No Blind Christmas

I WAS BLIND BUT NOW I SEE

"Don't do things blindly. Know why you do the things you do. Know why you celebrate and do the traditions that you do each year at Christmas. Find out the history. Do some research and decide for yourself what traditions you want to have be apart of your life."
Those were the words Pastor Joel spoke to the youth a little over two weeks ago and I just couldn't get them out of my mind.

Some of you know my history.  If your life was anything like mine you know there was so much that we were blind to.  There were so many things we couldn't research.  So many things we were led in and taught to believe that wasn't true.  Control.  Mind control. Thought control. Action control. Behavior control. The controls are endless. So many decisions made on our behalf and many without our consent. Blind.

Christmas traditions in our home:

• Cutting down the tree
• Hanging a wreath
• Candy Canes
• http://veracity-devotiontotruth.blogspot.com/2011/12/candy-cane.html

• Cut-Out Cookies
• Christmas Eve service
• Pajamas to open Christmas Eve
• Cinnamon Rolls for breakfast 
• Luke 2

I appreciated Pastor Joel's words so much.  I appreciated that as a Pastor one shepherding today's youth, he suggested and encouraged them to go and look for themselves. Why they do what they do each Christmas. His words granted my memories to bullet point my second Christmas in Christ.

Christmas 2006

• Christmas Eve Service
• Joy to the World
• Oh Holy Night
• Come Let Us Adore Him

Christmas Eve service 2006
The words to the songs we would sign at the service were put in print and handed out so people could sing along.  The dimmed lighting made it difficult for some to see the words in print. Many if not all in attendance knew all the words to the songs, so their efforts to join in were not a strain because they had sung these songs time and time again, year after year.

I was determined to see the words in print because I wanted to join in.
I wanted to proclaim the words I was about to sing.
As I sang the words I took them to heart. They penetrated my heart, body, and soul.

I sang with tears streaming down my face.
Freedom to choose.
Freedom to sing.
Freedom to speak.

I have chosen to live my life out of:
This truth.
This faith.
This belief.

Immanuel. God with us.

Days after that service I pondered each verse in my heart.
I wondered did others really stand on the words they were signing?
I wondered did others sign these songs blindly?
I wondered did they really believe what they were signing?

As the faces of those who held my hand and journeyed with me and spoke truth into my life danced in my head, I knew without a shadow of a doubt they knew exactly what they were singing!

To you
the faces that dance in my head today that still don't know what to believe.
To you
the fingers that type me emails each week.
To you
the ears that listen to the radio program every two weeks.
To you
the voices I talk to each month on the phone.

This Christmas ponder these words:

Joy To The World
...
Let earth receive her King.  Let every heart prepare Him room...

This Christmas I pray your heart prepares room for Him the King of ALL Kings, Jesus.
This Christmas receive Him as your Savior, your Lord, your Truth, your source of life.
Remember when you feel alone you are not alone if you have prepared room for Him in your heart.

Oh Holy Night
...
Long lay the world in sin and error pining.  Til He appeared and the soul felt it's worth..  A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices...  Fall on your knees... And in His Name, all oppression shall cease...Let all within us praise his holy name Chris is the Lord!

This Christmas I pray your soul knows your worth and that the sin and error of your life will discover the Mercy that will appear before you. That the thrill of hope will have you fall at your knees and in that moment you will lay all weariness, oppression, and sin at the feet of Jesus and you will know that all such things shall cease.  This Christmas I pray that your soul will now rise and praise his holy name and shout in freedom Christ is Lord because you have laid it all down before Him.

Come Let Us Adore Him
...Oh come, let us adore Him...

This Christmas I pray that we will sing together in One spirit across state lines and countries afar,
Come, Let Us Adore Him! Because "in the hope of eternal life, which God, who does not lie, promised before the beginning of time, and which now at his appointed season has brought light" into your life and mine.

Merry Christmas!

genesis5020ministy.org

My Christmas Treasure

THERE WAS 

ONE 

SPIRIT PLANNED PREVAILING PREGNANCY.

THERE WAS 

ONE 

IMMATERIAL MERGED MATERIAL.

THERE IS 

ONE 

I AM.

THERE IS 

ONE

 IMMANUEL.

THERE IS

ONE 

GOD WITH US!

THERE WAS

AND IS 

ONE 

WHO GOES BEFORE ME AND FOLLOWS BEHIND ME.

In the hope of eternal life,
 which God, who does not lie, 
promised before the beginning of time, 
and at his appointed season 
he brought his word to light.

He is my stability at all times.

He is my strength and salvation.

 He is my Christmas treasure.

Merry Christmas!

Ephesians 4:4, Luke 1:31,  John 1:14, 
Exodus 3:14, John 8:58, Matthew 1:23,
 Psalm 139:5, Titus 1:2-3, Isaiah 33:6

HOPE

Eighteen years ago today.

I wondered why the passing of my dad hit me differently this year than any other.

I'm still not completely sure as I hit the keyboard this evening.

Hope.

I have hope and can say I have never lost it.

I remember walking through my parents kitchen like it was yesterday.  

I was looking and listening to my mom 

as she sat at the kitchen table 

reading the sympathy cards and mocking at the handwriting of one of my dads co-workers.

The man wrote; "We know Sonny believed in the after-life."

"That's ridiculous!" Mom yelled.

"How would he know, 

he knew nothing of what your Dad believed, 

how dare he say that!"

"He knew nothing of what your Dad believed."

What did Dad believe?

I didn't know.

Mom didn't know.

"We know."

God knows.

Hope

"We know."

There are ones that knew what Dad believed.

Hope.

I know this about my dad he loved me unconditionally.

I see it in his eyes.

I have this picture to remind me of it everyday.

In this picture there is the obvious 

you see my Dad holding my baby girl.

My baby girl

the situation that caused my disfellowshipping 

from the Jehovah's Witness Organization.

The situation that still causes the shunning in my life today.

What I see in this picture...

I see my baby girl looking at her Grandpa

knowing she is loved and admired.

I see my baby girl looking at her Grandpa 

knowing she is accepted and has is approval.

I see my baby girl looking at her Grandpa saying;

"I'm glad your holding me, I'm proud of you Grandpa 

just as much as you are proud of me."

And as my Dad stands there taking this photo

I see him looking at me saying; 

"Baby girl I love you and admire you."

"Baby girl I accept you and you have my approval."

"Baby girl I'm proud of you."

Hope

It is great to know and believe that your Father feels this way about his daughter.

It's even greater to know your Heavenly Father feels this way too.

Hope

In memory of my dad who passed away eighteen years ago today.

I say this; 

I love you dad and I have hope that I will see you one day 

because

"Sonny believed in the after-life."

Eternal life after this life here on earth in heaven with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

"There is no sting in death for those who believe in Him."

1 Corinthians 15:55-57

1 John 2:25