'Tis the season

Once again this Holiday Season is different than earlier years for many reasons as life continually changes. It's funny how when we are in our 20s, people 55-60 seemed old. Now since I am closer to 50 I don't feel old so 50 is young. There are still places I want to see (like the Grand Canyon and Kenya), books I want to read (too many to list), and people I want to visit (Crystal & Jeremiah). I am always learning about flexibility and adapting to life. I am learning life is not linear (yes Crystal I truly am) and that's okay. I am grateful my Father God is patient with me since I am a slow learner and He never leaves, forsakes or gives up on me. He probably gets frustrated :) The Holiday Season tends to be emotional for many and I am not excluded. Beginning with Thanksgiving I try to seize chances to slow down, re-evaluate what can be let go, what's important and check my heart. Jill, a new friend of mine, made an observation recently that I really want to be the "best Laura" possible. She's right because when I fall short I am disappointed and want to figure it all out so I understand what or how I did or didn't do whatever it happened to be. Often unmet expectations, whether upon our self or imposed on others are disappointing. Sometimes because we cannot read each other's minds (we are not God) or it is unrealistic or very simply wrong. God is Amazing in how He created us so unique.  Psalm 139:13 (msg) Oh yes, You shaped me first inside, then out; You formed me in my mother's womb.  He knows our flaws, He is generous in everything and He knows it all! A real example is my older brother, Bob, married to Barb. They have been together since she was in high school, their two children are grown (one married, one engaged), and they became grandparents to Heidi this summer. Bob has always been a man of few words, with a tender heart and a giving nature. It was as adults Bob and Barb began following Jesus and they have quietly lived as examples of faithfulness to Him. This year was when they truly became empty nesters and life started to stabilize for them after periods of unemployment. Now both work for the same employer on second shift and they are thankful as the Lord sustained them. As Bob tells it "God slapped me in the face" when He "woke me up" at 2:30 Thanksgiving morning to put out a fire that started in the wall behind the fireplace. As I said Bob is a man of few words yet he was over whelmed with God's Awesome Love he wrote the following letter to our family in the wave of emotion after the fire was doused.


Today God is awesome in His teachings. That is 2:30 Thanksgiving morning I woke up, No God Woke Me Up, went in living room only to smell something burning. Investigating to find something burning in the wall behind the fireplace. Woke up Barb, spent the next three hours taking out wall, putting out fire (God is Good). Thankful for saving us for His is not done using us yet. But now back track the day before; Barb and I were talking and in the conversation Barb said if she dies I cold build a garage to work on things, etc. and I said I would just burn down the house and move to a trailer for the rest of my life. So GOD slapped me in the face by the fire showing me watch what you say He hears all. For that fact, even what you think, and to be thankful for what you have and to live with what you have and to WALK WITH GOD ALWAYS because we are all here for a reason. Thank You GOD.


I want to encourage you this Christmas to consider the gift that God gave each you. The sacrificial gift of love, wrapped in flesh and blood. Gifts are not received until they are accepted, so spend time with the Lover of your soul, the Creator of the universe, the One Who knows your thoughts and loves you anyway.

Psalm 46:10a: Be still, and know that I am God