And Mary said,
"Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word."
"Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word."
-Luke 1:38
And Mary said:
“My soul glorifies the Lord
and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has been mindful
of the humble state of his servant.
From now on all generations will call me blessed,
for the Mighty One has done great things for me—
holy is his name.
His mercy extends to those who fear him,
from generation to generation.
He has performed mighty deeds with his arm;
he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.
He has brought down rulers from their thrones
but has lifted up the humble.
He has filled the hungry with good things
but has sent the rich away empty.
He has helped his servant Israel,
remembering to be merciful
to Abraham and his descendants forever,
just as he promised our ancestors.”
- Luke 1:47-55
What no eye has seen,
what no ear has heard,
and what no human mind has conceived—
these things God has prepared for those who love him.
- 1 Corinthians 2:9
This has been a different kind of Christmas for me. Very different.
When I got back from Iloilo City on December 20, my son Worshiper, his wife Chosen One and their baby Elijah had already left for Manila to spend Christmas with Chosen One's mom.
As some of you know, Worshiper and his family and I live together in one home. With them away, it was really quiet around here.
I realized that I was all alone...
Five days before Christmas... most pre-Christmas parties had already taken place and the Christmas countdown has begun. During the holiday season, everything around here stops... to make room for the Christmas celebration. Only the shops, the supermarkets, and the thoroughfares are bustling with activity... and within the four walls of most homes, families are busy with the gift wrapping and all the cooking.
There were no Bible studies for me to give, no teaching sessions to prepare for, no healing seminars to coordinate...
So I busied myself with attending to my garden... cutting the grass... pruning the bushes.
On Thursday, three days before Christmas, I went to the supermarket and bought foodstuff to fill the pantry and the refrigerator...
and looked forward to being with my only daughter Obedient One who finally arrived on the dawn flight, one day before Christmas.
The real Christmas celebration here happens on the 24th of December, Christmas Eve. It has been the tradition in Ernie's family to spend Christmas Eve together at his sister Sue's home. And although Ernie and his parents have already gone home to heaven, we have continued with this yearly event.
This year, my son Worshiper and his family spent Christmas in Manila, and First Born son and his family spent Christmas Eve with his wife Chosen One's folks.
It was therefore only Obedient One and I who went to our Christmas Eve family celebration.
In years past there would be a lot of laughter...teasing... noisy young children running around...
We find ourselves at a different season... a different kind of family Christmas... more quiet... more subdued...
As I sat there... posing for the family pictures, it felt like a sacred moment for me. Nothing was expected of me... and neither did I expect anything of the others - I was loved, and accepted... and I loved them in return.
We are a family that have weathered many storms individually, and corporately.
Deep issues of the heart are not openly talked about... private things are kept to oneself... but there is communion... yes, there is quiet acceptance... there is love.
As we stood around the buffet table, beautifully prepared by Sue... with her personal touch of elegance and grace ... she prayed this Christmas thanksgiving prayer:
Thank You Father, for the meaning of Christmas... that we are able to celebrate it as a family... thank You for how You have brought us through the past year... thank You for having remained faithful... thank You for the memory of Ernie... for giving him to me as a brother... he has truly blessed my life... Thank You... only thank You... always thank You.
Then we all sat at the dinner table to partake of our Christmas Eve meal as a family.
As I write these words, it's the morning after Christmas... a rainy and windy morning.
It was still quite dark when I awoke... and this verse was already resonating in my heart:
I meditate on You in the night watches...
It felt good to be talking to my heavenly Father at that early hour, even while I was still hugging my pillow and snuggled under my blanket on a chilly morning. I love you, my Father... Thank you for You are completely trustworthy... You are my hope... You are my Strong Tower...
Om this cool December morning, this heart of mine wants to recommit my life to God my Maker.
The words of the beautiful Christmas message spoken by Butch at church yesterday still resonate in my heart:
It's understandable when little children fear the dark... but what a tragedy when grown men fear the light!
God wants us to come out of hiding... and into the light!
God wants us healed... He wants us alive!
