And the soul felt its worth.

It has become a Christmas tradition for my younger brother and I to attend the Christmas Eve Service at the Lutheran church in town.....and giggle through the entire service. Sometimes there's a good reason for our jolly laughter, and other times it just happens.

Last night's service was no different from any other. From the beginning to the end, we stifled our laughter, shook the pew, and elbowed the other in the ribs. (Yes, we are 20 and 23 years old). However, as the choir sang, "Oh Holy Night" I had a moment of serious reflection.

No matter where I am, each Christmas I am reminded what Christmas is truly about, as I am sure you are. It is not about presents. Or Santa Claus. Or cookies. Or Christmas movies and lights and decorations. This may offend you, and I apologize, but the essence of Christmas is not about family. It is not about church services. It is not about friendly gatherings. These are all great, and they are branches of the "Christmas tree", but let me remind you once again, the root of Christmas is about a gift of love, sent from a loving God to a suffering world. Sent from a loving God, to a suffering you and a suffering me.

Back to "Oh Holy Night". My favorite line has always been this one:

Long lay the world, in sin and error pining. 'Till he appeared and the soul felt its worth. A thrill of hope, the weary world rejoicing!

'Till he appeared and the soul felt its worth. This gift of love reminds us what we are worth. Our soul, the who in Who am I? Christmas is about God telling you personally, that you are worthy of the gift of Jesus Christ.

We mean so much to God, that he gave us his most beloved son (John 3:16) to live a life of 33 years experiencing our joys, our pains, our happy times, our sorrow, and most importantly to tell us that we are worth saving!

Which is why the branches of the Christmas tree are very important as well as the root. Does not your soul feel its worth when you are loved by your friends? Does not your soul feel its worth when you are surrounded by your neighbors at a church service? Does not your soul feel its worth when you have a family, no matter what kind of family, that accepts you and loves you for who you are? My soul felt its worth in the form of an elbow to my giggling ribs.

And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. (1 John 4:16)

God gave us an unmatchable gift of love that night in Bethlehem. We reflect that gift when we love each other. When we experience joy, peace, and the thrill of hope for the One who has come and the One who is to come. Merry Christmas, may your soul feel its worth.

I have learned the secret....

I was having a discussion this morning with my mother on the subject of contentment. I finally said to her, "you know Mom, people are content on vacation....until they eat at a bad restaurant."

My point was that even in the happiest of circumstances, we can find a way to never be happy. Ahhh, why do we do that?!?!?!! I think part of the problem, is that deep down we know there is something more. There is a perfect life we are meant for, we just haven't reached it yet.

And the other part, well, is simply a lack of belief. We don't believe things can be as good as they are so we find something wrong with our situation to make it easier to handle. Take it from me, Queen of Complaints.

From an outsider's point of view, I have lived an all-but charmed life. I grew up with both parents in the same house, I went to church, lived in a small town with friends who loved me, I went to college on scholarship so I don't have to live with massive amounts of debt, and then after that, I move to Hawaii--the place of my dreams. I lived on the beach, I had 2 great jobs, great friends, great church, the list goes on. Somehow, through all that, I still complained!

Once again, from the outside looking in, I have had it good. Real good. But if someone could get inside my head, they would think I've had it so horrible and the whole world should feel sorry for me. Ick.

A few months ago, God brought me back home to Northern Wisconsin. And I'm talking home home. In my parents' house, in my sister's room, covered now by about 8 feet of snow. For those of you who know me, this kind of life is not my gig. I don't like the cold. I don't like small towns. I don't like dressing in layers. I loathe winter weight gain. And frankly, as an adult, I don't like my parent's rules. But now this is my life.

Last night I had a serious wake up call. While the circumstances aforementioned are all true. There are more truths that I've failed to mention, becasue up until this point, I have failed to focus on. Here are a few: I live in a brand new house. I start work at 11:30, 5 miles away from my home. My little town blares Christmas music through the streets all December long. I have a family that loves me, and they make me laugh a lot. My best friend is in driving distance. I don't pay rent, or utilities, or for food. I have a really great dog. And, for the most part, I get to watch these little princesses (who happen to be my nieces) grow up. Sounds pretty good right?

My attitude has changed today. My circumstances have not. I've just shifted my focus. God never leaves us, which means no matter how bad in can get, and I know some of you reading this probably have it pretty bad, there is always something good to hang on to. Hope for eternity. The breath you just took. The fact that you own a computer to read this on. The roof over your head. The list goes on...

