Monthly Archives: December 2013

Blog Break

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I’m so excited!

My daughter is due to have her second child this week. I’m going out of state to be with her and her family. Because it’s so close to Christmas, she’ll need some extra help. My husband and I will spend the holidays with the newly expanded family.

I’ll be going back to help again after her husband returns to work from Family Leave. So I thought this would be a good time to take a blog break. Helping out with a newborn and an almost two year old will keep me pretty busy!

I will miss visiting you in your blog homes. And I’ll miss your visits too! So let’s make a date to see each other in about a month, ok?

Merry Christmas and a very blessed New Year to you and yours. May 2014 be “a year of favor from our God” for all of us.

I look forward to seeing you in the New Year!

God’s Blessings,

Ceil

Foster Father Joseph

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The earthly father of Jesus was a quiet Jewish carpenter.
Well, that’s the assumption anyway, because Joseph never utters a word in Scripture. Yet, he was a member of the Holy Family.




This image came from a Christmas card I received a few years ago. I loved the artwork so much that I laminated it. (And badly too. I’m sorry, it’s off-center. As my DIY friends know, I missed the art gene by a mile.)
This interpretation of Mary and Joseph really touched me. They are so full of joy while adoring their Savior Son together. But what really jumped out at me was the focus on the relationship between Jesus and his foster father.

At Christmastime, attention is given to Mary, the mother of Jesus, and that’s a good thing. But sometimes Joseph gets a little lost in the shuffle. He is often seen in the background of paintings, watching over his wife and son. But not in this image.

The delighted smile on the infants face glows and illuminates the whole room. And doesn’t it look like both Mary and Joseph are covered in the holy light? The faces of Jesus’ parents are turning a warm reddish glow, bathed in the glory of their son.

Jesus’ gaze is solely on his foster father. It almost looks like they’re sharing an inside joke, as an amused Mary looks on.

To me, this little snapshot represents the instant Joseph fell in love with his infant son. Yes, he loved this child before he was born, as all parents-to-be do. But what can prepare anyone for the first time you hold your child? The love that floods and spills over is filled with the power of the Holy Spirit. Here, not only is there the presence of God in parental love, but also in flesh and blood; the Christ Child. What a moving moment this must have been.

As a former foster parent, I can really relate to the wonder that Joseph must be feeling. This child, conceived by a miracle and born into poverty, is presented to him as his child. What a wondrous, baffling and miraculous event.

But for Joseph, all questions are buried under the avalanche created by the love between a father and a child. Any hesitation evaporates in the presence of Love Incarnate. All that matters now, is the small life entrusted to him, and the well-being of his wife.

Joseph stands here in the place of God the Father. It makes sense that he would be imbued with some of the attributes of the greatest Father of all.

And our heavenly Father is wisdom. As St. James says; “the wisdom that comes down from above is essentially something pure; it also makes for peace and is kindly and considerate.” (James 3:17)

In this scene, I see those qualities in Joseph. God insured that his Son was in the best hands on earth. The strong hands of his servant, Joseph.

Prayer Request:

Roxy, who blogs at Living From Glory to Glory , has asked for prayers for a one month old little girl named Kalea. She has a Vitamin K deficiency which has had very dire medical consequences.
You can use the link provided to her blog to read more about it.

Your prayers are so precious, and so needed. Please take a moment to ask the Lord for healing for Kalea.

Thank you.



Linking today with: Three Word Wednesday



Mirror Image

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What do you see when you look in the mirror?



When I look, I usually see flaws. Bags under my eyes, wrinkles…and why don’t I have longer eyelashes? Very rarely do I like what I see.

But the problem isn’t the mirror. It’s my mindset when I face my own reflection. I have a choice. I can choose to see a Beautiful Child of God, or a tired woman who wants what she wasn’t born with. One attitude will result in feelings of joy and worthiness. The other will result in feelings of sadness and unworthiness.

The attitude I choose will be a powerful indicator of just how far I’ll go in fulfilling God’s will.

The sky’s the limit for the Children of God, and they know it. Accepting the Father’s will is exciting, because he calls and he equips. His children don’t ask for all the answers. There is peace knowing that God will provide the way and the words.



Do not worry about how you will defend yourselves or what you will say, for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what you should say. Luke 12:12


Claiming my birthright as a Child of God, I am an overcomer and an achiever. It doesn’t matter what’s happened in the past. If I join with him, I can move mountains.
On the other hand, if I choose to regard myself as unattractive, unworthy and ‘less than’, I doom myself to a life of limits. It’s a very costly attitude. If negative feelings barge in and take over my soul, I’ll have to live with tight restrictions over what I can do. The longer I think this way, the more real the limits become.

