Shocked! Horrified! OH NO!

Last night I was SHOCKED,  ..............HORRIFIED, ...................................... MAJORLY DISAPPOINTED and KICKED myself over and over again.   I had not read  directions and in my ASSUMPTION, I was very wrong and things will never be the same!  No one's fault but my own!   The directions are CLEARLY printed on the label....but I did not read them......and into the washer went  the purple dress that belonged to my mom, that my sister recently gave me to enjoy.

I wore this dress to Church last Sunday and even though it felt big, it felt wonderful to be wrapped in my mom's dress.   It was deep purple so a nice Interpreting color for me to wear.

I came home and put it in the laundry basket.

Yesterday I gathered all the darks and into the washer they went.  When I lifted the lid to put them into the dryer I was HORRIFIED at the sight of my mom's purple dress!  It now was much shorter and the shape was different.  

 

I took it out and in my emotions I pulled and tugged and hoped somehow the dress would magically forgive me and return to its shape.

 

Odd how I also thought:  "Forgive me mom, I know you taught me to read directions."

 

The reality was and remains:  my mom's dress, that I wore once, entrusted to me from my sister, is now a mess and unwearable.  My lack of reading the directions, will separate us forever.  Never again will I be wrapped in this particular dress of mom's.  There is sadness in that for me.

 

Just when I thought the worse of my SELF ANGER had subsided, I went to put away the clothes that had been washed with that dress and then dried.   YES, indeed you guessed it, some of my tops now have purple stains on them!   Not only did I ruin mom's dress, but I ruined some of my favorite tops!

 

 

Those stained tops are NOW in the washer, in hopes that once again magically the stains will release and give me back my tops!   But I may have to loose some tops as a result of my laziness to read!

 

My mom WELL taught me to learn something spiritual from each situation.  I thought of how people everyday ASSUME that they are saved, ASSUME that God would never allow them to go to Hell, ASSUME that their Church attendance will get them to Heaven, ASSUME because they are "better" than many people God will have mercy on their souls.   YET THE BIBLE is clear.   Jesus is the ONLY way to Heaven, thru faith in HIM and repentance of your sins. 

 

As awful as I feel about ruining my mom's dress (who is in Heaven therefore anything she wore or touched is earthly precious to me), and ruining a few other tops, it is nothing compared to the price many will pay for not reading THE BOOK.

 

As SHOCKED as I was when I lifted the tinier version of my mom's dress out of the washer is nothing compared to some people who will die and wake up to eternal punishment.  There is DANGER is assuming.

 

  READ the Bible and be SURE that when you die, you will wake up in Heaven.

BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION!

Our daughter's 38th birthday is tomorrow! 

My mind is already rewinding to that happy day.

   Seems like yesterday in many ways, and yet as I look in the mirror or look at her adult self, I am very aware that time has moved along. 

The last several years, I have sent my four children pictures of themselves on their birthdays, using email or facebook.    It is my simple way of reminding them of who they are.  Reminding them that they WERE loved, ARE loved and WILL ALWAYS be loved. Reminding them we are FAMILY!

As you can see in the picture our daughter was indeed born.

I have no problem with seeing "Jesus" as a baby over and over at Christmas time as we celebrate the day He was born.   We see  drawings, paintings, sculptures of baby Jesus on Christmas cards, in yards,  and a variety of places during the Christmas season. We hear the name of JESUS and  the Biblical account of His birth played musically over and over in stores while we shop, churches where we worship, and radio stations as we travel in our vehicles.  We are reminded LOUDLY, CLEARLY of WHY Jesus came.  Every year Christmas brings our minds back to the stable where Jesus began his walk among us, which led to the Cross, the tomb, and beyond. 

Remembering is GOOD for all of us.  It brings us back to the beginning and gives us a renewed view of the present, and reminds us of our eternal LIFE if we trust in Jesus.

Of course Jesus did not STAY a baby! 

 It would have been very sad if my daughter had been born, only to stay a baby.  So we cannot keep Jesus as an infant forever.  He GREW to become our Savior!

Some people get all 'out of joint' about the fact that  December 25 is not the actual day of his birth.  We do not know the ACTUAL day of His Birth, but we KNOW he was born!  

Once again, I do not have a problem with that.

For instance, I do not know the exact date of my salvation.  I know I was 4 1/2 years old when I questioned my mom, who explained the plan of salvation again to me and I believed!   Yet all these years I have not had a DATE to cling to for my salvation like so many people have.   In fact when I lead someone to the LORD, I make a fuss over writing that date in their Bible so they have record to SHOW of the day they made their life changing decision.   I know for sure that on a real day, I became a child of God.

 

So we do not know the exact DATE of the birth of our Lord,

but that does not mean he was not born. 

 

 I am thankful that a day was selected for us to celebrate. 

 I often had wished long ago I had just picked a date to celebrate my salvation, but I did not. 

 Now at 62, I  try  to celebrate everyday my relationship with Christ.

So of course as Christians, we should celebrate CHRIST everyday of our life, not only at Christmas.

We must not  leave Jesus in the manger...but  celebrate Jesus fully thru Easter,

 where we commemorate His Death and Resurrection! 

We need to celebrate who He is, why He came, and what He accomplished for us!

So as you see more and more pictures of  The Christ Child.....remember that is his earthly start....He grew up to pay for your sins and become your Savior.

 REJOICE!

 

 I celebrate my 38 year old daughter on her birthday as the adult she is.

I remember her birth fondly with pictures, for her birth (like all births) was a miracle.

 

I celebrate JESUS CHRIST, no longer a baby...but on the right hand of His Father making intercession for us.   He is my Savior and my LORD.

 

CELEBRATE!