Life on earth is too beautiful and too short to let complaints ruin our days, let's take some advice from the Apostle Paul:

How I praise the Lord that you are concerned about me again. I know you have always been concerned for me, but you didn’t have the chance to help me. Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength. (Phil. 4:10-13)

A Prescription for Contentment:

Never allow yourself to complain about anything--not even the weather.

Never picture yourself in any other circumstances or someplace else.

Never compare your lot with another's.

Never allow yourself to wish this or that had been otherwise.

Never dwell on tomorrow--remember that [tomorrow] is God's, not ours.

He Can Heal the Hurt....

Grudge is one of those words that defines itself. Its very sound betrays its meaning.

Say it slowly: “Grr-uuuud-ge.”
It starts with a growl. “Grr …” Like a bear with bad breath coming out of hibernation or a mangy mongrel defending his bone in an alley. “Grrr …”

Remove a GR from the word grudge and replace it with SL and you have the junk that grudge bearers trudge through. Sludge. Black, thick, ankle-deep resentment that steals the bounce from the step. No joyful skips through the meadows. No healthy hikes up the mountain. Just day after day of walking into the storm, shoulders bent against the wind, and feet dragging through all the muck life has delivered.

Is this the way you are coping with your hurts? Are you allowing your hurts to turn into hates? If so, ask yourself: Is it working? Has your hatred done you any good? Has your resentment brought you any relief, any peace? Has it granted you any joy?

Let’s say you get even. Let’s say you get him back. Let’s say she gets what she deserves. Let’s say your fantasy of fury runs its ferocious course and you return all your pain with interest. Imagine yourself standing over the corpse of the one you have hated. Will you now be free?
The writer of the following letter thought she would be. She thought her revenge would bring release. But she learned otherwise.

I caught my husband making love to another woman. He swore it would never happen again. He begged me to forgive him, but I could not—would not. I was so bitter and so incapable of swallowing my pride that I could think of nothing but revenge. I was going to make him pay and pay dearly. I’d have my pound of flesh.I filed for divorce, even though my children begged me not to.Even after the divorce, my husband tried for two years to win me back. I refused to have anything to do with him. He had struck first; now I was striking back. All I wanted was to make him pay.Finally he gave up and married a lovely young widow with a couple of small children. He began rebuilding his life—without me.I see them occasionally, and he looks so happy. They all do. And here I am—a lonely, old, miserable woman who allowed her selfish pride and foolish stubbornness to ruin her life.

Unfaithfulness is wrong. Revenge is bad. But the worst part of all is that, without forgiveness, bitterness is all that is left.

The state of your heart dictates whether you harbor a grudge or give grace, seek self-pity or seek Christ, drink human misery or taste God’s mercy.

No wonder, then, the wise man begs, “Above all else, guard your heart.”
David’s prayer should be ours: “Create in me a pure heart, O God.”

-by Max Lucado

Do you remember everything you've ever done to hurt someone? Has anyone told you that you hurt them, and you had no idea? That most likely is the case for those who have hurt you. Maybe not all the time, but most of the time, the people who hurt you move on and eventually forget about their offense. However, you can hold on to that for years. Tell me then, who is the prisoner of this bitterness? Who is still feeling bad, and who is benefitting from your grudge?

I believe the reason Christ instructs us to forgive, over and over and over again is not primarily to release others from our anger. It is to free us. Jesus knew we would be hurt over and over and over again, just as he was. He doesn't like us to bear the chains of our bitterness. He wants us to forgive those hurts and break the chains.

Today, I challenge you to think of a person you have hurt. Pray that God will help them forgive you. Then, I ask you to pray for those who have hurt you, and ask God to release you from the pain and help you forgive them.

Coach-Chanel, Coach-Chanel....

these were the words I heard repeatedly in Chinatown, New York City. Now, I've never been a huge "purse girl" but I know many gals that are, and who doesn't love a cheap knock off--that looks like the real thing?

I thought the annoyance I felt was the worst of fake industry. However, I recently discovered that there's a dark story behind these fake purses that I feel our fashionable ladies need to know about.

An excerpt from the January, 2009 issue of Harper's Bazaar magazine:

Every time I give a talk on the luxury business today and I get to the subject of counterfeiting, the same thing happens. The room grows absolutely silent as I put forth the facts: It is estimated that up to 7 percent of our annual world trade--$600 billion worth--is counterfeited or pirated; that fakes are believed to be directly responsible for the loss of more than 750,000 American jobs; that everything from baby formula to medicine is counterfeited, with tragic results...

Counterfeiters work in human trafficking, child labor, and gang warfare...linked to truly sinister deeds as terrorism.

