HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS

May everyone know the joy of Home for the holiday...whether it be in your heart or in reality. We all have a spot within our soul that needs to be filled with Jesus and when that large hole is filled we have home in our hearts. I pray this space in your heart is full of the Savior and his love HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS Home for the holidays-isn’t that a beautiful phrase? For some, home is the light display around the lake, the gold coin in the Salvation Army kettle and the Bell Ridge church children’s program. For others home is the carol floating from the church steeple, Santa’s house on the corner of the Courthouse lawn, and the smiling faces of people who nod in recognition at the Wal-Mart. For many it’s the lunch with friends, and best of all, the family gathering under the same roof to celebrate the birth of the Savior who means so much to all of us. Home has a different association to each of us, but for me it is all of these things and more. Home is Edgar County, Illinois. Here in Edgar County we can still enjoy the manger scene displayed in so many different ways. I enjoy the living nativity at the church drive-thru, but whether the nativity is cast in fancy marble or displayed as a small crèche on the coffee table, it is still a reminder of our Savior’s home when He came into this world. Not a palace, but a stable. Not a home of great renown and wealth, but the lowly dwelling of a teenager and a carpenter. Isn’t it amazing when you think about it? That God would expect a young teenage woman and her carpenter husband to raise the Savior of the world? And yet, it was in this home where Jesus “grew in wisdom and in stature” (Luke 2:52) and became all that He was meant to be. My childhood home and family memories flood my heart during this time of year. I realize how past experiences have shaped me into the woman I have become. I pray that those of us who are parents, grandparents, uncles and aunts remember that as Jesus grew and was influenced by these young parents in their home, so the children around us are influenced by what they are witnessing in us. All are touched by the world’s concept of Christmas. We can enjoy cooking, shopping, and the partying of the holidays. However, my wish for children is that their family memories be centered on the celebration of Jesus’ birth and the knowledge that He came to be the Savior. May your home and your family be a place of celebration and joy for the birth of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. May you enjoy your walk with Him in 2007. Enjoy your walk. Jeremiah 6:16

1000 GIFTS

11/14/06 e-mails from friends, fresh baked apple pie,positive comments about blog entry, husband, internet pictures of ship that grandson-to-be (August 18) is on, gift of prayer,

LUCKY?

No gift unrecognized as coming from God is at its own best... when in all gifts we find Him, then in Him we shall find all things."~ George MacDonald~ “Your family is just so lucky!” “You just seem to have all the luck.” “You don’t know about problems” Throughout my life my friends have made comments about “how lucky” I am. Usually I try to indicate that luck has had nothing to do with our life, and that God has had everything to do with it. Not that we haven’t struggled or known disappointment; of course we have. We all do. But, we have attempted to recognize that God is in control, and if we allow Him, He will take charge of all things. Putting Him first is not always easy, and we have not always been successful at this, but when we have done this, our days are easier and smoother. We have claimed his promise of “All things work together for good to those who love the Lord and are called according to His purpose.”(Romans 8:28) Fifty year of marriage, two children, two in-law children and four grandchildren are gifts that we recognize as coming from God, and because of this recognition we have found all things. A marriage without Christ as its center can be good but not great! Great marriage relationships grow when they are Christ centered. When both partners recognize that the love they share is based in their love for Christ, it is then they gain the gift of “all things.” The good and perfect gift of God’s love becomes a reality in the marriage. Children of a marriage are gifts from God, and when we acknowledge this and raise them as gifts fit to give back to Him, it is then we can truly know the pleasure of all things. As our children and grandchildren continue to grow and serve Him, they give us the gift of their love and His love, and it is then we begin to understand our purpose in life. Our purpose is to acknowledge to the world around us that our family is a gift from God. We must treasure that gift, thank Him for it, and use it in the way He planned.My prayer is that as we watch our grandchildren begin to marry and start families that they will recognize and acknowledge to the world around them that God is the center of their home. By doing this they too will be able to “find all things in Him.”

