If you live long enough, you will probably lose a loved one. This advice was on Facebook and is a gentle reminder to all of us about how to treat and respect those who are grieving, especially as the holidays are coming.

https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/what-grieving-people-wish-you-knew-at-christmas

Yesterday was one of those days that I never want to repeat. I had an appointment to see my primary care physician to check into why I am having pain in my abdomen and also about problems with sciatica. I was examined and then sent to the hospital for a test for appendicitis. After six hours of waiting and taking barium and then waiting more, I got the test and the results. Praise God! No appendicitis! But I still don’t know why I have pain in my abdomen and when I tried to get an appointment with my gastroenterologist, the earliest appointment he has is at the end of January. So, I am in wait mode. I am waiting for my PCP to get me an appointment with an orthopedist to check out my sciatica since my regular ortho doctor retired last year. I am waiting to hear back from the nurse at the GI’s office to see if she can work me in at any time to see my doctor there.

I have been studying the names of Jesus as part of my Bible study of Advent. Thank you, Lord, that you are teaching me to maintain peace. My husband is very anxious and just wants me to be seen right away. Of course, I want that, too, but I am waiting, knowing that peace will help me to get through this latest adventure in getting older. I’m glad that Jesus is teaching me to just keep calm and keep going. Plans change. I ask God for His power to keep me during my times of weakness, spiritually and physically and mentally. Jesus never changes and He can give you peace and strength now, too, no matter what you are facing. Just ask Him to be the Prince of Peace in your life today and every day. Blessings to each of you for a day filled with His peace, the peace that passes all understanding!

Photo from theinspiredwoman.org

Photo from You Version Bible App

Lauren was left to pick up the pieces of her heart when her fiancé sent her a text breaking up with up with her the night before their wedding. In this charming romance, Lauren returns to her hometown to help out with the annual Christmas celebration, only to find d that David has already returned to Holts Ridge and is firmly ensconced in the hearts of her mom and the other residents. The characters are absolutely remarkable in their love for the town and each other. I loved the festivities, especially the Critter Parade. And I thoroughly enjoyed discovering David’s secret and Lauren’s steadfastness and willingness to return to the town in which she had suffered such rejection and embarrassment. Fans of Christmas love will want to read this one and will treasure it for its story and it’s life lessons.

Disclaimer

Disclosure of Material Connection: I own a copy of this book on my Kindle. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guides Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”

This totally clean read is available now! Enjoy a great romance during Christmas!

What did you do to celebrate your last birthday? Most people had gifts to open and were surprised and happy at what they received. Remember that as Christmas approaches, it is all about celebrating Jesus’s birthday. He doesn’t want a gift from us. He wants us, our hearts, minds and lives. He wants us to give ourselves to Him and to then look for ways to help others find Him.

Photo from John Hagee Ministries on Twitter.com

In my devotional today, I studied how important this season is and one of the devotionals that I am currently doing is called “Make Room” by Mark from Casting Crowns. It is found on the You Version Bible App and I highly recommend it. Here is a quotation from the devotional today.

Rather than turning to a store that can offer us savings, maybe we can turn to a Savior born to save us.--Mark, Casting Crowns

Photo from heulu.wordpress.com

Yes, this is definitely the season in which many of us are caught up in the hustle and bustle of shopping and wrapping and choosing gifts that we hope others will admire and really enjoy. How about we take time to remember the Savior, the greatest gift of all? We don’t have to shop to find Him; He is as close as our own hearts. The date that we remember His birth is coming in just a few weeks. Let’s each of us remember His birthday by giving Him the gift of us! Blessings for a day filled with quietness before the Lord and Savior of our souls!

I read an article today about Governor Greg Abbot of Texas. What he said in response to a Tweet made me praise God for His attitude and want to be more like him. Here is the link to the article:

https://www.denisonforum.org/columns/daily-article/greg-abbott-responds-to-god-put-you-in-a-wheelchair-tweet-paying-the-price-to-change-someones-life-today/

Think about it. What price are you willing to pay to change someone’s life? Blessings for an evening filled with God and His glory!

