In My Corner

Club volleyball started this week.

Three birthday meals: Mexican, pizza and soup/salad buffet. Three birthday cakes traditional, ice cream and chocolate sheet. All delicious.

Running, zumba and more running. (see above)

Countless episodes of Auction Hunters, Storage Wars and American Pickers. Steve loves his "reality" T.V. (My two favorite shows are "Once Upon A Time" and "Grimm". Obviously I want to live as far from reality as possible).

Root canal. Still can't open my mouth all the way and where they gave me 14 numbing shots still feels like hamburger.

Steve leading "O Come All Ye Faithful" this morning. The second verse, "Sing choirs of angels, sing in exultation, O sing all ye citizens of Heaven above." This struck me that they celebrated, no, EXULTED in Christ's birth. Because they knew the truth that he was the promised Messiah, that he was bringing redemption and hope for all who would receive.

A comment Mike Felder, Gracepoint's Arkansas campus pastor, made at church this morning "Jesus came to offer redemption and hope to ALL who will receive." Reminder to me why he came. I hear the argument that we should celebrate Easter more than Christmas, because it was his death that brings us life. I won't debate this, as it's kind of a chicken or egg debate, if he hadn't been born, he couldn't have died. CELEBRATE BOTH!!!

We are talking about redemption from our sins and hope for a better life, here on earth living for Jesus and eternally in Heaven, someday. BUT THIS IS A RIGHT NOW OFFER TOO! Redemption is not a one time action. It's something I need to know I have over and over.

Hope can be defined as: desire, anticipation, expectation with confidence.

I need hope everyday. Hope for restoration and redemption. Hope for mercy, forgiveness and love. Hope for healing for the 4 people I love celebrating Christmas with the shadow of cancer looming over them. Hope for comfort for those stressed and afraid of their future. Hope for the lonely. Hope for those with children far from home. For those fighting for our country. Hope for those with marriage trouble, financial trouble. Hope for those who are pretending on the outside that everything is fine, and inside they are crumbling a little more every day.

Jesus is that hope. I needed this reminder today.

**And my "25 Days of Christmas" to get me in the holiday spirit is going pretty well. I'm not giving a gift everyday, but I am looking for ways to be kind and give where I can.