HE has arrived!!

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them,

"Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."

Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

"Glory to God in the highest,

and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."
When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about."

(Luke 2:8-15)

So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger.

There He is... the newborn King.

The Savior.

Jesus Christ our Lord.

(Shhhhh.... I think He's sleeping!)

...with the Shepherds...

...with the angels...

...with all of heaven and earth...

REJOICE!!

Oooooooooh!!

Aaaaaahhhhhhh!!!!

Wooooooooooooowwww!!

No, your calendar is not wrong. It's not the 4th of July.

Nor is it Chinese New Year.

But, it IS a special day for me today...

It's the ONE YEAR anniversary of my blog!!

My blog's 1 year birthday!!

I am celebrating today, a year of (& 365 posts celebrating!) ...

• God's amazing grace
• opening our eyes to see God's hand and HEART in the details of daily life
• learning to hear His whispers of love in the midst of a shouting world
• encouraging words and heart-felt comments left on my blog
• amazing people who have visited me here
• new friendships with cool people from around the world
• God's incredible faithfulness
• His unbelievable unrelenting inexplicable love for you and me!
• finding things in daily life for which to be grateful!

For all of this, and for all of you who have been here with me...

I am incredibly GRATEFUL!!

Thanks for joining me in this HEART ROCK LIFE!!

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. ~Ephesians 3:20-21

independence day

This morning, in celebration of Independence Day, I decided to read the words to several patriotic songs. So many of them are so very good--full of love for country and love for God! Contrary to what many liberal folks would have us to believe, our nation truly was built on the foundation of God Himself... and His principles. I was especially moved today by the last verse of the Star Spangled Banner, our national anthem. I had never heard this verse before...

The Star Spangled Banner (final verse)

~Francis Scott Key

O! thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand

Between their loved home and the war's desolation!

Blest with victory and peace, may the heav'n rescued land

Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation.

Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,

And this be our motto: 'In God is our trust.'

And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave

O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

Let us never forget to praise Him Who is the very Power that made our nation and has preserved it thus far! If we are to stand strong as a nation, we must continue to proclaim--"In God is our trust."

Dear Father... thank You for our country! Thank You for our freedoms! Thank You that in You we may place our trust!

God Bless America!!

passover....

Tonight is Passover...

This night we commemorate the "passing over" of the firstborn of Israel when God brought judgment on Egypt by killing all the firstborn in the land... the night when God made a way for His people... a way to FREEDOM.

The Israelites were told to paint the doorposts of their homes with the blood of a lamb... a lamb without defect. A perfect sacrifice.

I paint the doorposts of my home with the blood of the Lamb... the Lamb without sin. A perfect sacrifice.

And a Way is made for me-- the Way to FREEDOM--through Jesus, the perfect sacrifice. By His blood, I, too, am "passed over" by death... and given LIFE.

For this, I am amazedly grateful.

happy valentine's day...

Let us CELEBRATE love today...

the love of family...

the love of friends...

the love of an amazing God and Father...

Who delights in showing us His love

in so many strange and wonderful ways....

"...I pray that out of His glorious riches He may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power...to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God." ~Ephesians 3:16-19

bah humbug....

Ok. I decided I should probably do my Valentine's Day 'bah humbug!' post today, so it doesn't spoil anyone else's actual Valentine's Day...or, to put it in a more positive vein, so that it may cause us to really THINK about the day before it actually arrives.

Please don't throw things at me or send me nasty comments, but I really do NOT like Valentine's Day. I never have. I'm just being honest here. To me, it is merely a Hallmark holiday--one created as a money-maker for the card, gift, and flower industries. And a "holiday" which creates--or at the least 'intensifies'-- dissatisfaction, aloneness, and relationship troubles.

I mean, really. Let's consider the scenario of many a Valentine's Day...

Men know they had BETTER get their wife/girlfriend/love-of-their-life a gift of some sort to show how much they love said loved one. If they forget, or if the gift is not just right, they are in some serious trouble, and may even be sleeping with Fido in the doghouse...

