Christmas Eve

Friday, December 24, 2010 (6:57 a.m.)

2000 Court Ave. The Yellow House

Newport Beach, CA

Most Incredibly Good and Awesome God,

Here we are. It’s officially Christmas Eve. The stockings are hung. The tree is beautiful. Everyone is doing their level best to get along with one another. What else could we possibly need? Oh yes ~ YOU!

As beautiful as this has all been up ‘til now Dearest Lord, but for You it is all for naught.

Lord, how I thank You for the laughter that has decked these halls. Thank You for the little mishaps and ‘hiccups’ that have come along to remind me of the importance of looking to You for all our strength and hope.

Without the internet at my immediate disposal right now Dearest Lord, I am unable to sing all the words to the melody humming itself within me. ♫…All our hope is in You, Lord. All our strength [or is it ‘faith’?] is in You…♫ And once again I am distracted.

Focus, Woman! Mm. Woman. That IS what You are growing me into. No longer the fanciful girl of just a few short years ago, with idyllic visions of sugarplums still dancing in my head. No. A woman ~ YOUR woman “rooted and built up” in YOU, “strengthened in the faith” as I was taught and “overflowing with thankfulness” (Colossians 2:7).

Lord, I can’t possibly thank You enough for all You have done (and are continually doing) for us. And IN us! You are so incredibly good and we are genuinely, eternally grateful.

Thank You for Your loving gift of Your beloved Son (John 3:16). Teach us to be ever prudent in following Your well thought out and perfectly executed “Owner’s Manual” [Your Holy Word] for the care and use of such a prized gift as this.

With all the trimmings and trappings that could so easily sidetrack us this day, how I ask Lord that You would continue to point us right straight back to You every single time we begin to veer off the course YOU have set for us. Truly Lord, let our Christmas Eve hymn of all hymns be purely ♫We are one in His Spirit, We are one in His love…♫ Yes Lord. Let us TRULY be such so that others will absolutely ♫know we are Christians by our love, by our love. Yes [so] they will know we are Christians by our love♫ Thank You Lord. I love You SO much. VERY Merry Christmas Eve! Amen.

(424 words ~ 8:47 a.m.)