“I won’t. I can’t do anything right anyway.” My negative self image becomes a tyrant, telling me to stay where I am. If I continue down this path, I’ll start to see myself as junk. But as we all know, God doesn’t make that.

Our Father wants his children to love themselves, and realize how beautiful and worthy they are. To him, we are pearls of great price, precious and loved beyond anything we can imagine. Sure, we have faults. But God loves us all right through them.

And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons…nothing in creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God… Romans 8:38-39

We can admit that we are weak, because he is strong. We can accept that we can’t do anything alone, because we’ll never have to be. These truths set us free, and we can be joyful in the Lord who can do all things.

Let’s promise the Lord that we’ll look in that mirror with eyes of faith. Let’s always see ourselves as the Children of God.

In him, we can do all things. Won ’t matter what mirror we use. We’ll always be beautiful.

And the sky will really be the limit.



I am sorry to say that I had to add ‘word verification’ back on the comments. I am getting a lot of spam. I hope that someday I can take it off again. I apologize for the inconvenience.

Christmas Music

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It’s now the end of the second week of Advent, and I am in full “Christmas Music” mode. I have quite a few Christmas CD’s that I now carry with me in the car. I just love to sing along to the tunes on my way here and there. Yes, I am one of those weirdo’s who you see singing away at the stoplight.

Fortunately for everyone, the windows are closed in the cold weather, so no one has to suffer.

I also have music loaded onto my desktop computer. Our Christmas tree is in the same room as the computer, so I can sit by the tree and listen to the quiet music of the season. I thought I’d share with you some of my favorites.




James Taylor could sing the phone book and I’d hang on every word. But I just love this Christmas collection. It came out almost ten years ago, but I never get tired of it. “Go Tell It On the Mountain” was my mother’s favorite Christmas song, and he sings it so beautifully. When we sing this song in church, it’s sung loud and raucously. Mr. Taylor sings it so quietly; it becomes very reflective.



Here’s another phone book singer I would love. Amy Grant has multiple Christmas CD’s, and I have several of them. I chose ‘Home For Christmas’ as a favorite because it includes the song “Breath of Heaven.” Have you ever heard that one?

The song was co-written by Amy Grant, and describes the feelings of a young Mary, now pregnant with the Son of God. Every time I hear it, I get a little teary. It’s a beautiful study on a young, confused new mother.

I love it too because of my daughter. She learned the sign language to this song as a part of a Christmas concert in college. When she came home for the holiday, she signed it while the choir sang at Midnight Mass that year. That image of her up in the sanctuary signing away to this touching song makes me tear up too.





Well, what recommendation would be complete without including Handel’s Messiah? I have several CD’s of this too; there seem to be a lot of orchestras who record the music. I really enjoy all of the songs, all based on Scripture describing the coming of Christ.
Of course, I love the Hallelujah Chorus. I sang it years ago with my high school choir. I can still remember some of the second soprano parts, so I’m known to break into song while decorating the tree. No windows in the middle of our family room though.

My husband is a saint.


Your turn. What are you listening to this time of year?

Faith, Hope and Charity

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If anyone doubts the power of desire, please suggest that they read the story of Zacchaeus in the Gospel of Luke.

Zacchaeus was a tax collector. Not just any tax collector, he was a Chief Tax Collector. Hired by the hated Romans to collect the hated taxes, he would often extort even more money from his fellow Jews to line his own pockets.

He was used by the Romans, and rejected by the Jews of Jericho. He wouldn’t be welcome in any house in the city.

Here comes Jesus, walking through the town. He has no plans to stop, he’s just passing through. Suddenly, he decides to stay. Why? Because Jesus knew this small-statured tax collector wanted to meet him.

Zacchaeus wanted to see him so badly, that he’d do anything to make that happen.

So the Chief Tax Collector of Jericho climbs a tree like a ten year old, trying to see the Miracle Worker. His desire has given birth to the faith that he will see the Messiah.

Jesus rewards this faith with a call. He tells Zacchaeus to come down from his lofty place in the trees. He also tells him that he is going to stay at his house.

In the face of this man’s desire and faith, Jesus is moved to change his plans. Isn’t that amazing? Just one person’s desire to know him compels him to stay. And not just in the town somewhere, but at his house.

What a comfort this is to anyone who wants a closer relationship to Christ. Zacchaus proves that having the desire and the faith to deepen a connection with the Lord, will result in Christ coming to you. Not only coming, but staying.

Our tax collector responds to Jesus’ invitation by coming down from the tree to face him. Can’t you just see the hope in his face? Knowing that everyone in the town rejects him, will the Famous Teacher really honor him by being his guest? His hope does not disappoint. Jesus is coming to his house.

