Lost the Christmas Joy?

So Christmas is around the corner and all the hustle and bustle is upon us. Yet, some have lost that Christmas cheer! It's become a chore to get out the door, let alone be happy about the Christmas season! It's a great day and friends, family, food but that joy seems to be lost somewhere in the flood of decorations that are everywhere ! You can't walk into a store without seeing something of Christmas, stocking and Santa !

Yet, the blues have settled into your heart and there. Is just no more room for all that Christmas joy! All you want is to get through the days and make it into the next year, cause good things will be there in the days to come. So can we just skip all the joy and move right on to the new year?

Sadly, no! We have to go to mass and church and hear about the joy and the true gift of Christmas! We go back to God in theses times when all our joy is lost to find hope once again! It is in Christ that we have hope, live and true joy! All others are superficial and will let you down. Any other joy is just a temporary fix and will fade! Yet that joy from the Lord is always present. It's there when you are blue, green or any other color. It tends to be masked by things of the world when we are caught up in everything but God ! When we lose sight of Him and who we are in Him that our joy tends to fade and we focus solely on worldly things!

We children of the Lord we are able to have the security and the love of the Lord; along with His joy at all times in our lives. We know that His live and guidance will help us through all circumstances when we cannot see the light at the end of the tunnel! His light is there and if we reach out and take His hand he will guide us to that never ending love and joy that only He can give! It's a joy and love that will guide you through all things.

So as we walk into this Christmas season we are able to reach out and find the hand of God there waiting to show you the joy of the season. More the. Giving and receiving gifts, rather the joy of the the Lord in the birth of Jesus! In Him we have love and joy that will never cease if we are willing to reach out and take His hand to walk with Him this Christmas season.

Ground Control

There is something to be said for being grounded; when we are young it was something that we often hated the thought of, because we saw it as a horrible punishment. Yet as an adult we wouldn't mind being grounded. It would be lovely to have that freedom from all the chaos that surrounds us on a daily basis. A time to sit back and reflect not only on the day, but also what is to come that evening home. A quiet dinner, time to play with our children, time to spend talking and enjoying the company of the spouse. It is a time where we able to find balance, when we take the time to stop and reflect on all that has happened around us, to us and in our community.

It is a time when we are able to slow down, and really see what is happening. This is a time when we are able to focus on what is really important to us and to our family. It can be a time when we stop focusing on the little things and start to see the bigger picture. In the quietness of life is when we can come to God with the hassles of the daily commitments and stress that often follows us throughout the day. It is in that quiet moment we can draw to God, and sit in His presence and really absorb what He wants to us. He is there reaching out, in the quiet time of prayer and relaxation. He is able to reach us when we are not looking, by sending a person to comfort, love, or simply spend some time with us.

God is there, even when we cannot see Him working on our behalf, He is there. He listens to each and every prayer; he sees all the tears, knows our fears and is willing to come to us as His children in the matter of a single heartbeat. God is there sitting in the chair of Ground Control, waiting for you to ask for His guidance, His help, His love, His comfort. He has the angels there waiting and ready to assist and guide the plane, the car or just give us direction during the day. He can help give us the words to say to a co worker that is hurting but is too ashamed to share, or have us hug someone we know cause they are feeling that no one really cares. He is there to help us walk the Christian walk, so that we are able to show His love to those that are there around us. God is able to show us things in prayer, dreams that will allow us to help a stranger in need or a distant family member who is missing someone at that moment. God is willing to help, guide and walk with us through this life so we are not alone. He is always near, because we are told in His Word that He will never leave us nor forsake us.

