Temporary Time-Off

Some of you may have noticed that the quality of my writing has fallen off in the past few months.  Temporary but stubborn health issues have kept me from thinking clearly from time to time.  Rather than struggle and continue to disappoint my readers and myself, I've decided to suspend my blog until the health issues are resolved, as my doctor assures me they will.  

I absolutely love this blogging stuff and I am sure my Big Boss wants me to continue, so I will happily contact you all when I am able to give it my best again.  Have a happy and prosperous New Year!

Margaret

Holiday Fun

What a great Christmas we had at our house this year.  I hope yours was as happy and joyous.  My church always has a candlelight service on Christmas Eve, to bring into radiant focus what the birth of our Savior means to us all in this troubled world.  Christmas carols by the choir and congregation ring out the truth that is our greatest earthly blessing.  This year our group was accompanied by a string ensemble.  Can you hear the rich sonorous harmonies of these great instruments helping to uplift our praises to our great God?

Much of the holiday joy in our household comes from having children and grandchildren and their families living nearby and joining us for dinner and, for some, gift-giving.  Christmas Eve afternoon supper with one family, Christmas day noon dinner with another, and another celebration with another branch of the family tree tomorrow keep us laughing and sharing crazy memories from over the past year.  And a few sad ones, for that, too, is part of life. 

This coming weekend will see us start a new year.  May the Lord bless you all and bring our  troubled nation back to reconciliation, peace, and prosperity in the Year of our Lord 2012.

Margaret

The Meaning of Christmas--- a Repeat

During this Christmas week I would like to repeat a true story I told you all here a year ago.  Nothing goes to the heart of the Christmas message as much as this little story.  I had forgotten it, until I started looking for something to share with you all this very special week.  Here it is, again.  I hope you enjoy re-reading it as much as I did. 

My ten-year-old great grandson came to visit last Sunday.  Raised in a religionless home, he asked, "What is the meaning of Christmas?"  So I found for him my Little Golden Book version of The Christmas Story (Luke, Chapter Two, in children's language).  I realized later that I had not shared with him the meaning of Christmas, just the story.  So who cares, that a baby was born to a poor couple in a small village in one of the world's smallest countries?  Why does that matter to anybody else, especially 2,000 years later?  Obviously there was something very special about this baby, his mother and step-dad, and this little nation. Why did angels appear in the skies and announce his birth to a bunch of shepherds--the poorest of the poor people--and tell all the people around them how great he was?  Even more amazing, why did a trio of kings from faraway lands come to worship him, calling him a king? 

This is what I told my great grandson:

He was not just a baby.  For thousands of years the Jewish nation where he was born had been waiting for a Messiah or Savior to be born.  Their God, whom they believe to be the Creator of all things, had promised that he would come.  These people had offended their God many times over and over again and were not always on good terms with their God, even though they also believed he is the best thing that can ever happen to anybody because he loves and forgives them, over and over again.  That's the way people are, isn't it?  We all hurt each other, sometimes when we don't even mean to.  The Creator did not want this kind of life for people.  He wanted them to love everybody all the time and never cause anyone trouble.  But because that's the way people are, everybody needs to get right with God again.  Jesus, the baby, was sent by God to make that possible not only for the Jews but for all people who want to believe in and follow this God.  Jesus is his Son, you see.  How he did that is another story, the Easter story. 

Back to the Christmas story: Christians--those people who love Jesus and believe he is the God-sent Messiah/Savior are full of joy at this time of year because Jesus' birth means God loves us very, very much.  So much that he sent his own Son to be that Savior.  It also means that someday, when we die, we will come alive again and be with that loving God forever and ever in "eternal life," which is the perfect world the Creator God originally wanted for us. God promises us that in the book we call the Bible.  And God is truth, that book says.  That means, he never ever breaks his promises. 

Now isn't that good news?   It's wonderful news.  What's why we can't help but say, "Rejoice!  Rejoice!  Our Savior has come."  We give each other gifts because God us humans the greatest gift there is--a Savior. 

Your great grandma who loves you, too, just like Jesus and God do,
Grandma Peggy

How are our Congressmen doing?

Wisconsin Republicans pushed through a new voter ID law this year on the pretense of cleaning up our elections, though we had no discernible fraud problem.  Now processing the photos for these IDs is costing the state $28 each and the new law requires an added registration  process that threatens to create such long tedious lines, some voters may leave without voting or even  stay away from the precincts.  This new law will do more to interfere with good elections than assist the process. 

On the other hand, having succcessfully picked up two seats in the state Senate through recalls this year, the Democrats are running several more recall elections next year, costing taxpayers the considerable expense of numerous more special elections. 

Whatever happened to all the politicians' concerns about bringing down the the high cost of government and reducing our enormous deficit?  Their priorities, on both sides, are obvious, aren't they?  No wonder the Occupy people are protesting all over.  The politicians in both parties just haven't gotten the message yet, and we citizens are sick to death of the game-playing. 

Lord, our nation does need help to get back on track towards a good, moral, God-pleasing country.  Lead us towards that end, if it be Your will,

Margaret

Just checking in

 

Where did I go last week?   I wish I knew.  Actually I've been ill and out of commission for nearly six weeks.  Part of the "ill" is that my head hasn't been working right (dizzy, light-headed, confusion, etc.).  Then I had a setback last week and just wasn't up to doing anything...

 

I won't go into the details.  I just wanted you all to know that my doctor assured me today that I am on the way back--all the way to normal.  It'll just take a bit more time, so please bear with me until the Lord so graces my life with normalcy again.  

You're always in my heart, here or not,

 

Margaret

The God Experience

How can God be anything but love?  The core of all that is kind and good, the one and only Source of

pure love without blemish, the Author of all life, true beauty, and total unadulterated joy---He is all these things.  Evil exists only to show humanity how much everything and everyone is lacking, much as one dot, one period on a sheet of pure white paper mutilates the whole of it.  

Human beings, on the other hand, can only see and appreciate the awesome immensity and fullness of God because we have been gifted with being created in His image.  No more, less we deceive ourselves into imagining we are God or even godlike.  No less, so that we can see and feel and experience His magnificent love, strength, and care.  We humans are given the royal gift of choice (Shall we, or shall we not choose to love Him back?) so that we can absorb, connect with, and return His love. 

On this Thanksgiving, thanking God for all He is---the grandest and greatest of all experiences,  

Margaret

Notice:   No new post today.  health issue, hopefully minor...

Take care,

Margaret