And the loved one... she has expectations of above-mentioned gift/card/dinner/flowers as a demonstration of the depth of his love! If he forgets, or if the gift is not just right, she experiences a range of emotions anywhere from a bit sad and morose to ready to divorce/break up with/take a frying pan to the no-good, unappreciative, thoughtless lout!

It's a set-up for disaster, if you ask me. And, I didn't yet mention those who are like me--single. In a society centered around couples and families, and on a holiday that is focused on romance and love and that one special relationship, the single person cannot help but feel not-quite-good-enough, forgotten, left out, lonely, incomplete, or just plain unloved. Hmmm. Somehow, the "holiday" doesn't seem like a day of flowers and sunshine and hearts, but instead, one which emphasizes one's singleness.

So, what to do about Valentine's Day?

Well, as for me, I am fortunate. I have a darling mother who never forgets me on Valentine's Day. I think she is even more conscientious about the day since I am single. She never misses a year of sending me her love with a card or a package, and I adore her for it. That's love. Years of always making sure I know I'm thought of and loved...and from many miles away, at that.

Some years I pull myself out of the Valentine's Humbug by sending cards to my friends. Or by making cookies or other treats for them. Some years I just can't "get there" and try to ignore the day altogether. Some years are a mix of the two--a bit of melancholy feelings counterbalanced by the wearing of pink and red to at least acknowledge the day.

I don't mean to sound like Oscar the Grouch. I do, however, want to encourage us to be mindful of what it is to truly love others as the Bible says "...according to their needs." It's not about ONE day of showing how much we love others. And, what is done or not done on that ONE day is not the indication that we love or are loved. It's not about flowers or gifts or Hallmark card moments--it's about the every day living a life of love with those in our lives. With our friends. With our family. With that one special person. And with each person with whom we come in contact--loveable or unloveable. We need to show them and tell them every day, every moment, in every word, and in every action, that we love them...that they are well and truly loved. Because that's how God loves us.

Yes, I know. It's a tall order. It's a tough command. But, it's what our Lord calls us to. Not one day of showing love--getting the right gift or sending the right card--but a daily walking in kindness and love and generosity, a putting the needs of others before our own.

That's love.
That's what Jesus did for us.

How about we commit to making every day a Valetine's day?

...for a great post on Valentine's Day from a man's perspective, take a moment or two to read Travis' Valentine's Day post from last year. I think it was very insightful, and I really appreciated what he had to say...

groundhog day... or...?

Happy Groundhog Day!!

...or not, as the case may be for those of you in cold winter climes, as it seems that the illustrious groundhog has seen his shadow and predicted another six weeks of winter. Now, for those of us in sunny Southern California, this is no dire prediction, but for you.... well, you may not be too happy with good ol' Punxsutawney Phil, the groundhog predictor of the advent of spring.

"Every February 2 since 1887, the behaviour of a groundhog – a rodent in the marmot family – called Phil has been closely observed as it emerges for the day in Punxsutawney, a small town in western Pennsylvania. On Monday the current "Phil" emerged from its burrow just after dawn in front of a 13,000-strong crowd on Gobbler's Knob, a tiny hill in the town, which is 65 miles northeast of Pittsburgh." (look at that crowd, will you!?!)

"According to German superstition, if a hibernating animal sees its shadow on this day – the Christian festival of Candlemas – winter will last another six weeks. If no shadow is seen, according to legend, spring will come early. On this occasion, the groundhog reportedly saw its shadow. Following tradition in Punxsutawney, the groundhog communicated his prediction to Bill Cooper, a top-hatted town elder who claims to be the only person in the world to speak "Groundhogese". "

"The town, which this year attracted fans of the event from Japan, Iceland and Egypt, claims Phil has always been correct. However, the US National Climate Prediction Centre said that the animal has only been right 39 per cent of the time. " (quote and above photo from The Telegraph)

In Phil's own words... (abridged version, full version here):

"And a bright sky above me
Showed my shadow beside me.
So 6 more weeks of winter it will be."

Phil's prediction was also confirmed by Michigan's "prognosticating woodchuck," Woody, who resides at the Howell Nature Center. Woody refused to even come out of her paper-mache stump, which in her language translates to 'sorry, folks-- six more weeks of winter!'

