Our God Is With Us......Emmanuel!!!

Christmas is upon us!  Amazing how it arrives whether we are "ready" or not.

This year is somewhat different for Eddie and me.  For starters, we are "HOME", where we are surrounded with family and friends.  What a huge blessing!  However, this year has been challenging for us financially.  Our income sort of took a plunge with the move....and it's definitely been a "period of adjustment" for us.


With that in mind, we warned the kids some time ago that this would be a lean Christmas.  And, in the back of my mind, I allowed myself to harbor negative feelings about the "lack" of presents.  Every time I was out and about shopping, it seemed, I would see something that would the perfect gift for someone...and I had to pass it by.


But, as I was listening to Christmas music last night, I was struck by the words to the Steven Curtis Chapman song, "Our God Is With Us".  The sheer power of the Message in this classic song struck squarely at my hurting, resentful heart....

"And in one glorious moment, all eternity was shaken

As God broke through the darkness that had kept us apart

And with love that conquers loneliness, hope that fills all emptiness

He came to earth to show our worth. 

And our God is with us, Emmanuel

He's come to save us, Emmanuel, and we will never face life alone

Now that God has made himself known

As Father and Friend, with us through the end, Emmanuel

So rejoice, oh rejoice, Emmanuel has come."

 For the greatest gift of all is not any gift that appears beneath the tree, no matter how grand it might be.  The greatest gift of all was given on the night when Jesus humbly entered this world.

It was as if a bright light was turned on and I saw with clarity all the blessings bestowed upon me, and my family.  And, in that moment, I was able to let go of the negative feelings that I was allowing to stifle Joy in my heart and truly rejoice at the beauty of this season.
 
I hope you will click on the link below and listen to this beautiful song.  I don't know who put the video together and, yes, I know it is over 6 minutes long.  But, the music and the message are worth every second of your time!

My prayer for you this Christmas, dear Friend, is that you will be filled with all the Joy that comes from accepting the greatest gift of all.  Let us not forget the wondrous gift of that first Christmas or the comfort of knowing that our God is with us!

I am linking with Robin over at "ALL THINGS HEART & HOME" because she asked us to share about something that inspires us at Christmas....and even though there's not a Christmas decoration or recipe to be found in this post, it's all about INSPIRATION for me to share of the miracle of Jesus' birth!

Blessings to you and those you love...

Jane

So Much for Which to Be Grateful!!!

Wow!  It's hard to believe that I published my first post as a blogger here at Janie's Porch on October 23, 2009!!!    Here's a flashback to my first attempt at blogging....please don't laugh.

This was my first header photo....

Our porch in Pampa, all decked out for Fall

 And this was the first photo I uploaded.....it was static, always appearing beneath my post, because I had not yet figured out how to insert a photo within a post.  (Yep, it took awhile to figure it out!)

Autumn arrangement on our dining room table

As I stare my first blogiversary in the face this week, I have to reflect on what a wild and crazy ride this last year has been....

So much has changed! 

• Our lives were thrown into a state of turmoil when Ed's job came to an abrupt end just nine days before Christmas last year....to say we spent the Christmas holidays in a state of shock is an understatement.
• My daughter's marriage disintegrated and an ugly divorce ensued as the new year unfolded.
• We made the decision to relocate from Pampa to Abilene, putting our house there on the market the first week of the year, traditionally one of the slowest periods in the real estate market.
• We found the perfect little fixer-upper in our first choice of neighborhoods in Abilene.
• We had a contract on our house in Pampa in three days....and on the same day we put in an offer on our new place!
• We went through some extensive remodeling on our new home....remember when we had no kitchen for about six weeks?!?!?!
• Ed got his "dream job" working in the hunting and fishing department at a major sporting goods store and, in just a few short months, that part-time job has grown into a full-time job as the department team lead.
• I realized my future did not lie in the legal business and I decided to follow my dream of becoming a licensed real estate salesperson.
• My son, Ben, decided to leave his studies at Texas Tech and returned home to Abilene to start a new job.
• My other son, Sam, graduated from high school.....all three kids are officially "grown up" now!
• I joined a health club and started changing my life and my body....all for the better!
• We got Bonnie all moved and set up in a new home with the grandbabies.
• The boys got into their first "real" jobs and an apartment together....a major milestone.

That's just a summary of some of the life-changing events that we've been through in the short year since I started blogging! 

As I reflect on all the changes, I am in awe at how everything has worked out.  Even those circumstances that seemed overwhelming and filled with despair at the time have turned out alright.  Through it all, God has cleared the way and lit the path for us to follow.  What blessings have come out of all the trials!!!  We get to spend more time with Family.  We have learned to live a "leaner" lifestyle.  We have learned to trust more.

My heart is filled with Gratitude....to the brim!  I don't say it enough....I sometimes get lax in giving thanks.  Shame on me!  I let the little things bother me, get me down, make me doubt.  Double shame!!

Sometimes it is good just to stop and count our blessings, even write them down.  Expressing Gratitude for those blessings is a worthy exercise for our spirit and mind, something we should always make the time to do. 

I am linking up with Heidi at "Heart and Home" for Wednesday Gratitude.  I hope you will pop over and check out not only Heidi's beautiful blog but some of the other posts as well.  I guarantee you will be inspired and encouraged to practice Gratitude in your own life! 

Now, I am going to get out and enjoy this beautiful Autumn day....yet another blessing!  The sun has started its ascent into the cloudless blue sky over our cozy little house......

and the fallen leaves on the lawn and porch tell the story of the changing season.....

I challenge you to practice Gratitude today.  Look around and be very aware of the many blessings, large and small, in your life! 

Until next time,

Jane