Thousand Gifts List

Between now and Christmas I am joining with Christian Women OnLine to make random entries as they come to mind of the gifts God has blessed me with this holiday season. Starting today they will be found on this blog site. I hope you share with me in the wonderful blessings God has bestowed upon this child of His. 11/08/06...telephone conversations with my daughter...white clouds in the blue sky of Florida...friends calling my name...grandaughter -to- be sharing her bridesmaid's dress via e-mail...she included me...smell of spaghetti sauce simmering,e-mail and instant message to keep in touch with my daughter,11/11/06 friends to share music with, American Remembers music at Palladium, vehicles that let all six of us ride together,flexible fingers to play piano, ability to walk, the little green parakeets flying over golf course 11/12/06 flea markets, music in worship, new people in worship, warmth of sun on aching shoulders,

Walking Together

"It doesn’t matter what is behind you as much as it matters who is beside you." ~ Ellen ~"Laced with Grace"

I have previously posted this on my blog, but when I read the quote for the week this seemed so appropriate for a response that I am posting it here. Enjoy your walk each day.

My husband is walking with me this morning. I enjoy having him walk with me, but before we reach the end of our driveway, he is three steps ahead of me. I am a slow starter especially in the morning. I hip, hop and hustle, managing to catch up just before we reach the Crestwood track. As we start around the track, we are walking stride for stride and side by side.

After the rains of last night (five inches in a short period of time) the warm morning sun beats down upon us, and we stroll along in companionable silence. We make the turn from the track on to the blacktop by the school, and it suddenly dawns on me that our walking side by side is no accident. He has gradually shortened his stride and slowed his step so that we can walk together. Nothing has been said between us; he has just adjusted to my pace. And there is the lesson of the day-marriage advice in a morning walk. How symbolic. It occurs to me that here is the reason for the success of our fifty years together.

Life’s day to day activities have often caused us to be out of step with one another. As a farmer, his busy time was harvest (fall) and planting (spring).As a teacher, my busy time was the beginning of school (fall) and school ending (spring). Obviously we often found our lives were not moving at the same pace. Sometimes he walked ahead, and I struggled to keep up. We weren’t always on the same path in our day to day lives, but we always made the effort to keep up with each other.

In other situations, I charged on ahead. When our children were in kindergarten and third grade, I decided to go to college for a teaching degree. We certainly were on different time schedules and life was quite hectic. However, during that entire four years, he not only kept up with me but supported me the entire route.

Through our fifty years of marriage we have not always been walking at the same pace, but when either of us became aware that we didn’t seem to be walking together, every effort was made to get back side by side. Sometimes we discussed it, but not always. Usually we just made the extra effort to adjust to one another’s pace in life at that particular time. It didn’t matter who did what, it just needed to be done. It’s the caring that we walk together that has made the difference.

Whether it is a marriage or a friendship with someone else, adjusting to the pace of the one you walk with is important. Walking with God is much the same. God tells us to “Be still and know that I am God.” Just slowing down and listening can make a difference. At times in our Christian walk, it is time to speed up and “do” the things He has planned for us to do. Keeping pace can make all the difference in our relationship with Him.

ENJOY YOUR WALK. IT’S MORE FUN WHEN YOU WALK TOGETHER!

REPLICATE OR DUPLICATE?

"I thought about the whole notion of “reproduction”, and what it really means to replicate yourself. Is it merely about the passing on of eyes and chins and hair color? Or is it, rather, the replication of the heart? Do we leave a bigger mark by passing on our genes, or our thoughts?” Shannon Woodwar, author of Inconceivable:Finding Peace in the Midst of Infertility”

My grandson is so much like his mother. I see many of the characteristics of my daughter in my 9 year old granddaughter. My oldest granddaughter thinks like her father. My oldest grandson is a combination of both sides of the family (the best part). In different situations people have indicated that both of my granddaughters look like me or like each other. Is that true? Who can say? Much like beauty, it is often in “the eyes of the beholder” One grandchild probably thinks and reacts to things much like I do. I don’t always understand one grandson’s initial reaction, but his deep-down thoughts are good and reflect his parents’ beliefs.

I want to believe that each of these grandchildren will take my attitude towards life and my faith in God to become even stronger and better individuals because of what I have passed on to them. Physical characteristics have very little importance in the overall scheme of God’s plan. God’s gift to us is His Son and our gift to the world around us is to show that love and leave that mark. The mark we leave in this world (whether on our children or the children of the world) is important only if it is the mark of love and God’s Word in the heart of those we are allowed to influence. As a footnote to the opening thought: It might be interesting to note that two of those grandchildren are biological grandchildren and two of them are adopted grandchildren. And even those who know us can not always tell which child is the replication of my heart and which the replication of my physcial body. My desire is that "whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy" in my heart it will be duplicated over and over in theirs. And if that happens then I have left the biggest mark I can leave on my children and my grandchildren whether they be biological or of the heart.

