Christmas is rooted with so many traditions. So many ways that our family does things they may be totally different from your family. When I was a kid, I had the best Santa in the whole world! I would hear him land on my roof, I would hear jingle bells, and I would hear things in my house. All while hiding under my covers giggling because my parents would remind me that Santa wouldn't stop unless I was asleep. Ah, the memories. These are traditions I try to carry on with my own kids. They, too, have a wonderful Santa in their lives. We wake them up every year to see Santa with our own eyes in our house putting gifts under our tree. They are now starting to realize, though, that dad never seems to be around when this occurs. Hmmmm.....
I truly love Christmas! I love everything that is means. I love the way it causes people to look outside of themselves and find ways to give. I love the sparkly lights. I love the way my kids eyes light up to the gifts under the tree. I love trying to find that perfect gift for someone to surprise them with. I love walking by my nativity and stopping to see a sweet precious baby in the manger. I love Christmas music 24/7. I also love being married to Santa Claus. That's the best part! :)
I'm a huge giver. I find joy in giving to others. I'm pretty sure God created me that way. This year I haven't been able to give too much due to a lack of funds. So, God has taught me this year how to sit back and receive. For someone like me, that's hard. But this year has been full of hard lessons, so why did I think this was going to be any easier? :) God has wanted me to sit back and receive so that I could fully see how He is providing for me and my family. And it's amazing to see God's hand when you are still and watch.
Here are some things I have received this December just by being still:
$100 grocery card from my bestest friends
$100 from my parents best friends
$200 Walmart card from my dad's Sunday School class
A Christmas ham from my bestest friends (I have some AWESOME friends)
Cookies galore from friends and neighbors! ( I have hardly had to bake anything this year!)
Christmas soaps which I LOVE (yes, God does care about the little silly details of our lives)
Airline points which we never use in order to buy Christmas presents! (who would've thought?!)
$50 movie gift card
A friend offering to make New Years Eve dinner (that was a huge deal for me!)
And SO many other things that have blessed my heart beyond all meaning.
I have found Christmas this year not in giving, but in receiving God's provisions for my family. He has shown us ALL year that He is here. Emmanuel, God with us (present tense). Now, I hope to not make this receiving thing a permanent thing because I am wired to give, but I think God wanted me to feel the benefits of it this year. If you feel God prompting you to give anything to anyone, please heed His call! You will bless someone more than you can ever know!
Santa Claus has come to town! At least to the Corsars house. And God has been here, too. Good thing He doesn't only come around once a year!
Friday, December 24, 2010
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Your Camel is Coming!
So, I posted this photo on my Facebook page and told you all I would blog about it's meaning.
The story behind this photo comes from a Joyce Meyer book "Be Anxious for Nothing". It came from a book study that I led with some gals in my church a few years ago.
When the angel told Mary she was going to bear God's Son, it had to have been a daunting thought to her! I'm so poor, I'm not married, I'm not good enough. She must have thought she needed to better herself in some way before God could use her. She probably thought she needed to go ahead and enroll Jesus in the best preschool around. She probably thought she needed to buy the best minivan out there (the new Honda Odyssey) to drive around the Son of God! And Joseph, we definitely need a bigger house in order to raise God Himself...a house on the golf course!
But instead, Jesus came as a poor baby born in a nasty stable. I'm sure Joseph, the head of household, the provider, wondered how he was going to provide for this task that God had chosen him to do. But God already had that figured out, and had already sent some wisemen on camels loaded down with provisions for the child. Gold, frankincense, and myrrh were extremely valuable gifts in those days. Only kings had those kinds of gifts. So, while worrying about how they would provide for Jesus, God was sending the camels with the provisions. We need only to obediently accept the call God has placed on us...He handles all the rest.
When we start to worry how we are going to do a task that God has placed before us, we just have to remember that our camel is coming and that God is bringing the provisions.
I was having a pity party to some friends the other day since the 15th is just around the corner and there are no more paychecks coming. Michael is officially out of the Air Force and looking for a job. I was telling them that faith is not so easy when you literally have no money. Faith is pretty easy when you know there is money coming. But when you can't see it, it's a little more challenging to believe! My friend who is a graphic artist, headed to work and the next morning placed that sign in my front yard so I would see it when I woke up the next morning. I stood on my front porch crying that morning knowing God has not forgotten our need and is already sending the provisions...I just can't see them yet. I wouldn't be surprised if He delivers it via camel! :)
"The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives." Psalm 37:23
When the angel told Mary she was going to bear God's Son, it had to have been a daunting thought to her! I'm so poor, I'm not married, I'm not good enough. She must have thought she needed to better herself in some way before God could use her. She probably thought she needed to go ahead and enroll Jesus in the best preschool around. She probably thought she needed to buy the best minivan out there (the new Honda Odyssey) to drive around the Son of God! And Joseph, we definitely need a bigger house in order to raise God Himself...a house on the golf course!