God is there in the ground control chair, just waiting for your prayer, your cry for help, your praise, and your concerns of the day. He has the means to help you make it through the day that seems to never end. He is there when the bosses are yelling and there is nothing you can do but nod. Yet, it is then that you feel so low, and unworthy of all things that you would rather hide under the desk then to have to face the world. It is hard to face all that the world is throwing at you with all that you have to be to so many people. All that you have to achieve daily to feel like you really made a difference. Yet, with God on your side you are able to walk with your head held high because you know He is in ultimate control, and you are safe there in His hands. We know as His children that we are loved and that our sense of worth is grounded in Heavenly thing and no one can take that from us, because we are children of the Heavenly Father, the King!

Look Around at the World Outside Your Window

As we go through the daily bustle of life, we tend to move with purpose in all that we do. We have deadline to meet, places to be and no time to smell the roses along the way. We have to be somewhere now or in five minutes from now and we may already be late. We have kids to get up, prepare for school, tend to the house, get to work plan the meals, and then help the children with homework, let alone get them to all the activities that they want to participate in on a daily, weekly or monthly basis. Sometime all we want in a week is the time to simply take a long hot bath and relax for ten whole minutes. Ten minutes when the phone is not ringing, no one is yelling through the door for you, and the doorbell is finally quiet for the night. We just want to be home, in the house and enjoy the family, the quiet and hide from all the other things that are happening in the world.

We are so caught up in all that we have to do and places that we have to be that we forget to notice the little things that are all around us on a daily basis that we take for granted. Like the beautiful park we used to enjoy walking through at sunset or that early morning run. We lose sight of the butterflies in the summer that flutter by with beauty that can only come from God and his color crayons. The birds, oh the birds and the whimsical of their songs that fill the silence of nature that is all around us. The birds that are so full of life and their coloring give brightness to the sky as they fly from one tree to another during the day, as their songs float among the leaves of the trees. We tend to lose sight of the squirrels and rabbits that play hide and seek through out the day among the pine trees.

We move so quickly that we stop noticing people that are always around, like they tend to fade into the nature, and become part of the background. When you drive to work you stop at the signs and obey all that traffic signal, yet we don't see the world as we pass it by. We miss all that is there among nature that is simply outside our window. We haven't seen the new flowers that were panted weeks ago because we are so busy and can't take the time to look around as we pass by, after all we do have that deadline to meet, and there people waiting for us. We have to keep moving forward, and keep going at such a pace that at the end of the day we fall into bed. When we land on that pillow we are asleep so fast we can't remember if we kissed our spouse good night.

Yet, life is not meant to be a rat race. We are not here to run ourselves so ragged and be so run down that we can't take the time to see the beauty that is all around us. We have to work, and have commitments, this is true but we also have a commitment to God as well. We are here to serve and follow after Him. We are here praise Him in all of His glory, after all he takes care of the birds, butterflies, the ducks in the ponds and all the animals that we find in nature. God is there watching us and wanting us to slow down, see His wondrous works that are there outside the window. Take the time to thank Him during the day for the gifts that he has given us each and every day. God is there with us during the rush, yet, all He wants is for you to reach out when you are feeling stressed by the daily things of life. It could be a simple quiet prayer in the car, a sigh at work when you talk to God and ask Him for the strength to make it though another rough day. God shows us that He is there with us daily and that we do not have to worry about the things to come, if we trust in Him. He will provide for us when we are not sure how we are going to make it though the day, week or month.

The Father is there waiting for you to reach out to Him so He can shower you with His love where ever you are and what ever you are doing and need to feel His presence around you. He is there if you ask He will come to you because you are His child and He does not want see you hurting. He knows the tears that you shed, the joy that you share with others. He is there with you in meeting at work, or in the rush hour traffic in the morning. He is there guiding you through the day if you reach out and take His hand as you go about the day. It is a little prayer or lengthy prayer where you pour your heart out, He is there listening to every word, He will never turn a deaf ear. God is simply a prayer away.

