Mas Christ everyone! I say let's not let the world ruin the joy we get by giving . . . however if giving at this time of year is either stressful on your budget or your time I say to you: Nowhere in the Holy Bible does God tell us when to celebrate the birth of Christ . . . the Glory of what Jesus did for us happened through his Death and Resurrection . . . perhaps the best solution is to give as the Holy Spirit instructs you . . . all throughout the year. I think this will allow us to honor everything we love about the tradition of "Christmas" and at the same time appease the non-believers who relish in tormenting us with the truth of what the holiday has come to represent . . . insane greed.
** This morning I started out at 3:33 AM reading Romans! Thank you for loaning me your bible Jordan! God's message to me today was to help my brother! I was confused as to what that meant... but my brother means the world to me. He too has had a rough life. I barely see him even though we work together so I asked God, "How am I supposed to help him? What am I supposed to do for him?" All I saw in my head was the bible Jordan had loaned me so willingly I sat up and turned to Romans. Why Romans? Because it is written by Paul who was Saul and I learned last night thanks to Jordan that the Glory of God is only written about in Acts and Romans. You know I just had a rough time wrapping my head around that one. How could the Glory of God not be in every chapter. You may be surprised to know that until 18 months ago I had never really read anything out of the bible. So many people argue over what it says in a way I feared it. Funny enough because just yesterday I discovered that someone had stated I needed to pick up my bible and read it because I had posted I would pray for patience. She ripped me a good one . . . I saw that post . . . the one where she chastised me for praying for patience for this friend of ours asking for prayers. I ended up deleting my comment and crying. Someone had deleted her second post to me for fear it may hurt my feelings and begin some trouble. In a gist the deleted post said, "Sister Wendy, you need to pick up your bible so you know what to pray for!" My heart almost exploded in my chest at her words but I immediately felt sorry for her. You see, I have walked with God. I have heard him laugh like a father does with a child that tickles him with their simpleness. God told me all I needed to know about the world. Like most children you will see I rebelled with anger over the years . . . even with all of my junk he loves me. Wait until I write the chapter about how he let me know he had heard my prayers! That one will be fun!
Anyway, I decided I wanted a cup of coffee this morning but when I pulled into McDonald's the line was ridiculously long. Right then I realized I only had $1 . . . I needed $1.09. I thought to myself, "I'll just park and go inside I know a lot of the girls on the gas station side and I was sure one of them would let me borrow .09 from them if I promised to pay the penny fund back." As I approached where I was going to park I saw the back of a work truck that looked like my brother's and again I heard, "Help your brother" As I pulled up next to the truck on the other side of the pump I realized indeed it was my brother. He has been on medicine for too long. Recently due to a missed appointment and the health care insurance fiasco he had been off his meds for almost 6 months! There were signs that he was beginning to have some rumblings of anger. In my heart I think that is only natural to be overwhelmed with emotions when you've been locked in a dungeon for years upon years. In my heart if I could put a name on what it was that was killing my brother I would call it Jealousy! Anyway, I ran over to his window and tapped on it . . . he had not seen me pull up next to him. He rolled down the window and smiled at me. I said, "Hey, you wouldn't happen to have a dime on you would you?" He gave me a dollar. We chatted for a moment. I commented on something being human nature and he said, "You're my nature" I laughed and he said he'd see me at work. Just as he pulled off someone honked at me. Mike. I smiled at him and said, "Long line, I'm going in for coffee. I had to borrow money from Tommy so I can't pay for yours." He handed me two dollars and I ran in ordered our coffee. They said it would be like 3 minutes before the pot was done brewing so I went over to the Shell side and chatted with one of my favorite cashiers named Bev. She had a customer come up so I wished her well and left her to her work. Iwent back over to grab our coffee. They were just finishing it up. I grabbed both cups, gave Mike his and headed off to work. When I pulled in I saw my brother getting out of his truck. He walked around the front of the truck and smacked the hood. I yelled, "Hey! What are you angry about?" He snapped his son (his pride and joy) had lied to him and he stormed in the back door. I ran in the front door and flew to the back of the office. I grabbed him and pulled him back outside. No need for everyone to begin jumping to conclusions. I asked him, "Did we lie to our parents?" He paused sideways smiled at me and said, "Yea". I gently pryed while smiling at him, "So, what did he lie about?" in a gist it was a hurtful lie and my brother loves his son so much it breaks my heart to see him hurt so bad. I told him, "Tommy, you are NOT mad, you are hurt." We cried together and laughed too. I hugged him. I asked him if he ever read his bible? He said no. I told him about Ephesians and how you are warned to put on your spiritual armor. I told him about God waking me up and how I'd read 1/2 of Romans this morning. He laughed and said, "You read the bible and tell me about it." I laughed and said, "Deal" I asked him to do me a favor. I said, "Every time you feel yourself getting angry, I want you to put that thing that is causing you to feel that way to the side and reach for a memory that makes you laugh and continue to do that until you have calmed yourself." Then I told him about this story of mine and asked if he'd be willing to read it. He informed me my book would be the only book he'd ever read. I gave him the biggest hug and he hugged me back. I told him with a smile, "You know, us Irish Twins have to stick together!" That made him giggle again. In a gist, I listened to God. I didn't know how I was going to help my brother . . . God just needed me to be a willing servant and through me he reached out to my brother. Glory be to God!
