Today's Bliss: A New Year

The last few days of 2012 are quickly coming and going and I realized today that I am glad. I know that I should never wish for time to pass, that I should be grateful for and savor every moment of the days that I am given, but 2012 has just been a little rough, and I am glad to turn to a new year ahead. December has specifically been a roller coaster ride, and as much as I love theme park thrill rides, I am very ready to get off of this one. There have been some highlights (see below), however, and I will work to focus on these during the last hours of the year.

Deep down, I am constantly reminding myself that my life is blissful even when I face some challenges and unexpected hurdles. I am very blessed, even with challenges, because every single thing that happens is in God's hands, even though I rarely understand the "why" of it. It's just hard to lift your head out of the murky waters when you feel immersed by them. I hope that in 2013 I am better able to breathe in more light and life and exhale negativity and fear. And I hope the same for you, too.

So, to tie up 2012 on a good note rather than dull one, here are a few blissful things that I will hold on to from this year:

• Just being married to sweet, caring, funny N and enjoying his company every day.
• Seeing the Grand Canyon for the first time and realizing how vast God is.
• Having cuddle time with my spoiled dog Scooter every day (as much of a mess as he is).
• Spending time at a lovely lake house thanks to N's Grandmother.
• Supporting friends when they have needed me to lend a helping hand and listening ear.
• Having healthy, happy family members.
• Seeing my one-and-only Neice graduate from high school and begin her fun college adventure.
• Standing by while a good friend said "I do."
• Worshiped and fellowshiped with supportive, caring friends at church.

My true loves

All the best bliss to you as you tie up 2012 and plunge headlong into 2013 in a few days!

Today's Bliss: Advent

I love the holidays. It is a time for rest, reflection, family, and celebration. I especially enjoy the weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas, when we are preparing for a festive, joyous time ahead. I like to buy people gifts and wrap them up, decorate our home, bake some yummy cookies, and feel warm and cozy readying my Christmas card list.

The most important thing during this time of the year is advent. The word "advent" brings to mind more spiritual preparation, a deeper time to celebrate Jesus, God's perfect gift to us. Where would we be without God? Where would we be without the sacrifice He made? Jesus is our only hope in this very crazy world we are living in.

Many people hustle and bustle rather than stop and pray during this season. Many people don't like this season at all, seeing it as sad rather than joyous. Many people equate Christmas with stress. And I have been guilty of all of this myself, of course, but I am trying harder and harder every year to keep my mind on the manger, my eyes on the cross, and my heart centered on Christ at Christmas. Feeling His presence every day is what keeps me going throughout the year, but especially now when we are getting set to remember His birth.

So, look around you, enjoy the bright lights, festive decor, and fun that the season brings. The fact that you can partake of this season and enjoy the blessings of Christ is pure bliss.

Christmas 2011 - Gaylord Opryland Hotel

Today's Bliss: Advice

My sweet dog Scooter had a very rough week. He has bulging discs in his back, causing him pain and difficulty walking. Early in the week I did not know what to do, where to go for help, or what veterinarian to go see. Luckily for me, I have good friends in different realms of my life who have a lot of experiences with dogs and medical issues concerning pets. I received a lot of advice and I really, really appreciated all of it. Scooter is doing much better now that he has some medicine and we know what is wrong with him!

Scooter as a bitty baby! March 2007

 

 

Scooter: in the hood. December 2008

Scooter hangin' at the lake. August 2012

The whole experience this week got me thinking: what would I do without people to help me out? To offer advice, help, encouragement, love, support, guidance, and grace? To tell me their thoughts and opinions? I would be lost. My family, friends, and co-workers are all such blessings to me. I am so grateful for their presence in my life.

God gives us people in our lives so that we can be in fellowship and help each other. I am so blessed to have all of the people who surround me! Look around in your life. Do you see people (whether few or many) who can offer support and love, who can give advice and direction? Listen to them. They will help your life be bliss.

Today's Bliss: Veterans Day

Today we stop to admire, remember, and thank people who have served our country and sacrificed for us. I cannot even imagine traveling overseas in this role...I can't imagine being married to someone in the role, either. The men and women who serve our country in the armed forces and their spouses and children are such a vital part of our country and I thank them for being brave and focused on helping the U.S.A. be strong and protected.