Christmas is the time:
to release our fears...
to renew our faith...
to receive, and release forgiveness...
to rebuild relationships.
God wants us to come out of hiding... and into the light!
God wants us healed... He wants us alive!
Christmas is the time:
to release our fears...
to renew our faith...
to receive, and release forgiveness...
to rebuild relationships.
A better and more timely word could not have been spoken. Yes... as the year comes to a close, steps of obedience will be taken ... small steps in the right direction.
I will learn to put my fears behind me... and like Mary say to God, "Behold I am Your maidservant, be it unto me according to Your word."
Whatever weight or burden I have been carrying, today I turn it over to the One Who is able to do something about it.
This morning I am turning it all over to Jesus my Savior.
My Yeshua Ha'Mashiach.
I put on the garment of praise, and shed off the spirit of heaviness.
I receive the anointing of the oil of joy...
I put on the crown of beauty...
And I decree, declare, proclaim that the promises of the Lord for restoration, provision, and redemption are mine in the coming year!
Indeed, I decree today that I will live in the realm of the supernatural!
Thank You my Father, for a different kind of Christmas... and for speaking to my heart once again.
Our church was packed for the Christmas Eve worship service
This song brought tears to my eyes as we partook of the Lord's Supper
Obedient One and God Given, at our church grounds after the worship service
First Born, God given and their son Forerunner, posing at their Aunt Sue's Christmas tree
Some of Sue's Christmas angels
There's another angel at the top of this tree!
Dinner table all set for our Christmas Eve family meal
Ernie's two sisters, Sue and Leila
me, with Ernie's sisters
Leila with husband Jay
Christmas dessert
rib eye steak, homemade ham, buttered corn, brown rice, potato salad, seafood chowder
the Christmas candles are lit
22 karat gold - edged dinner plates!
gold-rimmed glass
gold plated spoons and forks
Sue's eldest son, Vince, and wife Rhea
Sue's daughter Tisha and husband Jeff
champagne!
Clockwise: Vince (standing), his wife Rhea, Obedient One, Jeff, Tisha, Sue, Vito, Jay, Leila, and me
Obedient One and me, Christmas 2011
another photo of me with my two sisters in law
Standing: (L - R) Vince, Joash, Rhea, Hanna, Jay, Obedient One
Sitting: (L-R) Jeff, Tisha, Vito and Sue, Leila, me with Toby
On the floor : Caleb and Justin
Back in my home, here are a few shots of my Christmas tree:
E is for my beloved Ernie... Christmas was such a special time for him!
my very own special tree... each ornament has a story to tell!A lovely quote copied from Saija's blog:
Christmas - that magic blanket that wraps itself about us,
that something... so intangible that it is like a fragrance.
It may weave a spell of nostalgia.
Christmas may be a day of feasting, or of prayer,
but always it will be a day of remembrance -
a day in which we think of everything we have ever loved.
~Augusta E. Rundel
26 comments:
Thank you for sharing your special celebration, Lidia. It is wonderful to gather with family at such times!
wow, what an absolutely beautiful christmas table, trees and lovely family ... lots to count your blessings for as this year comes to a close ...
thank you for sharing Lidia - i enjoyed your post ... blessings on ya!
Hi Lidia! I can't express how much I enjoyed reading this post about Christmas! You had such a wonderful message here and I loved seeing all the photos of your loving family. You are blessed to be in such a family! The dinner table, the tree and decorations were all so beautiful! Thank you for sharing all this with us. May you have a very blessed, joyous, healthy and prosperous new year. ♥
Thank you very much for your visit and comment on my blog.
I have said it before and I'll say it again---you and your family are beautiful! What a wonderful Christmas you have had....may your New Year be just as great! God bless.
Lidia, I am always blessed with every visit to your blog. I feel such peace as I read your words of love. I miss my mom at Christmas but she is in heaven like your Ernie. One day we share see them ...
I love your family photos. How wonderful that you continue to celebrate with Ernie's family. The table setting is simply beautiful and the food delicious.
I love what you wrote:
"Whatever weight or burden I have been carrying, today I turn it over to the One Who is able to do something about it."
