What's Up With Christmas?

This time of year can become so ovewhelming to some people. Some of you may be SO busy it's just not any fun anymore. Some may love the hustle and bustle of decorating, shopping for gifts and parties, etc... But some of you don't have much going on. You listen to all your friends or associates talk of plans with their friends, or going home for Christmas to be with their families.

Some of you are alone. Maybe you lost a loved one. Maybe there was a divorce. Maybe your parents got a new job and you had to move away from dear friends. Maybe family members moved away and you can't travel to them. Either way, Christmas just isn't the same. Maybe you just wonder what all the fuss is about and can't wait till things just get back to "normal," or what's normal for you. Maybe you're just tired of it.

I almost let myself get caught up in that mindset this year. My parents are both gone. My sister's over 500 mi. away with no intention of coming home. Her 'kids' have their own families. My health has been bad, so I can't travel. Oh, yeah...I could have had lots of reasons to be sad. But ya know...I'm not! The reason why might surprise you. Read on... :-)

The reason is the same reason Christmas started to begin with! No. Its not Santa. Though St. Nicholas was a pretty cool guy, so I've heard. But, I've also heard that he gave the way he did, for the same reason I've decided to have a great Christmas!

You may have all heard the saying, "Jesus Is the Reason for the Season." But do you know why?? It's so amazing!

Yeah, I know. There's zillions of different religions out there and they've all got their own story. But consider this one for at least a moment...

God makes a planet with all these beautiful plants, animals, and His most glorious creation, people on it. Then the people get in trouble.

They're hurting, scared, and He sees their lives are so far away from the blessings and fellowship that He intended for them to experience. He loves them SO much! He's GOT to do something to help them! But what? He's this great big powerful God! He tried just talking to them on a mountain once, but just the sound of His Voice scared them SO much, they begged another man (Moses) to go up the mountain and talk for them!

So, He found a way. He decided the only way to talk them, to help, to let them know just how much He loved them, was to become one of them. To leave all the royal splendor of Heaven and be born as a Human baby...one of the most helpless of creatures. So He picked two special parents, and He came...he was born...and He grew up...facing all the junk we deal with here that never touched Him in Heaven. The Scripture says He was tested in everything that we were and that He is touched with our feelings of weakness and sickness. Just because He made us in the first place, then He came and became one of us, He knows what you're going through...and He cares!

Yes, I know. There are lots of views of who (or even what) God might be. But, honestly, I believe that this simple story has been so complicated and confused, added to and even sometimes lost under the tinsel and the bows, because it IS so simple...and so beautiful.

I guess there's something in all of us that wants to feel confidant and "make it on our own", or be "the master of our own destiny." But I can't help but wonder, if deep down, sometimes, when the room's quiet at night, you wonder if there isn't someone out there...bigger, smarter, and more powerful than you, that you can turn to. Someone who truly loves you for YOU, in spite of, and can maybe even help you with your short-comings. Maybe you seem confidant on the outside, but deep down, you wish you could do things differently....maybe you wish your life was different. Would True, unconditional Love make a difference?

If you're life is like anyone in this letter, try asking Jesus to reveal Himself to you. Just talk to Him when you're alone. Ask Him to come in and show you His Love...ask Him to change your life. He will. And just maybe, for you, this will be the Best Christmas Ever!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Love

Rebecca

A Better Brand of Love

In the beginning, the world began with a whisper. "Let there be light."
But ever since then, the battle's raged, even past the end of the night.
The driving force to create, to design the perfect atmosphere.
For the finished product to thrive and, one day, to draw near


In the beginning, there was one goal, to make the perfect place.
Where the Creation could learn and grow and seek the Creator's face
So perfect, yet so helpless to fight their Enemy
Unwise to his advances, fell for his scheming trickery


The enemy drove Creation far from safety and from peace
Into the hostile land of night, of fear and all conceit.
Creator's broken heart cried out to somehow bring them home.
But they only seemed to slip away, barely surviving on their own.


Architects, builders, designers, manufacturers and the like.
Creators of any kind know what their creation is like.
In the beginning, only He knew, the Creator of the Deceived,
how to put them back together, how to get their pain relieved.


Good Creator had a plan, a plan to top all plans.
Unheard of in all Creation; God became a man.
To come down to their level, in looks, in build and size.
To let them hear His tender voice, to look into their eyes


And then did something no one dreamed Creator would ever do.
He gave His Holy, sinless life so that we could see the Truth
His blood bought us our freedom from the enemy.
The Deceiver's power was broken, if we would only see


This kind of Love is stronger than anything you've known
It's nothing like what you've seen, or could find out on your own.
Its power brought a Holy God to Earth, to die and rise again.
And even if you look hard enough, you won't find it within


It's not like love of mom and dad, of ice cream or favorite toy.
Not even like the butterflies that come between a girl and boy.
It's not love a sunset, a favorite food or flower.
It didn't come free, it cost Him His life! It contains All Creator's power!

