Nae’s Heart

So this morning James and I got on the road at 6:10 am… I didn’t sleep very well last night and started out the morning feeling slightly sick.  As we drove it I started feeling progressively worse.  Around 7:30 am we stopped and got gas, coffee, and breakfast.  I thought maybe if I eat something I will feel a little better, but it didn’t help.  At our next stop I got some water and was feeling about the same.  I did okay just having pretty bad stomach pain but nothing more… well about 10 minutes from Mom and Dad’s the pain hit me and I lost it… on the freeway.  Thankfully we had a bag without holes in it and kleenex.  James got off the freeway and used side streets to get to mom and dad’s.  I am doing okay still having stomach pain every now and then, but alive.  I think the stomach pain is being caused by an allergic reaction due to cross-contamination.  We went to CPK last night for dinner and they do make a shrimp pizza… I am allergic to shrimp so if anything shrimp touched my pizza I could get sick.  If I ingest straight shrimp I will have a really bad reaction with hives and asthma and have to use my epipen.  Thankfully this is not the case.

So right now I am resting on the couch and James is playing Wii Mario Carts with Ruth and Daniel.  We are looking forward to a great week!

Well… Christmas is upon us, only 2 days away! James and I have finished our Christmas shopping and are enjoying our vacation. We attended Christmas parties last week and also the Boat Parade in Newport Beach. I have had a great time and am looking forward to spending Christmas with James and enjoying Christmas dinner with my parents and brother. I have sweets all over my house, the advantages of being a teacher’s wife. On the 28th we are heading up to San Francisco to spend New Year’s with James’ family. We will also be spending a day in the city with some friends who are coming up to visit. It is going to be a lot of fun. I have been playing Christmas music non-stop and enjoying all the sights and sounds of Christmas. I hope you all have a Merry Christmas. To see pictures of the Boat Parade please click here

This is my second favorite Christmas video… Hope you enjoy!

Okay so I absolutely love this version of 12 Days of Christmas… It is by Straight No Chaser and it makes me smile every time I hear it so I thought I would share it with you!

In the Young Marrieds class on Sunday Mornings, Pastor Matt  has been teaching on the Beatitudes.  It has been a huge blessing and has opened my eyes to many areas in which I am growing. This post is from this past Sunday’s lesson. It is about Peacemakers and it was exactly what I needed this week. This is just the notes from the fill-in paper that we had, but I hope it blesses you as much as it blessed me.

Matthew 5:1-9 And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain: and when he was set, his disciples came unto him:  And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying,

This ACCEPTANCE by God began by realizing the extent of my sinfulness – by seeing that I am poor in spirit. (5:3)

Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

MOURNING over my own personal sin. (5:4)

Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.

Creating within me a MEEK character toward others as fellow sinners. (5:5)

Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.

Developing a hunger for righteousness. (5:6)

Blessed arethey which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.

Which prepares me to see the OFFENSE others have committed against me, causing me to REMEMBER the offenses I have committed and thereby forgive.

I then see the misery of others and I begin to reach out with the mercy that CHrist gave me first and now SUPPLIES through me to others. (5:7)

Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.

The Beatitudes

When God prohibited the Israelites from mixing with the nations of Canaan, He not only desired to preserve true worshippers, but He also desired to protect His children from the evil religious practices of these nations.

Why would all these cultures do this?

Deep in the heart of every human is the RECOGNITION that the heart is evil.

For it pleased the Father that in him should all fullness dwell; And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven. Colossians 1:19-20

Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Romans 5:1

Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.

Because of this truth, there is a domino effect set into motion if this *PEACE has been truly been experienced in your life.

*Salvation

Another way of defining the word “reconcile” is PEACEMAKER.

Christ reconciles man to God and then gives man the ministry of reaching out to others in peacemaking.

Jesus said “peacemakers are sons of God”

That is exactly what occurs within us, the seed of God is implanted within us and we become what it DICTATES.*

*The seeds of the apple are what dictate what it becomes so the seeds planted in us are what we become

We all face at least three common relational scenarios.

Self Others World

How can we practice peacemaking within each area?

SELF – What must the peacemaker’s attitude toward himself be?

It must be free from self— surrendered to    God and humble.

OTHERS – What must the peacemaker’s attitude toward others be?

We must be merciful— we must feel compassion for the condition of the other person.

WORLD – What must the peacemaker’s attitude toward the world be?

It must be concerned about God’s purposes for the world; it must be committed to the ministry of peacemaking.

