"I Am Yours"

No words...what an amazing voice God has given this child.  I need this today.

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Thank You, Lord, for Another Year

As 2013 comes to a close, I want to thank You, Lord, for all that I have experienced this year.  I thank You for the good, the bad, the ups, the downs, the trials, the tribulations, the triumphs, the joy, the pain, the tears, the smiles, the happiness, and the blessings – the countless, countless blessings.

I thank You, Lord, not only for the good things that I have been through, but also the heartaches.  You took what was sent to destroy me and turned it into a thousand blessings.  You took my broken pieces and made me whole again.  You remade me into what I am today.  I have never been so blessed! 

When I am sad, You are my joy.  When I am weak, You are my strength.  When I am troubled, You are my peace.  I am happy, because of You.  I am strong, because of You.  I have peace, because of You.  I am everything, because of You.  Without You, I am nothing.  Thank You.

The new year, like a new born child, is placed in our hands as the old year passes away.  The days, weeks, months, years we have to come are gifts from You.  They carry Your blessing.  Lord, may we welcome them with open arms, open minds, and open hearts.

I pray, Lord, that as this year is ending, that all the good in it remain with us and all that was harmful be left behind.

I pray that this new year is filled with Your kindness.  I pray that we are glad and rejoice in You all the days of our lives.  I pray that we gain wisdom of heart.  I pray that we respond to one another with love, Your love, in all circumstances.

I pray that you make me an instrument of Your peace.  Where there is hatred, let me sow love.  Where there is doubt, let me sow faith.  Where there is despair, let me sow hope.  Where there is darkness, let me sow light.  Where there is sadness, let me sow joy.

I pray that I may not seek so much to be loved as to love.  That I may not seek so much to be understood as to understand.  That I may not seek so much to consoled as to console.  For it is in giving that we receive. 

Lord, I pray that you continue to mold me like the potter molds the clay, into what You will me to be.  I pray that I follow the path You have carefully laid for my life.

Lord, in the midst of life’s uncertainties in the days ahead, assure us of the certainty of Your unchanging love.  I pray that we turn to You for the stability and comfort we will need.  I ask that You help us not to lose our way in the midst of life’s temptations and the pull of our stubborn self-will.  Help us have the courage to do what is right in Your sight, regardless of the cost.

As I look back over this past year, I thank You, Lord, for Your goodness – far beyond what I have ever deserved. 

I thank You, Lord, for the promise and hope of this new year.  I look forward to it with expectancy and faith.

All these things I ask and praise You for, in Jesus precious name.  Amen.

The Attitude of Gratitude

The Attitude of Gratitude

Gratitude, thankfulness, gratefulness, appreciation:  a feeling or attitude in acknowledgement of a benefit that one has received or will receive.

Gratitude is what gets poured into the glass to make it half full.  Gratitude not only can be deliberately cultivated, but it can increase levels of well-being and happiness to those who cultivate it.  How cool is that?!  In addition to those perks, it is also associated with increased levels of energy, optimism and empathy.  An attitude of gratitude can literally transform your life!

The Lord calls us to be thankful in all circumstances.  It is His will for us to be grateful.

Quotes

“Cultivate the habit of being grateful for every good thing that comes to you, and to give thanks continuously. And because all things have contributed to your advancement, you should include all things in your gratitude.” ― Ralph Waldo Emerson

“Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not; remember that what you now have was once among the things you only hoped for.” ― Epicurus

“Let gratitude be the pillow upon which you kneel to say your nightly prayer. And let faith be the bridge you build to overcome evil and welcome good.” ― Maya Angelou, Celebrations: Rituals of Peace and Prayer

“Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all others.” ―Cicero

Scripture

“Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.” (1 Thessalonians 5:18 NLT)

“And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”  (Ephesians 5:20 NLT)

“This is the day the Lord has made.  We will rejoice and be glad in it.” (Psalm 118:24 NLT)

“And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father.” (Colossians 3:17 NLT)

“Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good!  His faithful love endures forever.” (Psalm 136:1 NLT)

Living a Life of Gratitude Can Make You Happy

Really…the simple act of thinking about whom and what I am grateful for can make a big difference in my life?

Yes!  Try it out.  Sit for a moment, humble yourself, and think about who all and what all you are grateful for.  I’ll be willing to bet, afterward, you’ll find yourself feeling blessed and a wave of happiness will come over you.  Like that feeling?  Do this on a regular basis.  Call it your “gratitude session.”

So why does this work?  And whom/what should I be grateful to/for?

