All I Want For Christmas Is. . .

(a repost but doing again this Christmas)

. . .one goat,

Two chickens. . .

five ducks. . .

and a couple of mosquito nets. . .

After being around the homeless, reading books such as Revolution in World Missions, Radical, and Kisses from Katie, materialism has taken a back seat for me. For over a year, closer to two, the Lord has been laying it on my heart to live more simply and do without anymore store bought things. I haven't shopped in a mall in a long, long time. When I do go into a store and see all the pretty trinkets that I used to ooh and ahh at, now almost give me a sick feeling. My mind goes to all the ones who don't even have enough food to eat and the thought of buying a trinket just doesn't feel right anymore.

I am not condeming those who do, please don't hear that! It's just that the Lord has layed this on MY heart and He has shifted my desires and so I feel this is how I need to and want to be now.  . .and it has been so freeing!

I received a catalog from World Vision

 

and was excited to think that this Christmas instead of gifts underneath the tree for me, I wanted the money that would be spent on me to be spent on a goat, two chickens and some mosquito netting.

The world's deadliest creature, the mosquito, kills nearly 800,000 people every year. While preventing this malaria infection in inexpensive by U.S. standards, it's out of reach for poor African families who must watch helplessly as their children suffer and die. One of the best ways to protect children from Malaria - bed nets - as well as critical education for prevention and control.

The ducks and chickens will produce hundreds of nutritious, protein-rich eggs to feed a family year round. And both eggs and ducklings can be sold for extra income.

Dairy goat milk provides great protein to help children grow. The family can sell surplus milk, cheese, and yogurt at the market to earn money for medicines and other necessities. Plus, fertilizer from goats can increase the amount of vegetables grown in a family garden.

To me, this sounds more beautiful than a pretty trinket or something for my home that would collect dust.

If you would like to consider giving in this way please go to the online website of World Vision at http://www.worldvisiongifts.org/ and see what you could give this Christmas season to a family in need.

Another wonderful place to go to shop is http://www.amazima.org/. . .you can buy beaded necklaces made by the Ugandan women and the money goes back to them so they can support their families. With this, you do end up with something pretty around your neck or can give to a loved one.

These kind of gifts change lives. . .these kind of gifts can save lives!

And if you would like to give a gift to the homeless, instant coffee or coffee bags would be a wonderful gift, maybe along with a coffee mug. Hot chocolate and cider bags would be great. Also a great gift would be warm, wool socks.

Please pray about what God would have you do this Christmas shopping season. Let's give a Merry Christmas to those who really need it. The cheer will come in the giving.

words from Katie from her book Kisses From Katie. . .

"Lord. . .help me to never be too busy or too comfortable to rememeber the people who suffer. Help me to never stop desiring to do something about it. Lord help us to remember that as the body of Christ, this is our responsibility. Thank you for loving us even when we forget."

May we never forget. . .

for our backyard neighbors and for precious ones like these. . .

It's priceless!

(For all who have donated to our Blanket Ministry and for the Bridge Christmas bags, I shout out a great big Thank You from the bottom of my heart!)

I'm In The Wrong Era!

I know good and well God does not make mistakes. BUT, if He did, it would be putting me in the wrong era. I was doing really well to use the computer. Then I got my own laptop. I've had to learn how to copy, paste, photoshop, and then came blogging and learning to link things. I thought I was doing pretty well. Then after a year of fighting it, I got onto Facebook. Yes, I caught on and I enjoy that. I was really happy in my little world and then I kept being asked if I twittered.  "No," I would say, and I don't want to tweet. I'm happy in my own little world of the laptop and Facebook.

But I've come to realize by wanting to be writer, I've got to step it up. SO, I got myself a Twitter account. I couldn't see for a long time how this was much different from Facebook. My mother would ask what the difference was between the two and I really couldn't answer her intelligently because I really didn't know. But all the experts say I need to Twitter, so I got Twitter. I seem to twit to a different audience, a much bigger audience than FB. Don't ask me why? You probably already know. You can explain it to me. But again, I was back to being happy in my little world of computer, Facebooking, and Twittering.  AND THEN,

A publisher I had contacted wanted to talk with me only on Skype. SAY WHAT! 

 

I do not Skype. I don't know how to Skype. I don't even have a camera on my computer.

 

 He told me it was simple to set up a Skype account and the camera was not needed, we could just do audio. I'm thinking then why can we not just talk on the telephone. I realized later, it would probably be a conference call with others on the other end of the line.

I googled Skype. Setting up the account was not as intimidating as I made it out to be. But then they wanted me to download and a box popped up saying this could harm my computer. My computer had just been healed of a horrible virus. I didn't want to go through that again so decided to wait for my husband to arrive home and let him do it. In the mean time I sent my son to Best Buy to buy a camera for the laptop. If I'm going to Skype, I might as well see the people too. After it's all installed, I will have to learn how to use it. Pray for me!

Oh, and then there is the smart phone. I don't have one. Do I really need it? I will probably find out one day that yes, I do. But for now, I am perfectly content to hold on to my dinosaur of a flip phone.

Did God leave me out of the wrong era? I used to think I belonged in the era of long, flowing dresses and button up shoes and carrying just the right parasol.

 But then I have a hot flash and think, No, no long dresses for me and the button up shoes would take too much effort to put on each day and the parasol thing would get old after awhile.  That era also had none of the wonderful items I enjoy today. Things like dishwashers, washer and dryers, toilets and paper to sit right beside them.

