MERRY CHRISTMAS!

"The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel" (which means "God with us") 

(Matthew 1:23, NIV)

All of our grandkids will have Santa this morning....but my continual prayer is that eventually they will all come to know Emmanuel/Immanuel---who is "God with us." A cuppa eventual-TEA which will bring them to accepting Christ as Savior.

"God with us" is the cuppa life and He is enough!

Nativi-TEA : a Christmas Cuppa

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 that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” (Luke 2:8-10, NIV)

For Christians, there is no greater story than the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We share the story of the birth of baby Jesus with the world this time of year. 

This year I also plan to share with my younger "grands" a Nativity Poem, Who Built the Stable?, written and illustrated by my dear friend, Ashley Bryan. Ashley first got the idea as he was in Kenya with his dear friend Kemie Nix of CLC as they traveled to one of the schools which Ashley sponsors. 
Several years ago, Ashley gave each of my grands' households an autographed copy of the book. But....some were too young at the time to remember it.....so while we're together this Christmas season, I plan to read it to them.

It will be such a sweet way to share both conversation and a cuppa, sweetened with the nativity story and my friend Ashley's bold illustrations. 

Du-TEA-ful Prayers

And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord's people. 

(Ephesians 6:18, NIV)

My prayer life seems anything but "normal." It seems as if I can run "hot and cold."

Prayer is personal. So....how can I sometimes feel that I fail at it.

On days when I see my cuppa as half empty instead of half full, I concern myself with distinguishing between intercession and petition if I'm praying for others.  If I'm thanking the Lord for his creation of colorful foliage and shrubs with berries on my "praise walk" which is it? Praise or thanksgiving ? Can it count for both? Does it matter?

It seems as if I blog a lot about needing help with my prayer life. But God....in His love and mercy continues to meet me right where I am accepting all my "heartfelt attempts" regardless of the method---or even lack thereof.

Du-TEA-ful and deligh-TEAful cuppas reminding me that any conversation with the Lord which comes from the heart is A--OK!

Cuppa rou-TEA-ine

In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight. (Proverbs: 3:6, NASB)

Some routines are good....to keep me focused and "in the pink" emotionally. Change can mess with my psyche. Change, though often necessary, especially during the holidays, can rev up this ADD (Always Distracted) Dotsy (love the Ditsy typo that comes up) into frenetic frantic anxieties. I, like Daddy, seem to function better with routine.

However, these next few days are going to be anything but routine---for everyone celebrating Christmas, not just me.
My "new" routine will be minus the "normal" routine of a retiree. Gone is the familiarity of home. The time frame. The morning crossword.The straight paths from A to B. 
But God.....has given me time with the entire family (all 15) and that's a great gift. The path in the mountains might be a little curvy, and according to this morning's "Winter Weather ALERT!" a lot SNOWY......but I am trusting the Lord to lead the way. Stay in Taos, NM or "mush" on to Colorado?

Regardless of today's decision, my  cuppa "new" rou-TEA-ine will be served with extra measures of, not only snow,  but trust...as I spend time this Christmas with the Lord and family. A great combo.

SABBATH SNAPSHOT : A Li-TEA-rary Ballad for Christmas

Remember, this is a review---not necessarily a recommendation. For me, Sharyn McCrumb's , Nora Bonesteel's Christmas Past, was an "It's OK" rating."

However, according to "goodreads" reviews, I'm in the minority. One reviewer gave it 4 out of 5 stars stating, "McCrumb at her best with two parallel stories centered around Christmas Eve." I, have read several of McCrumbs books and like her ballad-type writing and her Appalachian setting for many of her books. This novella was "sweet" but a little too predictable for me.

Also, on my "Christmas stack" is A Mistletoe Promise by Richard Paul Evans of the "Walk Series," which I liked. 

I'll let you know if I like this one---since like McCrumb's book proves, I don't always like every book an author writes.
"So many books so little time" has had me not finishing books, when a story "takes a turn" I don't like. This is a relatively new choice for me---it must go along with being a Medicare card holder----time is too short for mediocrity.

Safe-TEA, Securi-TEA, Sereni-TEA : a peaceful blend

May those who love you be secure. May there be peace within your walls and security within your citadels. For the sake of my family and friends, I will say, “Peace be within you. For the sake of the house of the Lord our God, I will seek your prosperity. (Psalm 122: 6-9, NIV)

When Seth Stevens taught in August on this "song of assent," he emphasized the Jews were walking up to Jerusalem to the house of the Lord. Each year when they made their trek together the goal was the same---to draw closer to the Lord.