This is something I need to choose to do each and every day. I love that and I know that He is able and so much more capable than me. :)
I want to always be prepared for His return so I choose to live intentionally.
Blessings and love,
Debbie
Hi Lidia...your post reminds me of the those verses that say...there's a time for everything...and sometimes different is exactly what we need. Love your pictures...and your heart....
How happy it made me to share your reflections (verbal & in picture) on your Christmas celebrations.
A piece of ours awaits &as we will gather this weekend with additional parts of our family (two of our children along with THEIR children, and 2 sisters and their families, my mother and father).
Christmas has been very different this year. I've not taken time to analyze it--and maybe I won't. I want to keep my eyes focused above - and ahead. I look forward to participating in the plans and purposes of our Sovereign Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ whom to know is Life Eternal!
Belated Merry Christmas! It may have been a quiet Christmas for you but it sure does look like it was very meaningful. :)
I hope you have a wonderful New Year 2021 and good changes are coming your way.
God Bless,
<><
How very beautiful and special your Christmas celebrations were, dear Lidj! I feel as if I had been there with you. You are blessed with such a darling family and I see in your eyes how you cherish each of them.
May all of you be abundantly blessed in this bright new year that is right around the corner and may we all grow closer to Jesus each day.
Love & Prayers,
Sandy
Sister Lidia, what a peaceful feeling that came to my heart as I read this post. So beautiful to see you had a wonderful time with families on this special day and even if bro. Ernie was not physically there with you, I knew his love remained.
I miss my parents every time, too, especially my mom, because she truly put all of her energy and love in preparing wonderful foods every Eve and gathered everyone including my close cousins.
As I glanced at all the wonderful pictures you shared, those gold things reminded me it would happen again someday...And boy I can't wait to sit next to you! :) Not only the plates but imagine the golden streets we would be walking on.
I paused when you wrote "And I decree, declare, proclaim that the promises of the Lord for restoration, provision, and redemption are mine in the coming year!"...because that has been my prayer all along.
Praying God's richest blessings to shower upon you my dear sister in Christ as the year 2012 comes. I echo your sister in law's prayer: "Just thank You..." He is so good and truly faithful on every step we take. I have no fear because of Him. Through trials, we grow and I would rather hurt in order to flourish than to be comfortable and not gain eternal things. May we set our eyes on Jesus, our Lord and choose to be obedient. God bless you sister Lidia and thank you...for your faith and prayers. Love you in Christ.
You are a blessing dear Lidia and this post so beautiful. I too, wake in the wee hours and thank our Father for all that He has done for me.
Butch's words speak volumes...do you think that he would mind if I quote them on my blog?
I love you Lidia,
trish
Oh, and your tree is beautiful...so happy to see the Ornaments hanging there!
Hello Lidia, everthing all looks so good, and everone very happy as usual. Thank you for your New Year blessings to me, and I pray this year will be so much better for you and yours also, especially your daughter. May the Lord bless and keep you safe in Him in all you do. Much love Crystal xxxx
Yes Lidia, this was a quiet and different kind of Christmas . . . I know, we, God's children are coming to an ending of some sort . . . I feel in my heart that something very new is going to be birthed and we are all waiting in anticipation. The pics of you and your family are beautiful. What a beautiful pic of First Born and his family and you and Obedient One look great in front of the Christmas tree. Thanks so much for your kind words on my blog . . . it means alot and is very much appreciated. Blessings for a wonderful New Year in 2012, Sandy:O)
I especially resonated with your thoughts about wrapping up in the warmth of Jesus in the dark night. How many times, sister, have I done this very thing? In fact, this is one of the best parts of my day... when I lay my head down to rest and nestle in close to the heart of the Father. What a Comforter he is... especially in the darkness.
As we move into the promise of 2012, I pray for you and for myself that God will tenderly and certainly unfold purpose and promise into our hearts. These are good days to be serving the kingdom alongside you, friend.
The best is yet to be!
peace~elaine
Dearest Lidj - What a beautiful tribute to our Lord's birth here - and a beautiful family celebrating His birth with joy and elegance!
