Margaret McSweeney's Blog, page 54

12 Pearls of Christmas Starts This Week!

Don’t forget that 12 Pearls of Christmas Starts THIS WEEK! If you haven’t gotten a chance to sign up, you can do so here.

 

12 Pearls of Christmas blog series | The Giveaways!

Welcome to the  12 Pearls of Christmas blog series and Giveaway !

Here’s a quick peek at what we’re giving away during the 12 Pearls of Christmas this year. Feel free to enter below or on Facebook. If you miss a few posts, you’ll be able go back through and read them on this blog throughout the next few days. (If you’d like to host this series on your own blog, email ckrumm@litfusegroup.com.)

We’re giving away a pearl necklace in celebration of the holidays, as well as some items (books, a gift pack, music CDs) from the contributors! The winner will announced on January 2, 2013 at the Pearl Girls blog.

ENTER HERE:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

If you are unfamiliar with Pearl Girls™, please visit www.pearlgirls.info and see what we’re all about. In short, we exist to support the work of charities that help women and children in the US and around the globe. Consider purchasing a copy of Mother of Pearl,  Pearl Girls: Encountering Grit, Experiencing Grace or one of the Pearl Girls products (all GREAT gifts!) to help support Pearl Girls.

Clay

Sometimes gratitude sneaks up on me. I busy about with the daily details, stressing as I am prone to do, and rushed as is my norm. And then a reminder comes, breaking me out of the mental rut. Barraging me with the truest of realities, and with the loveliest of beauties. Tonight, a true friend reached out to me. She gave the most valuable gift of her time, and she imparted to me grew wisdom–wisdom gleaned from many decades of serving the highest King. She spoke of righteousness as a deceptively simple reality we often fail to aspire to, due to a lack of understanding. But what if all righteousness consists of in a daily life is simply that of “living right,” as she mused. What if we are truly living great, eternal lives when we simply take each mundane step and do the best we can with the smallest of moments? Now that is something I can strive for.

That is the kind of right living that my coworker demonstrated for me when she worked long into the evening to make one batch after another of homemade clay so that her students could enjoy a hands-on demonstration of their animal unit. This was no small task: I laughed when I worked on the blue batch, telling her it was like making nshima in Zambia: the kind of home task that is an entire body workout with the effort of rapidly whisking the wooden spoon through an unwieldy pot of thick, messy goo. I was a bit worried about this blue batch for a bit, actually, with the way the lumps were threatening to interfere with fine malleability for little hands. But the lumps subsided, and the clay turned out fine enough. Today when I visited her classroom, the kids eagerly showed off their masterpieces-in-the-making: a finely finned shark family, a striped-and-spotted snake, a pink-trimmed peacock. Clay masterpieces. May the Master’s hands do their work.

It’s All in the Cards

My favorite thing about Christmas and my least favorite thing about Christmas are actually one and the same. As much as I love receiving Christmas cards from other people, I dread the work that’s involved in creating my own. Before we had kids, and prior to making the kind of money we do now to invest in decent tree decorations, my husband and I used to cut out the pictures from all the holiday cards we received. Poor and resourceful, we punched a hole in the top of each and every one, tied a pretty ribbon, and hung them all on the forlorn tree tucked in the corner of our tiny one-bedroom apartment. It was a two-for-one kind of deal—we could efficiently display our cards and simultaneously boast of having the most festive tree in town.

Not really.

Fast forward a few years. Now that we had a couple of kids under our belt and we realized that we could actually participate and reciprocate in this whole card-giving tradition, we cheerfully set out to create cards like the ones we had received in the past–beautiful, perfect pictures of beautiful, perfect families.

Not really.

In the days before digital cameras, I wouldn’t really know what the pictures looked like until I picked them up from the developer. Flipping through them, I would think, “Surely, they must have left the good ones out. I know we didn’t take all these bad pictures!” It was almost like listening to the playback on a tape recorder, but instead of “I can’t believe I sound like that!” it was more like “I can’t believe I look like that!” But then I would flashback to the day those pics were taken, and no wonder we all looked like monsters. Remember how we were acting? Prior to snapping those embarrassing pictures, I spent hours scouring every store in town for the perfect coordinating outfits, spent money on overpriced haircuts and manicures (even pedicures—and I assure you you couldn’t even see my feet!). But I felt like all this special prep would help us stage the perfect picture. It was as if we were all actors in the movie version of our lives. These images frozen in time of us as we were that day in December.