I don't know why we entrust our spring advent forecast to groundhogs, but for some reason, we Americans love it! (are we so crazy?!?) Well, since so many living in the Midwest and Eastern states are quite tired of winter already, I think, perhaps, a change may be in order...

Let's look at the situation we have here. Take a peek again at the photo above of Punxsutawney Phil. What do you notice about him? Let me give you a hint: plumpness. Alright then, let's be honest. Phil is fat. Come on;, admit it. He is a bit on the chubby side. Adorable, yes, but fat, nonetheless! Why wouldn't he see a shadow?!

So, I have a proposal... why don't we change it from Groundhog Day to Prairie Dog Day? I mean, really... have you ever seen a plump prairie dog? I didn't think so! They're slim, slender, lean and trim! Just look... we have a prime example below (photo courtesy of my friend, G):

What do you think the odds are of this prime prairie dog specimen seeing HIS shadow?! Much slimmer (ha!) than Phil, I would say! So, perhaps... just maybe... it's time for a change...

Let's hear it for Prairie Dog Diggery!! Three cheers for Prairie Dog Diggery!! (Come on, all you Midwesterners and East-Coasters!)

* * * * * * * *

Sheldon Carr, an engineer from Newburg, Wisconsin, was unable to explain the appeal of Groundhog Day, especially to non-Americans. "There's no reason," he said. "No one understands the Yanks." (quoted from The Telegraph)

(ah, we ARE a special breed, are we not!?!)

Happy New Year....

And now

let us believe in the new year

that is given us—

new, untouched,

full of things that have never been.

–Rainer Maria Rilke

For this reason I kneel before the Father...

I pray that out of His glorious riches

He may strengthen you

with power through His Spirit

in your inner being,

so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.

And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love,

may have power...to grasp how wide and long

and high and deep is the love of Christ,

and to know this love that surpasses knowledge

—that you may be

filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

Now to Him Who is able

to do immeasurably more

than all we ask or imagine,

according to His power that is at work within us,

to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus

throughout all generations, for ever and ever!

Amen.

~Ephesians 3:14-21

this is my prayer for you today

for the new year ahead...

(for what more could one ask??!)

* * * * * * *

Happy New Year!!

revelling in the setting sun, the close of an old year, the beginning of a new...

And, today, I give you the last of the Sunday beach adventure photos... these of the setting of the sun and ending of that day... to say 'goodbye' to the old year and to welcome with open arms and eager hearts the new year ahead...

(by the way, that's me in the photo below... or, at least, a shadow of me!)

I wish for each of you in the new year...

• wonder at God's amazing creation
• awe of God's incredible generosity, kindness, and love
• a deep and lasting sense of God's presence
• an awareness of His incomprehensible love for you
• delightful companionship along life's way
• joy in the journey
• laughter
• exciting adventures
• and, eyes to see, ears to hear, and a heart to understand all the wonderful ways God touches your every day life...

Happy New Year!!

merry CHRISTmas, everyone!!

"I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.

Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you;

He is Christ the Lord!"

~Luke 2:10,11

Merry Christmas, my friends!

He has come...God in human flesh...a baby in a manger...born to be our Savior!

May you find the baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger... but may you see the King of kings and Lord of lords wrapped in that baby-flesh...

May you see your incredible need for Him and His amazing love for you...

See Him in the manger... welcome Him in your heart.

...and for all of you who may not have made it onto my snail mail Christmas card list (yes, I still believe in the US postal service and stamps at Christmas time!), I am sending you my Christmas card below... (just imagine yourself opening the envelope and pulling out the card... the first scan is the front of the card, the second is the inside...just put your name in the space above the black print...viola!)

Thank You, God, for this most marvelous and wondrous gift of Your Self and Your Son!

* * * * * *

(photo by Sharilyn, outdoor decorations at Bronner's CHRISTmas Wonderland in Frankenmuth, Michigan)

o holy night....

O Holy Night

O Holy Night! The stars are brightly shining,
It is the night of the dear Saviour's birth.
Long lay the world in sin and error pining.
Till He appeared and the Spirit felt its worth.
A thrill of hope-- the weary world rejoices,
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.
Fall on your knees! Oh, hear the angel voices!
O night divine, the night when Christ was born;
O night, O Holy Night , O night divine!
O night, O Holy Night , O night divine!