That is all for now. I wondered why I'd not been given my next title and this I believe is why . . . I was meant to share with you all of this. I hope in some way it helps someone come a little closer to belief. May you all have a blessed day!
Wendy, Mom of Many.
** This morning I started out at 3:33 AM reading Romans! Thank you for loaning me your bible Jordan! God's message to me today was to help my brother! I was confused as to what that meant... but my brother means the world to me. He too has had a rough life. I barely see him even though we work together so I asked God, "How am I supposed to help him? What am I supposed to do for him?" All I saw in my head was the bible Jordan had loaned me so willingly I sat up and turned to Romans. Why Romans? Because it is written by Paul who was Saul and I learned last night thanks to Jordan that the Glory of God is only written about in Acts and Romans. You know I just had a rough time wrapping my head around that one. How could the Glory of God not be in every chapter. You may be surprised to know that until 18 months ago I had never really read anything out of the bible. So many people argue over what it says in a way I feared it. Funny enough because just yesterday I discovered that someone had stated I needed to pick up my bible and read it because I had posted I would pray for patience. She ripped me a good one . . . I saw that post . . . the one where she chastised me for praying for patience for this friend of ours asking for prayers. I ended up deleting my comment and crying. Someone had deleted her second post to me for fear it may hurt my feelings and begin some trouble. In a gist the deleted post said, "Sister Wendy, you need to pick up your bible so you know what to pray for!" My heart almost exploded in my chest at her words but I immediately felt sorry for her. You see, I have walked with God. I have heard him laugh like a father does with a child that tickles him with their simpleness. God told me all I needed to know about the world. Like most children you will see I rebelled with anger over the years . . . even with all of my junk he loves me. Wait until I write the chapter about how he let me know he had heard my prayers! That one will be fun!
Anyway, I decided I wanted a cup of coffee this morning but when I pulled into McDonald's the line was ridiculously long. Right then I realized I only had $1 . . . I needed $1.09. I thought to myself, "I'll just park and go inside I know a lot of the girls on the gas station side and I was sure one of them would let me borrow .09 from them if I promised to pay the penny fund back." As I approached where I was going to park I saw the back of a work truck that looked like my brother's and again I heard, "Help your brother" As I pulled up next to the truck on the other side of the pump I realized indeed it was my brother. He has been on medicine for too long. Recently due to a missed appointment and the health care insurance fiasco he had been off his meds for almost 6 months! There were signs that he was beginning to have some rumblings of anger. In my heart I think that is only natural to be overwhelmed with emotions when you've been locked in a dungeon for years upon years. In my heart if I could put a name on what it was that was killing my brother I would call it Jealousy! Anyway, I ran over to his window and tapped on it . . . he had not seen me pull up next to him. He rolled down the window and smiled at me. I said, "Hey, you wouldn't happen to have a dime on you would you?" He gave me a dollar. We chatted for a moment. I commented on something being human nature and he said, "You're my nature" I laughed and he said he'd see me at work. Just as he pulled off someone honked at me. Mike. I smiled at him and said, "Long line, I'm going in for coffee. I had to borrow money from Tommy so I can't pay for yours." He handed me two dollars and I ran in ordered our coffee. They said it would be like 3 minutes before the pot was done brewing so I went over to the Shell side and chatted with one of my favorite cashiers named Bev. She had a customer come up so I wished her well and left her to her work. Iwent back over to grab our coffee. They were just finishing it up. I grabbed both cups, gave Mike his and headed off to work. When I pulled in I saw my brother getting out of his truck. He walked around the front of the truck and smacked the hood. I yelled, "Hey! What are you angry about?" He snapped his son (his pride and joy) had lied to him and he stormed in the back door. I ran in the front door and flew to the back of the office. I grabbed him and pulled him back outside. No need for everyone to begin jumping to conclusions. I asked him, "Did we lie to our parents?" He paused sideways smiled at me and said, "Yea". I gently pryed while smiling at him, "So, what did he lie about?" in a gist it was a hurtful lie and my brother loves his son so much it breaks my heart to see him hurt so bad. I told him, "Tommy, you are NOT mad, you are hurt." We cried together and laughed too. I hugged him. I asked him if he ever read his bible? He said no. I told him about Ephesians and how you are warned to put on your spiritual armor. I told him about God waking me up and how I'd read 1/2 of Romans this morning. He laughed and said, "You read the bible and tell me about it." I laughed and said, "Deal" I asked him to do me a favor. I said, "Every time you feel yourself getting angry, I want you to put that thing that is causing you to feel that way to the side and reach for a memory that makes you laugh and continue to do that until you have calmed yourself." Then I told him about this story of mine and asked if he'd be willing to read it. He informed me my book would be the only book he'd ever read. I gave him the biggest hug and he hugged me back. I told him with a smile, "You know, us Irish Twins have to stick together!" That made him giggle again. In a gist, I listened to God. I didn't know how I was going to help my brother . . . God just needed me to be a willing servant and through me he reached out to my brother. Glory be to God!
That is all for now. I wondered why I'd not been given my next title and this I believe is why . . . I was meant to share with you all of this. I hope in some way it helps someone come a little closer to belief. May you all have a blessed day!
Wendy, Mom of Many.