It's not what you feel when you hold a child
Or whisper your sweetheart's name
It's a kind of Love with transforming power
When it touches you, you're never the same!


If you would know this kind of Love, that defeats Your Enemy.
The power to drive away all fear, and let you clearly see
The beauty of Creator's Heart and His Glorious Face
and that His treasured Creation is you...and the Human Race


Then cry out to your Creator, Jesus is His Name.
Trust your life into his hands. You'll never be the same.
Don't hold back your plans or dreams. He'll take good care of them.
He only wants to show you the way to get back Home.


He will take you by the hand, if you will put yours in His.
He will show you what you have missed and what Real Life is.
You may not lose all your problems, but you'll have help from Above.
Then you'll be able to give others, A Better Brand of Love.

-- Rebecca Thames August 9, 2008

Darkness to Light - A Brief Testimony

In September of 1968, I was born with a congenital birth defect called “Brittle Bone Disease.” Over the course of my life, it has caused several hundred, or possibly a thousand fractures to my bones. This has also prevented much growth and has created the need for a wheelchair. (As you may see, I’m a little short for my age. :) Despite, or possibly through these physical challenges, the Lord has shown the power of His grace in my life in so many ways. He has proven repeatedly that nothing is too hard for Him.

Psalm 18:28 and 2 Samuel 22:29 say, “You O Lord are my Lamp, you turn my darkness to light.” It seems like no matter how dark a thing, or situation looks at the beginning, the Lord always manages to shine His Light in there somehow. When it’s over, it’s never quite as dark as it once appeared. That is if we learn to look up, instead of down, around, or behind us. Once we turn our eyes from our dark situation onto the glorious light of His Face and see the brilliance of the Love in His heart, we can never be truly lost, or covered by the darkness again. I really like the New Living Translation’s way of putting John 8:12 Jesus said to the people, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t be stumbling through the darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.”

Raised by a wheelchair riding widowed mother, in a very Christian home, I witnessed first hand the awesome goodness of God and how He cares so faithfully for His children. My earthly father died when I was five. My ‘big’ sister was only seven. Shortly after his passing, I had dreams that my daddy would be alive again. These made me sad in a way, but I almost believed it would happen. After all, Jesus did it for Mary and Martha when He raised their brother Lazarus. Why not our family? Soon, I gave my life to Christ and He came in and filled me with His Spirit, though I didn’t understand that then, I felt Him in me and with me powerfully. He changed me after inviting Him in. After that, the dreams immediately stopped, Then God became my Father, in every sense of the word. However, I still had much to learn about a Father’s Love. Many times growing up, He provided in miraculous ways for the needs of our little family when there was no one else to turn to. He kept us through fire and flood. He gave us food and a place to store it. He even paid for 12 yrs of Christian school for my sister. Usually one miraculous month at a time. He truly has held to His Promise in Psalm 68:5 “A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in His holy dwelling.” Made as another member of our family, Jesus truly dwelt with us. My mom had Him make all the decisions and He never let her down.

At age 18, after calling Jesus my Savior and “Best Friend” for many years, I met someone who truly knew what it meant to call Him Lord. Seeing how Jesus was everything to this person, I began to hunger for more of God in my life. That year I received the baptism in the Holy Spirit and began intensive training in the “School of the Spirit.” Though there were many days that seemed dark and empty after this good friend moved away, the Lord showed the Light of His Love brighter than ever before. He came and filled in the empty places left in my heart and caused me to be able to say, “Jesus loves me” and truly believe it, for the very first time.

Through many trials and tests, over the years since then, the Lord has drawn me ever closer to Himself. Revealing His unconditional, everlasting Love for even the likes of me. For even though I was different from everyone around me, though He did not have to, He proved He loved me just the same. More than any Human ever could. Repeatedly He showed His faithfulness in ways that I could have never anticipated.

One example, despite my physical limitations, is the move into my own apartment. Many told me it would be impossible, However, what is impossible for Man is nothing for God! For five years I lived on my own, but never alone, or without Help. He taught me in my own home, just like for my mother, my help comes from the Lord. Then in 2003 He brought the greatest physical example of His Love, my dear husband Bill, in whom I’ve seen a true reflection of the Heart of Christ.

