring about His plans and His will--for all who love Him richly.
Love you, sister! May you have a blessed new start to the new year! :)
Dear Melody,
I am very impressed and encouraged from your thoughts because my life is pretty tough. I think sometimes we alon are making our cross a little bit heavier I have in mind myself not you. I don't want you to feel discouraged. You have a gift of writting,you express your thoughts and feelings very well. I wish i could do the same.
I wish you a very good year.
I want to great you with two verses
John 15:4 " Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me."
Philippians 2:5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:
7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:
8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
Have a blessed week.
Your friend Emanouil
Yes, Christine - you are sooo right! Ultimately the gift is HIM!!!!! Did you read what I wrote in the post just following this one??
Anyway, thanks for stopping in and for your comments and inspirational thoughts.
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