Advent Conspiracy

In the current economic climate, there are a lot of people who will struggle more than usual through this holiday season. I personally, have no money to contribute to gift giving of the standard variety this year. Rather than being discouraged, though, I’ve opened up my my box of creative possibilities to serve and give from my heart, rather than my pocketbook.

A few ideas that I have thought of immediately are:

*Clean out closets and donate to homeless and women’s shelter’s.
*Donate extra coats and blankets to homeless and women’s shelter’s or take a journey downtown and hand deliver them to whomever you’ve been lead to.
*I love to bake. The time and love poured into baking and cooking for others is a sure way to warm a heart, as well as the tum! And when has a homemade cookie ever NOT put a smile on your face?!
*I have several hidden gifts of the creative variety that I plan to utilize for blessing others. What do you do with your hands that could bless someone?
*It seems the hand written blessing has gone by the wayside with today’s modern technology. Tell someone how much they mean to you in your own words; your own handwriting.

These are just a few ideas that I have up my sleeve. Do you have any other ideas? Please comment and share your ideas so that we may all benefit and spread love and joy this Christmas Season with the gift of our TIME.

Thank You!

Thank you, dear brother and sister-in-law, for sending for the babe and I, Mom and Gramma, so that we could all spend Thanksgiving dinner together. Even though you just received a pay cut just before the holidays, you dug deep into your pockets for the best present we could ever receive: Time. We don't see each other very often now that you've moved away, but I will remember this forever. Thank you.

Thank you, employer, for keeping me through the holidays. In the current economic climate, it is a privilege and a blessing to have employment while I watch multitudes around me lose their jobs.

Thank you rain, all of it, for most of the year...because without it, Oregon would not be as lush and beautiful and green an amazing wonder to look at every single day of the year.

Thank you, technology, for allowing communication to happen quickly and easily no matter the distance that parts any of us.

Thank you, comfort food. Just because. :O)

Thank you, Blogger and other blog hosts for opening up a world of community that may not have ever been known without you. I now have friends from afar that I would not have known any other way. My world has been enriched.

Thank you, peace and quiet, when I am graced with it. It's where my batteries are recharged.

Thank you, church family, for loving me so unconditionally; for always knowing what I need, when I need it, and for helping when I'm afraid or stubborn or too prideful to ask.

Thank you, musically gifted individuals, for creating amazing sensation for the ears, mind, body and soul. Music moves me.

Thank you, friends, who I could not live without. My world is a better place because simply knowing you, makes me a better person. Thank you, for loving me.

Thank you sanity, for appearing when life would otherwise dictate insanity's presence.

Thank you, dear daughter, who fills me with so much joy, I almost can't stand it sometimes. I am blessed beyond measure!

Thank you, clients, for allowing me to capture your special moments and joy. Sharing a morsel of your world is priceless to me and I am enriched more than I could have ever imagined.

Thank you, childcare provider, for loving my daughter (and me) as one of your own, and taking such good care of her...you are the only ones I didn't feel I had to compromise my values for.

Thank you, America, for the freedom and abundance that we live in today. It's so easy to take it all for granted, but I appreciate the opportunity to be whatever it is I choose to be. Thank you for allowing us choices that so many do not know.

Thank you, washer and dryer, for getting all the dirt out, with relatively little effort on my part.

Thank you, Grace, for giving me the eyes to see that in a world that is broken, that there is hope and joy and peace in spite of it all; and we are all brothers and sisters, equal in our gifts and strife, together.

Thank you, Jesus, for saving me. I have been freed from a heavy cloud of burden and pain and released into the freedom that is hope, in You.

Thank you, God, for creating all things so beautifully and magically. I'm so blessed to reside in such wonder and amazement.

Daddies

I read a post here about a Daddy moving his daughters to college. Moving day/weekend (however long it took) was less than fluid, but I could feel even during the process and agonies of the move that his heart was wrapped so tightly around his daughters; that he would do anything for them. How proud they must be to have him. How proud he is of them.

I can only know what any of this feels like by imagining it and vicariously experiencing it through others. My Dad is present in my life, but he has never been PRESENT. I have no idea how he feels. He doesn't communicate it. He doesn't participate in my life. He's 'the dad', but he's not THE DAD. I see him when I go visit him and he comes to see me when I get married or have babies. So I've been married twice, one of which he attended and I've had one baby. So that sums up on one hand, two fingers, the number of times he's made an effort to see me. I don't think I don't matter to him. I think that I do. I just don't think he knows how to express it. He was never taught, and so he just lives what he knows. Which isn't really a lot about fathering, since the father that he knew growing up treated him very poorly and kept him at a distance.

It makes me very sad when the circles of life cause so much pain and love is buried. It happens so much in this world. I feel the pain everywhere. And my heart breaks daily to know that people just need LOVE! I thank the Lord every day since I have found Him, for showing me what Love is. I know that in the story of my life, my earthly Father might not have a blog or journal or anything that reflects what his children mean to him, but I know that my Heavenly Father does. He is with me always; crying with me, celebrating with me, dancing with me... And I feel the fullness of His adoration. And on the day that He brings me home, I will sit on his lap and we will share the storybook of life that we had together.

I used to want so badly to be acknowledged by my Dad and I became bitter and angry and frustrated because I just wanted him to make an effort. I wanted him to WANT to see me, to spend time with me just because; without needing a reason. But my expectations are based on my needs/wants/desires...and just because I need/want/desire them doesn't mean that someone has the ability to deliver. They, too are lacking in something. Somewhere along the way their needs/wants/desires were not met and a hole was formed in their heart. And so what I have learned by receiving the love of my Heavenly Father, in order to teach my Dad about love, because his Dad didn't teach him, is to love him...like Jesus loves me. The hole in his heart that has lost its ability to pour out love can be filled. The natural 'order' of things would indicate that its the parents 'responsibility' to teach their children love...but perhaps my parents had children so that their children can teach THEM about love. I don't always feel like making the effort because its human nature to not want to give when we haven't necessarily received to our expectations...but even when I don't feel like it, I'm blessed for having made the effort. And I hope that my Dad feels blessed for the token that I send to let him know how important and special he is in my life. Because he really is. And that's not based on what I receive from him. I'm just grateful to have a Dad.