Amazed

We live in a world that's become so jaded and cynical.  Modern technology makes wonders seem so every day, and our "small world" mentality sometimes leaves us yawning.

But there's one thing that always amazes and grips my heart this time of year.

Emmanuel.

God with us.

Let that sit and grow for a moment.

Jesus gave up heaven for us.

He gave up the Father's unbroken approval for us.

He lived with the constraints of time and amongst the ravages of sin for us.

He did all that to buy us.

To be with us.

Emmanuel.

Sometimes it takes a song to reach deep into the recesses of my world-hardened heart, and I heard a song that broke it wide open to tenderness last week.

I'm going to take a rest from blogging until Jan. 2, but I wanted to leave you with something that brings you fully into the season.  I love you, friends, so click here and listen.

Winner!

The winner of Karen Ehman's new book Let. It. Go. is Danielle Christy who left her comment on Nov. 29 at 9:09 am.

Congratulations, Danielle!

Please email your mailing address to amy@proverbs31.org, and Karen will get that right in the mail to you!

Love Rest

 I shared a life changing event for me in today's Encouragement for Today.  Please read it first if you haven't already so that all these pictures are meaningful.

A picture truly does say a thousand words, and so I thought it would be much more powerful to let you experience a little of what I did that day.  As I look at these pictures again, it's obvious to me how powerful the Presence of God was there .  I hope you'll experience His Presence even as you put yourself in that room in Kolkata, India with me.

Lining up for the wedding...

The "brides" each go down the isle one by one.

The woman that I wrote of was so feeble that she sat on the sidelines, almost forgotten..

Until Rita and Babita remembered "Auntie" (a term of respect and endearment for women of a certain age) and helped her take her turn...

The worship and prayers in the room were powerful, and you can see that I'm not the only one who felt God's Presence and was overcome.

Joy and peace followed...

God's love is real.  It's for you today.  I hope you feel it, my treasured sister.

Giving with a Personal Touch

The more I say it and write it and do it, the more I believe it.

We all have something to give.

And not only that, we are created to give.  In light of the fact that we are made in God's image, we know that  there is a part of us deep in us that is most fulfilled when we're giving.

God's provision is generous and abundant.  I love how James 1: 16-17 expresses His extravagance:

"Don't be deceived dears brothers.  Every good and perfect gift comes from above, coming down from the Father of heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows."

EVERY good and perfect gift....

It's easy to think we don't have anything to give.  In our own assessment we may feel like we don't have enough time, talent or money.

I was really challenged recently by Jen Hatmaker's book 7.  She threw down the gauntlet in giving and encouraged her readers not only to give but to give personally.

So instead of just giving a check or an item, she encouraged us to give in person with a personal interaction involved.  For example, instead of giving to the local homeless shelter, her church takes grills under a bridge and cooks for the people living there.

My recent opportunity has been a lot simpler, but I hope it works out.  Our family bought a pre-lit Christmas tree this year for the first time, and we hope to deliver our old tree to a family just settling in their home.  Nothing ever turns out the way it happens in my head, but I hope our family can be a blessing to another family not just with the tree but with our love and presence.

What do you have to give?  Can you think of a way to make it personal?