I've never seen an example of unconditional love, like I've seen in my husband. His love and compassion and selfless behavior reminds me of my Savior everyday. I can only aspire to emulate the reflection of the Lord that I see in him. Not only that, but the fact that he chose me for what was on the inside, not for how I looked. In the Scripture, it says that man looks on the outward appearance, but God looks upon the heart. Once again, my husband reflected the heart of God. And not too puff up my husband, because he wouldn't take it that way. This is merely to demonstrate the physical reflection that we can see. This is to show the seeds of His own heart that God put into my husband and allowed the roots and the fruit to grow. Feeding them with the word of God and watering them with many tears.

Not only has God allowed me to see His wonderful gifts He brings to those He loves, but also the indescribably beautiful Heart of Love He has that lies behind each and everything He does. Now He truly is my Father, my Lord, my Dearest Friend, my Love and my Life.

My prayer is that the hearts of God’s people would be set FREE and set on fire for God and the things associated with Is Kingdom. Shining brightly with the Light of His love. Then we will stop worrying about what is wrong in our own lives, but surrender ourselves as instruments of Grace in the Hand of God. I pray that the power of that Love would illuminate the hearts of this darkened world. That alone will transform the lives of the lost and the lonely, the wounded and the dying, and all those who all their lives long to see and to know a real, pure love. Which only comes from God through his people. We can be that example, once we know the awesome power of God’s Love for ourselves.

Seek Him & His Love will find you.

by Rebecca D Thames 3/2/2008

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(For a Whole Collection of These Type of Inspiring Writings, Please Consider My Book, "Songs and Poems from the Heart.")

Mustard Seed Faith

I was just reading in Matthew 17:20, where Jesus said if you have the faith the size of a grain of mustard seed that you can say to this mountain be removed and and cast into the sea and it would do it.

I've often wondered why it seems that that doesn't work very often; you know here and now in the present in the real world. Have you ever struggled with this?

Of course God's Word is true. There's no doubt about that. But what does this verse actually mean? And why don't we see mountains going into the ocean? Especially if all we have to do is tell them to do it, right? oh! I forgot. We have to do it in Jesus' Name, right?

Wrong!

When I was reading this just now, it hit me. It didn't say just tell that mountain to go into the sea and it would. Jesus said, if you have faith.

He did not say if you name it and claim it. He did not say if you make the right confession. He did not say if you tell it to go often enough, long enough, loud enough it will go. He did not say if you ask him, in spite of the impossible odds.

Jesus said, if you have faith.

Let's think about this for just a minute. Do you think you would ask a mountain to go into the sea? I doubt that I would. Why not? Kind of silly right? I mean, what possible purpose would a mountain have for jumping into the middle of the ocean? It seems a bit ludicrous even to think that my words could have enough power to pick up a mountain and throw it in the water. But you know what? Just because that is what I believe, it will never happen.

I don't care how many times I tell that mountain to go into the water, because I believe it's stupid and for no purpose, it will never happen. Not because God's Word is not true. But because I don't believe in my heart.

The same is true about any insurmountable situation that you might face today. This is so powerful! You can name and claim the answer to your prayer all day long. You can positively confess until you're blue in the face. You can write it on the calendar. You can write it on 3 x 5 cards, and carry them in your pocket, taking them out and read them, whenever you want remember, or maybe remind God this is what you need. As if he would forget.

You can do all this if it will help you. But until you get it settled deep within your heart, into the very fabric of your being that your God, the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob, a God who parted the Red Sea, the God who spoke all word of life came into existence, this God is big enough and walling to help you, this will never be! Until the true character of God is established in your heart, knowing that He has only your good in mind, no matter what things may look like right now, that mountain is never going into the water!

So, my dear friends, settle it in your heart today. God is good. He is not only good He is Love. And he is all sufficient. He is all powerful. And He knows exactly what it will take to get you from where you are to where you need to be.

The road might be bumpy along the way, but as long as you know He is with you and He is well able to keep you from falling and provide for all of your needs, you will have what you believe God will do and is able to do.

Remember, he knows your heart. You may be able to fool everyone else, and maybe even yourself. But man looks on the outward appearance and God looks upon our hearts. He made us, so he knows what we are made of and He knows what makes us tick. He knows what inspires us. He knows what brings the joy. He knows what it is going to take to see us through. And he has the power to pull it off! :-)

Trust Him. Don't struggle. Don't fret. Don't try to beat down every door. Stand still on see the salvation of the Lord.

Much love,
Rebecca