My Prince of Peace

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night.  An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.  But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid.  I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.  Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.  This will be a sign to you:  You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."  Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rest."

Luke 2: 8-14

I hear this passage and I sense a calmness in the story.  Peace came to the shepherds.  I'm sure they were startled and perhaps even fearful of what they were seeing, what they were experiencing … but all in all peace surrounded them.  I sense a quietness and stillness also in the moment … as the moment stood still as they grasped what was being told to them.

This time of the year we hear the word "peace" quite often.  However … do we live in a moment of peace?  Drivers cutting in and making wrong decisions so they can get to where they are going and honking at you to get out of the way, shoppers getting cranky and downright rude as they feel the pressure of Christmas coming closer and they have still way too much to do, and just society becoming more focused on our own selves than who we are doing life with - peace is hard to find sometimes, and sometimes down right impossible.

I sit here with a knot in my stomach, one that just won't unwind.   I wrestle with my dad not only being put into an assistant living home, but how fast his disease is taking him.  I wrestle with the decisions ahead that I'm not really part of but hearing about - whether I agree or disagree isn't the issue, but the confusion and exclusion I'm dealing with.  I wrestle with my connection to other family members with all this and helping my daughters walk through this as well.  I wrestle a lot with what I'm dealing with at work.    I hear things, see things that just aren't right.  Confusion is part of my circumstances.  Being pulled in many different directions, being a support to those around me as well as being the one everyone wants to talk to - because "I'm a little easier".  And in the midst of all this we decide to do remodeling.

My stomach hurts.  The knot just doesn't want to loosen.

I know I need to sit with my God.  However, what do I say?  What do I open my Bible to?  What do I do?  After all, He knows everything and sees what I'm going through.  How do I release it?

Christmas we call out Peace.  But yet we don't experience peace.  Life is cruel and gets in the way.

"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you.  I do not give to you as the world gives.  Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid."

John 14:27

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For me yoke is easy and my burden is light."  

Matthew 11:28-30

I don't have to have the answers, for Jesus is the answer.  I don't have to worry about tomorrow because He has it taken care of.  I don't have to figure out what is right and wrong because He is the truth and wins in the end.  I know this full well.

Jesus came.  And all He asks is for me to come to Him.

 don't have to have an agenda, or know where to open my Bible to, or even know what to say.  I just  to come.  He will take care of it all.

So today  come.  I ask all the emotions, turmoil and details I'm going through with my Dad He will handle.  I surrender the hurt, anger, and confusion for His peace.  I come.  I surrender.  And I receive His peace He has to offer.

I chose to walk away from the troubles of this world, and just come to Him and sit.  I receive His peace.

I chose to walk away from my job today and let Him be the center.

I chose Peace.  I chose Him.  And I receive the Peace that entered this world years ago is entering me today.

Simply come.  Simply receive.

And God Came

As usual, Duane and I were praying this morning.  Life seems to be a bit heavier than normal this morning, and we were laying our burdens at His feet.  During prayer, I happened to look up and pondered our decorated mantel.  And then I remembered ...

I thought of all the heaviness, then lies seemed to whisper in my ear.  You know the ones when you are kicked down, the "oh, what you are going through is nothing compared to so and so...save your prayer requests", or "you are so alone in this...no one will care about all this", or "you deserve all this".  Yea, sometimes I hear those words when I am battling heaviness.  But this morning was different, I kicked those lies to the curb as I stumbled on what I saw .. those manger scenes.

Why did Jesus come to this lowly place...a manger?  Why did the King of the universe, the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords come to a lowly place called earth, and a lowly place such as my heart?  The text book answer is to save us from our sins, so we may have eternal life with our Heavenly Father.  But this morning I am reminded of so much more.  He came.  He came for you.  He came for me.  But He came to set us free.  He came to heal us.  He came to carry our heaviness.  He came to wipe our tears.  He came to hold our hand.  He came to celebrate our joys with us.  He came to encourage, to give hope and peace and increase our faith.  He came so we can be more like Him.  He came.  And the beauty of it all ... He still comes every moment of the day, every day. 

So as I sat and started in my self pity of "why now?" and "why during this most happiest time of the year?", I told my Savior, my Lord of Lords, my Emmanuel ... thank you that it was now, as I am reminded He came in form of a baby for such a time as this!  And as the letters spell out on our mantel, P E A C E ... it still holds true today.  He came this morning picking up my heaviness and in return He gave me His peace. 