Today I have thought about freedom and what it really means. I am so blessed to live a blissful lifestyle, free to do as I please, worship as I please, love whom I please, go where I please, and live how I please. I am very grateful to people who are dedicated to ensuring that I can live this life.

Let's all pray for the many, many people around the world who do not have this freedom. People who would love just to be able to worship publicly. People who would like to choose who they would like to marry. People who need to hear about Jesus but the Word has been suppressed. Maybe with our support through prayer, they can also feel that they have a life of bliss.

Today's Bliss: Saints

Anyone who knows me knows that I am an emotional person. I cry tears of sadness, tears of joy, tears of exhaustion, and tears of elation. But I cry the most when someone passes from earthly life to eternal life. Even if I am not necessarily close to someone, I cry for their families. The loss of someone who supports, loves, and cares for others is always a great loss.

Death is a natural thing, a gateway to eternal life, something that happens to every single living thing, but I don't handle it well. I think that a lot of people don't.

The one thing that makes someone's death bearable for me is that I have strong faith and I know that someday I will see my loved ones again. And that people who leave me are joining in jubilation with their loved ones who passed on before them...

I am so thankful for all of the Saints that God has given me throughout my life. Today we recognized All Saints Day at church and we lit candles for those who we wanted to remember. I lit several...I could have lit the whole candle display full, because if I really think about it, I know that I have had hundreds of people go through my life who have left a mark. Some people are with me for an hour, others are with me for my lifetime, but all people leave an impression on me. That is why I weep so much when they leave to be with God.

And so now I pause to ask myself: Am I leaving a good, meaningful mark in the lives of people around me? Am I going to be viewed as a Saint? Are my loved ones looking down on me from Heaven, proud of my good works and strong faith?

I hope so. I hope that we all will live the faithful, joyous, grace-filled lives that we've been given in such a way that everyone around us knows that we are Disciples and Jesus Followers. Saints.

And the day that Christ welcomes us to greet the Saints who have passed before us? That will truly be bliss.

Today's Bliss: Halloween Fun!

N and I had a great weekend filled with Halloween festivities! We carved our pumpkin, went to a party, and gave out candy at our church's Trunk or Treat. Mixed in with the fun, we also completed a painting project, visited my parents, and cleaned the hose...a busy but good weekend. We are so very blessed by each other, by our families, and by our friends! Ours is a life of bliss.

Superman and Lois Lane at our friend's Halloween party!

2012 Pumpkin: a ghost pumpkin...pure white and smells like a honeydew melon.

 

Trunk or Treat...a baseball theme! GO SOUNDS!

Happy Halloween! :-) Hug someone tight and tell you that you'd be scared to live without them.

Today's Bliss: Childlike Faith

N and I have been excited all week...counting down the days...ready for our annual trip to the pumpkin patch! We enjoy Fall so much and love to visit the pumpkin patch, looking at all of the choices and selecting just the right decor for this festive time of year.

This year we visited the pumpkin patch at Forrest Hills UMC in southwest Nashville. We routinely shop at the farmer's market there on Saturday mornings throughout the summer, so it seemed fitting to purchase our pumpkins there this year also. All of the pumpkin patch proceeds benefit youth missions so we were glad to support that effort with our purchases.

And purchases we made! We found some great pumpkins and funny looking fall gourds for our dining room table, too. We are ready for the season!

Is this the perfect pumpkin?!

Here's our selection...a Ghost Pumpkin! N loves it!

We may be nearing 30 years of age and we may not have kids, but we love to do fun kid-like activities. It is good for us to share in these little excitements that we both enjoy.

This is how our faith is supposed to be, too. Looking at things with the excitement of a child is what God has called us to do:
And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them and said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 18:2-4 ESV)

God wants us to ask questions, thirst for more information, sit enraptured in His presence, listen to His words, and spread the message of his love. Until we can admit that we don't know it all and don't have the world figured out, we cannot truly accept God's will and love for us. We need to be open-minded and innocent, running to the Father with our needs, concerns, and questions. He is the all-knowing, peace-giving fountain that will fulfill our thirst and heal our hearts from the world's hurts.

Receiving the gifts he has for us and acting like the children we are supposed to be: that's bliss!