·         What’s Important – Gratitude will remind you of what is truly important.  It is hard to complain about all the little things when you are grateful for the big things.  It’s hard to complain about a sniffle or sneeze when you hear of someone else who is fighting for their life with cancer.  It is hard to get stressed about that drip in the faucet, that unfinished project, etc. when you are grateful that you have a roof over your head.  When we look at the big picture and are grateful for what is truly important, the things that once were bothering us, don’t seem so big, nor as important anymore.

·         Thank Others – Being grateful reminds you to thank others.  A single “thank you” can make a huge impact on someone’s life.  Everyone likes to be appreciated for who they are and what they do.  It doesn't cost you a thing to say thank you and be grateful, and it makes someone else happy…what a wonderfully free gift you can give!  And, making someone else happy will make you happy.  Try it.  It’s hard not to smile, when someone is smiling at you for something you've said or done for them.  Smiles and thanks are free, and catching!

·         Positive Reminders – Being grateful reminds you of all the positive things in life.  As you focus on all the positives, the negatives get pushed to the background.  Focus on the positives enough, and the negatives start to fade away and become less significant, if not completely insignificant.  It makes you happy about and appreciative for the people in your life.  It makes you appreciate all the blessings you have.  You will find that you are blessed more than perhaps you realized you were.

·         Turns Negatives to Positives – Kids driving you batty?  Be grateful you have those children and that they are healthy.  Work problems getting to you?  Be grateful you have work, when so many are struggling in this economy.  Wishing you had more?  Be grateful for what you have, for there are so many out there that would be blessed to have a fraction of what you've got.  Be grateful for the challenges that come your way, it means your life isn't boring.  Be grateful you can learn from these challenges and that they are making you a stronger person.  Turn that gray cloud into a silver lining!

·         Keeps us Humble – Being grateful reminds us to be humble.  Often we are greedy, yearning for more.  We are too busy looking at what we don’t have, what we would like to have, rather than being thankful for what we do have.  Sometimes we neglect to give thanks because we have taken what we have for granted.  When was the last time you gave thanks for the simple things?  Giving thanks keeps us from taking the blessings of life for granted.

·         Who to be Grateful For – Your loved ones that do so much for you, coworkers who help you out with that workload when you ask them, friends that are always there when you need them, strangers who have shown you acts of kindness, everyone!  Be thankful for all the many people who add so much color and warmth to your life…your wife, your husband, your children, your family, your friends, etc.  Each one enriches you and is a personal gift directly from the hand of God.  Thank yourself for the things you've done, as it is important to recognize your own accomplishments as well.  And most importantly, thank God for the life He has given you.  He has given you so much!

·         What to be Grateful For – Be grateful for everything you have been given, big and small, good and bad.  The big good things, obviously impact our lives.  But the small good things impact our lives as well, sometimes just as much as the big things.  Wait, did you say to also be grateful for the bad things?  Yes, I did.  I’ll speak more to this in the next section.

Life’s Storms

So, you said to be grateful for the bad things.  Why?  The bad things mold us into the people we are today.  I believe the most difficult time to be grateful is when we are in the middle of a challenge, a setback, a problem, or a trail.  When a storm starts raging, giving thanks is rarely our first reaction.  It’s never easy to be thankful during adversity, but it is always right. 

The difficult times are the ones in which God seems to be most at work in our lives.  He strengthens our weak spots.  He comforts our hurting hearts.  He draws us closer to him and increases our dependence upon him.  He takes the bad things, the things that Satan does to us in an effort to destroy us, and uses them for our good.  He turns those bad things into blessings, even if we aren't always able to immediately see it.  Praise Him during the storm and afterward, for He knows exactly what He is doing and what plans He has for each and every one of us!

Why God Commands Us to Give Thanks in All Circumstances

God wants us to give thanks to Him in good times because thanksgiving promotes God’s glory and develops humility in us.  Every good and perfect gift is from above.  Giving thanks makes us appreciative for what we have been given.  We appreciate life more when we make it a point to focus on all the wonderful things we have been given; in other words, when we take the time to count our blessings.

God wants us to give thanks to Him in difficult times because it is an act of faith.  It takes faith to thank God for difficult circumstances.  We must believe that He has a plan for us that we cannot see.  We must believe that His wisdom is beyond our own understanding.  This requires more than just superficial faith.  God wants us to learn to walk by faith and not by sight.  We cannot always understand why things happen in our lives.  By depending on God through all times, good or bad, we can know peace even in the confusing and difficult times.

“Good Timber” by Douglas Malloch 

The tree that never had to fight
For sun and sky and air and light,
But stood out in the open plain
And always got its share of rain, 

 
Never became a forest king
But lived and died a scrubby thing.

