A New Christmas Tradition

This is not an original idea with me. My principal told me about his family doing this and I decided that I wanted to incorporate it into my life.

So let’s start with a question… What do YOU do with all of those Christmas cards that you receive? I used to just keep them and throw them away after so long. I did keep the picture cards or the pictures that were in the cards, but I never kept the actual cards themselves.

My principal’s family would collect all of the cards that were sent to them and put them into a basket. Then for the rest of the year, they would take time during their family devotions to pull a set amount of cards out of the basket. During the time of prayer they would pray for the individuals or families that had sent the card.

 

 

What a great way to remember to pray for people who you have been in your life and remembered you at the this special time of year. Another idea is to write inside the card when you prayed for them or a special request concerning them.

So grab a basket put those pretty cards and pictures in it and your devotional Bible. And be prepared for a blessing of praying for others.

Some one loved

"Grief is not a problem to be solved. It is simply a statement that you have loved someone."- Author Unknown.

This quote was given to me shortly after my mother passed away. And truly it has been a quote that I keep going back to time and again. I have found that as I make this journey through grief, there are times that I think that I am just being silly... or I am just taking it too personally... or am I just over-reacting. But it all boils down to I loved her. Was she perfect? Did she always say the things that I needed to hear? No she was a human just like me, she had her faults but that doesn't mean that I love her less. She was the one that I talked to every day. She cried with me, was happy with me, and was proud of who I became. So after a couple of months of trying to be strong, I have come to the conclusion that it is ok for me to be sad, cry, and miss her terribly. I won't be one of those people who lives only in the past. She wouldn't want that from me, nor is it healthy. I will celebrate who she was, and the legacy that she left not only my brother and I, but also her current and future grandchildren. They will know that Nonna was so excited about being a grandma and looked forward to meeting them.

At first I felt guilty for all my tears and wanted to stop them. But my mom was a lady who gave so much of herself and loved others so much that grief on the part of her family and friends is natural, normal, and won't necessarily go away quickly. So those of you that have lost a loved one may understand to a certain point what I 'm going through, we need to remember that we have gone through this and need to be supportive of those around us that may be grieving. They have loved and lost and we can use this as an opportunity to reach others for Christ. God is a source of comfort and strength when you need it the most.

I apologize for my rambling. But these thoughts have been on my mind for a while now but how to put them into an organized manner escaped me....

Confused

I was reading the subtitle of my blog and realized that it needs to change. It says "happy" it should say "joyful". I know that I will not always be happy. I'm not sure why I even used that term, but I can be joyful. Right now I am sad. As most of you know I lost my mother last week, and my life changed forever. I feel so lost at times, and can't imagine how my dad feels. Despite this horrible time in my life, I have found that serving God pays. The family of God has been so good to us and so concerned for us. I have learned so much about what it means to have someone that helps to bear your burdens. If it hadn't been for so many people praying for us I'm not sure how we would have made it.

I know that I have a long road of somber holidays, little moments that I would love to share with my mom, and a wedding that she was so looking forward to planning for me. But as I do I know that God has the grace and strength that I need to go through these events with a quiet peace that He is carrying me through. I needed to write this down so that I will remember this in the days to come. There are moments that I am fine, I feel strong. The very next moment I feel so weak and I'm not sure that I can go on.

Sorry that I sound disjointed, frankly, that is how I feel. I am hoping to blog a little bit more. But I know that I always make that promise.