Thank you for your encouraging words to us as we begin this venture at Constellation Academy. To be sure, we are barely at the water's edge - but January starts us off with mentoring and building for the 2012-2013 school year. Hope you'll visit again to see what we're up to as the Lord builds this house!
Joy!
Miss Kathy
I meet you here with a like heart--it's been such a different Christmas for me, too. I feel the sadness in your words, yet the peace in Him as well. May this New Year be blessed for you, dear Lidia. I pray the trials of last year that you endured will result in blossoms of blessing rained forth on you in the coming year. Much love.
Dear Lidia,
Thanks for always bringing hope and comfort to my soul with your words and prayers.
I find it so overwhelmingly that we can pray for and with each other, no matter the distance.
To see you celebrate with Earnie's sisters was also a good thing. There sure were abundance of everything, and most of all these soulful faces filled with love.
You always share and grant food for my soul too.
Today I'll make the words "I will live in the realm of the supernatural!"mine.
I know that's where I'll find rest.
I'm sending you and your big family my blessings and am praying for you just now, that you all may rest in God's presence all of your days.
From Felisol
Blessings upon you - may your family live up to their names!
Change...sometimes it is hard, isn't it? Life is about change...each moment there is change. For those with a strong spiritual foundation change is not something we fear. Your christmas celebration was beautiful. It looks like the hosts were abundantly blessed with material possessions....but what is most important, I think, are the blessings that are given to us in the spiritual...the blessings that can only be felt with the heart. The treasures that are not of earth... I pray you have a happy new year!! I always love reading your posts!!!
Dear Lidia,
I just wanted to take a moment to say thank you so much for your sweet comments and notes of encouragement recently. I appreciate your friendship and prayers so much. I also wanted to let you know that my program begins Monday. . just a few days away. I'll be in a hectic schedule with five classes this semester. the seniors told us to expect 4 - 5 hours of Homework a night. I've already looked at the syllabus for three of the classes and the load looks extremely heavy, almost impossible. So I look to the Lord for my strength. My help cometh from Him. Surely He has brought us this far in our journey and will continue to take us to wherever it is that He has planned for us. I'm learning that it's not about "arriving and being planted" (as I had previously thought) but rather a daily "arrival" to the place He has for me, and that is usually at the crossroads of unconditional surrender and my ideas (or dreams). Surrender...daily. And total reliance upon Him. FAITH is the word for each day this year in 2012 for me. and Grace. Oh for grace to trust Him more. OH...one more thing: He's helping me to post the rest of my music to You Tube, as I get a feeling that music will be set aside for a season (or two, or three.) So my prayer is for Him to use what is posted there to bless and refresh the souls of His children, while He is with me in "a dry and thirsty land, where no water is." (school) Psalm 63:1 I will miss blogging, but if ever He leads you to pray for us, please do so . . and send me a note if you ever feel led to, as I'm sure the Lord will use you to bring some much needed refreshment to my soul! I hope to keep in touch as often as possible.
May God bless you and your sweet family in this New Year.
Your sister in Christ,
Tammi
Dear Lidia, How amazing to have such a 'sacred moment' just being Lidia! Your family photos are so cheery and beautiful. A different season can be good .. especially when you can reflect and see the transition from one to another.
May God bless you in the new year.
xxx Cathy
Hi Lidia,
I pray you have a blessed New Year in the Lord. You and your family.
Blessings,
Ken
Sending you virtual hugs over the miles Lidia. These are just dear moments you have captured for a true celebration of the season. I felt a twinge of sadness seeing that beautiful "E" ornament though. May God continue to provide comfort to you dear Lidia. xoxo ~Lili
Stopping by to say "hi." Blessed, beautiful weekend to you.
peace~elaine
Hi Lidia. I passed along your very kind comments about Cindy's blog. She is aware that no one (including her) can access the comments section. This is another very aggravating problem caused by Blogger. Thank you so much for your comments and concern. God bless you!
Lidia...Lidj...awesome person. Had to stop by and give you a cyber hug. I've been busy...writing...but not too busy to forget one amazing lady. Tons of hugs to you.
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