Lily the Christmas Pug

Lily the Christmas Pug

Puppy Number 5 had 3 brothers and 1 sister.  And 1 very nice Mother who loved her 5 puppy-kids more than anything else in the world.  

She made sure they had enough food and water and time to play; something all kids need to do.  This made Puppy Number 5 especially happy as she loved to play, more than anything else in the world.

She ran and jumped and tumbled head-over-tail all day long.  She never got tired, even though her 3 brothers and 1 sister and her 1 very nice Mother did.  But that didn’t matter to Puppy Number 5.  She just continued to run and jump and tumble head-over-tail all by herself.

One day Puppy Number 5 noticed that one her brothers was gone.  Now there were only 2 brothers and 1 sister to play with.  This made her sad but her very nice Mother, who loved her puppy-kids more than anything else in the world explained that her brother had gone to live with another very nice family and that he was playing and jumping and tumbling head-over-tail with them.

This made Puppy Number 5 very happy and she ran and jumped and tumbled-head-over-tail some more – knocking over a potted plant.  But her very nice Mother just smiled, gave her a lick and nicely asked her to be more careful. She loved her very nice Mother.

It wasn’t long before all of Puppy Number 5’s 3 brothers and 1 sister had left to run and jump and tumble-head-over-tails with new families and she was left all alone.  But her very nice Mother explained that this was the way God had planned it.  She told Puppy Number 5 that she was an extra special puppy with very special running and jumping and tumbling-head-over-tail skills and that it would take a very special home to properly care for her.  It couldn’t be just any family; it had to be an extra special one.

So Puppy Number 5 continued to run and jump and tumble-head-over-tail while she waited for that extra special family her very nice Mother had said God promised.

One day, right before Christmas, a very nice man came to see Puppy Number 5.  He got on the floor and held her. But she jumped out of his lap and ran and jumped and tumbled-head-over-tail. The very nice man smiled. He even began to laugh.  She made him very happy.  And his laughter made her very happy.  And she ran and jumped and tumbled-head-over-tail some more.

Then Puppy Number 5’s very nice Mother gave her an extra special lick and told her that her extra special family had come to take her home.  And so they had.  The very nice man told Puppy Number 5 that she would be the perfect Christmas gift for his very nice wife.

And she was.  His very nice wife loved that she ran and jumped and tumbled-head-over-tail.  And she, just like her very nice husband, smiled and laughed and ran and jumped and tumbled-head-over-tail with her. And they both hugged and smiled and said “Merry Christmas!” and then they began to call Puppy Number 5, "Lily".

Puppy Number 5 loved her new name.  The very nice wife explained that Lily meant graceful, beautiful, loyal, and smart and that it suited her perfectly.  Lily thought so too and she ran and jumped and tumbled-head-over-tail – very gracefully. 

Lily thought about her very nice Mother, who she loved very much, and knew that she was right.  This was an extra special family that God had chosen for her and she loved her new family more than anything else in the world.  So she ran and jumped and tumbled-head-over-tail some more.

Merry Christmas!

Morning Coffee ~ Making Plans

In my Advent devotion of today, Max Lucado wrote “Joseph….made the big decision of discipleship.  He placed God’s plan ahead of his own.”

This is IT!  Discipleship in 8 words or less: place God’s plan ahead of my own.  In theory it sounds so easy.  Simply rearrange my plans so that God’s are first on my list.  The rest will then fall into place.

But there’s the rub; what are my plans? Do I even have a list of plans?  That would assume that I’ve have actually decided where I am headed and have sealed it in ink.

However that is so not where I am right now – but not for lack of trying.  I want plans.  I want big plans.  I want my life to have direction and meaning and purpose.  And this desire consumes my days.  It’s the first thing I think when I awake in the morning and it’s the last thought on my mind when I finally fall asleep.  What should I be doing?  And I run from pillar to post seeking an answer.

But maybe that’s the real problem. I am working too hard at seeking my own plan.  Maybe the answer is as simple as these words indicate:  place God’s plan ahead - ahead of all things.  Simply place God at the beginning of each day and at the end of each day.  Then - and only then - will His plan for me be made clear.

Time to warm my cup and as I bring my day into better focus.
Merry Christmas!

Morning Coffee - Hey You of Little Faith

Yesterday I made a monumental decision – probably only monumental for me because I am such a big chicken.  I rarely take risks, preferring instead the safe and less challenging paths in life.  So my big decision is this:  I will drive – by myself – the 600 miles of road between here and Indianapolis to see my friend, Audrey.  I know,  no big deal to many most people, but to me this is huge!  So many uncertainties; so many unknowns; my mind reels with them. 

In fact they got the better of me during the night and when I woke up this morning, the trip was off.  What on earth was I thinking to think this was doable for me?  Then I began my devotional time.  Doesn’t God work in wonderful ways?  These are the bible verses that accompanied my readings for today:

Be not afraid, only believe.  Mark 5:36

⁶ Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”  Deuteronomy 31:6

Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life.  Luke 12:25

O you of little faith.  Luke 12:28

Ok – I get the message.  Time for one more cup of coffee before I begin to pack!