I guess each era has their own good and not so good. Each era, there are things to learn.  I guess one of the things the Lord wants from me is to use my noggin and start learning all the wonderful things out there that make this world move forward and that includes facebookin', twitterin', and skypin', all for His Glory, always for His Glory!

I figured out the first two. Surely I will figure out this third one and just hope nothing else comes to me before I master it. One thing at a time is my motto! There's a FB status.

 

 Better late than never.  You can tweet that ;)

 

 

The VERY Beginning of Christmas

Have you ever wondered like me, how it was in Heaven just before Christ left to come to Earth as a babe in the manger. Max Lucado obviously has too, for he wrote a book about it called Cosmic Christmas.  Here is what the inside cover says . . .

. . .do we know the whole story?  What about the hidden happenings that might have led up to the Savior's birth?  Was the arrival of Jesus a quietly profound event?  Or could it have been the result of heavenly battles, angel armies, and a scheming Satan?  Envision a confrontation in heaven between the King of creation and the rebellious Satan.  Threats.  Challenges.  A gauntlet laid on the floor of the sky.  And then the passage from heaven to earth.  "There was a war in heaven" the Bible states in Rev. 12:7.  Angels battling Satan's armies as they transport the essence of heaven itself.

The back cover reads. . .

The two stood facing each other, God robed in light, each thread glowing.  Satan canopied in evil, the very fabric of his robe seeming to crawl.  Satan rose slowly off his haunches. Like a wary wolf, he walked a wide circle toward the desk until he stood before the volume and read the word: Immanuel.

Immanuel?  He muttered to himself.  "God with us?"  The hooded head truned squarely toward the face of the Father.  "No. Not even you would do that.  Not even you would go so far.  The plan is bizarre!  You don't know how dark I've made the Earth.  It's putrid.  It's evil, It's. . .

"It is mine," proclaimed the King.  "And I will reclaim what is mine."

"Why?" Satan asked.  "Why would you do this?"

The Father's voice was deep and soft.  "Because I love them."

Wow!  This gives me goose bumps.  And you know what I think?  Anyone out there who is wondering if they are worthy, please just let me shout a great big "Yes!"  The angels and Satan battled in Heaven for you.  God let a part of himself leave the comfort of a holy home to come to this Earth for you and for me.  Why?  Because He loves us.  Yes, you are worthy.  You are special.  You are loved.  Let's live our lives showing Him that we think He is worthy, that He is special,  that He is loved by us.

As a new month begins, let's prepare our hearts by thanking Him, our Heavenly Father, for the battle that was won on our behalf, the battle that was fought before that very first Christmas tree went up, before there were wreaths on the doors and bells ringing from the churches.

Thank you Father for loving us so!

It is going to be a Merry Christmas

My Mother's Hands

After two years apart because of many miles, this past week I was able to hold my mother's hands. . .in greetings, in love, in honor.

These hands, frail from time and work, are precious to me and others.

These hands have prepared many delicious meals, baked mouth watering delicacies, sewn wonderful creations to give beauty, pressed dried flowers to send to her grown daughter miles away because she knows it makes the daughter smile.

These hands of hers have folded in prayer so many times. They have lifted in surrender to her Lord, they have folded on behalf of others, they have held on to dear ones and squeezed little children with love.

These hands have gone through much in life, much of not being easy, and yet these eighty-two year old hands live in grace, give grace, give thanks, and even wonderful backrubs that would make the toughest of tough purr.

These hands embrace God's Word, embrace her grown children, embrace the little ones who live next door, makes the little ones birthday cakes and decorates even though they are filled with pain because her giving to others is more important than the aches in the fingers.

This daughter knows when her momma folds her hands in reverence, the Lord hears and seven hundred miles plus down the road, the daughter knows, the daughter feels, the daughter is blessed.

After a week, I had to leave to go back to my home. My mother and I say good-bye the night before as I lay in bed with her. She held me, I held her. Then I quietly left the next morning as she slept. We say goodbye this way because we know we'll both cry and it's easier this way.

The next morning as I rode down the highway for the first 20 miles of hundreds in front of me, my stomach lurched as I shed tears as I thought about my mother and her hands. I knew how much I would miss her. Her hands are precious but even more so is her heart. I pray as the arthritis creeps into my own, I'll always remember the soft touch and love coming from my mother's hands no matter what and how it made me feel. May my own always reach out and touch as hers do and that the beating of the heart comes through as hers does. Mom, you are a shining example. May I follow well.

Honor her for all that her hands have done,
    and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.
Proverbs 31:31

The Story of Thanksgiving

I'm glad I'm not eating at their tables. . .no brussel sprouts for me or potato chips in my stuffing.

We received sad news last night. My husband's brother suddenly died and so we will be leaving for Oklahoma to be with family. I am happy I get to be with extended family for the holiday but we are sad that one will be missing. We rejoice in knowing that he is in his heavenly home though. Would you mind saying a prayer for the wife, Jenny and for their son and daughter, Michelle and Brian? Thank you my sweet friends!

I pray your table is full of tasty treats and your chairs are full of family and your hearts are full of gratitude. And I'm sure your bellies will be full so remember to wear elastic waistband pants. . .you'll be sorry if you don't ;)

from

 

the Bridgman Family