Allow me some time to reminisce that it is ten years ago that the Lord was making me “aware of the need to share” – and Facebook was and is a great sharing tool, but it had to blossom into blogs that I could write to order my thoughts and move onto my day. Writing is Journaling. Blogging is exploding. Faith is For Faith’s sake, wherever the Lord’s pulling you. 

I certainly did not know, 10 years ago, of our HolySpirit gearing up to EXPLODE in my mind, when the Lord would say “GO”! There’s lots of writing about His Wow, and of methodical teaching me scripture, and lots of processing in between. I knew 2000 writings ago that I was forced into faith sharing electronically to SAY 100% Jesus,  I believe in You now… (I’ve even written about that Feb 1, 2015)…

WELL, 10 years ago,  I was at my beloved Christmas family band dinner and concert. We had moved to the area 13 years prior (so 23 years now) moved away from family. It was tough and the church embraced us sweetly. The Christmas band concert was a jump start to my Christmas being the first Sunday of December. My first one, 2002, I sobbed crying in the back because my 1 yr old daughter was improving from a bout with RSV and my family was not going to drive home up north. Sobbed and sobbed but this Christmas dinner became my dinner of faith family. 

Fast forward… a blessing in the pain…

And DINNER? YUM! Ham, pineapple stuffing, and those little round potatoes from a can in butter and parsley. My kids love them, still buy the cans. (And thanks to the rice pudding angel too, yum…)

At dinner that evening I heard “Come to the Cradle” – “come and find peace” – the Michael Card song for perhaps the first time – this song and singing became my awakening montage – recorded – surely listening 1000 times that season as our worship leader, my now friend, sang it so sweet and in a calling way to really “come and find peace“… In HolySpirit fashion, our sound manager handed me a cd copy of the concert afterwards so I could make recordings for shut ins. Who knew my own faith was shut in TRAPPED in my ego, pride, busyness and ignorance. That was about to change. OH YEAH…

Ten years ago, I can ALSO see and feel the moment of our discussion (probably one of the first, as our contemporary worship leader was fairly new and I didn’t go to those praise band services after traditional service, especially since I was busy in Sunday school), talking about something faith related in the doorway to the dinner and our pastor beckoning him to come eat, but him holding up a “one moment” gesture as he sensed a faith conversation that was immediately important. It was weeks later that it was crucial for me to seek his input to my head explosive in a faith awakening I never saw coming. Real. Really real… GOD. No one else but God.

There’s 10 years of stories and WRITING especially those that first 2 months Dec 2014 – Feb 2015 (with writings that I retroactively posted into blogs after I realized God wouldn’t let me NOT write). So 10 years later, my broken record to some, that I am STILL celebrating the Lord’s victory of awakeningly “putting my head on straight”. Gratefully, my heart was already ready to receive my King… “Every heart prepare Him room.” is what I wrote on that Facebook post on Christmas band concert/dinner day. Yes, the Lord was “in the room” that day and started rearranging the furniture to make MUCH MUCH MORE room in mine!

Thank You Lord!

(Thanks for reading my ramblings)

Here is my Facebook page post, 10 years ago today,  and screenshots. The Nativity I placed on my lawn today is a welcome sight to my heart AND mind ready to behold – AMEN:

Dec 7, 2014

“When they say on airplanes: “put your oxygen mask on first before you help others with theirs”  – well this also pertains to me and Christmas – i energize and prepare myself for Christmas so that i can spread the joy the rest of the month.  An annual tradition at my church fills me with joy  –  the wonderful  Christmas Band Dinner and Concert – this means dinner with a church family who have embraced me and our family in the last 13 years we have been here. It includes not only the moving brass and woodwind ensemble but my favorite sing-a-longs…  it feels oh so good to sing the carols no matter how awful i sound!  

i have given up that notion of waiting until the end of the month for christmas – and I am allowing myself the whole month of December for Christmas – four whole weeks to share the love of the Christmas season – from teaching sunday school to seeing the lights to being part of the living nativity – eating pineapple stuffing to laughing while doing dishes – i am so blessed to have my church family! Every heart prepare Him room.”

Amen Amen 

Amen Amen Amen

A Blog before the Blogs… 10 Years of Writing in Faith