WAITING EXPECTANTLY

Today is the first Sunday in ADVENT. Last Sunday was Christ the King Sunday and the end of the Christian calendar. Advent marks the New Year in the church as we expectantly wait for Christ to come to earth as a baby.

Is this a season of HOPE for you? Are you EXPECTING to hear from God in a new way through familiar stories, songs, scripture? ARE you WAITING for the miraculous? Are all your senses AWAKE and ready to recieve your newborn KING?

Or are you STRESSED by all the preparations? Can I find a parking place less than a mile from the mall? I have no idea what to buy for (fill in the blank), they are SO hard to please. I'll never be able to shop, wrap, cook, host, travel, attend ALL the church events ( you name it). I JUST WANT CHRISTMAS TO BE OVER!!!

If you saw yourself in the last paragraph take heart (and a deep breath). Good News is coming. Hope is just up ahead. Listen to Isaiah 61:1-3

The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the LORD has annointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in ZION - to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor.

In Luke 4: 16-21 the scroll of Isaiah was handed to Jesus in the synagogue. He stood up and read: The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.

Then Jesus said "Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing".

JESUS is the good news that is coming. JESUS is the hope just up ahead. Wait expectantly to see what God has to say to you in this advent season. Then it will be easy to say " I can't wait for Christmas".

TO GOD BE THE GLORY

Many of you know that on 11/20/08 at 5:00am I was bitten on the middle finger of my left hand while I was trying to separate two of Brittany's dogs who were fighting. The physicians I saw at the ER had me sign surgical consents for amputation of a portion of my finger because they honestly thought my wound would not heal. The factors working in my favor according to the doctors were 1. I had feeling in the flap of my finger that had been injured and 2. I am not a smoker which meant I have good circulation.

Today when I saw the plastic surgeon all the news was GOOD. My finger will not need any surgical intervention. Dr. Vasconez wants to see me next week to check my progress BUT I WILL BE ABLE TO KEEP ALL OF MY FINGER. I believe this news is a result of the greatest factor working in my favor and that is your prayers on my behalf.

Family and friends have constantly gone before God with prayers for my complete healing. Science may give more credibility to the first 2 factors listed in this post but we live by faith, not sight and I know without a doubt that God answered the prayers lifted up on my behalf.

One other thing I have learned over the last year is that our prayers can be VERY specific. God wants us to ask for what we need. My friend Sheryl did not ask for God to heal me partially so I would only need a small portion of my finger amputated; instead she asked that God heal the edges of my skin, restoring blood supply and restore my finger completely. Many years earlier Sheryl's mother prayed VERY specifically for a man to marry after Sheryl's father died. God brought the perfect person into their lives. WE are God's children . Let's ask Him for what we need specifically and then let's give Him all the glory.

Your love, care, support, and most of all your prayers mean more to me than you will ever know.
TO GOD BE THE GLORY.

TWENTY NINE YEARS

Ernie and I got married 11/17/79 at 7:30pm ( good luck if the hands of the clock are going up we were told) at Fourth Avenue United Methodist Church in Louisville.

I am going to steal NC Kim's idea and tell you about our first date. Ernie's sister Patsy worked as a secretary at Winburn Jr. High which was one of the five schools assigned to me as a school nurse. Patsy really liked me and I am assuming she loved her brother because she thought it would be a great idea if we met. Driving away from the school that day I thought that something special might be in store for me.

As I mentioned, Patsy really liked me so when Ernie called I told him not to believe EVERYTHING that Patsy had said about me, thinking she might have gone overboard. Ernie response was "You mean you are not independently wealthy?". What a great response I thought. He has a sense of humor.

Our first date was 6/24/79 and we went out to eat at Darryl's, a restaurant that is no longer in business. When Ernie picked me up at my apartment I remember he was wearing a necklace (manly of course, an eagle I think) and a polyester shirt. Right in style. I previously had long term dating experiences with several guys but right away I knew Ernie was different ( and I am not talking about his necklace). He talked about marriage and commitment in general terms that very first night.

I had only been to the horse races one time in my entire life even though I grew up in the Derby City. Ernie took me to 6 different race tracks in our short dating life! We got engaged on 7/12/79. That is 19 days from the day we met!!! More incredible is we only saw each other 8 of those 19 days. I guess that constitutes a whirlwind courtship.

My parents did not meet Ernie until we were already engaged but they loved him too.

Ernie and I have had lots of adventures and experiences in our first 29 years together. The love of our families and friends, our faith in God, and our sense of humor has made our lives together rich and rewarding. Thank you to all who have been a part of our journey. We love you. ( I guess I am speaking for Ernie when I say that but it is ok; He is used to me speaking for him HAHA)

HOW IS YOUR HEARING?

As part of my job in our clinic I check patients' hearing. Sensory hearing is pretty easy to assess. You either pass the screening or fail it. If you fail the screening you need further evaluation by a specialist.

But today I want to talk about a different kind of hearing. I call it heart hearing and it is hearing from GOD. Just as a hearing aid can amplify sounds that our ears hear, spending time in God's Word, in prayer, and in fellowship with other Christians can amplify sounds that our hearts hear.

On Tuesday I paraphrased part of Psalm 3 when writing about my friend Sheryl's procedure. Yesterday while I was working on my homework in Beth Moore's study of David entitled "A Heart Like His", Beth wrote about David who had" run from his throne practically hopeless" walking up the Mt. of Olives . She writes "....somewhere on top of that mountain, David got down on his knees and prayed. See his prayer for yourself. God had him write it down. It's Psalm 3."

I HEARD FROM GOD.

Today as I was driving to work, I turned off the radio and was praying aloud. I ended my prayer with these wonderful words of Charles Wesley "Amazing love! How can it be that thou my God shouldst die for me?"
I turned the radio back on and the first sound I heard was the Newsboys singing "Amazing love how can it be that thou my King should die for me?"

I HEARD FROM GOD.

God has never stopped speaking. I just have a better hearing aid these days.