IMMANUEL,THE GIFT THAT KEEPS ON GIVING!

"The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son,

and they will call him Immanuel"--which means, "God with us."

Matthew 1:23 New International Version

It’s a magical time of year whether you reside in Suncity, South Africa; Tempee, Arizona; Vancouver, Canada or Buffalo, New York. It has not so much to do with the temperature, location, arid or blistering heat but everything to do with embarking upon another Holy Christmas season and freely receiving the ultimate gift of Jesus Christ, Immanuel. Truly it doesn’t get any better!

Oh come, Oh come Immanuel, we sang this song with such excitement. It seems at every turn there it was! Especially when Christmas caroling and then as a closing or an opening hymn during our Sunday worship services the message was clear it was about celebrating the birth of our Lord and Savior. And yes-proclaiming peace on earth and goodwill towards all! How we love baking our delectable cookies, trimming our trees and decorating our homes as we are singing happily Oh Come, Oh Come Immanuel!  Secular radio stations have even caught on and play it on R & B stations. It’s that miraculous, holy time of year and all can freely express that Immanuel means: “God with us!” Now that does give me a special reassuring comfort! What about you?

Our spirits can proclaim that God is with us in our unpredictable ups and downs; God is even there during the most perplexed life chapters! God is with us in our celebrations, as well as our silent seasons. Friends, believe that God is forever present!

He is my loving God and my fortress, my stronghold and my deliverer,

my shield, in whom I take refuge, who subdues peoples under me.

Psalm 144:2 NIV

One of the absolute best Christmas gifts given to you was what? Something that made your heart skip a beat, a piece of clothing you felt you couldn’t do without? That art piece which absolutely tugged at your heart? Possibly it was a handmade creation, a treasured trinket, a one of a kind toy, the tin can of heavenly baked goodies, or the phone call from a friend you longed to reconnect with or was it the gathering of loved ones reminiscing and their laughter filling the room?  I don’t know? But I recall the Kodak slogan: “The gift that keeps on giving.” That’s the gift I truly long for! The material (admittedly) and but certainly the supernatural! It’s a spiritual re-gifting of sorts that provides all my friends and family with an infilling of love, peace and joy when the sweater is too snug and the goodies have been gobbled up. I AM with you gift, why not receive a living water gift that we didn’t have to be stampeded over during Black Friday or risk experiencing our computers being hacked into on Cyber Monday because we choose not to shop at the mall!

Are you in search of the perfect treasure to share? Imagine it’s already in your presence, in your spirit, in your speech, in your essence! It’s a thanksgiving, a spiritual rumbling, the voice within that is ignited in prayer which connects us with a divine source, Emmanuel-in us! Oh my friends it’s easier than reaching for the light switch! It’s forever with us! God is listening and awaiting the attentive, the loving, the longing you! The you with the hungry parched spirit! He’s awaiting your surrendered heart & soul! And does He ever have a heartfelt conversation for you!

It’s your call! Come timidly or boldly! Reach out to Him in a whispered petition, an audible plea, or maybe in a silent moment-sacred devotional, a broken bow, or an exhilarating breath, an utterance of: “Lord I know you are with me!” Come with a declaration: “Lord I am weak, worn-out and tried-but you are strong! Help me, save me, guide me!”

It’s the soul awakening moment that acknowledges that our God is all the present we need to share-we need to receive! Think of God's love, His gift as a divine package that resembling ornate, stacked gift boxes containing a three in one blessing-the Father, Son (Jesus Christ) and Holy Ghost with instructions designed to propel, mend and sustain you! And the really good news is when we may not have an overflowing bank account or the energy to purchase gifts which will be long forgotten or appreciated, we can look to the hills from where our help comes from!

Let’s declare that Jesus Christ is the ultimate gift that can be had by all, no matter what’s in our Christmas Club Accounts! Be sure to include celebrating Jesus in your gift giving. Merry Christmas!

"The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son,

and they will call him Immanuel"--which means, "God with us."

Matthew 1:23 New International Version

Praise Him, Praise Him!

Linda Mose Meadows, Inspirational Author of:
The Blessedness of Believing, A Devotional Journey of Life’s Lesson’s and God’s Promises

http://blessednessofbelieving.blogspot.com/ 

http://blessedauthorlm.wordpress.com/

http://eyesoffaithmagazine.blogspot.com/

LET'S WALK IN THE LIGHT!