The man who never had to toil
To gain and farm his patch of soil, 

 
Who never had to win his share
Of sun and sky and light and air,
Never became a manly man
But lived and died as he began.

Good timber does not grow with ease: 
The stronger wind, the stronger trees; 
The further sky, the greater length; 
The more the storm, the more the strength. 

 
By sun and cold, by rain and snow,
In trees and men good timbers grow.

Where thickest lies the forest growth,
We find the patriarchs of both. 

 
And they hold counsel with the stars
Whose broken branches show the scars
Of many winds and much of strife.
This is the common law of life.

Be Thankful

Be thankful that you don’t already have everything you desire, if you did, what would there be to look forward to?

Be thankful when you don’t know something, for it gives you the opportunity to learn.

Be thankful for the difficult times.  During those times, you grow.

Be thankful for your limitations, because they give you opportunities for improvement.

Be thankful for each new challenge, because it will build your strength and character.

Be thankful for your mistakes, they will teach you valuable lessons.

Be thankful when you are tired and weary, because it means you’ve made a difference.

It is easy to be thankful for the good things.  A life of rich fulfillment comes to those who are also thankful for the setbacks.

GRATITUDE can turn a negative into a positive.  Find a way to be thankful for your troubles and they can become your blessings.

~ Author Unknown ~

Grateful All Year Long

Gratitude isn’t something that should just pass from our minds with the passing of a season.  It’s not just an exercise we should perform just at Thanksgiving and Christmas time.  It is an attitude, a God-focused response to every circumstance throughout each moment of each day of each year.

Some Things I Am Grateful For

If I listed all that I am grateful for, I would never stop writing.  So, here is just the tip of the iceberg. 

I am grateful for my husband, whom I love with all I am and all I have.  I am grateful for my children, who are the best blessings we could ever be given.  I am grateful for my parents, who are always there when I need them.  I am grateful for my family, my in-laws, and my friends.  I am grateful for my job, my talents, and the success I have had with both.  I am grateful for my heath, the ability to get around well, the weight loss I have achieved, the ability to weight train, and the ability to run around and play with our children.  I am grateful for our home, which my husband built with his own hands, and his talent to have been able to build such a home for him and his family.  I am grateful we are so blessed and that we are not struggling when there are so many out there that are.  I am grateful we are provided for – food, clothing, shelter, water, etc. 

I am grateful that God changed my life.  I am grateful for the times of crisis that I thought I could not survive, but did, by His strength, not by my own.  I am grateful beyond measure and words that the Lord answers my prayers.  I am grateful that He hears me when I cry out to Him and He is quick to respond.  I am grateful He is a God of restoration and can rebuild things and make them new again, even better than they were before.

I am thankful that God is good and that His love endures forever.  I am grateful that His faithfulness will never cease.  I am grateful that I am a child of God.  I am grateful for my salvation. 

I am grateful.

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"For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. In those days when you pray, I will listen. If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me. I will be found by you,” says the Lord. “I will end your captivity and restore your fortunes. I will gather you out of the nations where I sent you and will bring you home again to your own land.” (Jeremiah 29:11-14 NLT)

Does “Xmas” Really Take Christ out of Christmas?

This post is in no way meant to ruffle feathers.  It is just meant to educate.  I implore you to read the entire post through before you think I am being disrespectful.  This was something I have been curious about and now that I have the facts, find quite interesting.  Perhaps you will too.  The history of the word "Xmas" is actually more respectable, and fascinating, than you might suspect.

Most of us have heard this all of our lives – Spelling Christmas as “Xmas” is taking Christ out of Christmas.  I’ll bet a lot of us have even heard it said this month, perhaps this week, maybe even today.

So, is it true?  Is it disrespectful?  Is it sacrilegious?  Let’s find out…

Misconceptions

The notion that ‘Xmas’ is a new and vulgar representation of the word ‘Christmas’ seems to stem from the erroneous belief that the letter ‘X’ is used to stand for the word ‘Christ’ because of its resemblance to a cross, or that the abbreviation was deliberately concocted as a secular attempt to remove the religious tradition from Christmas by taking the “Christ” out of “Christmas”.

The X

The Basics

The first letter in the Greek word for ‘Christ’, Χριστός , is ‘chi’.  The Greek letter ‘chi’ is represented by a symbol similar to the letter ‘X’ in the modern Roman alphabet.  The Greek word Χριστός comes into English as ‘Christ’.