Just as God guides the birds wings of flight, the blooming of the flowers, the budding of the trees, He is there with us daily. God is there in the play of the rabbits, and the ducks on the pond, He provides for all their needs, how much more will He provide for His children who he loves. He takes care of all the animals and the plants, He is there for your needs as well, if you are willing to reach out to Him when you need to feel His touch, His Love, His guidance. He has placed all that we need at our footsteps, if we are willing to listen to His voice. God is there showing us so much through the nature that is there outside out window. God is near, reach out to Him and He will be there.


 

Sea of Love

Love is a mighty splendid thing. It is a wonderful emotion that is vital to our very existence. It is the thing that keeps us going when times get hard, it is that thing that gives us warm fuzzies inside when it happens. When we fall into that sea of love it tends to overtake all that we are, and occupies us to a whole new level. Love is that very thing we draw to when we have feeling have been hurt or someone / something has wounded our heart. Love lives within us. It is there and we chose who and when to display that love to others. Amazingly there are different kinds of love, there is the loves we have for our spouse, our children, friends, family members, church family, out priests or pastors, the teachers that our children love, or hate because they are a little tough on them to help them achieve their full potential in the classroom. Yet, we don't really think about Love that way, we know the thoughts and feeling of love, and we seem to run with it when it happens.

Yet, there is so much more to love then the simple emotion. There are the actions of love as well. That someone thinks of you often helps you when you are down because they care for you and about you. Love is there in the daycare, where you leave the children for 8 to 10 hours a day. Love is present in the nursing homes where the elderly are left and no one come to visit. The staff is there to talk to them, hold their hands, listen to their stories, and simply share life with them when they are feeling blue. Love is there in the ER when the doctors and nurses are running around to save or help the one that you love feel better, or if one passes they are there to help you grieve, bring you resource to help you deal with the death of a loved one that is unexpected, they listen, they care for you and all that has just happened. They are there because not only do they love to help others, but they are also a source of support and a listening ear when things go wrong. There is love that is happening in rehab home as those who are there are struggling to learn or relearn skills. The staff are there to rejoice with them when small steps are going right and there is an improvement, it may be a small one that is easily overlooked, but to the individual it is amazing, and staff understand that and rejoice with them.

There is love in the supermarkets, the Target stores, the Wal-Marts, Kohls and any other business that one may go to on a daily basis for work. There is a sense of family that is able to develop around you with co-workers. We start to develop friendships at work. There are people we like to talk to when things go wrong, others we can tell anything too, and some we like to shop with or go out with at the end of the night. In it all there is a friendship that forms and binds us to one another and at the center of it is Love. Love is there when we worry about a co-worker is not coming to work, and we are not sure what has happened to them. We have a bond with those individuals that tend to go a little deeper then just a person we work with, when essential we come to care and love them as a part of a extended family. We may not celebrate holidays with them but yet we care for them and worry about them if something is going wrong in their lives and all seems to be crashing down around them.

Although, at the center of all love is God. He is love, he shows us His love by dying on the cross and taking all the sins that we have ever committed or could ever conceive of committing and wipes our slate clean. He loves us with an love that there is no other love that is able to compare to it. It is a love that is always present in us, we know that God cares and loves us on a daily basis, and that there is no way we can earn that love. Rather, His love is freely give to all those who are willing to accept Him and walk with Him, talk to Him through prayer. We are able to run to Him in our times of need and never, ever will He call us needy, or childish! He is there waiting and wanting to shower us with His love is we go to Him. We are able to learn about Him through reading and worshiping Him in our homes, along with attending mass / church on Sunday morning. If we are truly lucky we are able to attend church or mass more so we are able to commune with Him on a more intimate level. By growing in God and in His Love we are able to reach out to other and show them the Love of Christ through our action, our words and by just being a Child of God in these hard times. We have the opportunity to love and be loved by the Father in Heaven, why not accept the free gift that he offers us and walk in His love daily.

