Celebrating LIFE!

• (from journal entry on my nephew's Caring Bridge site) http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/thomasmcgirr/journal

  Happy 11th Birthday!

  
  
  During the first week of February, 2012, our family celebrated BIG birthdays! Thomas turned 10 years old (January 31) and was cancer free! We decided on snow tubing in our beloved North Carolina Mountains. (other birthdays: Jennifer, 30; Allison, 21; Grandy, 80!) One requirement ~ everyone had to wear a crazy winter hat! This weekend overflowed with sustained laughter and pure joy as we all celebrated God-given life!
  We took some time on Saturday night at dinner to remember these lives, these many blessings from God. Even though Thomas actually suffered with some nausea and a headache which we believe mostly was related to the significant altitude changes, he joined in the festive mood of birthday hats, noise makers, and treasured stories. Our hearts were FULL! The day we went snow tubing Thomas was beyond thrilled. We all had a blast, run after run! The funny hats fit the mood, and certainly, our group of 10 made a statement.
  In the months that followed in 2012, Thomas became somewhat of an ambassador for God's healing touch! He went to Duke Children's Hospital, giving "Sasha" teddy bears to children struggling with brain cancer. Representing Hoke County's Relay For Life in NC, Thomas was the Grand Marshall, leading the parade of SURVIVORS; his friend, William, who shaved his head when Thomas lost his hair, walked beside him! In April, Duke's fundraiser for Brain Cancer, Angels Among Us, found Thomas and his team, The E-lemonade-Tors, participating in the 5K. That morning,Thomas, his dad, his school principal and a few teachers ran the 5K. Then, Thomas walked the Family Fun Walk that afternoon with the rest of us! That summer, the Lemonade Stand was back in business! The waves called too, and we spent great times at the beach ~ jumping waves ~ jumping with joy!
  On November 31, 2012, there was a huge party ~ One Year Cancer Clear! Nearly 100 people came to share in the celebration of God's healing of Thomas. Food and friendship, gifts and gratitude, prayers of thanksgiving and tears of joy overflowed into this home, just as as they had done when Thomas was diagnosed with brain cancer. That night stories of survival and healing were shared by the very people who prayed and wept and loved and so generously offered tokens of hope during an uncertain time.
  Today, January 31, 2013, is Thomas' 11th birthday. As is birthday tradition ( and he would have it no other way), tonight he will celebrate at Mi Casita for dinner and wear the Birthday Sombrero! While I won't be there, I can see him now wearing the huge sombrero, his sweet smiling face, content with simple tradition. When life gives us uncertainty and unexpected challenges, it is good to treasure the simplicity of what is sure. When Life Give You Lemons, Make Lemonade!
  Today, we celebrate Thomas, a beautiful soul that constantly touches other lives with gentle joy. At Angles Among Us, the participants were asked to choose 3 words that represented their journey with brain cancer. Thomas thought for a long time but decided on: Don't Look Back! There is no denying the times of pain and disappointment. And for me, reflecting back over difficult times can give great insight into life, can reveal God's ever-presence in life. However, make no mistake, Thomas has not forgotten his journey. He remains full of gratitude and continually acknowledges that his faith in God is how he stayed strong through it all. He has shared that with other brain cancer patients and next week he will be interviewed at Duke for their annual Radio-thon fund raiser for Duke's Children Miracle Network. Again, Thomas will have the opportunity to tell his God-story.
  In times of deep contemplation, Thomas struggles with why he was healed and many others were not. What purpose does life hold? What does God want me to do? No one can understand the mind of God or fully understand the whys of life. Linda told Thomas, "We don't know the answer to why God chose to heal you and not another. He does have a purpose for you, and in time you will come to know what that is. For now, you just have to live for Christ the best you can!"
  So, many MRI's later (the last 1/9/13) and with many more to go, we continue to cry out to God ~ sometimes with wordless joy, sometimes with soul-full praises, but always with simple faith. Now glory be to God who by His mighty power at work within us is able to do far more than we would ever dare to ask or even dream of - infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, or hopes.(Ephesians 3:20 TLB)
  
  To God Be the Glory! ~dho
  
  CLICK the link below for a video of Thomas, his journey with brain cancer and his joy in healing!
  http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=vcW9qCKLBRc
  

Live Generously!