Four months later, I'm reminded, especially through church services and Christmas carols, to be grateful for that gift which I have received. Immanuel. God with us. God with me. It's a spiritually internal (now) / eternal (one day in the future) experience. Peace.

"I don't have to let pain and hurt form my theology." (B. Liles, 12/7/14)

He is my peace. 

It's the gift I want to give to everyone this Christmas. Everyone needs it and His "God size" fits all---His peace forever! 

The Lord be with you. Peace be with you. And also with you. (Episcopal liturgy/Book of Common Prayer)

He is with me. His peace is available for me. His peace is available for all.

He provided the perfect gift----His Son.

Cuppa peace all wrapped up for the season---just serve yourself

For those who receive Him, we are served a deep abiding peace .......a cuppa PEACE blended with safe-TEA,  securit-TEA and sereni-TEA that warms us within our hearts!

Connectivi-TEA : a cuppa prayer

Pray without ceasing. (1 Thessalonians 5:17, KJV)

Prayer connects us to God. 

Continual prayer is bookended by an attitude of constant joy (v.16) and a heart of thanksgiving regardless of circumstances. (v.18)

Prayer connects us to each other.

The apostle Paul modeled praying for others and reciprocal prayer. Pray also for me,” Paul states in Ephesians 6:19. "Pray for us..." Colossians 4:3. 

In 2 Thessalonians 1:11-12 he writes, “We constantly pray for you, that our God may count you worthy of his calling, and that by his power he may fulfill every good purpose of yours and every act prompted by your faith."

Connectivity is the beauty of prayer. Prayer knows no exclusions; it's an equal-opportunity method, available to all in the household of faith. Every believer, rich or poor, young or old, famous or unknown, can move the hand of God to bring about His purposes for time and eternity. As we connect to God and to one another, through prayer, we can make an eternal difference.

Prayer is how connection gets nurtured and developed.

Prayerful connection---it doesn't even require an APP. It doesn't require kneeling. Prayer can be done standing. Prayer can be done with eyes open or closed. One's modus operandi of praying can vary. 
Prayer is simply heartfelt conversation with God.

Breath prayers, arrow prayers, group prayers, individual prayers. All prayers of faith soar heavenward connecting us to God and to our fellow prayer warriors.

Sip a cuppa connectivi-TEA as you "pray without ceasing!"

*The cup pictured is a connector to my praying friend Margie Hornor, who taught me the power of breath prayers. Exhaling in God's Presence.

humani-TEA & divini-TEA : a Christmas blend

......Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore also God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those who are in heaven, and on earth, and under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:5-8, NASB)

Jesus, who existed in the form of God....Being made in the likeness of men....." And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us,....full of grace and truth (John 1:14)...humbled Himself to death on a cross.....God exalted Him that we might confess Him as Lord.

Christmas in a cuppa---humani-TEA and divini-TEA.

Holiday Gra-TEA-tude

……give thanks to him and praise his name. (Psalm 100:4, NIV)

Amy Grant’s rendition of “Joy to the World” is streaming as I type. How easy it seems to be thankful when one's tuned in to the "music of the soul." 
To me, Christmas carols are just that---soulful music of the wonder of the nativity.

G. K. Chesterton said, "Gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder."

Certainly the wonder of the season adds to my joy…..”And wonders of His love, and wonders of His love and wonders and wonders of His love.” 

A cuppa graTEA-tude rich with the wonder of the Christmas season is a perfect way to celebrate the Lord’s birth.

Liber-TEA : a 5th cuppa

All right then, the Lord himself will choose the sign—a child shall be born to a virgin! And she shall call him Emmanuel (meaning, “God is with us”). (Isaiah 7:14, TLB)

Liber-TEA must be a cuppa I relish because this year alone I've blogged 5 times about liberty in Christ. Free indeed. (John 8:36)

"Lost in Wonder, Love and Praise,"  Sunday's 26th annual Christmas Festival of Lessons and Carols* at First Evan, included many traditional carols. But....."Free Us, Emmanuel" a carol I had never heard...might have been one of my favorites. The rhythm. The melody. The lyrics.

Lyrics that spoke to my heart.

Free us from the heavy chains of our sins and our sadness and body of pain.
Free us, O Emmanuel, from the sorrow and suffering of where we dwell.

"Free Us, Emmanuel!" served me a reminder cuppa liber-TEA---showing God is with me.

*Praises for the beautiful program cover, an EMYO original.