"Home" for the Holidays

Every time our worship leader shares a personal story, I always tear up. His stories always grab at my heart and resonate so deeply. Yesterday was no exception. Dennis broke the bittersweet news of his father-in-law's passing to the congregation. He mentioned that while it was sad to lose him, it is great for heaven to gain him. He said that years ago, his father-in-law spent a lot of time mentoring a young man. Sometimes, it got to the point where his wife would call the church office, ask if he was there, and then say that he needed to come home. Dennis said that his father-in-law had been at death's door for a while. Finally, God called him up and said that he needed to come home.

I was all teared up thinking about that concept; about how we are all lingering on earth fulfilling God's purpose. Then, the time comes where we get called to go to the home where we truly belong. It just overwhelms me to think about how amazing it will be!

It also blows my mind to think of Jesus being sent from that amazing home to this sinful earth; just so we could be there with Him someday. This is the season where we pause to think about all of that; to think about the hope that humbly entered this world. We watched this short video which reminds us of that simple fact. There are a lot of things that sometimes get mixed in with the Christmas story. There may be a lot of things that aren't "politically correct" in how we celebrate it, but all that truly matters is that we GET IT. We need to get the simple fact that God sent His son, Jesus, to this earth to give us hope and salvation. He was born with the sole purpose to die.....for US! Because of Jesus, we can go "home".

Grace and peace to you, my friends! I hope that this video fills you with hope and that you'll take joy in the fact that someday, you'll get to go "home" as well (if you've made that decision for Christ). I know that many of you are probably remembering those that have already gone home (I'm thinking of my Grandma a LOT!). You might also be greatly anticipating the joys of being "at home" with the ones you love during the holidays. Enjoy it! Celebrate life and hope with your families in this temporal home we call "earth" and look forward to the eternal one in heaven! I know I am! I may be enjoying the new house that I've been blessed with, but it will never be "home" like the place He is preparing for me! Be infused! God bless you!

No More "Sunday Blues"

The "Sunday Blues". That's what I used to call them. On most Sundays, for at least the past three years, I would usually end up feeling a little down. It was a combination of a lot of things; the past week, anticipating the week to come, and my life in general. More often than not, there had been a lot of busyness and lots of various issues to deal with. Most of the time, I felt like things happened so fast that I didn't have time to think about it until Sunday night when the week was over and I had a new week to wonder about. I can't even begin to tell you about the many times I would just sit and cry due to all the emotions that had built up over the week. I would just sit, think, pray, and feel sad, lonely, and overwhelmed; wishing that my life would change for the better.

However, the Sunday blues happen less and less often. There are a lot of reasons for that. Yes, I'm still busy and have a lot to deal with each week, but my attitude about it has changed. I am more focused, faith & purpose driven, and content. Why? Because I choose to be. It's all about choices! I've discovered over the years just how empowering it truly is to have the freedom and ability to choose to change your heart and mind for the better. Besides, I just don't have the time and energy to waste on the blues. Either I'm doing something productive, or I'm asleep. I don't have time for anything else lol.

I am amazed at my life's journey. Whether things have been good or bad, I've learned from it all and feel that I'm moving in the right direction. I'm finally seeing the changes I have always hoped for because I've done more than just "hope". I've taken action to make my hope a reality. Nothing occurs by just passively standing by. You have to actively pursue what results you're aiming to achieve! There's a lot of patience involved in the process, but it's worth it!

I'm enjoying being present and content in each moment. It's like what I wrote about a few years ago when I was initially in transition: I'm "living the dream"! If you don't remember that blog, you've got to read it! As I read over it myself, I see where I was three years ago compared to now. I see that my faith really has begun to rebuild and that I have overcome so many "bad dreams" on my way to these new dreams that are coming true in my life! Everything that I blogged about then has turned out to be true. I had to endure a lot of nightmares and things were really rough for a while. Now, that time has passed and the "good dreams" are on the horizon! I am a lot stronger, wiser, and more developed in my faith and character than I used to be. Through going through everything I have, I am now equipped to deal with (and receive) the new blessings to come! Praise God for His perfect timing and vision for my life! It was awful to wait and persevere through three tough years, but it was obviously necessary!

Grace and peace to you, my friends! Here's to hoping that you too can overcome any "blues" that come your way! Solomon said that there's a time for everything. If your time is a rough time right now, know that it won't be forever. That time (however long or short) will be over and you will have good times again. Maybe you feel like I did and that things will always be bad or be slow in  changing. Though, when that time finally ends, you will look back on it all and see the purpose in the grand scheme of things. That's what I'm seeing right now and I'm amazed! Live whatever dream you're in right at the moment and pray for God's strength to infuse you, help you be content, and persevere through whatever circumstance you're in. Be infused! God bless you!