Live out your God-created identity. Live generously and graciously toward others, the way God lives toward you. 

Matthew 5:48 The Message

The Message uses different words than other translations with most expressing verse 48: You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect. Peterson is likely trying to steer our minds away from a preconceived idea of "perfect". Often we associate being perfect as an impossible goal. In our mind God's perfection is less of a stumbling block, but because of our imperfect and frail humanity we fall short of perfect all the time. So what does Jesus mean when He says you and I "must be perfect"? 

Perfect refers to completeness, to a maturity in our character. When we trust Jesus, He defines us, gives us a new identity. The Holy Spirit dwells within us teaching us to become more like Jesus. And Jesus teaches us to live generously and graciously toward others, to love others in His name. Our natures are not so generous or gracious, and we find ourselves imperfect or incomplete without Jesus. Because God loves us with an everlasting love and offers us unmeasured grace, we are to live like Him. Without Jesus, we do not have the ability to live without malice or envy, prejudice or indifference, self-righteousness or injustice. With Jesus, each of us is created new, given a God-created identity. So, become complete with Jesus; love others completely, as God loves! ~ dho

Broken Hallelujah's

For everything, absolutely everything, above and below, visible and invisible, rank after rank of angels - everything got started in [Christ] and finds its purpose in Him. He was here before any of it came into existence and holds it all together right up to this moment.

Colossians 1:16-17 The Message

Listen to this beautiful song by Mandisa ~ Broken Hallelujah! Despite all that may seem broken, know that CHRIST is always near. To God be the Glory! ~dho

A NEW Year!

The peace of God is perfection of energy; it is a healthy vigor of the soul. Oswald Chambers

A NEW year is here! Christmas memories of 2012 along with decorations and last year's decisions are packed away. The Christmas tree has been repacked or recycled; the gifts received have merged into our routines. As a new year begins, the heart hopes that God's peace will be more than enough and desires God's love to become its deepest joy. Our prayers search for words to refresh the soul.

In the Union Prayer Book for Jewish Worship, I find these words:

Help us, O God, to banish from our hearts all vainglory, pride of worldly possessions, and self-sufficient leaning upon our own reason. Fill us with the spirit of meekness and the grace of modesty that we may grow in wisdom and in reverence. May we never forget that all we have and prize is but lent to us, a trust for which we must render account to Thee. O heavenly Father, put into our hearts the love and awe of Thee, that we may consecrated our lives to Thy service and glorify Thy name in the eyes of all men.

While energy is the capacity to do work, potential energy is energy that exists in a body as a result of its position or condition. Wisdom and grace fall gently from God reminding us of His generous provisions. His power and love exceed our capacity to understand. Letting God be the source of our energy is the only way we can truly prepare our hearts to know His peace and our hands to serve others. But how do we position ourselves to receive such awesome energy?

I will build an altar of the broken fragments of my heart, and will bow my spirit within me.My broken spirit - that is Thy sacrifice; let it be acceptable upon Thine altar. I will proclaim aloud Thy praise, I will declare all Thy wonders.Hymn of Unity, 12th Century

 As I have searched for words to refresh my soul for this new year, as I searched for His Word for the potential energy necessary to move my heart into position to do His work, these words from Psalm 51:12 The Message have become my new year's prayer: Put fresh wind in my sails! Will you ask Him too? ~dho

Words of Everlasting LOVE

Lord, in this Season of Light ~ May our HOPE reflect His Promise. May our PEACE reflect His Grace. May our JOY reflect His Love. May Everlasting LOVE be born in us again! Amen. ~dho 

O Holy night . . . He appeared and the soul felt its worth

Christ, Real LOVE

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13


Each year I read the Holy Scriptures that describe the promises of a Faithful God and consider the trusting heart of a young girl, a sign to announce the birth of the Messiah. Each year I ponder the glory that the angels proclaimed, contemplate the wonder of the shepherds, and reflect on the gifts of worship from the magi. Each year I listen to these ancient words that tell the story of Perfect Love.