Potential

It is often stated that one is or is not living up to their true potential. It can be that we are not trying as hard as we should, that our drive isn't as strong as it once was in the beginning. Yet, ones potential is hard to truly measure, it is not like we can get the yard stick out and say yes you are over achieving or are falling short by a lot. Our potential is what we are capable of achieving such as a goal or an assignment at work. It is what others are able to see in us, that we may not be able to see if we looked at ourselves. Sometimes others are able to view our potential because they are seeing what we are able to become if we continue to strive at the current pace and not look back.
Yet, have you ever stopped to consider what your potential is with God. Is there an expectation that he is looking for out of those who call themselves a "Christian". If there is a true potential that we are to strive to, then what is it and it different if you are a male or female, young or old. I would have to venture to say that our potential with the Heavenly Father is one that is ongoing and is one that is the same for all those who are His children.

Christians or children of the Almighty Father are to live to worship the King, and praise Him on a daily basis. One of the things we are to be doing daily is furthering His kingdom, while we have the gift of living on the earth. We are walk in His ways as we go about our daily lives. One of the things that is vital in today's society is reaching out to those around us in love. Taking the time to not only talk to others but also listening to them as they share with you about their day, life, worries, and celebrations. This can be a hard task, if we consistently have to deal with those who get under our skin, or annoy us when they are around. This love can be a simple hello, taking time to acknowledge all that you come into contact with, or taking the time to have a simple conservation with that individual. You may not realize what an impact you are having at that moment by taking a small amount of time each day to reach out to others. God is able to work through you in times that you may not realize.

God is able to tug and pull on others hearts, and not make you aware that you are doing work for His kingdom. All you know is that you are simply chatting with another about something that they want to share with you at that moment. It could be they are looking for a friend, and feel drawn to you because they are able to see Christ in you and in your actions. They may ask you what it is that you have that is different. They may want to know how you are able to function when everything around you is falling apart and you seem so calm. It is simply the love, comfort and relationship that you have with Jesus that keeps you going. Knowing that you are never alone no matter what, that you are able to call His Name and He will be there for you in less then a heart beat. We as children of the Almighty Father know that he will never leave us nor forsake us in our times of need or joy. Many others are able to sense that security in us and are trying to find out what it is so that they too can have that joy, peace, comfort and love in their lives.

Our potential is to ultimately further the kingdom of Christ, but to further that kingdom we have to know who He is to us. For this to happen we have to take the time to live for Him, walk with Him through Bible study, prayer, mass or church services where we are able to learn and grow in God. Our hearts need to be open to what God wants us to do for His kingdom.

God brings people across our path and we just can't stand them and want to hide, there is a reason why they are now in our lives. They may need a friend or a ear to listen to because they are alone, afraid, scared or just lonely and may not have anywhere else to turn. Yet, because we have taken that time to say hello to them, they come to us as Christians in their times of need. They come to us because they can see something in us that they too long for and maybe by showing them the love of the Heavenly father we are helping God's kingdom grow a little more each day.

Time to Share..

Have you ever received that phone call from a dear friend started with "you will never believe this" or "OH MY GOODNESS"  I have got to tell you this story or news?  It is a phone call that is so important that the called just can't wait to tell you the news. They go on to share what is on their heart at that moment, it could be wonderful news or something terrible, either way they wanted to share that part of their life with you.

There seems to be events that happen in our lives and in the lives of those that we treasure that are just worth sharing. When these things happen, we never never second guess ourselves about sharing the events or news. We just pick up the phone and call the family member or friends and talk to them about what is on our heart. Yet, we hesitate when it comes to certain things in our life if we want to really share what is going on, especially when it come to the things of God. Then we tend to pull back and keep that news and glory to ourselves. This Godly news is the stuff that we are to be shouting from the rooftops not whispering over in the coroner.