Jesus calls this ministry a ministry of “peaceMAKING” not “peaceLOVING”

because we are not just lovers of peace but makers of it…

The ministry of peacemaking is a ministry that requires MOVEMENT, activity, INTENTION and work.

Christ reconciles man to God and then gives man the ministry of PASSIVE and ACTIVE peacemaking.

1. Passive Peacemaking

Passive peacemaking has a purpose of maintaining peace where it is DIFFICULT TO IDENTIFY.

It is :

Holding OUR WORDS

Not RETALIATING

Overlooking an intentional or unintentional OFFENSE

Not repeating damaging STATEMENTS

Not GOSSIPING

Not being ARGUMENTATIVE

2. Active Peacemaking

Active peacemaking are efforts to make peace once peace has been BROKEN.

It is:

Speaking the truth in love by SHARING the Gospel

Taking positive initiative when there has been a breach— practicing FRIENDLINESS

APOLOGIZING

Seeking SOLUTIONS to conflict

MEDIATING—acting as a third party in resolving conflict

Fostering COMMUNICATION

Promoting UNDERSTANDING

Bringing a PROBLEM out in the open and resolving it

Not AVOIDING conflict but CONFRONTING it gently and appropriately

Diffusing TENSION

One last thought . . .

How do you typically respond when given the opportunity to practice the ministry of reconciliation?

My toes were really stepped on throughout this message… I hope it is a blessing to you!

-You drive 20 minutes and pass through five cities.

-You’ve ever been snowboarding, skateboarding, and water skiing… all in the same day.

-You can’t spell your governor’s name, but you think he’s cool because he can beat up every other governor in the country.

-You’re out-of-state on vacation and your heart flutters at the words “Double-Double.”

-You’re ashamed that “California Pizza” means pizza with bok choy, pike eel, portabella mushrooms, and asparagus.

-Your relatives from out-of-state think you see celebrities walking around everywhere

-You expect a high speed chase to interrupt your favorite TV shows at least twice a week.

-You use your whole paycheck to pay for gas.

-You’re planning a vacation and you have four airports to choose from.

-It’s January and you’re considering going to the beach.

-The winter clothes come out when it hits 65 degrees.

-You have ever said, “do you speak english?”

-You see the Police doing “California Stops”

-It sprinkles and the top news is “Storm Watch 2009″ (this was originally written in 2004 but I made it current)

-You commute 35 miles to work and it takes you 2 hours and you drive a minimum of 3 freeways.

-You wonder who’s bright idea it was to call it “rush hour”

-You’re white and think you deserve “minority rights”

-Your neighbors to the left go to Vegas for the weekend, your neighbors to the right go up to the mountains, and the guy across the street with all the tattoos… well, you don’t really want to know, you’re just glad he is gone.

(Special thanks to my parents who inspired Jay to put this in the Youth Light)

I am telling the truth… I absolutely love Christmas.  It is my favorite time of the year.  I love the reason we celebrate Christmas and all of the meaning behind this season.  I love Christmas music, the decorations, spending time with family, the secrecy of presents, and rejoicing in the birth of Christ.  It makes me sick to see people so caught up in all the festivities that they for get about the real reason of the season.  I am all about giving presents but I think that if you don’t honor Christ and make Christmas all about gifts then you have missed out on a blessing.

This will be mine and James’ 2nd Christmas as a married couple.  It will however be our first Christmas at home, just the 2 of us.  We will be joining my parents for Christmas dinner.  I am looking forward to the many traditions that we will establish this year.  We just finished decorating on Monday night and I am very excited about it.  We got a 4′ fake tree and it is sitting on our table.  I love our tree.  I would love to have a real one, but I am allergic. To see pictures of our decorated apartment click here I am so thankful for this season and what it represents.

This week has been a very busy Christmas week.  Today I did narration for a k-4/k-5 Christmas program and tonight is the 1st-6th grade Christmas program.  I am not a part of this but since James is I am in a way.  I will be here and be helping out.  I am not upset about this… Remember I like Christmas… it is the kids I can’t handle. jk  On Friday night there is a High School Drama production… yep you guessed it, it is Christmas also!

I hope you are all enjoying your holiday season.  Only 2 1/2 weeks of school before Christmas vacation… then we get 2 weeks off to enjoy all the festivities!  Just don’t forget that Jesus is the one who gave us Christmas… Without Him we would have nothing to celebrate!