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The holiday season has begun! That means a lot of rushing around and little quiet time. I got up at 5:30 this morning, not for my quiet time with the Lord, but so that I had data to use in order to pay my online bills and get birthday gifts for my little three year old granddaughter. So, that meant that I was tired and ended up napping later. I just got up a little while ago and spent my quiet time with the Lord, doing my devotionals. We need to remember that Jesus made us a priority, so we can’t forget Him during this holiday season that bears His name. Many are trying to take His name away from the holiday, saying “Happy Holidays” instead of “Merry Christmas.” Starbucks is distributing coffee cups that say “Merry Coffee” in order to avoid offending some, I guess. What they don’t know is that their attempt not to offend those who don’t believe in Christ offends those of us who do. We, however, are the minority and we have not been very vocal about our displeasure over Jesus’s being taken out of Christmas. We need to raise our voices and remember Him who came to earth and died for us! I read a devotional today about the innkeeper who had no room for Jesus in the inn. The devotional said that the innkeeper gave Jesus a place, but not the place. See the difference? That spoke to my heart right away. Jesus doesn’t want just any place in our hearts. He wants THE place, the part of us that was created for Him, the empty part that is just waiting for Him to occupy it, even though we have tried to fill that void with so many other things.

Jesus came into the world to save us from our sins, and whether we acknowledge Him or not, no matter how we try to rush around and busy ourselves with the things of the world, one day EVERY knee will bow to Him and His glory and grace. I choose to remember Him now, to make Him a priority and I hope that you do, too. As the busyness increases, don’t forget to remember Him for whom the season is named and to whom we owe our lives, for eternity. Blessings for a wonderful evening and many hours filled with contemplating His goodness and His place in your hearts.

Today, I am thankful for forgiveness. It all started with the cross about two thousand years ago.

Jesus died once and for all on the cross, so I am forgiven. And He told me to forgive others as God has forgiven me. My daughter, Hope Bailey, wrote a wonderful post about forgiveness today on Facebook. Here is what she said:

Each of us has experienced our fair share of hurt (and then some). Relationships are not easy. Death happens. Illnesses and deficiencies are a reality. Maintaining perfect mental health is impossible. Emotional heartache is draining. Life can be excruciatingly hard. Some of that pain is so deep that it doesn’t feel like it will ever subside. I have a tendency to isolate when people don’t rise to my expectations – when they disappoint and fall short, leaving me on my own or worse. I’m so thankful that I discovered the power of forgiveness before bitterness choked any chance of restoration. Most of the time, people don’t apologize. I’ve found that sitting and waiting for words that may never come will quickly turn into a bitter root. Forgiveness is the key, regardless of whether the person knows what they did. I’ve been wounded time and time again by people. Sometimes, I have to choose to forgive all over again because the old hurts have a tendency to resurface. I thank Jesus for His example of forgiveness. I thank Him for the healing and restoration I feel when I make that decision to stop, capture the negative, believe and then declare, “I forgive”.

Forgiveness is a choice, so we need to make the wise choice of releasing others. Then, our hearts are free to love them as God meant for us to love. I am grateful for forgiveness today, the forgiveness of Christ that has set me on the road to forgive others along the way of life. I hope each of you has made that decision. It is freedom! Freedom for yourself and for the one whom you forgive. Let go and let God! Blessings, my friends! Let the forgiveness begin with a simple prayer and then maybe a letter or a phone call. Whatever it takes so that you know that you have forgiven, truly forgiven and moved on.

The excitement starts from page one of this newest thriller by Irene Hannon and continues all the way to the surprising climax. Heather Shields is a PI and Rick Jordan is an ex-army Night Stalker who wants help finding his missing friend Boomer. As Heather and Rick follow the clues together, they endanger themselves more and the tension gets more and more taut. The plot is extremely well-written, with false clues all along the way and a villain who is hidden until almost the end. I loved how the webs were so woven together that it all came together brilliantly at just the right moment in the book! Irene Hannon is the master of suspense in her genre and proves it once again in this mind-blowing and electrifying new book. Fans of romantic suspense will not want to miss out on this clean read!

Disclaimer

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guides Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”

This completely clean read is available now from your local bookseller and online.