Led by the light of faith serenely beaming,
With glowing hearts by His cradle we stand.
O'er the world a star is sweetly gleaming,
Now come the wisemen from out of the Orient land.
The King of kings lay thus lowly manger;
In all our trials born to be our friend.
He knows our need, our weakness is no stranger,
Behold your King! Before him lowly bend!
Behold your King! Before him lowly bend!

Truly He taught us to love one another,
His law is love and His gospel is peace.
Chains he shall break, for the slave is our brother.
And in his name all oppression shall cease.
Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we,
With all our hearts we praise His holy name.
Christ is the Lord! Then ever, ever praise we,
His power and glory ever more proclaim!
His power and glory ever more proclaim!

the star is pointing the way
to the birth of our Lord
a babe in a manger
born for us... God in human flesh...

Welcome the child...
Worship the King!

angels we have heard on high...

Angels We Have Heard On High
French carol, ca. 1862

Angels we have heard on high
Sweetly singing o'er the plains,
And the mountains in reply
Echoing their joyous strains.

Gloria, in excelsis Deo!
Gloria, in excelsis Deo!

Shepherds, why this jubilee?
Why your joyous strains prolong?
What the gladsome tidings be
Which inspire your heavenly song?

Gloria, in excelsis Deo!
Gloria, in excelsis Deo!

Come to Bethlehem and see
Christ Whose birth the angels sing;
Come, adore on bended knee,
Christ the Lord, the newborn King.

Gloria, in excelsis Deo!
Gloria, in excelsis Deo!

See Him in a manger laid,
Whom the choirs of angels praise;
Mary, Joseph, lend your aid,
While our hearts in love we raise.

Gloria, in excelsis Deo!
Gloria, in excelsis Deo!

Joy! Anticipation! Excitement!

He is coming....

(Lord, prepare my heart to receive You...)

celebrate the Sabbath...in adoration...

O Come All Ye Faithful!

O come all ye faithful--joyful and triumphant,
O come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem.
Come and behold Him, born the King of Angels;
O come, let us adore Him, O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,Christ the Lord.

O Sing, choirs of angels, sing in exultation,
Sing all that hear in heaven God's holy word.
Give to our Father glory in the Highest;
O come, let us adore Him, come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him, Christ the Lord.

All Hail! Lord, we greet Thee, born this happy morning,
O Jesus! for evermore be Thy name adored.
Word of the Father, now in flesh appearing;
O come, let us adore Him, O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,Christ the Lord.


let us adore Him this Sabbath day....

the gifts of the Magi

Three Wise Men.
(These just happen to be the ones from my nativity set.) Actually, the Bible doesn't call them Wise Men; they are called only "Magi from the east." Nor does it tell us there were only three of them. All we really know is that there were three particular gifts given to Jesus by the Magi (not that there were only three givers). It is also believed that the Magi did not actually visit Jesus at His birth, in the stable, but that they came later. Most commonly it is thought they arrived about two years after His birth. (I think we get much of our Christmas-related theology from Christmas carols--in the case of these ideas, we can attribute them to "We Three Kings.")

The important thing here is not how many Magi there were. Or when they arrived to visit Jesus. The truly important things are how they got there, what their posture was toward Jesus, and what they brought with them.

First, the Magi found Jesus by following a star: "After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, "Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him." (Matt 2:1,2)

They knew the prophecies; they read the skies; they knew the exact time the star had appeared. And they followed it until they found the One to Whom it was leading them. They traveled a long way to find Him, but they did not stop until they found Him: "...they went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed." (Matt 2:9,10)

When they saw the place to where the star pointed, they were OVERJOYED! Not because the place itself was special in any way, but because they knew they had found the King about Whom it was prophesied! Their long journey was complete!

Their posture toward Jesus is another of the important pieces of this story. "On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him." (Matt 2:11a) These were men of wealth and respect. They were probably men to whom others bowed in reverance or to whom, at least, great respect and deference was given. And their automatic response to seeing Jesus was to bow down and worship Him. They knew Who He was-- the King of Kings!

