I have meditated upon Your Word this morning. I have reflected on this past year, and the lessons You have taught me through the many highs and lows I’ve experienced this year. In everything, I give You praise!
“Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.” (Psalm 150:6)
I admit this past year I have squandered opportunities. I have allowed discouragement and anxiety to overwhelm me while at the same time knowing that YOU were (are) always in control and I need not fear.
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6-7)
I have prayed this year, laying my requests before You. You have been faithful! Still, there were times I was surprised by You. I prayed, with mustard-seed faith, and was surprised when You answered back with mountainous blessings. Forgive me for my lack of faith!
I BELIEVE, Lord! Help me with my unbelief! (Mark 9:24)
I confess I became impatient many times, trying to do things on my own, in my own strength. I would find myself running ahead of You, or lagging behind rather than allowing You to set the pace and then join You comfortably in the centre of Your Will. Forgive me for trying to circumnavigate my way around You, having the audacity to think MY agenda was more important than Yours!
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:8-9)
Lord, as a New Year unfolds, keep me mindful of the things that are of utmost importance to You. Rid me of any stubborn pride or vanity. (John 3:30-35) Teach me to better:
“‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” (Luke 10:27)
I thank-You for the year ahead. I thank-You for Your Son, for Your Word, for the gift of Salvation! Thank-You for this incredible Journey I walk with You every single day. May everything I do or say this year be to Your Glory! (1 Corinthians 10:31)
I love when I see summer flowers blooming in winter! I had to snap a picture of my orchid and anthurium blooming side by side in the window.
If you look past them, you will see my yard covered in snow and the temperature outside a balmy -21 C.
I have written many times about my love-hate relationship with winter. Living in Southern Alberta, the fluctuating temperatures that go from +24 C to -10 C in less than twelve hours is not that unusual here. When a Chinook wind blows in we can go from a bone-chilling -32 C to above zero in a few hours. Those like me, who are sensitive to the rise and fall of the barometric pressures, endure the migraines that inevitably come. Still, Alberta is one of the sunniest provinces in all of Canada. The west coast may have the milder weather, but we have the sun. It’s the compromise I can live with.
I looked over at her, sitting beside her sweet husband in church last Sunday. She found out a week ago she has colon cancer. She had the most radiant smile on her face as she sang “Joy to the World”. A few rows behind me I heard the harmonizing voice of another friend. Last year she had her husband beside her, this year she faces her first Christmas without him. I turn slightly and see sitting together an older couple who have just recently started to attend our church. They moved to our town to be closer to their children and grandchildren. They were just settling in when their son was horrifically burned in a house fire. He remains in hospital, and recovery will be long, but they have a peace that surpasses all understanding. “Prayers have sustained us!” They say, as I let them know after the service that I continue to pray for their family.
I must not forget those who have triumphed, and overcome health crises over this year too. A dear man who we almost lost to a sepsis infection in the summer, returns my hug with renewed vigour. He understands, as I do the meaning of “second chances”. I pass young, expectant moms, busy families with toddlers, teenagers sauntering past me, and I realize I am on the roller coaster of life, with all its ups and downs with all these dear ones on the ride with me. It humbles me, and I am honoured to be amongst them. We step out from the warmth of the church building into the blistering cold of winter, but feel the sun in our faces and are miraculously renewed.
The One constant in our lives – never changing. We “bloom” where He plants us, we face all the seasons of life, because of His Great Love for us. No matter our circumstances, we find Joy in His presence. The Son always Rises.
We had a laughter-filled Christmas Fellowship in our home with our small group from church this week. What a wonderful way to get into the Christmas spirit! We are a group of eight couples who meet together on Tuesday evenings for Bible Study. The last several weeks we have been going through The Truth Project (Focus on the Family) video series. (If you want a great study, I HIGHLY recommend this one!)
This week, however, it was all about fun, with Christmas treats to eat, singing carols, and the infamous White Elephant Gift Exchange. (This year, the most “stolen” gift was a scented candle, and the most unusual gift was a Crystal Chandelier! Seriously!!)
I put together some Ice-Breaker games, although our group needs little prompting to get the fun started. I thought I’d post these games here; in case you are having a Christmas get-together with family and friends.
Enjoy!
How Well Do You Know the Christmas Story? Click on the link for a great Christmas Quiz. Spoiler Alert: It will probably wreck how you see your Nativity scene for ever after!
