Welcome

Why a blog from me, someone who has never been a writer, someone who has never been articulate or had a solid grasp of the grammar world. Because God told me to write. Several years ago a life storm invaded my family. God kept telling me to write it all down. I argued, but He would not let up. This went on every day for a couple of weeks until one day out of frustration, (I'd like to say it was out of obedience), I picked up a pen and paper and wrote for 7 hours straight! Do you think maybe I needed therapy and God knew it?

I've been writing ever since and have learned to love it! I started out sharing my stories with friends and family. I've now been published in a Nashville church paper, Our Daily Journey (a devotional site of RBC Ministries), PCCWeb Daily Devotional, Ruby for Women Ezine Magazine, and I am a contributor in the book Alabaster Jars, Life in Abundance Collection 2.

Why Ponderings? During this life storm, God led me to a pond in the woods behind my home. There He met me each time, teaching new lessons, reminding me of old ones, showing His presence and allowing me to feel His love through the surroundings of that pond. I found myself returning over and over to ponder, pray and praise. A healing of my heart took place and out of the experience came my first book, Ponderings From the Pond, then a second book, Ponderings From My Porch, and now a third book is in the works along with a memoir about my storm.

Why am I making myself so vulnerable? Because God has done so much that I cannot keep quiet. I have to share. Jesus's last words to his desciples were, "Go,tell." We are his disciples too and this is just one of my ways of telling.

I'm no scholar but I have heard God's voice in my spirit, experience His love daily, and have a desire for others to experience this also. I would love to share with all who visit and I would love to hear from you. If my sharing gets just one to ponder, to be quiet with the Father, to see and hear from Him or to be reminded of something from Him, then this is worth my vulnerability.

As you visit me, sometimes we will be at the pond, sometimes we will move to the front porch, and sometimes we will just be here, there, and yonder. Thank you for coming and please feel free to come back anytime, you are always welcome here.

May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.

Psalm 19:14

*****EXCITING NEWS*****

My first book, Ya Know What I'm Say'n, has been released.


Ponderings

Ponderings

Friday, December 9, 2011

It Came Upon the Midnight Clear

I find it unusual that the words of this often favorite Christmas Song, written in 1858 by Edmund Hamilton Sears, still hold true today.  I also find it interesting that the song does not mention anything about the birth of Christ...only an Angelic request for peace on earth.

Today, when so many people want to remove ‘Merry Christmas” from the Christmas season and replace it with “Happy Holidays”, a rather generic catch phrase, I find it troubling at the very least.  Christ is what Christmas is all about…not a non-descript generic holiday greeting that could refer to any holiday.

It seems to me that if the world would “lay in solemn stillness” they just might begin to hear the voice of God or at the very least begin to sense his presence.  The second verse of this song speaks of peaceful wings unfurled and the heavenly music floats all o’er the weary world.  It doesn’t take much to realize just how weary our world is today.  I’ve been weary about events in my own little world.  But, I’ve also experienced the peace the Angels sing about.  Oh what would the world be like if everyone heard the angels sing on high…Peace on Earth, goodwill to men!  Understanding that this request comes from heavens all gracious King, and delivered by his messengers, the angels, it seems to me that everyone would want to say “Merry Christmas” with a renewed spirit.

There is a stanza from this song that is usually omitted from most hymnals…but one that is so fitting for today’s weary world.

            Yet with the woes of sin and strife|The world hath suffered Long|
            Beneath the angel-strain have rolled|Two thousand years of wrong|
            And men, at war with man, hears not|The love song which they bring|
            Oh hush the noise, ye men of strife,|And hear the angels sing!

Christmas is a time of Peace…the words “Merry Christmas” speak about what all men should instinctively know but oh so often fail to see.  When the Angels speak of Peace on Earth…it is a Peace that surpasses all understanding.

One day all strife will end for all believers.  We will all hear the Angels sing…and I’ll bet we’ll join in praising our Father who sent his son on that first ‘Merry Christmas’…a son whose mission was to bring peace to all.  Until his return, lets continue to speak those two simple words...not just as words, but from our hearts about a Peace on Earth that is to come…and someday…everyone will hear the angels sing on another midnight clear.

3 comments:

Grace said...

Kris, The one who wrote this carol was a Unitarian minister. I found it interesting to hear on a recent news report that many of the Christmas songs we sing, such as "White Christmas" were written by Jews, whom most do not see Jesus as the Messiah, nor celebrate Christmas. I'm with you and agree 100%. And I've been caught humming "Joy to the World" in July ! :)

Unknown said...

This is beautiful, Kris! I can't wait until there truly is Peace on Earth.

pinks said...

"It doesn’t take much to realize just how weary our world is today."

This is so true. And then reading the last line of the hymn's lyric, "Oh hush the noise, ye men of strife,|And hear the angels sing!"

I get a picture of a man boxing a LIFE logo. It also reminds me how important it is to uplift each other and join in the "fight" till you have so much help that its not really a struggle at all, and even if it still is, you have love distracting you from how "bad you have it."

Very beautiful, again.

<3, Kendra