Is that all there is?

I hope your Christmas was wonderful.  I hope you were with family and friends.  I hope you enjoyed the blessing and joy you "planned" and that you also had time to contemplate the Birth of Jesus and what that means to your life.

I woke up this morning praying for family, friends and all my wonderful readers.  I imagined what you may be thinking today.  Did you stop to look out the window and say a quick "thank you" prayer for all your many blessings?  Did you stare into space with a broken heart because a loved one isn't there? 

Some of you may have opened your eyes this morning and refused to turn the lights on as you once again prayed a desperate prayer and wondered why God seems so silent.  I am praying for all my new friends who are experiencing abuse in their homes and asked God to grant them at least one day of "peace". 

As I sipped my coffee, I smiled thinking about new mothers and their busy schedules as they try to keep up with family demands.  It's amazing to watch young mothers deal with two sets of parents each wanting to share Christmas dinner and a crying newborn who refuses to give up his structured life for a day of new activities.  I giggled thinking of our friend who called to say that his daughter had just given birth to twins.  His laughter and joy took me back to the birth of my own twins followed by the birth of our youngest, Ken. 

I thought of too many dear wonderful friends who have lost a spouse and their children can't be with them.  They stare out the window as a parade of past Christmas memories tug at their heart and they wonder how to make it through another lonely holiday.

But what about the New Year?  What will tomorrow and all of 2011 be like for you?  Will you wake each morning with a feeling of complete satisfaction?  Will you think of all you've done and feel as though your heart may burst with the joy of it all?  Or....will you recall past memories while guilt wraps around your neck like a huge python determined to squeeze the life out of every molecule of your body.

Is it possible that at some point you may contemplate....is that all there is? 

I remember back in the 60's hearing a song by Peggy Lee.  I thought then that it was probably the saddest and most depressing song I had ever heard.  Yet....it was extremely popular and unfortunately many people identified with it.  I'm afraid that with our busy often disjointed lives and the constant problems America now faces....many people can identify with it now.  The song, "Is that all there is?" takes God completely out of the story.  The problem for many Christians even today is that while we believe in God - we still have moments when we wonder... is that all there is?  

The chorus goes like this

Is that all there is, is that all there is?  If that's all there is my friends, then let's keep dancing. 
Let's break out the booze and have a ball,  If that's all there is.
Peggy Lee - Is that all there is?

Please allow me to encourage you that this life, this moment, this season, this time is not all there is.....there is more!...MUCH MORE. 


Janet Paschal sings a beautiful song on her CD "This is Janet".  The song It's not about here explains that while we may become trapped by all the "stuff" of this world - when it comes down to it - for Christians it's never about here, it's always about Heaven and our home over there.  God has promised a wonderful home for us there where justice will rule and all the wrongs will be made right.

We do live in this world and we should do all we can to have a great life while we are here.  Hang on to the moments, kiss your family and hug your friends.  Develop the talents that God has given you.  Become all that God had in mind for you to be.  BUT....keep your eye on the real prize - the real reason Jesus came to earth.  We have a heavenly home and all the love we enjoy here will be magnified over there!  What a fantastic promise! 

I hope you find a way to make this year the best you have ever had.

God loves you!

Debbie

Thanks for all your prayers!

I think God must look at people like me with a "tsk, tsk, tsk" every so often.  I'm always concerned about doing the right thing.  I spend a lot of time researching my opinions, my work ethics and my daily routines - just to be sure that I'm on task and doing what God would have me do. 

Then there's a little hic-cup followed by a medium hic-up followed by a large gasp and an explosion.  There I stand in the middle of a rubble of hopes and dreams and wonder what in the world happened.  All my plans, all my research, all my hopes and dreams are merely a pile of broken pieces surrounded by a lot of dust.  I quickly look around and wonder if others have noticed.  "I'll bet she thinks I messed up."  "Maybe he wonders why I'm not finished with this project or that one."  "Oh my, please dear God....please don't let her feel like I've let her down!"

I fret and worry and wish that I could somehow be perfect - but alas!  Failed again.

I love writing on my blogs.  I love my readers and want to help them.  But this week, I've felt like the little hic-cup of last week's surgery blossomed into an explosion of events that couldn't be helped and yet prevented me from writing. 

Have you every felt pushed along by circumstances?  Have you ever wondered what your friends thought of you?  Have you ever felt like you failed and yet you know you did the very best you could?

If you answered yes to those questions then you are just like everyone on the planet.  Even the most productive, resourceful and sanctified Christian has had at least one week or one month of stressful "I'm not preforming at my best" days.

And if you answered no to those questions - then you probably aren't human.  You must be an angel only visiting and using the computer because it would be something novel to do.  (Which means you probably don't need my writing anyway.)

The best news of all is that God understands.  He expects us to "be" the best person we can be.  He wants us to "strive" to do all that he has called us to do.  But....I know that he is also compassionate.  He can read our hearts.  He knows when we are goofin' off and he is also aware of those special times when the circumstances were just out of our control.  He knows the truth about our lives and he loves us anyway.  Ahhhh....isn't that reassuring?

My surgery went fine.  It took a lot more out of me than I thought it would and therefore my busy schedule was interrupted much longer than I had hoped.  But....I do appreciate all the prayers and thoughts and I hope that I'm now on the mend! 

I love you all and I hope you are having a wonderful Christmas Season.

God loves you,

Debbie

FYI

Just in case everyone is wondering what's going on with Debbie and her sites.....I have been preparing for surgery.  I will have what I hope will be minor surgery tomorrow morning. 

Please say a prayer for me.  Hopefully I will be able to return to daily postings beginning Tuesday.  I have so much material to send your way! 

God bless you and I hope you are having a wonderful Christmas season!

Debbie