The Details

The word "Christ" and its compounds, including "Christmas", have been abbreviated in English for at least the past 1,000 years, long before the modern "Xmas" was commonly used.  "Christ" was often written as "Xρ" or "Xt"; there are references in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle as far back as 1021.  This X and P arose as the uppercase forms of the Greek letters χ (Ch) and ρ (R) used in ancient abbreviations for Χριστος (Greek for "Christ"), and are still widely seen in many Eastern Orthodox icons depicting Jesus Christ.  The labarum, an amalgamation of the two Greek letters rendered as ☧, is a symbol often used to represent Christ in Catholic, Protestant, and Orthodox Christian Churches.

The Oxford English Dictionary (OED) and the OED Supplement have cited usages of "X-" or "Xp-" for "Christ-" as early as 1485.  The terms "Xtian" and less commonly "Xpian" have also been used for "Christian".  The OED further cites usage of "Xtianity" for "Christianity" from 1634.  According to Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of English Usage, most of the evidence for these words comes from "educated Englishmen who knew their Greek".

In ancient Christian art, χ and χρ are abbreviations for Christ's name.  In many manuscripts of the New Testament and icons, Χ is an abbreviation for Χριστος, as is XC (the first and last letters in Greek, using the lunate sigma); compare IC for Jesus in Greek.

The Labarum

The labarum, often called the Chi-Rho, is a symbol representing Christ.  There is general agreement that it is likely the oldest known monogram for Christ.

The “mas”

The “mas” part in Xmas and Christmas is from the Latin-derived Old English word for “Mass”.

Etymology of the Word “Christmas” and “Xmas”

"Christmas" is a compound word originating in the term "Christ's Mass".

It is derived from the Middle English Cristemasse, which is from Old English Crīstesmæsse, a phrase first recorded in 1038 followed by the word Cristes-messe in 1131.  

Crīst (genitive Crīstes) is from Greek Khrīstos (Χριστός), a translation of Hebrew Māšîaḥ (מָשִׁיחַ), "Messiah", meaning "annointed"; and mæsse is from Latin missa, the celebration of the Eucharist.

The form "Christenmas" was also historically used, but is now considered archaic and dialectal; it derives from Middle English Cristenmasse, literally "Christian mass".

"Xmas" is an abbreviation of Christmas found particularly in print, based on the initial letter chi (Χ) in Greek Khrīstos (Χριστός), "Christ", though numerous style guides discourage its use; it has precedent in Middle English Χρ̄es masse (where "Χρ̄" is an abbreviation for Χριστός).

Legitimate?

‘Xmas’ is indeed a perfectly legitimate abbreviation for the word ‘Christmas’.  In fact, ‘Xian’ is also sometimes used as an abbreviation of the word ‘Christian’.

Other proper names containing the name "Christ" besides those mentioned previously are sometimes abbreviated similarly, either as "X" or "Xt", both of which have been used historically, e.g., "Xtopher" or "Xopher" for "Christopher", or "Xtina" or "Xina" for the name "Christina".

Should I Be Offended?

None of this means that Christians aren't justified in feeling slighted or offended when people write ‘Xmas’ rather than ‘Christmas’, but the point is that the abbreviation was not created specifically for the purpose of demeaning Christ, Christians, Christianity, or Christmas.  It’s a very old artifact of a very different language.

Whether the use of ‘Xmas’ offends you or not is a personal decision.  I’m not here to tell you whether you should or should not be offended.

Personally, whether or not the word ‘Xmas’ offends me depends entirely on the writer’s intentions.  The meaning isn't measured in the word itself, but the sentiment and intent behind the word.

If the writer’s intentions are to intentionally remove ‘Christ’ from ‘Christmas’, then yes, I would be offended.

(Of course, I would now, being educated of its meaning, chuckle at this writer as they clearly do not know the true meaning of the abbreviated word.  Their effort to remove Christ was in vain, as the "X" means "Christ" and they are unknowingly leaving Him right where He belongs.)

If the writer is educated and his intentions are to use the word for what it truly means, then I would not be offended at all.

Etiquette

So, should I use ‘Xmas’?  Again, that’s a personal decision you have to make.  I’m not here to sway you one way or the other.

Personally, due to the fact that most folks are not educated on the true origination of the abbreviation ‘Xmas’ and its true meaning, I wouldn't use it in normal circumstances.  Since the misconception is that the abbreviation ‘Xmas’ is a removal of ‘Christ’ from ‘Christmas’, and most folks have this misconception and find it offensive, intentionally using it around those who would be offended is not something I would do.

The Christian Writer’s Manual of Style, while acknowledging the ancient and respectful use of “Xmas” in the past, states that the spelling should never be used in formal writing.