The Unseen Love

Before I share this prompt, I want to express my gratitude for this avenue of expression. It has given me a way to practice meeting a deadline as well as a place to react and express my reaction to excellent quotes. But more than that, I have been blessed by reading the thoughts of some wonderful Christian women, and I encourage you to go to the websites of some of the women who are posting through IN OTHER WORDS

"Salt, when dissolved in water, may disappear, but it does not cease to exist.We can be sure of its presence by tasting the water.

Likewise, the indwelling Christ, though unseen, will be made evident to others from the love which He imparts to us."

Sadhu Sundar Sing

My husband always makes a survey of the dinner table before we bow for prayer. And I know what he is looking for...salt. If by some slip, I have forgotten to put it within his reach or even more unthinkable have not even put it on the table, he rises before we pray to retrieve the salt.(Please note that is a somewhat tongue in cheek statement, but also true.) It is that invisible flavor of life that so many of us crave and miss so much if it isn't there. Sometimes we don't even know what's missing, but the food just doesn't "taste right". We all know someone whose presence brings a glow to the environment...the club meeting goes better, the luncheon group is happier, the church board meeting is pleasant. That is the dissolved salt of Christ's love in the environment they live in. My prayer today is that Christ's love is made evident to others when they get a taste of my life.

"Remember, we all stumble, every one of us.

That's why it's a comfort to go hand in hand."~ Emily Kimbrough ~ Hand in hand… Two little girls hopping from the last step of the school bus and rushing hand in hand to the playground – a new year of school has begun and the future is out there someplace but they go hand in hand to what the new year brings.

Lovers walking on the beach as the sun silhouettes them against the evening Florida sky-boy and girl walking toward the parking lot after a day at the beach and the future is out there someplace, but they go hand in hand to what the night may bring

Parents and children scolding and laughing as they push their way to the entrance of the amusement park, mother, father, daughter, son hurrying toward the day of family fun-and the future is out there someplace, but they go hand in hand to meet it unafraid of what years may bring.

White haired lady and upright man carrying his cane as they walk toward the door of the hospital-leaning one on the other as they have done for the past fifty years, they push open the door and the future is out there someplace but they enter hand in hand for what the visit may bring.

What a comfort it is to go hand in hand with someone else through the experiences of life because we know we will stumble, and those of us who have a hand to hold realize what a security it is when we stumble. But remember “everyone of us stumbles” as we come from that past or go to that future. The only hand we really can truly trust is God’s hand. He never stumbles. He can always hold us up. Holding hands with Him will always keep us safe for what ever the future brings. And there is my comfort in life.

"One cannot collect all the beautiful shells on the beach. One can collect only a few, and they are more beautiful if they are few."

~ Anne Morrow Lindbergh ~

And how true it is…whether referring to shells or all of the other of life’s experiences. Anne Lindbergh’s phrase has floated to the surface and onto the beach of my mind frequently since I read it on Friday. Life’s daily living has kept me from escaping to the beach of my imagination where I might walk the sands of solitude so tempting to those who write. As the ideas roll like the waves of the sea and deposit the shells of words and ideas,I sometimes need just to escape that I might capture them while they are still fresh. But finally it is time. I can express all those “shells” of thought I have had to neglect all weekend.

Although my ideas have been beautiful and varied, one shell keeps rolling in on my thought waves - the exquisite shell of friendship. In one lifetime, we experience and acknowledge many people as our friends, but “one can collect only a few, and they are more beautiful if they are few.” All may be beautiful, but only a few become those truly amazing people we take home to treasure.

These are the relationships that endure through every birth, every death, every splendid event and every hateful experience we may have between the births and deaths. It is this person (as it has been said by someone) “who know all there is about us and loves us anyway.” This is that person I can call day or night and know he/she (gender isn’t an issue) will share whatever emotion I am subject to at the moment. Treasured friend may not even understand what I am experiencing, but still will share emotion/experience with me.

Anyone who “collects” is truly blessed if in a lifetime you “collect” two or three true friends. Acquaintances, even very close acquaintances, are many and often beautiful, but the word friend is saved for those beautiful people that we collect as treasures along the edges of the sea of our life. As I write, I know (in my heart and from almost 70 years of living) that they are few, but precious. My wish for you as you read this week’s thought is that you have been reminded of the few “beautiful” people who are a part of your treasure.

And if you are blessed beyond measure you may be married to one of those treasured friends! I am.