I pray you too experience His peace during this Christmas time, as well as the days that follow.

From Our House to Yours

We wish you a very Merry Christmas!

May the Prince of Peace fill your lives!

An Unsuspecting Gift!

It was just about two weeks ago we found out Duane has been asked to travel to Puerto Rico for business.  This is actually a huge honor for him. He, along with about a dozen others (worldwide), have been asked to come and take this calss.  He was the only one asked from Colorado.  He is honored and excited to take the class, but he never enjoys the time away from his family.

I wasn't excited about the timing of this trip, as he left today.  However, I am excited for him.

My cup seems so dry these days.  There seems to be a huge burden on me, one I can't seem to escape from.  I feel all used up with nothing left to give.  It seems I have someone constantly next to me, all the time.  I even experience guilt (which is not of God) as I long for just one moment of peace and quiet.  My quiet times have been removed from my schedule and replaced with more things to do.  My plate is full ... and I feel so empty.

Duane saw the place I have been in.  He wanted to give to me, nurture me and replenish everything that has been taken from me. 

He booked me a ticket and I leave on Friday to join him in Puerto Rico!  I get to have a full weekend with my husband, of uninterupted time with just him!  And then five full week days of solitude with only my Father to reconnect and draw close.

Duane and I are very excited!

Convicted

Loveland (the town a half hour up the interstate and where our church is) has been in the news latly.  You may have heard.  Actually, it was the Loveland Art Museum specifically that has been in the news.


To make a long story short, there was a piece of artwork most would see as pornographic and the man in the picture resembled Jesus.  Supposedly.  However as our pastor said "It wasn't my Jesus.".  I know who Jesus is...and I agree.  It wasn't my Jesus. 


Anyway, a woman drove down from Montana - offended of the piece of art and destroyed it.


To see/hear more of the story from our pastor perspective I will have links at the bottom of the page.  But be warned...you WILL experience what God's love is all about and it may just change your life, as it did mine!


I was moved to tears as I heard how to respond in love.  Our pastor acted in obedience to God's word.  It got me looking at my life, and if there was anyone I needed to give love to.


This is my prayer.

Oh God, the other night at church I experienced the love you have for all of your children, and even saw how you call us to love one another.  I was truly overwhelmed.  Your love is so overwhelming.  And yet, we are called to give this overwhelming love away, not just hold onto it.  So with that I will do what you have called me to do. 

So I come to you this morning, I come to you thinking more about Elijah and Ruthie.  But today I am thinking beyond the love for these kids.  I am thinking of the Liberian government - their president, Geebro, Lydia and our US embassy person; Steve Harper, to be precise. 

I confess you you I have judged them.  I have wanted them to be removed as they continue to stand in the way of me and my children.  I have hated them.  I have not loved them as you have called me to.  I have seen them as evil, cold-hearted, not a follower of you, corrupt, selfish and uncaring.  I have put my love for my kids over them.  I have never given them a chance to be heard.  I have cut them off and believed that my way was the truth and was the only way to be seen.  It was the best scenario for our situation.  I also haven't allowed your love to rule over this situation, as I have never known you the way I know you today.  I confess I never saw your love as enough.  I am so sorry for condemning you - and your children.  I am sorry I have put you in a box.  I'm truly sorry.  And I'm sorry I have allowed it to harden my heart - the heart you created to be used by You.

Today it stops!

I know you are getting ready to do great things with Elijah and Ruth, but today I take my eyes of what I want and on your people - who are your heart.

I pray for your blessings to shower upon the Liberian president, upon Geebro, Lydia and Steve Harper.  I pray they too will see you more today as I have.  I pray that they will be blessed beyond measure and will simply just know you.  I pray for protection over them and their families.  I pray they won't be hungry as you continue to provide for their every need.  I pray their hearts are heard and peace fills their lives.  I pray they experience joy and a full knowing and experience that they are so loved my you.  May they see your hand upon them.  I pray they too will celebrate the salvation they have or can have through you.  Thank you for their lives.  Thank you that you can use them and allow Your goodness to shine through them all.

I will continue to faithfully pray for these people.  Thank you for changing my heart and allowing your love to shine through.  I give you praise through this healing.  Amen!!!

To hear our pastor's response to the artist watch the sermon found on these links:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W7qmbf5kgB0&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f_N4-c6Kg2k&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W7qmbf5kgB0&feature=related