O' Christmas Tree, O' Christmas Tree

My family and I decorated our Christmas tree over the weekend, and for once, my blood did not boil at any point in the decorating process. Notice – I said for once, which would lead you to believe that my blood HAS boiled while decorating the tree before. Every time the blood boiling occurs during the tree decorating, my mind drifts to those movies we all watch. You know, the ones that make us feel all warm and cozy inside as the characters put up and decorate their Christmas trees in such familial bliss that it brings tears to our eyes. We wonder why our experience can’t be the same. Before you start beating yourself and your family up, for your past Christmas experiences, let me remind you – those families aren’t REAL! They are characters with scripted lines and movements. All that was free, had nothing to do with today’s post, just threw it in there for your extra reading pleasure! ;)

Back to the Christmas Tree –

Aren’t they just pitiful looking when you pull them out of the box, all mashed and mangled? It takes some time to separate the branches, fluff them up, get them all in the right place, put the tree in the stand. OOOH, positioning the tree in the stand, reminds me of a certain blood boiling moment involving my mom, my brother, the Christmas tree, and some duct tape. I believe I’ll not reveal the rest of said story, lest I be excommunicated from my family!

You have to check the lights. Can I just say, God, please bless the person who invented pre-lit trees? Wonderful. Then, once it’s standing, and somewhat resembles the tree, the fun part begins. The garland is draped and swaged across the branches. The star is placed at the very tip top. The ornaments are hung with care, one by one, in just the right place. You work until you can step back and admire the beauty of the tree. As I look at mine now, the lights bring out the sparkle in some of the ornaments, their glitter shining at me across the room. The star at the top is brilliant with its light, and many of the ornaments have a story behind them. An ornament celebrating Our First Christmas Together, Baby’s First Christmas Booties for each of my daughters, an ornament from Disney World, ornaments the girls have made, ornaments special friends have given me, and there are some ornaments hanging on my tree for no other reason than their beauty.

I love to just sit and admire it.

We’re kind of like a Christmas tree. We aren’t in perfect shape when God drags us out of where we were, but He knows the time and effort He puts into us will be worth it if we will allow Him the opportunity. When given permission, He begins unfolding every branch one by one, positioning each to the place He has in mind, He places us on a firm foundation, His Word, so that we don’t topple. He lights us with His love, and once we plug into those little offerings of His love, that star He places atop us is brilliant, shining to people from a distance. As we shine, He begins to decorate us, draping us with the garland of His blood and the righteousness it purchased. We sparkle with the glitter of His touch. He hangs each ornament, many of which have a story from our life to adorn us. Some of those stories weren’t easy to endure, but what came from them just wouldn’t be right on any other tree, it fits perfectly where He hangs it. He can make something beautiful to adorn you from even those things you consider bad. Yes, He hangs some as simple gifts to you and some He hangs for no reason other than the beauty of watching you with it.

And He loves to sit and admire you.

Not just at Christmas, every day.

I hope you know how much He loves you.

I will rejoice greatly in the LORD,
My soul will exult in my God;
For He has clothed me with garments of salvation,
He has wrapped me with a robe of righteousness,
As a bridegroom decks himself with a garland,
And as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
Isaiah 61:10




Royal Princess Daughter Of The King

Testify Tuesday

I have been just about to burst waiting for this Testify Tuesday. I have a story to tell you that blessed my socks off! After you read my story, you might say what happened was mere coincidence, but I don’t believe in coincidences, I believe in Godincedences.

A couple of weeks ago, Todd, Brenna, and I went to eat lunch after church. We strolled into Burger King and sauntered toward to the counter as we looked at the menu. As he pondered what he wanted, I stepped a little behind Todd, as I normally do, and quietly told him what to order for Brenna, and then what to order for me. Mind you, there was no one behind me in line, and there is no way the person behind the counter could have heard what I told him because at this point the clerk was not even paying attention to us.

Here is what I told Todd:

“I want the dollar cheeseburger.
Mustard and pickles only.
And a Coke.
I sure would like a Frozen Coke, but it won’t wash my food down very well, so I guess just get me a Coke.”