Marina photo by Linda Mose Meadows of St. Petersburg, Florida

A kaleidoscope is a cylinder with mirrors containing loose, colored objects such as beads or pebbles and bits of glass. As the viewer looks into one end, light entering the other creates a colorful pattern, due to the reflection off of the mirrors. Coined in 1817 by Scottish inventor Sir David Brewster,^[1] "kaleidoscope" is derived from the Ancient Greek καλός (kalos), "beautiful, beauty",^[2] εἶδος (eidos), "that which is seen: form, shape"^[3] and σκοπέω (skopeō), "to look to, to examine",^[4] hence "observer of beautiful forms." ^[5]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaleidoscope

Just days ago while visiting St. Petersburg, Florida I asked a dear friend Katherine if she enjoyed kaleidoscopes? I am sure it seemed like a quirky question to her but it was what popped into my mind. What prompted the question you wonder? My answer is that it must have been all that seemed to be happening in our midst, we were moving so quickly, but each occurrence left a memorable impression. It was one great blessed colorful layer upon another. The experiences were pronounced, vivid, colorful and lively. Here’s what I am referencing:

   

(i.e. Witnessing the uninhibited pelicans interfering with the fishermen’s space @ The Pier:    

Possibly it was our walking past the majestic Banyan Tree after leaving the Fine Arts Museum:

Or maybe it was the street banners hanging celebrating Carter G. Woodson.

Carter Godwin Woodson (December 19, 1875 – April 3, 1950)^[1] was an African-American historian, author, journalist and the founder of the Association for the Study of African American Life and History. Woodson was one of the first scholars to study African American history. A founder of Journal of Negro History (now titled The Journal of African-American History), Dr. Woodson has been cited as the father of black history.^[2]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carter_G._Woodson

 The sight of the Miss Florida contestants (having many nationalities)and the little princesses, several of which were noticeably dark complexioned, made my heart leap with joy because this is now the great norm. Thank God! During my youth this diverse tierra wearing assembly didn’t generally occur publicly. Surely it was a celebration for me because my loved ones always realized and said so that beauty comes in all shades and sizes.  It warms my heart that little girls of color can see living, beautiful examples all around them. We continually believe in a world of inclusion:

Or it must have been Katherine’s alterations and outstanding couture designs

which were being donned throughout the pageant:

Countless other kaleidoscope excursions come to mind! I bet you have your own also? 

Gosh, I haven’t owned a kaleidoscope since I was a little girl living in the “Fruit Belt” in Buffalo, New York. Mileka and I were life long friends and generally if she received a gift from her folks, so did I!  I distinctly recall my kaleidoscope being a red cardboard cylinder filled with rattling pieces and curiosity got the best of me!  I did as children often do and took it apart! You guessed it! With my juvenile ingenuity I could not reassemble what instantly had been demolished! My dissecting the kaleidoscope and pouring out the contents exposed the fragile contents and that was the end of that gift.

After pulling apart this handheld toy, there still remained a puzzle about how those few pieces of plastic and card board shapes could create such an array of attractive shapes and visions with each twist of the wrist. I had no appreciation of the collected: mirrors, the filtered light and reflections needed to complete this masterful creation. My reborn excitement has me in pursuit once again in my adult life of a kaleidoscope. There will be no need to examine it and obliterate its beauty.  It’s magical, almost mystical how threads, beads, shards of glass, colorful shapes are transformed into geometric masterpieces. Like our life experiences some of these moments cause us to gasp in amazement and marvel at the colorful personalities, experiences, sights and sounds which can delight and uplift our spirits. We are often twisted by life’s surprises, but thank God for His marvelous light.  

 My trip to St. Petersburg was really God’s way of framing a myriad of events that expressed the hallmark of his presence. The few aforementioned shared occurrences for me beautifully exemplify that His presence is inescapable! 

Yes my friends, the Spirit of our living God dwells among us and His being is all around us. Scriptures can come to life! There is so much to be thankful for! And I felt compelled to remind you that in our simple abundance if we simply examine the layers and activities of our days, then it’s not hard to acknowledge and see the evidence of our Lord and Savior. Come on and feel the rays- it's alright to stop and appreciate life's kaleidoscope!

Just take a look around! With new eyes-see, feel and marvel the warm rays of the true and transformative beautiful light!

I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living! Psalm 27:13 (ESV)

Joyful, Joyful,

Linda Mose Meadows, Inspirational Author of: The Blessedness of Believing A Devotional Journey of Life’s Lessons and God’s Promises and Co-publisher of Eyes of Faith Magazine
http://blessednessofbelieving.blogspot.com/
http://blessedauthorlm.wordpress.com/
http://eyesoffaithmagazine.blogspot.com/