He is Greater.....John 3:30 says He must become greater, I must become less"

At the end of 2016 I'm trying to sort out some priorities.  What to do less of, what to do more of, etc.  I was invited to do a group bible study that sounded really awesome but would require more of a commitment and when I tried it last year I failed big time.....so for this season, I'm giving that a "less" vote.  Do less group bible study.  I did very little time alone with God, meditating on His Word and listening to Him......so I'm going to make that a "more" for the new year. I did less socializing last year with friends, meaning going out with other adults for lunch or dinner or drinks,  to the movies, etc.  I'm switching that to more for 2017.  I did plenty of minutes on facebook and watching prime time television this past year.  Hoping to move that to the "less" category for 2017. More exercise.  Less sugar and carbs.  More reading.  Less sitting.  More sleeping.  Less......Jimmie Falon.  I know, I know.  More intentional time

It's Christmas Day!  We made it!  The gifts are mostly all opened.  We have one party left later today....soup and sandwiches and bingo with aunties and uncles......My Uncle Todd has beaten the odds over and over again in 2016 and we get to celebrate Christmas with him again this year.  I don't know anyone who fights harder to keep living here on Earth than him.  I am eager to give him a Christmas kiss in a couple of hours.....and then wup his butt in Bingo to make sure I get the gift I want.  (just kidding....sorta). Claire is starting to pack for Haiti.  She leaves tomorrow in the dark of night with a group that will fly to One Vision Childrens Home and love on some kids, paint some buildings, and be the hands and feet of Jesus.  If we head to Walmart tomorrow....and that's a big IF....it will be in search of hackey sacks for her to pack and share with the kids there. Claire was commissioned for her trip in church this morning....and then we took Communion....and we wo

Christmas is almost here.  Those of us who LOVE Christmas are waiting in the pregnant pause, the anticipation, the expectation of all that is coming soon.....the love, the laughter, family, gifts, good food, good will and glad tidings.  For those of you who do not like Christmas at all....its almost over. Very generous friends have been shopping and wrapping packages for families that were not going to have a very happy Christmas.  They are calling me and texting and messaging me for pick up and drop off instructions.....The recipients of these gifts are overwhelmed by the generosity of others....and therein lies the Christmas Spirit.  for me.  I want to say Thank You to all of you who contact me year after year and ask for a family to bless.  Thank you for including me in your good will and glad tidings and allowing me to deliver your packages and your good cheer.  Thank you for caring about people you may never meet, and not just doing the bare minimum but going well beyond any ho

I shared a personal memory on a home visit today.  I did 5 home visits, which is a lot in my kind of work....and involved driving to different communities.  The story I shared was about the time when I was a new mama, for the first time.  When I had my first child, Claire, my mom was so, so excited and ready.  Claire went past her due date....by almost 2 weeks.....so we were ALL ready to greet her when she chose her birthday!  We invited my mom to her birth when we knew birth was imminent.  My mom was there in full makeup and lipstick....at 1:30 am.  We teased her.....mom, why do you have make up on at 1:30am?  ( she had slept in make up for over a week just hoping for a call to come to the birth of this grandchild!)  Claire was born.  We gave her the name Claire for Roger's grandma Clara...and her middle name is Barbara....for my mom.  Nana Barb beamed with pride and love...... Every day thereafter my mom would stop by before she went to work.  She would ask how the night had g

Baby Jesus is back with His folks in the manger.  Roger found him while digging for something else (don't ask) under the chair cushion.  It's crazy because he has been missing for days and days....but once I highlighted the issue, he showed up. Maybe that's how it is in life sometimes.  We don't notice or care that he isn't obvious.....until someone brings it up.  Maybe it's a good sermon in church, which is a case in point to attend church.  Maybe it's a song, or a conversation, or simply conviction by the Holy Spirit....but somehow, we are freshly aware that we do not see Him.....we cannot find Him.....and so we may or may not decide to address that. He is never far.  Sometimes, he is right under our noses....or our bums, depending.  But.  He is always near.  The bible tells us so.  He wants to be missed and more importantly.....Jesus wants to be found.  