You see, I was hinting to my husband in that wifely way we do, that I really wanted a Coke to drink and a Frozen Coke for a treat after we ate. I didn’t want to come out and ask for it, because you know how we girls are, if I tooold him, it wouldn’t have been as specialllllll. How many times have we fallen for that little romantic trap?!? Not too many years ago such an idea would have been sure to cause quite the fight when he didn’t pick up on my little “hint”, but I knew he probably wouldn’t order the Frozen Coke, so I didn’t have my heart set on it.

As he paid, Brenna and I filled our drinks, got the ketchup, etc. We all took our seats at the table with our little order number proudly displayed for the nice lady who would bring our tray. Only a few minutes past before she approached us with tray in hand, we passed out the food and all three began to open our wrappers and my husband says in quite a surprised tone, “What’s that?” as he noticed an extra glass on our tray.

I kinda snickered as I lifted the lid from the glass to find none other than, you guessed it,
A FROZEN COKE!

I asked Todd if he ordered it for me and he assured me that he did not, wishing he could have gotten the brownie points. In my sassy little Royal Princess Daughter of the King voice, I said, “Well, I guess my OTHER Husband did!” as I giggled.

“Yeah, I guess SOMEBODY heard you!” Todd muttered, “I wish you would have asked for our meal to be paid for or for me a milkshake!”

It was a DELIGHTFUL Frozen Coke!

It’s the little things that remind me of how much my Heavely Father, my Heavenly Bridegroom loves me. He knows me better than I know myself!


Now – that’s one of the places I have seen Him recently, what’s been happening in your world with the Almighty?

Let’s Testify to His goodness on this Tuesday.




Royal Princess Daughter Of The King

A Monday Challenge

Mondays. We all dread ‘em, try to figure out ways around them, few of us actually look forward to them. The Monday after Thanksgiving is probably dreaded more than most others after we’ve had a few days to taste freedom to do as we choose. Freedom to do things we enjoy. We spend time with family, some shop, some put up the Christmas tree, some watch football, we women spend a bit of time in the kitchen.  No matter what we spend the days doing, we enjoy the long break from the regular routine.

But – the Monday after always comes… I can hear it now - as the alarm went off this morning. If you are anything like me, a less than cheerful grunted UGGH! accompanied your jerk back to reality, a jerk that took a mere second to ruin the bliss of sleepland. My mind and my body scream “NOOOO! Not yet!” as I return from slumber.

In my job, the Monday following Thanksgiving is one of the days we dread the most, it is a crazy day, but this year I want to look at it differently. A couple of weeks ago I heard a statement regarding “Mondays” on KLOVE, that was a little different than the “typical”. You could say it gave me a fresh perspective.

Mondays aren’t ALL bad…
Mondays are a chance to do something with what we learned on Sunday.

Hmmm….

Every Monday is a chance to use what God has spoken to me in His house on Sunday.

Adds a little anticipation in place of the dread and makes Monday a little more exciting doesn’t it? It’s a challenge to us to put feet to our faith and flesh out what went into our hearts and minds as we worshipped.

What did you learn on Sunday that you want to “do something with” on this Monday?

Here’s what I learned that I want to use today:

My pastor spoke from Psalms 34 on Sunday and verse 1 says “I will bless the Lord at all times; His  praise shall continually be in my mouth.” This verse spoke to me in light of the impending “Monday” and all that comes with it. If His praise is continually in my mouth, there will be no room for the things in my mouth that don’t bring Him glory. Gossip, complaining, whining, sarcasm, griping, groaning, and discussing with coworkers how terrible the day is going to be can’t fit in my mouth if His praise is continually there.

Monday’s looking better already! Our life as believers is about more than church on Sunday morning. God’s desire is for us to take Him and His message Beyond Sunday Morning into real life.

What did you learn on Sunday that you want to do something with today? Share it with us, you just might challenge the rest of us to live out something new too.




Royal Princess Daughter Of The King