Also of importance is the nature of the gifts which they gave to Jesus: "Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh." (Matt 2:11b) Strange gifts, perhaps, for a child, but very appropriate gifts for this King. Gifts of great value. Treasures, no less. And, oh, so symbolic of Who Jesus truly was --King, God, Sacrifice.

Gold was a gift for a king--representing His royalty.
Incense was a gift used in worship of God--representing His diety.
Myrrh was a gift used in death--representing His sacrifice for us, that He was born to die.

These were the gifts that were laid at the feet of the child. These were the men who traveled so very far to bow down before Him and worship Him.

In the manner of the Magi, we, too, must search for Jesus with all our hearts. We, too, must bow before Him in reverence and worship Him. We, too, shall give to Him the treasures of our lives and our hearts....

...Oh come let us adore Him, Christ the Lord...

I Need A Silent Night...Amy Grant

I thought some of you may be able to relate to this song right about now in the season. I've heard it on the radio for the first time this year, and I really like it. (I'd put the audio on my post, but I haven't yet figured out quite how to do that yet!)

I Need A Silent Night
by Amy Grant

I've made the same mistake before
Too many malls, too many stores
December traffic, Christmas rush
It breaks me till I push and shove
Children are crying while mothers are trying
To photograph Santa and sleigh
The shopping and buying and standing forever in line

What can I say?

*

I need a silent night, a holy night

To hear an angel voice through the chaos and the noise

I need a midnight clear, a little peace right here

To end this crazy day with a silent night

*

December comes then disappears

Faster and faster every year
Did my own mother keep this pace
Or was the world a different place?
Where people stayed home wishing for snow
Watching three channels on their TV
Look at us now rushing around
Trying to buy Christmas peace
*
I need a silent night, a holy night
To hear an angel voice through the chaos and the noise
I need a midnight clear, a little peace right here
To end this crazy day with a silent night
*
What was it like back there in Bethlehem
With peace on earth, good will toward men?
Every shepherd's out in the field
Keeping watch over their clock by night
And the glory of the Lord shone around them
And they were so afraid
And the angels said fear not for behold
I bring you good news of a great joy

that shall be for all people
For unto you is born this day

a Savior, who is Christ the Lord
And his name shall be called

Wonderful Counselor, Prince of Peace
*
I need a silent night, a holy night
To hear an angel voice through the chaos and the noise
I need a midnight clear, a little peace right here
To end this crazy day with a silent night

Don't forget to take time out for a silent night, a holy night, so you may hear those angels' voices as they proclaim good news of great JOY... He is here... the Prince of peace... let us welcome Him...

celebrate the Sabbath...by preparing Him room...

So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea,

to Bethlehem the town of David,

because he belonged to the house and line of David.

He went there to register with Mary,

who was pledged to be married to him

and was expecting a child.

While they were there,

the time came for the baby to be born,

and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son.

She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger,

because there was no room for them in the inn.

~Luke 2: 4-7

let us celebrate the Sabbath

preparing our hearts

to make room for Him...

in this season,

and in our lives...

Christmas parade with a seaside twist...

Tonight I went to our city's Christmas parade for the first time. A friend of mine was having a Christmas/parade party, so a group of us went down to 2nd Street to watch the parade. Though the parade was really long (2 hours!), it was a good time. I think half of the city was there to enjoy the festivities, as the crowds were several rows deep down the entire parade route. (I live in a city of about 420,000)

Because our city is right on the ocean--Long Beach is the second busiest port in the US!--the parade had an ocean theme. It was fun to see the creativity of the many floats... mixing the ocean theme with the Christmas theme. Below are a few shots of the parade...

Aquarium of the Pacific float

California State University Long Beach

the Christmas trees from the waterways

(Los Angeles County Parks & Rec - voted best in the US!!)

Christmasy high school marching band

...and another (Lakewood High School)

I just love this one...

...under the sea!...

this was my FAVORITE... lobster people!!! : )

...and this is a sight you don't see every day--

the Queen Mary sailing down 2nd Street!

And, here in California, Santa arrives on top of a firetruck!

And so ends the parade ... (after two hours!!)

and so officially begins the Christmas season in Long Beach!