Standing in the presence of the Lord, his faith and hope fulfilled, Zacchaeus explodes in a joyful burst of charity . “Behold, half of my possessions, Lord, I shall give to the poor, and if I have extorted anything from anyone, I shall repay it four times over.”

Wow. Now that’s transformation.

If Jesus can change his heart that miraculously, what will he do in you and me? Armed with our faith and hope, the love and grace of God will inspire us to do amazing works of charity. Powerful things. Four times more than we could ever imagine.

If we climb in faith, and answer the call in hope, we will be inspired to selfless charity. Just as Jesus encountered a Chief Tax Collector and radically changed his life, he will come to me and to you. Get ready for a big change.

We will never be the same.

The Winter Season

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Looking out over the local park meadow, all I see are naked, black barked tree trunks and limbs. They seem to be reaching up to the overcast winter sky.




This scene appears empty and sad. No green leaves of summer, no colors of autumn. All that’s left are memories of a growing and thriving life.
I choose to see it in a different way. I see it as a reflection of a soul that has cleaned out its attic. A soul that waits for God.

In the winter season I am stripped of my old ways. Remaining barren, with arms raised to the Lord, I wait for him to show me new ways to bud and grow. It’s an exciting time. I surrender old habits and tired attitudes. Soon he will tell me about effective and beautiful new ways to live.

I am in that suspended time between old and new. I’m not afraid. I’ve been there before.
Moving back to my parent’s house after graduating from college, I accepted a job at the local teaching hospital. I liked my job, and enjoyed reconnecting with family. It was a safe and fruitful time.

After about a year, I decided to move to Arizona with another nurse I knew. She had a friend in Tucson, and a line on a job.

I had Jack Squat. Talk about naked. I decided to go, knowing I’d have no friends, no family, no job. Totally stripped of my support system, I kissed my parents goodbye and went off across the country.

The buds of my new life started forming. I got a job at Tucson Medical Center. Housing was a bit trickier, but I finally found an apartment, and then a church community. It turned out to be a great move for me.

You know what the saddest sight is? It’s a tree with a leaf that refuses to fall.



That tree is holding on for dear life to the leaf, trying to hold off the winter season. Refusing to be barren.

If I had held on to the leaves of security, I would have missed out on that move. Instead of learning new things, and meeting new people, I’d still be grabbing on to that last leaf. I’d still be living my life at home.

I’m so glad I entered that silent, barren time.

And just to prove that God has that sense of humor you always hear about, I met a guy who was attending the University of Arizona. He was originally from a town about twenty minutes away from my childhood home. I never would have met him in our home state.

We got married two years later.

There’s so much hope for a soul that has made room for God in the winter season. The Lord will fill that soul with more than can be imagined. It’s the grace that makes the change; creating and sustaining a new life for the Lord.

In Tucson, my winter resulted a beautiful, new season.

May the Lord continue to bless my soul. With his silent help, my spiritual winter will also result in new life. A new season lived in closer unity with him.

Happy St. Nicholas Day!

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December 6 th is St. Nicholas Day, and when I was a child it was always a fun day.

On December 5 th , before going to bed, my brothers and sisters and I would all place one of our shoes outside the door to our bedroom. Well, it could be a shoe, a slipper, or even a boot. My brothers seemed to think if they put out a boot, they’d get more from St. Nicholas. That never worked, but it didn’t stop them from trying!

All of us were allowed to put a little note to St. Nick in our shoe. I never passed up the chance to let him know how much I loved him for coming to our house. I never passed up the chance to tell him what I wanted for Christmas either!

When we were asleep, St. Nicholas would come and collect our notes, and leave us treats in all the shoes (or boots as the case may be). Just little things; a few pieces of candy and maybe a small toy. We were always amazed that he was so quiet, no one ever woke up or saw him.

At the breakfast table, we’d all compare our treats and talk about whether anyone heard anything. Usually the youngest sibling was the one to swear he or she heard footsteps. I’m sure my parents had plenty of giggles listening to us.

I passed this tradition to my own family when I got married. My husband had never heard of it, so it was fun to explain it. When he asked how the tradition got started, and I had to admit that I didn’t know. So I did a little investigating.

St. Nicholas Day is a widely celebrated holiday in the Netherlands. All the children leave their shoes out overnight, hoping for a visit from St. Nicholas. Some will leave carrots and hay in their shoes for the saint’s horse, hoping he will exchange it for a little gift. The Dutch brought this tradition of “Sinter Klaas” to America in the 1700’s.

The Dutch children hope that St. Nicholas would reward them with a piece of fruit or some nuts. Hmmm. Makes me glad I live in the U.S.A.. I’d much prefer a Pez dispenser to walnuts! If you were a ‘bad child’ you might get a lump of coal in your shoe. (I left one for my husband once as a joke!)
St. Nicholas is the patron saint of children and sailors. He is also the patron saint of Russia and Greece. I wonder if the children of those countries leave their shoes for him?