It simply amazes me that when wonderful, things happen to us in Church we are very selective to share these events. We would rather hold onto them then have to tell a souls what God is doing or has done in our lives. Imagine just for a moment sitting in Church and feeling the true presence of God, His overflowing love and peace. That moment of pure solitude when there seems to be no one in the room other then you and God, yet you are surrounded by others. Yet, God reached to you and you accept, and find the answer or love in that moment to get through the day or the week ahead. That in that moment in mass / Sunday service we find God to be so real, that you could swear that you touched the hand of Jesus.  It is in these moments that we sigh, and think to ourselves that it was the best service, not only did the Homily / Sermon touch our heart and we feel that we are growing and we hold that moment close to our hearts.

In these moments that God touched us, and we find something, or have a realization that God id there with us that we tend to hide deep within our hearts. We hold these times to be so dear that  we don't want to share any of it with anyone and if we do it may be with a parent or with our spouse. Yet, we hesitate to share that moment with the pastor or priest, that a part of that sermon really touched our lives, that it reached deep within our soul and we felt that strong spirit of God once again. That the love that we knew as a young Christian is coming alive in us once again.

It is in these times that we need to share the wondrous works of God in our lives with others. We need to reach out to that priest / pastor to let them know that the words of the sermon / homily touched us and has made a difference. That God is there in the room at church when we get that affirmation. We need to talk about the things that God is doing in our lives on a daily bases, because He is always there walking with us, if we acknowledge Him or not. Imagine, we started to share the things that God is doing in us with not only our family but with our friends. Think about the impact it would have to tell them that you were healed from Migraines, Asthma, or any other alignment that has been plaguing you for years. Imagine if you told them that inner wounds were healed and that deep pain is no more, but is now filled with the Love of Christ.  Imagine if we started to open this door with our friend and the Love of Christ was able to flow freely, and we grew not only in God but in our friendships as well.

Family Hurts

We would go yearly to some of the relatives house that we would not see very often for one reason or another. As a child we never really questions why we did or did not see certain family members, know that our parents knew best. That the underlying reasons that we did not visit, were know in some realm, yet never spoken aloud for any reason. That it was hush, hush, and that is just the way that it has to be right now, you will understand why when you are older. Yet, we grow older and never really ask the questions of why we don't really associate with certain family or visit them as often as others. It is just the family dynamics and that is it.

In reality though, there is so much more going on then we really want to acknowledge. As we venture further into our lives, and relationships become complicated and busy we tend to forget, or push things aside that are not in our lives at the moment. Even if it means walking away from certain family members, or not communicating with them. Yet, we know they are our family, we just are not that close to them and we really are not sure why, other then we just don't know them all that well, and with all the business in our lives who has time for another realtionship right now?

Yet, there is so many reasons under the lost relationships in our lives, whether it be family or friends. There can be a deep hurt, or something so small at the time that we have allowed to grow into so much more that now we have forgotten why we were even mad at them for in the first place. Yet, to put those things behind us is so hard, and to ask them for forgiveness for the wrong doing even if it isn't our fault is just beyond our comprehension! Since they should be the one to say sorry, they did me wrong! Yet as a Christian and a follower of Christ we are to forgive them, even if we did no wrong. By opening that door up and saying simply "I'm sorry for hurting you" By doing this, you are able to free yourself from the burden of the judgment on the other person, and you are able to touch them with the love of Christ. By letting go and allowing that relationship to now grow in Christ you will see how He can transform that hurt and pain into joy along with freedom.

There is so much power in forgiveness. Especially if it is in ones own family. By telling them other member that you now forgive them for holding that grudge, or pain that they have inflicted upon us. We are able to free them from that burden as well and us being free in Christ. We are able to see that person in a new light, one of Love and we are now able to love them as Christ would want us to love them. We are able to help them heal the hurts that are deep within them, by opening those doors of communication not only with you but with the Father in heaven. We are able to show them that by forgiving them, and allowing that wound to close, we are able to find freedom in Christ that we may not have experienced in the past. A freedom that allows you grow and go deeper with God. We are allowing God to work through us on a level that we may not realize, because we have finally let go of that hurt and grudge. As a Christian we are able to show others the true Love of Christ by simply forgiving them.