Morning Coffee - Refilling my Cup Again

I have not blogged in 9 months.  And my life reflects it.  I find I have silently slipped away from a discipline that kept me grounded in God – and it is becoming very evident in my daily thoughts and moods.  I have become spiritually lazy.

My blogging was something that kept me in tune with His direction, strong in my faith and at peace in my daily life – no matter the ups and downs.  But things this important don’t come easily; they take work - intentional and disciplined work.  

So for that reason I need shake off my doldrums and return to the discipline of putting myself right with God at the beginning of each day.  Only then will I be able to follow His incredible lead.

I  believe I will have a second cup as I work once again to seek direction for the day ahead.

1 Peter 2:1-3

Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. ² Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation,

Morning Coffee - The Gift Before Me

How ridiculous to grasp for future gifts when today’s is set before you!  Receive today’s gift gratefully, unwrapping it tenderly and delving into its depths.

Sarah Young

Jesus Calling

When we give a gift, we rarely just toss it in a plastic grocery bag and hand it over.  No, we most often carefully choose the gift and its wrapping with the intent to create a very special experience between us and our recipient. We want our friend to reach out and excitedly choose to open our gift.  We want them to carefully untie the ribbon and gently – without tearing – remove the paper or tissue, fully experiencing every moment with building anticipation.  After all, we chose this gift especially for them!

Let me do the same with God’s gift of today.  Choose it, savor it, and experience it – from beginning to end.  Enjoy the outer wrapping and the inner wrapping and the hand-picked treasure inside.  After all, He chose this gift especially for me!

I believe I’ll enjoy a second cup of coffee while I take in the gift He has set before me. 

~~~

February Focus - Beanie Knitting

February Knitting Challenge 

for Kindred Bloggers

Use your crafting talent to help kids deal with their cancer by making fun beanies and totes.  

Craft Hope - {spreading seeds of hope one stitch at a time}

Project 16 :: the littlest warriors

From the Craft Hope Website:

So are you ready?!? For Project 16 :: The Littlest Warriors, we will be collecting handmade beanies and bags for kids like Pierce who are fighting cancer. Pierce’s mom, Melanie, has graciously volunteered to collect and distribute the items to the kids who need them most.

Here are the details:

We need BEANIES (hats) for babies through teenagers. All noggin sizes. They can be knit, crochet, fabric. You name it. They can be embellished with flowers and bows. But don’t forget about the boys. They need hats too. It’s very difficult to find adorable hats and we think this community is the best place to get them. There are a hundred and one patterns online for beanies/hats. If you have one you’d like to share post it in the comments and I’ll put up a post to share with everyone.

And…

We need BAGS for the kids to take with them to the hospital. They can be simple tote bag style or whatever suits your fancy. And if you are so inclined fill them up with goodies for the kids. Some ideas are books, puzzles, crayons, coloring books. The opportunities are endless.

As with any Craft Hope project, don’t get lost in the details. Make a bag or a beanie. Make twenty. Get a group together and make bags and/or beanies. It’s totally up to you!
Melanie lives up in Minnesota and will be distributing the beanies and bags to the Children’s Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota, the Miracles of Mitch Foundation, and the Ronald McDonald House.

Please mail the beanies and bags to:
Melanie Bimson
16026 Temple Drive
Minnetonka, MN 55345 

Time to pour another cup of coffee and get started on my beanie knitting!

~~~

Morning Coffee - Jumbled Pieces

“When My Presence is the focal point of your consciousness, all the pieces of your life fall into place.”  

Sarah Young – Jesus Calling

When I read this I thought of a jig-saw puzzle and how we try to make sense of the 1,000 little pieces heaped in a jumble on the table.  The first thing we look at is The Box.  We need The Box to show us where we are headed; to tell us what the various colors and patterns of the individual pieces mean and where they fit into the whole.  The only way to see the result of those jumbled pieces is to keep that Box close and let it be our guide. Without it we are lost.

And so it is with my life.

Time to pour a second cup of coffee and make sure My Box is close by so that I can better see the purpose and direction of the jumbled pieces of my life.

~~~

Morning Coffee - A Point of Light

“The guiding force in Bonhoeffer’s life, underlying all that he did, worked and suffered for, was his faith and love of God, in whom he found peace and happiness.  From his faith the breath of vision came which enabled him to separate the gold in life from the dross and to differentiate what was and what was not essential in the life of man.”

Memoir by G. Leibholz

The Cost of Discipleship by Dietrich Bonhoeffer

I am finally - months after receiving it from my son, Chris – beginning to read The Cost of Discipleship by Dietrich Bonhoeffer.   I am still in the Memoir, barely 20 pages into this tome, yet find I am already very intrigued by this man, his life, his faith and his writings.

The “breath of vision” as described in the passage above encapsulates exactly what so many of us are searching for in life.  What is important; what is not.  Where should my energies be directed; what is the point of light of each day?   

The timing is perfect for me to have finally picked up this book.  I am eager to find some direction and guidance for my journey ahead into the new year.   I believe I'll pour a second cup and read a few more pages.

"One moment there had been nothing but darkness;

next moment a thousand, thousand points of light leaped out..."

C. S. Lewis

~~~