Recently I took a photo of my little nativity scene.  Today my mom posted one she took.  Both had been manipulated by little 4 year old Josiah.  He loves to play with them.  I grew up with a mom that encouraged us to play with the nativity pieces, to ask questions, to interact with them and so of course I did the same thing as a mama.  I have the set that I collected over many years when I was newly married and it was somewhat expensive...but not fragile.  I have a second set that belonged to a grandma and when she passed away, it was one of the things I received from the estate.   This year, I had my "nice" set on the piano in the office room and the less expensive one in the family room.  The other day, Josiah was busy playing and was moving the pieces back and forth....putting them together, then separating them.....and its hard to tell which goes where.  I was busy and distracted as any busy working mom is most days and didn't pay attention until later that evenin

     This morning I drove into work on this very cold and windy Wednesday morning.  I had a very full schedule for today.  I am also fighting the virus that has plagued Josiah for weeks and weeks......he is on the mend......       I had a conversation that troubled me deeply.....and the issues that made my heart ache involved foster care and children in foster care over Christmas.  It involved the torture of mental illness and suicide battles.  It involved the brokenness in homes that causes children to grow up to be broken adults who try to raise their children in a lost and very broken world.....and something called the ACE score that measures the impact of childhood trauma on adult chronic illness.  I do work in public health, ya know.  A situation came to mind of a teenager who is out on the streets this month, living alone and cold.  I cannot fix these things.  I am a nurse.  I look for ways to fix things!       Easy things can be fixed with a hug, a kiss, a band-aid or an ice

This is a post I meant to write over on the Katelyn's Fund blog.  I was scheduled to post their on Saturday.  I knew what I wanted to write but the day just got away from me.  I will write it here and hope some of the same readers cross over! Last week Thursday, I went to wake Precious.  By Thursday it is not fun to wake her up for school.  It requires more patience and creativity because she is tired.  We talked about breakfast, as we do every morning.  "Precious, what do you want for breakfast today?"  Breakfast is important because if she has a breakfast that is filling and makes her happy, her day starts well.  Because she takes medicine to help her concentrate and calm down for school she doesn't want to eat for those 8 hours....so breakfast matters a lot until supper.  She is a very picky, fussy eater. She said "Are pancakes healthy?"  as we laid on the bed together in the darkness of Thursday morning.  I said, "Well, they are more healthy th

I found my song for this year. Some of you have been reading with me for a few years and remember that every year (or most years anyway) I find one Christmas song that strikes a cord in my spirit. This is it this year. I heard the Bells on Christmas Day is from a poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. The song tells of the narrator's despair.....and he hears the Christmas bells and thinks that "hate is strong and mocks the song of peace on earth, good will to men"..... and the line that pierces my heart presently is this one....."Then pealed the bells more loud and deep: God is not dead, nor doth He sleep; The Wrong shall fail, the Right prevail, with peace on earth, good-will to men......." and when it plays on the radio I crank it up and almost scream with tear-filled eyes.....God is NOT dead, nor doth He sleep....the wrong SHALL FAIL....the right prevail....with peace. On Earth. Good-will....to men. Our world right now.....we are living in very scar

Claire came home tonight after a long day.  She had dance, then school, then work, then a Walmart run to get things for dance....and school...and work.  She's more away than home these days at 17.  I had Josiah on my lap and he had just fallen asleep so I was able to feel the weight of his sleepy self and stroke his sweet soft curly head as she and I talked about teen-age issues, and prom, and such.  We switched gears to talking about Christmas.  Her comment was that she had not done any Christmas shopping yet.  The girl is seriously more busy than anyone I know....by her own design.  I smiled, nodded, and agreed that the holiday was coming fast.  Claire said, "Are you excited for Christmas though?".  I had to pause a bit.  Am I?  Excited for December 25, 2016?   My answer was something like this.  I love the season of Christmas so much.  From the day after Thanksgiving right up to the day after Christmas......that entire month is a reason to celebrate.  On the radio

It's day 2 of Dressember for me.  Yesterday I sat in arena chairs and cheered on my daughter's high school dance team all day.  I held Josiah on my lap and helped him eat "Dippin Dots" for the first time and got my dress really dirty.  Then he fell asleep on my lap and remained there for 2 hours, up in the nose bleed section of Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines, Iowa.  While scrolling through facebook I saw lots of photos of people joining the effort to raise awareness and funds to help stop human trafficking.  Junior high kids are even doing it!   Jeremiah told me today that a sixth grade boy in his school is dressing up for school every day for Dressember....... I sat down in my favorite spot this morning with my coffee, preparing for some quiet time and thought to myself...  "The dress gives a voice to human trafficking.  To prostitution.  To people trading money for sex.  These are things that the human race has been keeping quiet since the dawn of man."