With these familiar words, God weaves a beautiful tapestry with divine threads of faithful promises and a trusting heart, proclamations of angels and the wonder of shepherds, worshiping magi and Holy Love. He binds these together to reveal His Plan for us, the plans formed long ago. While the Scriptures reveal Perfect Love, we begin to experience Perfect Love and the fullness of God's Glory - at the cross. It is through Christ, the Living Hope, that we experience this most amazing grace!

And me? I know the ancient words but desire to experience the words. Now as then, God's wonders and promises continue, as do my traditional celebrations of Christmas, but unlike me, He is perfect faithfulness and never changes. Beyond the familiar readings and recitations, I experience Grace in a promised fulfilled. As the angels and shepherds did, I experience telling the Good News. Like the magi, I experience the joy of worshiping Christ the King! These ancient words become living words when I experience Christ, when I experience Real LOVE! ~dho

4th Sunday in Advent ~ Love

Lighting the candle of love ~

For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given, . . .
And He will be called Wonderful Counselor,
Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Isaiah 9:6-7

Traditions unfold every year at Christmas, like treasures unwrapped with great care. Each holds special significance and reminds the heart. Our traditions mark time as we revisit old pictures and retell the stories, as we carefully place cherished ornaments on this year's tree, as we bake the Christmas cookies once more. Traditions exist in the repetition of experiences but live in the moments of the heart.

In the moments when we know love, laughter, tears, change, joy or peace, time lives. In between, time passes. During this holy season, as you unwrap your traditions, reflect on the true moments of living, the grace-full gifts, the bountiful blessings God gives. This is the Lord's tradition ~ to bless those who are faithful to Him.

The greatest tradition of Christmas is celebrating the reason for remembering! May we once again unfold the Promise of Immanuel, God with us. May we know Perfect Love and Extravagant Grace ~ the generosity of His Gift ~ the holiness of His peace. Every time we unwrap this treasure and retell His story, time lives! May this tradition remind us of Christ ~ remind us that He is with us always ~ remind us that He lives! ~dho

Word of Everlasting JOY

Joy to the World

Joy to the world! the Lord is come!

Let earth receive her King;

Let every heart prepare Him room,

And heav'n and nature sing.

Joy to the earth! the Savior reigns!

Let men their songs employ,

While fields and floods, rocks, hills, and plains,

Repeat the sounding joy.

No more let sins and sorrows grow,

Nor thorns infest the ground;

He comes to make His blessings flow

Far as the curse is found.

He rules the world with truth and grace,

And makes the nations prove

The glories of His righteousness,

And wonders of His love.

Joy to the World is one of the most published Christmas hymns. Written in 1719 by Issac Watts, English hymn writer and theologian, the hymn was part of a series he wrote based on the Psalms. This particular hymn was written based on Psalm 98, its words glorifying Christ's triumphant return.

Although we often sing this hymn to celebrate Christ's birth, to rejoice like the angels, shepherds, and wise men, singing this hymn is in keeping with the complete spirit of Advent. For during Advent we celebrate the birth of  Christ and joyfully anticipate the return of Christ. When Christ returns to earth, there will be rejoicing! Only from, in, and through Christ can we know deep, abiding spiritual joy! This Christmas, rejoice and be glad and give Him glory, for to know Christ is to know everlasting joy! ~dho

Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude, like the roar of rushing waters and like loud peals of thunder, shouting: "Hallelujah! For our Lord God Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and be glad and give Him glory!" Revelation 19:6-7a NIV