But the image is one of us all so high strung and stressed out from the frenzy of it all that instead of that peaceful look—think images of sugarplums dancing in our heads—we evoked a more agitated and uneasy look—more like Kevin McAllister in Home Alone.

Every year, I try to overcome this barrier to joy. I begin shopping for the outfits earlier. And I’ve relaxed a bit on the hair. I’m not opposed to covering up those imperfections with hats and scarves. A small child, strategically placed, can do wonders in concealing my own problem areas. I even try to “outsmart” my perceptive family by acting all aloof, like the pics are no big deal. Maybe this year, one of the four kids won’t be crying, and one of the two parents won’t be yelling. After all, from what I remember—back in the day when all those cards were hanging on our make-shift tree, we celebrated a Christmas that was all about joy and peace and love, even in the face of our less-than-perfect circumstances. Nowhere is it written (and I’ve looked) that Christmas is about looking beautiful on a card that will be delivered to the mailboxes of 150 of my closest friends, coworkers, and family members.

From everything I’ve been taught or discovered on my own, it’s about Jesus. When you see my card this year, I hope that’s what you see. I hope you see Jesus. Because, you see, Christmas was never about me. It was always about him.

Meet the Pearl Girls: Cara Putman

Meet Pearl Girl Cara Putman! Cara lives in Indiana with her husband and four children. She’s an attorney, teacher at her church, and contract lecturer or adjunct faculty at a local community college and a Big Ten University. She has loved reading and writing from a young age and now realizes it was all training for writing books. An honors graduate of the University of Nebraska and George Mason University School of Law, Cara loves bringing history and romance to life. Learn more about Cara and her books at www.caraputman.com.

Please share a little about how you became a writer.

Since the third grade when my teacher had us get journals and we had weekly writing time, I’ve been a writer. As I hit my teenage years, I decided I wanted to write books. My dad assures me those early efforts are somewhere on an old computer in his basement — I hope they remain lost to the ages! Then I started college, law school, a career, got married, started a family. You get the idea. Life was crazy! But the desire to write would burble to the surface periodically. I’d talk about it, read how-to write books, then get back to life. In 2005, I met Colleen Coble at a booksigning. My husband asked her if I’d told her I wanted to write. The rest is history.

Favorite Scripture or Life Verse?

Psalm 37:4: Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart. He’s shown me that over time, as I’m delighting in Him, my heart is changed to match His. Then the sky’s the limit, because when my desires mirror His, I know I’m right where He wants me.

What motivates you to write for charity?

God has blessed me in so many ways, I love the opportunity to share what He’s gifted of me with others.

Favorite Food:

Runzas! They’re a specialty sandwich available at Runza restaurants, a small chain in Nebraska and surrounding states. My family owns and operates several stores, so when I get to go home, I love to eat the Swiss cheese mushroom Runza.

If you were stuck on a deserted island, what are 5 things that you’d have to have with you?

My Bible to remember all of God’s promises. A suitcase full of my favorite books, that feel like friends, to read over and over. A phone with charger so I can stay in touch with those I love. A good pillow so I can catch up on sleep. My family because I can’t imagine life without them.

4th Annual 12 Pearls of Christmas — Starts Next Week!

As we look with anticipation upon celebrating the birth of Christ this year, Margaret and some of today’s best writers (Tricia Goyer, Susan May Warren, Deborah Coty, Tracey Eyster, etc…), have created the 12 Pearls of Christmas series as free content for your blogs. It also features a “pearl” themed giveaway (pearl necklace) for you and your blog readers.

We on the Pearl Girls blog will be hosting 12 Pearls of Christmas and would like to invite all of you to be involved by hosting this series on your blog, too! Just fill out this quick form (just email and blog address) and you will be given an HTML post for each day.

We will be sending out all the posts next week!

Note: You don’t have to use every post – you may pick and choose the posts that fit your blog or blog readership.

CONTEST:

A beautiful pearl necklace will be given away on New Year’s Day as part of the 12 Pearl of Christmas. This contest is open for all of you to post on your blog. The contest will be run using a very simple form. A link to that form will be included in all of the HTML posts. The contest will run from December 14th through the 25th. One winner will be selected at random and announced on New Year’s Day.

Thanks in advance for your participation in this fun Christmas series.

