Christmas Joy?

A young girl grew up surrounded by friends and family. She grew up knowing that she was loved. She had a circle of support, and it was held together not be the design of the circle, but by the designer, by God. God was above the circle, below the circle and in the center of the circle. It was not an idyllic childhood or adolescence but it was a loving environment.

As a young adult she soaked up all the time with her 2 grand mothers. She just loved spending time with them, especially at Christmas. Christmas was always a special time for our heroine. She loved the traditions her family celebrated and she especially loved getting to worship the baby in the manger because He was the King of Kings, and He took such good care of her.

Then, one summer as she was in her mid 20's one of her beloved Grandmothers was taken up into Heaven to be reunited with her husband and more importantly to be at the feet of Jesus. The girl was excited for her grandma, who wouldn't be!?! Grandma was up in Heaven! Grandma's suffering was over, Grandma's loneliness for her husband was over. Yet, death meant that Grandma wasn't here anymore. Nevermore would she be able to call Grandma up and share the good news, or call her up for sympathy and a listening ear. Summer days sitting in the back yard listening to the creek or winter evenings watching Jeopardy together were over.

More importantly Christmas would change. Grandma would get to sing Happy Birthday to Jesus as she knelt  before Him, but her place down here was empty. That first Christmas was rough. It was still Christmas, the lights on the houses and the trees were still beautiful, the presents were still fun to give and Jesus' birthday cake was yummy, but Christmas was not the same.

Nothing is ever the same when someone we love dies. Death changes everything. Death leaves a void, a hole in our hearts that no surgeon will ever be able to fix, no words will ever totally soothe. Death hurts because death is the last thing God wanted for His special creation. Death makes Christmas twice as hard because Christmas is a celebration of birth, of life, of our Savior.

This year, so many of us are struggling to have a joyous Christmas. Joy to the World just seems ironic when the joy in our hearts is hard to find. Yet, God does want us to have joy. God does want us to celebrate because God loves us. God offers us hope through the pain.

God offers us a little baby. A smiling, cooing, kicking, pooping little baby. God offers us Himself. We need to keep the memory of those we love alive. We need to honor them, but we also need to let ourselves find that joy that is tucked away in our hearts behind the pain. We need to let God take the teeny tiny, itsy bitsy little fleck of joy and turn it into something that warms our hearts.

God gave us that little Baby knowing that after the angels sang, the shepherds rejoiced and the wise men worshiped, the people would mock and eventually kill. Yet, God still celebrated that night. God knew what was to come and I bet a part of Him hurt for what Christ would have to experience, yet still God celebrated.

So, even if it is just for a couple minutes in the midst of heartache, fear, worry, stress, pain, let yourself celebrate, let yourself feel the joy of the season.

May we all find it in ourselves to have a merry Christmas season and to partake of the Christmas joy of Christ.

-JP-

GUEST AUTHOR!!! Precarious Yates!!! GUEST AUTHOR!!!

The Heart of the Caveat Whale is a story about an orphan named Shunda, a warrior named Qoshonni and a prince named Mookori. In the first book, The Captives, Shunda meets Mookori and befriends while he looks for other aquavians, those who can live in water and on land. He learns that aquavians, human-like beings that love peace, laughter and growing things, have been corrupted to fight for the MerKing.

In Book 2, Pyromarne, Shunda leaves his friend Mookori to find allies to help them fight the MerKing. But the MerKing has a secret weapon no one anticipates.

These books are filled with poetry and songs around the stories. Here is one of the songs below:

A song from Pyromarne, book 2 of

The Heart of the Caveat Whale

I saw a goat float on a boat on the river one fine spring morn.

I gave a sigh and plied for why a goat should look so forlorn.

He said his date ate late: at eight, and he could not wait around;

He had to eat a treat of wheat he found on her family's ground.

The sire grew dire, his eyes afire, his sweet wheat stolen, and how!

He chased the goat to the boat to float on the river and made him vow:

To address this mess with finesse, no less, and promise to bring some seed

To sow a row he'd never mow with teeth so given to greed.

This goat, smitten and so love bitten, did no less than what he was told,

And expressed remorse, or forced his course, by bringing his love marigold.

Pyromarne is FREE for the Kindle Tuesday 11/13/12 through Thursday 11/15/12

Link: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B009H68R44

The Captives is FREE for the Kindle Wednesday 11/14/12 through Thursday 11/15/12

Link: http://www.amazon.com/Captives-Heart-Caveat-Whale-ebook/dp/B008GNOSGU

Author Precarious Yates lives 500 miles from the closest beach but hopes that will change. When she’s not dreaming about tropical paradises, she teaches homeschool, plays tag, cares for her chickens, and works to raise awareness about modern slavery.

To God Be the Glory!

Nov. 6, 2012 millions of Americans went to the polls and re-elected President Obama for a 2nd term in office. A lot of us were dismayed late last night when the truth was revealed. People were ready to move in another direction and hopefully a direction that will lead toward prosperity. Yet, enough Americans thought that continuing the follow the leader and going forward in his direction was the right move for America.

Whether you agree with President Obama, or you are busy preparing for doomsday, God is still on His throne. As a mom I hope that my daughter learns that presidents come and go, but Jesus is King and He rules forever. Jesus knew what was going to happen last night, Jesus knows what is going to happen during this upcoming presidential term.

To God be the glory! God created us to love and serve Him, God gave us the free will to choose anything. Last night we Americans chose President Obama (and a majority of Democrats to fill Senate seats). We can also choose how we will react to this news. We can choose to praise God through this, or we can choose to be depressed and worried. We can choose to give God the glory that He deserves.

Whether you are pro-Obama or pro-Someone Else, let us use the current events to spur us on to spread the love of Jesus. Obama has 4 more years, but Jesus has forever. Obama has limited power, but Jesus' power is limitless. Obama surrounds himself with imperfect (human) advisers and makes human choices, Jesus has perfect knowledge and rules the world accordingly. May we see today (whether we consider it a victory or a concession) as a chance to get out and do the Lord's work and bring Him glory!

Let today be a day where you tell your children, "I used today to serve my King. I used today to share His love with others. I used today to focus on Him and heal what needed healing in my life. I used today to say To GOD BE THE GLORY!"

-JLP-