REFLECT the Reason for the Season

Happy Merry Christmas in July!

 WHERE in the world has time gone? Here we sit, only 5 months away from Christmas Day.

I guess my first question is are we to send all those posts about not forgetting the reason for the season, but all the while continuing to paint and share SNOWMEN instead of REASON symbols? I don't  understand that at all...BUT don't get me wrong. As an Artist, I know we need to paint what sells, but we need to be VERY careful that we are following our own advice!

AND are we to remind everyone to be SURE NOT to say HAPPY HOLIDAYS, all the while sharing snippy posts about our political views that share ANYTHING but LOVE and what we PROFESS is what MERRY CHRISTMAS is all about...

And by all means, don't forget to complain about the Christmas items being out in the stores right now...HOW DARE anyone buy something Christmas BEFORE Thanksgiving!!  THE NERVE of those who dare to purchase items when they have the money throughout the year! We are SUPPOSED to STUFF our faces on Thanksgiving day, ACT as if it is a PAIN to gather with our friends and family, be SURE to share all that you have HAD to do for the gathering, watch our watches until the stores open and THEN, and ONLY THEN, we are to RUN and KNOCK people over for all those GREAT BARGAINS...Be SURE not to do this UNTIL after you have had your Thanksgiving meal and then it is A-OK...WHEW!!! 

 It makes me sad to see us being LESS than we tell people what we are...seems our words speak louder than our actions.

A friend wrote me and shared how confused she is by all those professing their faith yet acting otherwise. IT made me pause to reflect on my actions. I wonder often if I do any good in furthering the principles that Christ taught or am I simply a sounding GONG that is described in the LOVE CHAPTER.

 I  wanted to send a friend a message the other day to tell her how disappointed I was to see her consistently sending scriptures only to be followed by a hateful post bashing our President...THAT IS NOT HOW A CHRISTIAN SHOULD ACT...but I decided I need to make sure my own glass house was in order before throwing stones....I bowed my head in shame.

 

 I just had to delete a post that I shared in fun BECAUSE of those who had to TELL me HOW smart they are...I can ONLY hope ONE DAY to be HALF as smart as some people THINK they are...People sure do LOVE to ruin others JOY...Why is THAT?

We HAVE TO DO  BETTER...all of us...look at our country...We can send all the posts we want about getting prayer back in school, but THAT is not the problem  We have to get prayer back in our lives, in our homes and in our actions!!!  We have to STOP using the excuse that we are  ONLY human and start TRYING AND DOING BETTER!!  WE need to stop pointing at THEM and saying THEY need to stop taking away our rights and we need to open our Bibles and READ and understand and PRACTICE what we are taught...

YES...this is the SEASON and we have a REASON to spread love....compassion...mercy...forgiveness...Hope...we MUST become a reflection of the change we wish to see in the world...

You know, the birth of Christ PROBABLY happened at this time of year instead of Christmas...Did you see the planets align recently to create a BRIGHT STAR...many historians believe that this is what occurred on the night of the birth of Christ. The date of Christmas that we use to CELEBRATE was a Pagan holiday...hmmmmm....guess it won't be long until  Fanatics start to boycott Christmas because, like Halloween, it was a Pagan Holiday...I just don't know what to do but to shake my head...

We MUST stop calling people out in Public that we THINK have done us wrong...We are taught to go to a person in private...And by all means, do NOT pretend it is alright when you don't NAME the person...PEOPLE KNOW...ENOUGH of the DRAMA!!

We need to stop  using public forums to ATTACK those we THINK are wrong or who have stolen from us...We are taught to keep our enemies CLOSE and God will take care of the rest.

We MUST stop saying whatever we WANT to say because we are OLD and tried of holding our tongues...GOOD GRIEF, I PRAY I will never be that old person who just opens my mouth because we are TAUGHT to do EVERYTHING in LOVE...I STILL shudder when I think of 3 old people at our church who CRUSHED my spirit by telling me how FAT I was...I DO have a mirror and I KNOW I did it to myself...To this day, because of them, I make SURE to let someone whom I haven't seen in a while KNOW that I KNOW that I am FAT so they don't have to point it out to me...I just wish they could see how much my HEART has grown instead of just my body...sigh

I PRAY this will be the SEASON where we start to evaluate our lives and our actions.  I PRAY that JUST BECAUSE we WANT something and because the CONSTITUTION says it our RIGHT, that we will look at the PROOF that our young people are killing each other at an alarming rate and THAT is a PROBLEM...That people are killing people instead of talking and solving problems...That we have LAWS in place that MUST be enforced...That WORDS DO HURT and destroy.

I PRAY that we will CELEBRATE LIFE every single day, not just on appointed days...That we will give GIFTS to those in need...That we will spread Holiday CHEER instead of negativity...That we will ENCOURAGE instead of letting our petty jealousies attack those who are just doing the best they can, JUST LIKE YOU AND ME...

 I PRAY that we will learn Self-discipline and learn that JUST because we WANT it and have the RIGHT to have it, does in no way mean that it is is GOOD for us...EVERY single action has a consequence...Choose WISELY so that the consequences are POSITIVE!

 I PRAY, starting with ME, that we will each LIVE the CHANGE we want to see...that we will stop PREACHING (ooops...I already blew that with this post...heavy sigh) and allow our ACTIONS to reflect WHAT is truly important in life.

I want my HEART to be saddened by the things that sadden God and rejoice at WHAT HE says is good...Mother, I SO UNDERSTAND now what you kept telling me about NOT being OF this world...I GET IT!!!  I wish every little child could have a parent that TAUGHT them by example like you and Daddy did...not just words, but ACTIONS...I HOPE you are happy at who I am trying to become...

 YES...THERE is a REASON for this SEASON...LIVE your life as a REFLECTION of HIS LOVE...it is really so simple...why complicate things?  KNOW that WHEN you LOOK in the mirror, that YOU will see a REFLECTION of one that was CREATED in God's image and that He LOVES so much that He gave His ONLY SON so that we could CHOOSE to live FOREVER with HIM in eternity...You are NOT your past...You are FORGIVEN and LOVED if you but simply ask and receive...Blessings to YOU~charlotte