The Counselor Is In

“And I will ask the Father,

and he will give you another Counselor

to be with you forever…”

John 14:16NLT

It was six years ago this October, in the fourth year of planting and pastoring a spanking new church. Circumstances converged, bringing my life to a crashing halt. I awoke morning after dreaded morning, trying to pull myself together, putting on make-up as the tears rolled down my face (not an easy thing to do!). It seemed overnight. Suddenly I was unable to face a new day. I wondered how I would get to the office, emotional wreck that I was! I was forced to make a dreaded phone call, to admit my need for help.

The tables had turned on this woman pastor. Always the one counseling and offering advice, I was now in need of a counselor. It was humbling to walk through those doors and offer the weak, crumpled-up version of myself before this woman I had vaguely been introduced to. Her sweet spirit and Godly wisdom were like drinking from a deep well of relief. She gave me permission to take some time off, to rest, to grieve, to heal, to allow God to make all things new in me.

Tears well up in my heart as I speak of her, as I share this power of permission. It’s the power of a heart at peace. It’s the power to stop doing, the practice of BEing. It’s admitting our powerlessness, our weakness. It’s the sobering realization that life will go on without us, people will adapt to our absence, and God is the only Provider of our needs.

When Jesus spoke these words in John 14, He was explaining to the disciples that His life and ministry would abruptly end. He was attempting to share that the road ahead was paved with His utmost humility. He would become powerless, weak, unable to lead them. He warned that they would grieve, but their grief would turn to joy. He was placing this work of church-planting into their hands.

Though it appeared that Jesus was the one in need of a counselor, He spoke to them of The Counselor that would come in His place.

“But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid (John 14:26-27NLT).”

This word “counselor” is the powerful “parakletos” in Greek terms, which means “a person summoned to one’s aid”. Jesus had been their wise counselor, but The Holy Spirit would continue the work Jesus had begun in them. He would direct and lead the disciples. He would come to live in the very depth of their being.

The Counselor is IN!

This Counselor lives and breathes in every Christian! He is our paraklete, our advocate, our personal assistant, our teacher. He is the spiritual compass that directs our path if we allow Him. One way He does this is to “remind us of everything” God has said to us in His word, which is also a reminder that we need to read His word! He is the inner “peace” that Jesus promised to give us, the peace that comes through obedience.

Are you in need of wise counsel?

There is none wiser than the One implanted within the heart of every believer of Christ. Tap into this wisdom every day. “The Spirit helps us in our weakness (Romans 8:26).”

There are times we come to a fork in the road. We need a guide to help us navigate God’s path. Don’t be afraid to seek the help of a professional. When you do, be sure that person is in tune with the Holy Spirit. My counselor always pointed me to The Counselor who dwells within my very soul. Because of that, I am healthy and whole.

What’s Your Mission?

Geneva is a small suburb of Chicago with a big Christmas tradition. During the first weekend of December, the town hosts their annual Christmas Walk. Festivities include tours of intricately decorated houses, chestnuts roasting on open fires (yes, just like the song), handmade candy canes that are made right in front of you, choirs, gingerbread houses, and the lighting of the town’s Christmas tree. People come from miles around to take part in the holiday cheer, and the magical Christmas Walk never disappoints. The Christmas Walk pulls everyone—young and old—out of their houses and into the community.

Geneva’s Christmas Walk is a good reminder that community is what Christmas is about. Community gives us a chance to extend God’s love to people in need. God loved us so much that he sent his only son as a babe, who was born in the most humble of places.

What can you do to go into your community and spread the message of God’s love? It could be anything from paying for the coffee of the person behind you in line to spending time singing with the elderly in a nursing home (talk about a great family activity that could turn into a tradition).

Our mission this Christmas is to go into our communities and share this love with others, whether you have a massive tree-lighting ceremony or simply take homemade cookies to your neighbors.

A Legacy | Annette Kristynik

When I was a young person the thought of a legacy seemed far away, remote, something elderly people leave when they have a will. Yet, as I’ve grown older and a bit wiser, I’ve learned that legacy is much more. In my opinion a legacy is how people will remember me, what mark I’ve left in other people, have I made a difference? Most importantly, legacy is how I’ve lived out my life, specifically my walk with Jesus.

Once upon a time I was a careful if not passive observer of people. I studied people, such as the words they used, or their actions, even if those actions were timid or evasive. I did not though observe other people or myself in light of a legacy.

