Christmas Socks!

Got to love them ... here's yet another tradition for our family! Thanks to my amazing mom who got us started years ago on fun, exciting, Christmas socks. We all love to wear them (at least Randy participates to some degree - could be most socks are a tad small for his masculine feet but the boys and I thoroughly enjoy them!)

Holiday Traditions

I absolutely love traditions and Thanksgiving seems to really kick in the thoughts when it comes to traditions. This year we were blessed to get to spend Thanksgiving with the Kneisley family in Walden, Texas. We had planned to be up at Kansas celebrating with Randy's mom and one of his little brothers as well as my parents except God obviously had other plans in mind and my health did not allow the boys and I to be able to drive to Kansas. It was a joy to meet and get to know their daughters and Josiah & Malachi had a blast getting to play with friends that lived across the street from them. Food and friends ... makes for a blessed Thanksgiving. We got to talking about traditions and foods. Our family added noodles to their list of traditional foods. Its always been a family tradition for us but when questioned I'm guessing it comes from my mother's German side of the family. We also do pecan pie and they chocolate pie in addition to the normal pumpkin. My husband always has acini de pepe (sp?) salad but sad to say this year it was a miss as I had to help even making the noodles. Another miss for us was the deviled eggs ... but the boys reassured me that we could do them when I was better and it would be okay. All this has gotten me pondering other family traditions and/or mile markers and here's a few that have come to mind at present: Yearly - Pick out a Christmas ornament that reflects the previous year or something you are in too, or a photo. This is multi-purpose as it brings great memories when getting them out each year but it also gives a life legacy for them to take to their new home when they move out and have their first tree there. Baby's first Christmas - Grandpa gets them cowboy boots, doesn't matter that they won't be able to year them for perhaps years! 8th Birthday - Grandpa gets them their first pocket knife. 16th Birthday - You get a 30-30 rifle or gun of some sort. There are far more traditions, many I'm sure we just take for granite. I'll have to spend some more ponder time on this one. We'd love to hear some of your favorite or not so favorite traditions!

What is MY specific Mission that I was created for?

Good Morning my Love!

I’ve been going back and catching up on some of the readings I’ve missed. Right now I’ve been reading in Acts. I shared with you that I had so thoroughly enjoyed James, Thessalonians, I&II Timothy, Titus & I&II Peter and was struggling with getting in to reading about Paul’s journey in Acts. However, I think the previous books have prepared me for what God wanted me to see/understand in Acts.

First off but not most important, would you please look up and see what your Bible footnotes on Acts 15:29? I understand avoiding the idol food offerings and sexual sins but what is meant by the strangled animals and blood? Is this old covenant or new?

Now my major insight from last night and this morning (and boy does this give even more energy/fuel to the anticipation I have been feeling for the past month or so):

This is Paul speaking:

Acts 20:24 “I don’t care about my own life. The most important thing is that I complete my mission, the work that the Lord Jesus gave me – to tell people the Good News about God’s grace.”(NCV)

My thoughts/insight:

At first I thought … oh wow, this is all of our missions – “to tell people about the Good News about God’s grace”. However in GForce we’ve been studying the Fruits of the Spirit and in the previous chapters of Acts and other areas of the Bible I’ve been lead to, it talks about God giving each of us a special gift or calling. This gift/calling is something that energizes you, gives you joy, peace, love, anticipation in spite of the challenges. It’s not something that drags you down, weighs on you. ‘If it’s causing you to be heavy and weighted or loaded down then it’s not from God. Don’t be lead by needs. Be lead by the Spirit of God. Life with Christ equals peace, abundance, joy, love, light & easy no matter what trials come.” (Keith Moore Wed night service download paraphrase by me.)

My question to you … SPECIFICALLY what brings YOU joy when you are doing it, walking it, working it no matter how labor intensive it is or what it involves? What gets you excited? What puts pep in your step? What so totally consumes you that nothing interferes with your focus on it? Hopefully to help you better understand what I’m asking, I’ll share with you what God has laid on my heart for ME, not you, Me – Michelle. You’ve got to look and see what makes your heart just burst with fullness, brings you fulfillment, joy, peace when you are doing it. Please don’t let me influence or muddy your thoughts in any way. If you think it might, then please don’t read the following until you’ve taken time for insight of your own.

I so absolutely love serving/encouraging and helping others succeed at finding joy/peace in their lives. I love volunteering, organizing things, helping with the bookstore, checking things in, waiting on customers, getting to touch their lives for just a moment and help them find what they are looking for, to get to laugh with them, connect with them, pray with and for them, and hopefully provide at least a glimpse of encouragement and joy. I love helping come up with ideas, encouraging, brainstorming. I am good at the spur of the moment, specific needs area. I’m not so much at the come alongside and walk holding the hand for the long term but only as needed and called by God. Regarding the long-term issues, I don’t know if this is how God created me to be or if it is from things from my childhood that need healing and areas I’ve yet to learn/experience growth in. However, in reading/looking at the WHOLE words written in God’s Word, it’s not just about Paul or whatever disciple is being written about. It also is about the Believers who came along and supported the disciples so that they could do what God called them to do. Some were called to Do – others were called to support those that were called to Do. I honestly think that the mission God has created me for is to serve and support those that God has chosen to tell the Good News about God’s Grace which so brings me back to the vision that God gave me in the basement at Towanda when He gave us the name, My Fathers Blessing. Of all the areas that He showed me, my most favorite is the serving those who have served Him and no longer can due to age, health, etc and are looking for their next segment in their journey of purpose as they transition to the Gatekeepers before going on to their eternal retirement plan that’s Out of this World. I get so excited and full of passion when I see what He has shown me. I don’t know how or in what specific way but I think the time is here to act upon this calling. I know it will definitely be “outside the box” as God tends to love to laugh/have fun with us and not do the “typical” in our lives. Nothing in our amazing journey as husband and wife has been status pro from the moment we met even to the point we are at this present moment. Look at where we have been, what we’ve had and where we are now. In the world’s eyes we may have digressed with not living in a huge house, driving current vehicles, etc but I firmly believe we have progressed with shedding the excess (which we still have much to figure out what He wants done with – Ha!), being content with what we have, driving vehicles that are 100% His, minimizing, living in a 5th wheel that helps keep us close as a family and allows us to following His leading (even more so after we get it paid off). God has showed us repeatedly His providing for us, especially in the past year. Look at in our time of “financial lack” how much more we have been able to give, share and minister to others! It just blesses my socks off!! Not to mention blows my mind. Only God can do such things.

God is good … ALL the time! I’m anxious to see what He’s doing and preparing us for that’s to come. The journey is hard at times but I know well worth it. Growth is never easy but oh so glorious. I’m loving this ride and I’m ecstatic you’re on it with me.