“The abbreviation Xmas (sometimes spelled Exmas) for Christmas should be avoided in formal writing.  It is appropriate only for advertising copy and is usually considered substandard even there.  Oddly enough, the abbreviation has a long and established history in English, dating back to its Old English form used in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle of the twelfth century.  The X is actually the Greek letter chi and has been used as a symbol for the name of Christ (Christos) since the first century.

Christ is ALWAYS There!

So, whether it's "Merry Christmas", "Merry CHRISTmas" or "Merry Xmas", remember, Christ is ALWAYS there!  Try as someone might, you just can't take the Christ out of Christmas!

The Geek in Me

And now a funny, because, yeah, I'm nerdy like that.  All you fellow Algebra and math geeks out there will get a kick out of this one.  Enjoy!

1)  X + Mas = Christ + Mas

2)  X + Mas = Christ + Mas

          - Mas              - Mas

3)  X = Christ

References

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xmas

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas

http://www.snopes.com/holidays/christmas/xmasabbr.asp

http://books.google.com/books?id=SJyp_PS1rSkC&pg=PA411&vq=Xmas&source=gbs_search_r&cad=0_1#v=onepage&q=Xmas&f=false

 http://gracethrufaith.com/ask-a-bible-teacher/what-is-the-chi-rho/

Lord, I Am Weak

Lord, thank you for reminding me of these verses.  Your power is displayed in my weakness and it gives me courage, peace and hope.

I recognize I have limitations and shortcomings.  I depend on You, Lord, for my effectiveness rather than on myself - my own energy, effort, talent, thoughts.  By admitting my limitations, it helps to develop my Christian character.  By admitting my limitations, it deepens my worship with You.  By admitting my limitations, I affirm Your strength.

When I am strong in my own abilities, I am tempted to do Your work on my own, and that leads to pride.  When I worry, it is as though I am not believing You will get it right.  Forgive me for this, Lord.

When I am weak, I allow You to fill me with Your power, and then I am stronger than I could ever be on my own.

I know you do not intend me to be weak, passive or ineffective.  Life provides enough hindrances and setbacks without us creating them ourselves and adding to the weight on our shoulders.  When we try to tackle the weights of this world on our own, we usually fall and fall hard.  It is when we trust in You that we rise above the problems, the worries, the obstacles, the hindrances, the shortcomings, the setbacks and issues.

Thank you for reminding me, Lord, that when those obstacles come, I must depend on You.  For ONLY Your power will make me effective for You and help me do work that has lasting value.  For ONLY Your power will get me through the rough times, the hardships, the pains, the fear, the worries, the setbacks and issues.

When I turn it all over to You, it does not mean I am weak, it just means that I know You are strong enough to take it on for me.  Complete surrender, trust and faith in you is all I need.  And by giving it up to You and getting my hands out of it, I move aside to allow You to get Your hands fully in it.  I allow You to do works in my life that I am unable to do myself.  I allow You to guide me on the path You know is best for me.  I allow You to flourish my life with blessings, even when I do not deserve them.

I know you see the big picture, whereas I only see a tiny portion.  YOU know what is best, and I give it all to You, Lord.  Lead us, guide us, and protect us.

I humbly thank you and praise you, Lord.  Thank You for humbling me, when I need it...and I definitely needed it today, Lord.  You never fail to correct me, when I need correcting.

I thank You, Lord, for reminding me that I cannot do anything on my own.

I thank You, Lord, for reminding me that I am guilty of placing too much on others, perhaps expecting too much, not recognizing and being understanding enough when others are going through their own storms.  I pray You, and they, forgive me for this.

I pray, Lord, that You use me as a beacon of Your light.  That You shine through me into them and display YOUR strength, YOUR understanding, YOUR peace, YOUR hope, and above all, always above all, YOUR LOVE.  Use me as Your tool, Lord, as you see fit.  I pray You use me as a blessing on others.

You have placed me on this Earth to be a Godly wife, a Godly mother, a Godly daughter, a Godly family member, a Godly friend, a Christian in and through all times.  You have placed me here to do Your works.  Thank You for reminding me of this.  Thank you for your peace, which transcends all understanding.  Thank You.  Thank You.  Thank You.

I thank You, Lord, that when I call out to You in desperation, earnestly, honestly, persistently, with all my heart and spirit, with my hands and heart turned up toward you, You listen and answer quickly.  I thank You, Lord, that You have shown me how to listen for Your still, soft voice and that I can recognize it.  I thank You for humbling me so that I can hear and understand You when you speak to me.  I thank You for speaking on my heart today.  And most of all, I thank You for your forgiveness.  That You love me, even when I don't deserve it.  Thank you.

All these things I most graciously thank and praise you for, in Jesus precious name I pray.  Amen.

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