The definition of legacy in the Oxford Pocket American Dictionary is a bit benign, “a gift left in a will, or something handed down by a predecessor.” In the The Synonym Finder by J. I. Rodale. The synonym words given are: “bequest, inheritance, patrimony, bequeath, will, heritage.”

I love two of these words, “heritage and inheritance.”

Heritage means, “anything that is or may be inherited.”

Inheritance from the word inherit means to, “receive by legal succession, derive a quality or characteristic.”

The legacy of my mother has impacted me the most in my life. Her legacy (heritage and inheritance) was of love and faithfulness to her family and to Jesus.

She left other important legacies as well: cooking, housecleaning, the love of reading, how to be a daughter and a wife and a mother and a grandmother and a mother in-law. My mother was lady-like, gracious, sweet-tempered, gentle, and forgiving. Yet, it was her love and faithfulness that out-shone all the other traits in her character.

I could have a mind-set of honoring my mother’s legacy, which I feel would be focused on giving her honor and glory. I would rather have my focus on Jesus, because He alone deserves all honor and glory and praise, and I know my mother would agree.

Legacy seems like such a daunting task. A responsibility that can become entangled with material things we could leave behind for our loved ones. When we are gone and the money is spent, how will we be remembered?

There are two legacies I would like to be leave and be remembered by, love and faithfulness.

I want to be remembered as a daughter and mother and wife and grandmother and sister and friend, who loved extravagantly and unconditionally. I consider myself to be an approachable person, I try to not judge, after all I too will be held accountable for the things I’ve done and or failed to do. More than being approachable I want to be known as a person who has loved selflessly and faithfully.

To be faithful means I must be a person that is trustful, dependable, responsible. I don’t want to be faithful in just big things, but in the everyday small things. Those small things that in the scheme of life wouldn’t stop the train (so to speak), but to my family they are important. Being faithful also means that even when someone else you love has treated you horrible, or betrayed you, you don’t get even, you persevere onwards being faithful. Being faithful means that even when you are called to do something you don’t want to do, or you don’t have time to do, or it is a task that will change your life, you do it anyway. Being faithful means that you are faithful not just when you want to be, or on a good day, but you are faithful in all circumstances.

When I’m at the end of my life I will not look back thinking “gosh I wish I’d traveled more, or finished my college degree.” Instead, I will hope I was faithful to the responsibilities I’d been given, and that I loved with all that I had.

I can’t close this without stating the most important factor in leaving a legacy of love and faithfulness. If I’ve lived out this kind of life for a puffed up ego and so that people will brag about me after I’m gone, it would all be for naught. People eventually forget, they move on, but God does not forget.

“I will not forget you! See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands;”

Isaiah 49:15b-16a. NIV

“God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them.”

Hebrews 6:10 NIV

***

Annette Krisynik: Wife, mother, grandmother, caregiver to dad. I’m a voracious reader, write book reviews and critical reviews, write Christian non-fiction reviews for The Christian Manifesto, fitness training. Connect with Annette at: http://impressionsinink.blogspot.com and http://awell-wateredgarden.blogspot.com

The Path

One of the best sounds is the crunch and shuffle noise made by hiking books hitting the gravel and sand. One of the best feelings is being with your family when hiking a new path. Discovering a new place together. Charting unknown territory. Adventure!

Exploring a new path is exciting. But I’ll be the first to admit, I don’t necessarily feel that way about life. Sometimes I wish God would give me a heads up as to what is right around the corner. Maybe then I could prepare.

I really don’t like surprises.

Tom and I have been married thirty years. When we were engaged, maybe I wouldn’t want to have known we would move from my home state of Minnesota to San Diego. When Tom and I were ready to start a family, maybe it wasn’t best for me to know it would take about five years before we would be holding our first child. Maybe it was best to be in the dark about all the car accidents in which our children would be a part of when they were learning to drive.

Maybe just maybe God has this revealing information as needed thing down pretty good.

He holds what we need to know, until the exact right time.

If we knew what was around the corner, it may be difficult to appreciate the immediate experience and scenery.

I am thankful that I can enjoy today and trust God with tomorrow.

Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.

Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Matthew 6:34

What trying situations have you dealt with? Would knowing the issue ahead of time taken away your present day joy? Would knowing the future remove any present day pain?