"When life whacks you so hard your head flies off, sew it back on and keep going." ~ Mary Pierce ~ You either sew it back on and keep on going or you die-figuratively or literally-mentally or spiritually” Life whacks us all…this is a major part of Satan’s plan. Let us just make sure we have put it on straight! Many times when we pick ourselves up if we are not careful we have put our head on crooked or even backwards…we think just getting it back on is all that matters…but it has to be on straight! Hard work is a good way to get our head back together when life gives us a hard whack, but hard work by itself won’t keep us going. Change of environment and scenery can sometimes put our heads back on when we have had a good whack but that won’t keep us going either. Friends and family are important and can be the strong thread that keeps our head on, but they too can wear thin and snap. The thread that is strong enough to keep our head on straight is the crimson thread of Christ’s blood that winds it way through the Word of God. This thread is the only thing strong enough to keep our head on even when life has given us a good hard whack. I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength and “sewing my head back on “ is something I have done several times in my lifetime. Getting it on straight was more of a problem; however, it stays on longer and straighter when I have used the thread that Christ so freely gave on the cross. It is my prayer that this will be the thread we all use when we get the whacks of life that Satan gives us. Blessings.

My husband is walking with me this morning. Before we reach the end of our driveway, he is three steps ahead of me. I am a slow starter. I manage to catch up, and we are now walking stride for stride and side by side. After the rains of last night (five inches in a short period of time) the warm morning sun beats down upon us, and we stroll along in companionable silence. As we continue, it suddenly dawns on me that we are walking side by side only because he has gradually shortened his stride and slowed his step. Nothing has been said between us; he had just adjusted to my pace. And there is the lesson of the day-marriage advice in a morning walk. It occurs to me that this is much of the success of our 50 years together. If only those young people just starting the walk down the aisle could comprehend early in their married life that timing is important. Sometimes he has walked ahead and I have struggled to keep up, but I did struggle! In other situations, I have charged on, and it has been necessary for him to step up his pace. It’s the caring that we walk together that has made the difference. When I have time, I am going to give examples and make this an article. Comments are welcome. To those married readers-IT’S MORE FUN WHEN YOU WALK TOGETHER!

Monday, June4, 2006 Always a rainbow behind the clouds. Just sharing the beauty of God's handiwork. The Mission Mountain Range before a storm. The discussion question recently on Writers View 2(an on-line group ) was to discuss Writing Conferences and our response to them. This group is for beginning to intermediate writers and is always uplifting and encouraging to me. I have learned so much from the members of both groups, but have never felt I was "good" enough to take part in the discussions. These people are "pros" or they seem to have had more experiences than I have. However, this morning I decided to jump right in :-) Knowing that all who read ClellasCorner are not a member of this group I decided to share. I realize this does not interest the non-writer, but the main thought is PRAY. And then I realize this should interest us no matter what we do. Prayer is the answer. It seems the longer I live the more I pray. It would seem you would get better at it as time goes on,but in my case I just realize each day how much I need God's help for anything I do. The "pray without ceasing" admonition has become my motto. God is so good to me that I must spend so much time just thanking Him for the blessings of the day and then someone gets sick (yesterday it was my little granddaughter) and I must go to Him for peace and healing. Before I realize it someone in the church is in trouble spiritually or physically or mentally and I need to talk to God about them because who else can we turn to. So on and on it goes and the day is over and it is time for rest and he gives it to me every night.There is a saying someplace about "giving your cares to God before you sleep because He is going to be up anyway" :-) And I do try to do that. Once I go to bed I usually have very little trouble sleeping, but I do try to keep my lines to God open by continuous prayer...I can see His hand in all my life from the smallest of details in the day to the overall of the sixty-nine years I have lived.I would encourage you to go to His Word and then to prayer

often think of patience as a kindly virtue of moms and little old ladies. Reading tonight, I have discovered that patience in the bible is often translated as perseverance. A new, but welcome thought for me because perseverance sounds much stronger as a word than patience. People who persevere are fighters not meek, waiting little people with no fight to them. Those who have the endurance I to run the race, fight the fight, finish the course...these are those who persevere...in my gut level feeling patience is not always a virtue even though I have been taught differently by my“persevering, patient” mother. " Persevering, patient" now becomes redundant if what I have learned in my reading has any validity. I think I would like to be known as a woman who pesevered maybe even more than a woman who was patient. Of course it is all just a "play with words" idea,and I do so like to play with words. Patience or perseverance...,either way it is a fruit of the spirit that I need to cultivate more each day. Galatians 5:22