A Worshipful Heart

Christmas Pictures

Hey, check out the pictures from various Christmas events. Just click on the picture of my friends Linda and Gregory to the right entitled "Christmas 2007". I hope you enjoy sharing the fun! Check back for more later.

And Merry Christmas!

Overwhelmed by Doing

  I haven't blogged for a while because I have been.....well.....too busy. Not that I've really been too busy to post a blog, but I've really just been too busy to think. I have certainly learned that I need space in my life in order to hear from God, in order to think deeply and thoroughly about anything at all and therefore write about it. When I'm running around at the speed of light, nothing much registers. Sadly, for all of my good intentions and wonderful beginnings, the past two weeks have been a blur. I miss Christmas. Isn't that a sad statement?! So now there is one week to go and I want to stop doing so much and spend the next week focusing a bit more on "being" - with my family, with the Lord, with my friends.  I long for a moment to savor the beauty of Christmas, the celebration of "God with us".

A friend of mine asked a question the other day and it has disturbed ever since. He said "What would church be like if we were all Marys?".  Well, I've spent at least a week pondering that (thanks for the great question Michael) and now I really think I have begun to have an answer. First of all, my guess is that Mary didn't just sit around all the time pouring oil on people's feet! We were given a glimpse into her life of a few times where she had chosen well, as we were told by Jesus. These are snapshots, just like if we were to tell a story about a particularly moving time of worship together. We would understand that we don't do that 24 hours a day. The answer that I believe God laid on my heart is that Mary chose what was most important in that moment. Every day we are faced with choices - to be fully present with a loved one, to spend time with God, to listen attentively to some wise words, to put our family before watching tv, to reach out to someone else, etc. In Jesus' own words, Mary had chosen that which was best by her decision to sit at His feet.

Therefore, I would really say that being a "Mary" is really about choosing to set aside the eternally unimportant for the eternally significant in any given moment. This doesn't mean that we don't go to work, or we don't plan or don't roll up our sleeves and volunteer and instead we just sit around and sing Kumbayah and hold hands. I think that more than anything it means that we take advantage of the moments in our life to practice the presence of God, to become fully aware of His leading and love, to be more fully present and alive to His presence in our lives in so many ways - to choose what is most important.

Just as we would not be thrilled if our spouse just did things for us, as a servant would, God doesn't just desire our "work". He desires our presence. He desires for us to sit with Him as a friend.

This is the gift I so desperately want to give my Savior this Christmas.

How do you taste a memory?

Well, I think that I taste a memory every time I eat something I associate with my childhood or a loved one. When I eat my Granny's recipe for chocolate pie or homemade mac and cheese or chicken and dumplings I am transported back to my grandmother's kitchen where everything she made was so delicious and full of love! I not only remember my times with Granny and Paw Paw but I also feel loved and cared for all over again. I guess that's why we call it comfort food - it doesn't just taste good but it also brings back a host of wonderfully vivid memories.

So my question for you today is what food do you love to eat at Christmas because it takes wonderful and also brings back  those wonderful memories?

For myself, the thing I make with my children every year that is a MUST have is homemade sugar cookies. Yes, I roll them out, make them from scratch and then we decorate them together - and it takes forever. I grew up doing this with my mom and I love it. I have collected all kinds of antique and new cookie cutters in my 23 years of marriage and now have enough to give to Maria when she's ready to add this to her own Christmas traditions. There's just nothing else like it. I also am transported back in time when I eat my mom's peach cobbler and sweet potato casserole (Philip says it will make you lose your breath it's so good!!) and my grandmother's dressing. It's good to know that some things never change!

Good memories are simply reminders of God's blessings in our lives. When I make and eat those sugar cookies, I am reminded of my family's love, the blessing of my mother, and the wonder of being a mom myself. When I eat my grandmother's recipe for chocolate pie or chicken and dumplings or whatever, I remember the years I had wonderfully attentive grandparents that loved me and were always a part of my life. I am reminded of spending time with my aunts and uncles and cousins and whoever else stopped by for the day - of the laughter and joy of being with people that have known you forever and love you anyway. So to me, and yes I admit I am really sentimental, it is not about food, it is about memories. Good, good memories.

How do YOU taste a memory? What takes you back? I'd love to hear from you! You can even post your recipe to share with us all!