A Christmas Carol Quiz
Can you decipher the REAL Titles of these exaggerated titles of very familiar Christmas tunes?
From dark ‘til dawn, soundless and sanctimonious
Celestial messengers from splendid empires
In a distant bovine diner
Universal elation
Ornament the enclosure with large sprigs of berry-bearing evergreen
O miniature Nazarene village
May Jehovah grant unto you hilarious males retirement
Those of you who are true, come here!
Are you detecting the same aural sensations as I am?
The diminutive young male who plays a percussion instrument
Primary Yuletide
Heavenly Cherubs announcing in song – listen!
Reigning monarchs of the Far East
Proclaim it to the Hills
Sir Lancelot with laryngitis
A B C D E F G H I J K M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Wanted in December: top forward incisors
Frozen precipitation commences repeatedly
Cup-shaped instruments fashioned of a whitish metallic element
I spied my maternal parent osculating a red-coated, unshaven, roly-poly man
Obese personification fabricated of compressed mounds of minute crystals
Of all the things longed for at Yuletide: my significant other
288 Yuletide hours
The unfortunate accidental encounter between my mother’s mother and a cloven hooved animal
Our fervent hope is that you thoroughly enjoy your Yuletide season.
A Christmas Carol Quiz – Answers
From dark ‘til dawn, soundless and sanctimonious – Silent Night
Celestial messengers from splendid empires – Angels we have Heard on High
In a distant bovine diner – Away in a Manger
Universal elation – Joy to the World
Ornament the enclosure with large sprigs of berry-bearing evergreen – Deck the Halls with Boughs of Holly
O miniature Nazarene village – O’ Little Town of Bethlehem
May Jehovah grant unto you hilarious males retirement – God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
Those of you who are true, come here! – O’ Come All Ye Faithful
Are you detecting the same aural sensations as I am? – Do You Hear What I Hear?
The diminutive young male who plays a percussion instrument – The Little Drummer Boy
Primary Yuletide – The First Noel
Heavenly Cherubs announcing in song – listen! – Hark, the Herald Angels Sing
Reigning monarchs of the Far East – We Three Kings
Proclaim it to the Hills – Go Tell it On the Mountain
Sir Lancelot with laryngitis – Silent Night
A B C D E F G H I J K M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z – Noel
Wanted in December: top forward incisors – All I Want for Christmas is my Two Front Teeth
Frozen precipitation commences repeatedly – Let it Snow, Let It Snow, Let it Snow!
Cup-shaped instruments fashioned of a whitish metallic element- Silver Bells
I spied my maternal parent osculating a red-coated, unshaven, roly-poly man – I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus
Obese personification fabricated of compressed mounds of minute crystals – Frosty the Snowman
Of all the things longed for at Yuletide: my significant other – All I Want for Christmas Is You!
288 Yuletide hours – The 12 Days of Christmas
The unfortunate accidental encounter between my mother’s mother and a cloven hooved animal – Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer
Our fervent hope is that you thoroughly enjoy your Yuletide season – We Wish You a Merry Christmas!
Lastly, the Famous or Infamous White Elephant Gift Exchange! Here are the “rules”:
A White Elephant Gift Exchange is a popular Christmas event where people vie to walk away with the best present.
1. Each player brings one wrapped gift to contribute to a common pool (Do not spend any money! Bring something from home like a garage sale item…)
2. Players draw numbers to determine what order they will go in
Alternatively, someone can draw names from a hat, or the order can be set by the organizer prior to the event.
3. Players sit in a circle or line where they can see the gift pile
4. The first player selects a gift from the pool and opens it
Make sure everyone can see the gift!
5. The following players can choose to either pick an unwrapped gift from the pool or steal a previous player’s gift. Anyone who gets their gift stolen in this way can do the same – choose a new gift or steal from someone else.
To keep things moving along, there are a couple of limits on gift swapping:
A present can only be stolen once per turn, which means players who have a gift stolen from them have to wait to get it back.
After three swaps, the turn automatically comes to an end (otherwise things could drag on for a long time).
6. After all players have had a turn, the first player gets a chance to swap the gift he or she is holding for any other opened gift. Anyone whose gift is stolen may steal from someone else (as long as that person hasn’t been stolen from yet). When someone declines to steal a gift, the game comes to an end.
Lynn Dove's Journey Thoughts 