But instead, Jesus came as a poor baby born in a nasty stable. I'm sure Joseph, the head of household, the provider, wondered how he was going to provide for this task that God had chosen him to do. But God already had that figured out, and had already sent some wisemen on camels loaded down with provisions for the child. Gold, frankincense, and myrrh were extremely valuable gifts in those days. Only kings had those kinds of gifts. So, while worrying about how they would provide for Jesus, God was sending the camels with the provisions. We need only to obediently accept the call God has placed on us...He handles all the rest.
When we start to worry how we are going to do a task that God has placed before us, we just have to remember that our camel is coming and that God is bringing the provisions.
I was having a pity party to some friends the other day since the 15th is just around the corner and there are no more paychecks coming. Michael is officially out of the Air Force and looking for a job. I was telling them that faith is not so easy when you literally have no money. Faith is pretty easy when you know there is money coming. But when you can't see it, it's a little more challenging to believe! My friend who is a graphic artist, headed to work and the next morning placed that sign in my front yard so I would see it when I woke up the next morning. I stood on my front porch crying that morning knowing God has not forgotten our need and is already sending the provisions...I just can't see them yet. I wouldn't be surprised if He delivers it via camel! :)
"The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives." Psalm 37:23
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Glory in the Highest
I LOVE Christmas music! I pulled out all my Christmas CD's the other day and I have about 20 of them! I like anything from Sinatra to Josh Groban to Chris Botti! It's all good. I even have a Clay Aiken Christmas CD, but it's really not my favorite. hee hee.
My absolute favorite of all my CD's is Chris Tomlin's "Glory in the Highest". If you haven't gotten it yet, go get it now! It will bless your socks off this Christmas! Who would have thought you can actually worship through a Christmas song? But you can! Listen to the song "Glory in the Highest" and crank up your volume LOUD! You'll be transported to heaven.
This year the song is especially meaningful to me. After the crazy and wild year that the Corsars have had we are convinced that God will be glorified in the end. We've had so many things happen to us this year that have not been especially pleasant, but what peace God has given us in the midst of it all. Peace which passes all understanding. Glory in the highest.
We have struggled with sadness and sorrow. But, glory in the highest. We have been moved from our home, shuffled to another home, lived without our possessions, and finally been firmly planted where God truly wants us. Glory in the highest. We have been judged and treated unfairly. But glory in the highest. We have had hard decisions to make. Glory in the highest. We've had to give up things that we truly thought we wanted. But glory in the highest. We are now without a job and income waiting on God to show us what His next plan for our life is. But glory in the highest. He is the first and the last....He will be our encore! And you'll want tickets to that show, I promise! It truly doesn't matter what happens in our life because God has us in the palm of His hand. He provides. He sustains. He is glorified!
This Christmas season, our prayer for you is that you realize His glory in the highest. We pray you see God in your good times and you thank him incessantly for your bad times. If you are His follower, those times were all created just for you. He is creating you into a new creation. Something He can use if you let him be your last final act!
This year the song is especially meaningful to me. After the crazy and wild year that the Corsars have had we are convinced that God will be glorified in the end. We've had so many things happen to us this year that have not been especially pleasant, but what peace God has given us in the midst of it all. Peace which passes all understanding. Glory in the highest.
We have struggled with sadness and sorrow. But, glory in the highest. We have been moved from our home, shuffled to another home, lived without our possessions, and finally been firmly planted where God truly wants us. Glory in the highest. We have been judged and treated unfairly. But glory in the highest. We have had hard decisions to make. Glory in the highest. We've had to give up things that we truly thought we wanted. But glory in the highest. We are now without a job and income waiting on God to show us what His next plan for our life is. But glory in the highest. He is the first and the last....He will be our encore! And you'll want tickets to that show, I promise! It truly doesn't matter what happens in our life because God has us in the palm of His hand. He provides. He sustains. He is glorified!
This Christmas season, our prayer for you is that you realize His glory in the highest. We pray you see God in your good times and you thank him incessantly for your bad times. If you are His follower, those times were all created just for you. He is creating you into a new creation. Something He can use if you let him be your last final act!
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