No one utters a word, not a sound, as I recall the raid I went on with Chinese police in a tenement in Guangzhou and what we discovered when we walked in: two dozed sad, tired, dirty children, ages 8 to 14, making fake Dunhill, Versace, and Hugo Boss handbags on old rusty sewing machines. It was like something out of Dickens, Oliver Twist, in the 21st century.

"I remember walking into an assembly plant in Thailand a couple of years ago and seeing six or seven little children, all under 10 years old, sitting on the floor assembling counterfeit leather handbags,' and investigator told me...'The ownders had broekn the children's legs and tied the lower leg to the thigh so the bones wouldn't mend. [They] did it because the children said they wanted to go outside and play."

Most consumers believe that buying fake goods is harmless, that it's a victimless crime. But it's not. It's not at all.

For more please check out http://fakesareneverinfashion.com/

I see a few themes here, I will point out two, but I'm sure you've seen more.

Greed: Isaiah 57:17 I was enraged by his sinful greed; I punished him, and hid my face in anger, yet he kept on in his willful ways.

Child abuse (this is how important they are to Jesus): Mark 10:14 When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.

I say...you want that designer bag? Thats ok. But if it's so important to you, don't support this industry. Pinch your pennies for awhile.

God's ways, not ours...

God’s Ways Are Right

“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they will not overflow you.”Isaiah 43:2-3 NASB

God knows what is best. No struggle will come your way apart from his purpose, presence, and permission. What encouragement this brings! You are never the victim of nature or the prey of fate. Chance is eliminated. You are more than a weather vane whipped about by the winds of fortune. Would God truly abandon you to the whims of drug-crazed thieves, greedy corporate raiders, or evil leaders? Perish the thought!
We live beneath the protective palm of a sovereign King who superintends every circumstance of our lives and delights in doing us good.
Nothing comes your way that has not first passed through the filter of his love.

-Max Lucado

Sometimes this is hard to grapple with. There are times when I want to ask God is his "filter" is malfunctioning. Like, really, why oh why did my car have to break down today? Or couldn't your filter have blocked my boss from screaming at me?? Seriously.

But no, God is in control. He must know that my strenght is greater than I think it is, because he allows me to go through life's workouts, to build spiritual, life muscles. The best part is, God is the personal trainer--he's running the 10 miles with me! God is working on my (and your) behalf. I once read an analogy of God working as an embroiderer. We see the ugly mess of string hanging around in a disorganized knot. However, flip the embroidery over when the process is complete and you have a beautiful design.

You are a beautiful design sister.

Do people really gain anything from their work? I saw the hard work God has given people to do.God has given them a desire to know the future. He does everything just right and on time, but people can never completely understand what he is doing. So I realize that the best thing for them is to be happy and enjoy themselves as long as they live.1God wants all people to eat and drink and be happy in their work, which are gifts from God.I know that everything God does will continue forever. People cannot add anything to what God has done, and they cannot take anything away from it. God does it this way to make people respect him. What happens now has happened in the past, and what will happen in the future has happened before. God makes the same things happen again and again. (Ecclesiastes 3:9-15)

This is not about me, so I won't do this often, but here's a pic. (with my sister and niece) so you can be assured you're not following the ramblings of a complete wack job:

Welcome to the new home of Heart*2*Heart ministries. It was time move away from myspace and give the blog its own room! Just for those of you new to this whole deal, I am going to reveiw what this page is all about, and I hope you come back for more! The things I post are most often not written by me, but sometimes I will get the creative bug and spill a lit bit of what God has put in my brain.

"I've always been a girl's girl. And I know from experience that making the very best of yourself is something any woman can do. . ." -Victoria Beckham

Thanks V. Becks....I'm a girl's girl too. Now, don't get me wrong, I love men just as much as the next boy-crazy chica, but I cherish my girl friends and girl time and girly things; they make me me.

Enough about me, I made this page for you! (the next bit I totally copied and pasted from my myspace page, so sorry my old friends, you'll have to read it again).

I created this page as a place to offer encouragement to girls and women who love Jesus or just want to know more about Him and his love for us! I will try to blog a few times a week, but sometimes life gets crazy, so bear with me!

This is BY NO MEANS a she-woman-boy-haters club. As I said before, I think most men are great, and I love all that God has made them to be. However, this site will be geared towards the ladies, and finding out together how and why God has made us beautiful, girly, strong, fragile, adventurous, crazy, gentle, hilarious, serious, loud, quiet,thoughtful, outspoken, emotional, and all the other things that make us beautiful "princesses" of the King of Kings.

I'm no Perez Hilton, this type of blog is new to me...so if you have any suggestions please let me know!

God's Peace.