Christmas Letter

Dear Friend,

I want to again share with you my personal Christmas tradition; not of recipes and decorations, family and photos, but a tradition of listening to God and seeing something new tucked away within the Christmas story. This year God called me to it before my usual time of reading, pondering and praying about the Christmas story.

As I reached for my computer early one morning, God stopped me and told me it was time to read the Christmas story and find a new nugget to share. I put away my laptop and picked up my Bible. As I asked God which to read, Matthew or Luke, He guided me to Luke. As I read, several things popped out to me, but the most interesting was Mary’s response. I have written about it before, but this year I got a new perspective on it.

When Gabriel first appears, Mary is greatly troubled, disturbed and confused. The angel tells her not to be afraid. I suppose troubled and disturbed could be fear, but it almost seems as if Mary was just trying to figure out what this was all about. I wonder if this was her first encounter with an angel. It seems there were lots of angel appearances back then.

Gabriel says you “will” become pregnant and give birth to a Son. Then, Mary asks how that can be since she has never “been” with a man. This is curious, since she is engaged and Gabriel uses the word “will” become instead of “are.” Why didn’t Mary think that she and Joseph would be the parents in the future? This must be a translation problem. It makes me wonder if Mary was already pregnant. Had the Holy Spirit already come upon Mary? Did Gabriel really say that Mary was already pregnant with the Messiah? Did she ask how that could possibly be since she was a virgin? Did he respond that it was the work of the Holy Spirit? It seems that this may be the case.

At any rate, Mary responds that she is the handmaid of the Lord, let it be done. This was amazing to me that she thought she had a choice. I wonder if she really did have a choice or not. Gabriel does not seem to be asking, but telling. What if Mary would have said, “No, I am not up for that challenge”? I choose to marry Joseph and live a normal life. I will not be the mother of the Savior. What would have happened? Would God have done it anyway? Would He have chosen someone else? Would He have not sent Jesus after all? Mary’s simple sentence that complied with God’s will made all the difference in my life, today.

When God shares His will with me, how does my compliance (or non compliance) affect the world? Is it presumptuous to think that my actions affect the whole world? I have seen tiny things make a large difference and huge things seem to not affect anything. I think we can never know how each thing we do or say may change the future. This makes it imperative that we always comply and obey God’s will.

This year, we need to listen to the still small voice. We need to hear, heed and obey the voice of God in our lives. If you hear the voice, obey it. If you do not hear it, take the time to start listening. Hearing God is one of the most fulfilling things in life. If only it could always be as easy as it was for Mary (the hearing part, not the obeying). If an angel could show up and speak plainly to us, that would be so wonderful. However, God doesn’t always work that way. Mostly we have to take time to listen. When we start listening, His voice is so much easier to pick out and hear without as much effort. I pray that I can listen and hear God. I pray that my heart will have the attitude to obey. I pray that I will be pleasing to God as Mary was.

May we all listen this Christmas season and obey in the small things. May we let someone in front of us in line at the store. May we help someone who needs it. May we open doors for one another. May we pick up that piece of paper and put it in the trash. May we truly be Jesus to the world in all the small ways. So that we may be the avenue through which some hear of Jesus and accept the call.

Have a Blessed Christmas,

Missy, Tim, DJ, Tina and Emmalee

God is so good

It is good to just talk to God. He makes me laugh so often. He told me that I am one of the few people who think He is funny. I think that is part of God most people do not really 'get'. The only reason I get it a little bit is because He made me that way. I think I need the humor He displays. God is so good!

Knowing God in the everyday

It is awesome to meet God daily in the mundane things of life. Sunday morning Jesus sat by me in church. It was good to feel His presence so close. It was good to worship at church. Sometimes I have to be reminded at how awesome what He did for me is. It seems He gets so familiar that I forget the sacrifices He has made for me. But, just when the guilt of ingratitude hits, His still small voice says, "It is supposed to be like that. Dont worry, you are not ungrateful, just relaxing in the blessings I give. You are be coming so relaxed and familiar that our relationship is like your favorite jeans: comfortable, broken in in all the right places, protecting, covering, something you would be lost without. That is how I want it. Thanks for remembering what I did for you, but the most important thing now is that we become so familiar that all except now fades and our current relationship ...is."

Conversation

I have not blogged in a while. I have been out of touch with the internet, but now I can copy some things from my journal. I will start with Wednesday July 21. I went to the beach for sunrise at 5:30 am. It was awesome. Dolphins swimming a hundred feet off shore or so. I got video of them! Then I said:
God, this is beautiful, but remember how You talked to me in Florida about the ocean and how much it is like Your love?

God: Yes. I told you how I am always reaching for you to come in. Pulling you toward my love.

Missy: I dont feel as close to You now as I did then.

God: You are closer. Remember how you needed to feel me all around you then because of all you were going through? It was like I had to crash into you with waves of My love because you were hurting so much and were so afraid that you stayed close to shore. The waves of My love were crashing, pulling and pushing. But now you are way out in the deep and dyou only feel a gentle rocking. You've been in the deep so long that you dont even realize how deep you are. I no longer pull you out and push you in. You stay in the deeep. After you get past the pushing and pulling, you gently get pulled deeper and deeper. Really, once you are in over your head it really doesnt matter how deep you are, drowning is possible. even thouh you roll with the waves of my love, you no longer feel the strong pulse of pushing, pulling, crashing and knocking you down. You can relax in the quiet peacefulness of pulsating waters. They are glorious reflecting waters that portray me. I and my love are the ocean. As you see the sunrise the water and light are one until the sun pops up over the water, then it is attached to the water by the long thin line of reflective rope and rays that take it from the sky to beach. Water reflecting the lightof the sun always a bright tether holding us together. Your sins are erased as you wash in My love, like footprints on the sand are gone with the next wave. Love is not always kind and gentle, but it is for you right now. I love you so much.

Missy; I love You, too.

God: Yes, you do!

Love God's sense of humor

I went to the ocean and watched the sun come up on the water. So beautiful. Then I went back to the house and had my quiet time. My daily scripture reading was Matthew 13 starting with verse 1. "That sae day, Jesus went out of the house and was sitting beside the sea." I laughed and laughed so hard I had tears in my eyes. God talked to me so much this morning. Then, I read how Jsus sat by the sea. What a scripture to begin with. God, you are so funny! I love You!

A house by the sea...

July 22 I love the ocean. I told God I really wanted a house on the beach. He said He has one He is preparing for me next to the crystal sea. He said if I think this ocean is beautiful, he can hardly wait until I see the crystal sea. He also said that the other side will have the mountain range, He plans to give me both...someday. For now it is just a dream,but someday a forever reality.

Nothing to be done

God was a little sad today, July 23. I asked Him why He was sad. He said He gets a little sad when He thinks of all the people who do not choose Him. I asked Him what I could do. He said there was nothing to be done. No one can make people choose Him. He just gets a little sad sometimes. I sat quietly with God.

Playing with God

I had an awesome time playing with God in the ocean. He splashed me, dunked me and smacked me in the rear with a wave I teased Him and He knocked me down. I have never played so hard with God before. It was an awesome experience.

Holiness

I read something interesting in the Amplified Bible today. Haggai 2: 12-13 says that holiness is not infectious, but unholiness is. I am not sure I understand that, but I am thinking about it.

Reputation must be sacrificed!

God is teaching me that I value my reputation too much. It is important for me to let it go. He has manufactured many circumstances in my life to make me feel like my reputation is ruined. This has made me realize that I care too much what other people think. I have discoverd how close God and I really are and although church attendance is important, it is not to be confused with our relationship with God. I am enjoying some of God's blessings right now. I could use a little rest.