Have you ever heard of this tradition, or participate in it at your house?


Graduation Give-Away and Sunshine Award

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I was so excited to see the package in my mailbox. My good blog-friend, Delvalina Tuanger, had a “Graduation Give-Away” on her blogsite, and I won!

I was so happy to be a part of Delvalina’s celebration. She graduated, I got a gift. But that’s just like her.

I don’t remember how we got connected through our blogs, but I’m so happy we were. Delvalina is from Solo, Jawa Tengah, Indonesia. So my purse came all the way from Indonesia, not an short trip!


Please visit her at: Falling In Love With Jesus . She is a very faithful blog-friend, and I know she would appreciate meeting you!

Thank you Delvalina, for taking the time and considerable effort and expense to send me such a beautiful gift. I love it! She also sent me such a sweet note. It’s like getting to know her in a whole new way. We all read each other’s words, but it sure is special to get a handwritten note!



A heartfelt thanks goes to Stephanie at The Enchanting Rose for her help in forwarding the package.



I would also like to thank Marcia at Menopausal Mother . She named me one of her recipients of the Sunshine Award.
Her posts always give me something to smile about. Her blog is an honest, funny and irreverent view of life for a woman of ‘a certain age.’ Although our blog content couldn’t be more different, we have become good blog-friends. She introduced me to Nutella, so I have a lot to thank her for! I hope you will go on over and visit her too.

As part of the award, I am supposed to share seven things about myself. So…here goes:

1) I have only had Nutella once. But wow, mention that product, and you are going to get a reaction!

2) I have two grandchildren, with one on the way. They are all girls.

3) I have big feet. I wear a size 9 ½ to 10 shoe. I don’t mind though. I was a competitive swimmer from my youth through college, so I was always told they were good ‘flippers.’

4) I do not like coconut.

5) Purple is my favorite color.

6) I can’t sleep on planes.

7) I am one of eight children. Four girls and four boys.


You all have been a ray of sunshine to me. If you would like to accept the Sunshine Award, just grab the image. Write a post about it, and be sure to list seven things about yourself, and attach the button. That’s it!




Pockets Full of Faith

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Confidence is a strength that everyone admires. I think true confidence comes from having faith in yourself. Well, not so much in yourself, but in the knowledge that God will fill you with what you need, when you need it.




Knowing that the Lord supplies, I shouldn’t be afraid. Ever.

God will supply all your needs, in Jesus Christ, as lavishly as only God can.

Philippians 4:19

Fear and weakness, which are the opposites of confidence, find a voice when faith evaporates. Weakness says: “You can’t do it,” and fear despairs, “God won’t help you either.”
Faith is essential if I want to live with confidence. Planted firmly in faith, I can be courageous, no matter what. Faith tells me that God is with me, and he will equip me. Without faith-roots, I’ll wither in the heat of adversity.

A long time ago, I was a young Mom sitting at the table paying bills. I realized that our bank account was very low. I think we had a couple hundred dollars. That was it.

Approaching my husband with tears in my eyes, I reported our sorry financial status. I clearly remember that my husband put his hands on my shoulders, looked me straight in the eye, and said: “We’re going to be fine.”
I had no idea how that was true, but just hearing him say it calmed me. That Christmas, we got a generous check from a family member, and you know…we were fine.

Through that short episode in our tiny kitchen that day, I witnessed the powerful connection between faith and confidence. My husband wasn’t fearless because he had pockets full of money. He had something much better than that. He had pockets full of faith. And that faith made him supremely confident.

He couldn’t see the fix for our financial problem any more than I could. But the difference between my attitude of worry, and his attitude of confidence, was faith.

St. Paul says that we will never be given any challenge without a way to resolve it. It’s right in the bible (1 Cor. 10:13), and Scripture is not just a collection of fun words and catchy phrases. It’s the truth. And that truth sets me free from worry.
Anytime I am faced with difficulty, the Lord will give me the means to overcome it. Whether it’s a financial problem, raising a difficult child or dealing with gossip at work, none of these things should defeat me.

If God is for us, who can be against us?

Romans 8:31

Rooted in faith, I will rise up in confidence. Yes, then I am able. With my roots sunk deeply in faith, there is no limit to what I can do in Christ. Because he is supplying the power.

I’ll stand armed with precious Confidence, surrounded by the love, protection, and grace of my Father.
I can do all things in Christ who strengthens me.

(Philippians 4:13)


All I’ll need are my pockets full of faith.

Linking today with: Soli Deo Gloria