Hello Everyone!

When I was a child, our church was a very small church, but it had the most beautiful stained glass windows.  I used to love to see the sun shining through them and would study how each piece was cut to make the perfect picture.  My favorites were of Jesus with a little lamb and Jesus praying at the Garden of Gethsemane.

During this Christmas Season, we see cards with pictures of churches with stained glass windows.  Many years ago, I knew someone whose job was creating stained glass windows for churches.  He’s since gone home to be with the Lord, yet even back then it was becoming a lost art.  Maybe that’s why we see new churches being built without the stained glass.

I have a few friends who make stained glass sun catchers and hanging pictures.  They tell me that the beauty of these creations comes with the price of cut and burned fingers.  They do this however, for the joy and love of creating something beautiful from broken pieces.

Jesus takes us – stained and broken as we are – and puts the pieces together to form a beautiful picture of Him.  For without becoming broken, surrendering ourselves, we really can’t know Him in that personal way.  Wasn’t He broken for us?  Striped, bruised and beaten beyond recognition?  What He did for us was to become torn so that we could become whole.  Yet not only whole, but to become – as a result of our being broken, we become even more beautiful than we were before.  A new “picture” formed with all the shattered pieces that come together to tell a story of His love. 

There’s another thing about stained glass.  Once the pieces are soldered together, it becomes much stronger than the one big solid piece of glass.  It’s not as easy to be shattered again, for it has the strength of the solder that holds it together.  Jesus is the solder that holds us together and gives us His strength.  In our weakness, He is strong.

This Christmas, as we celebrate His birth, let’s remember why He came.   He loves us so much that He was willing to be torn for us and give up His life so that we have forgiveness and the greatest gift of all – His gift of life eternal with Him.

Happy Birthday Jesus! 

May the love of Jesus be more real to you this Christmas than ever before.  Merry Christmas!

Blessings, Evelyn

Remember to check out my articles on www.innervoicemag.com   The titles are Listen to His Heartbeat, Do-Overs, God’s Love Notes, Just Whistle, End of Your Rope, and the latest, The Fragrance of Fall.  Just click on Our Voice and scroll down to the title.

Hello Everyone!

I first want to thank the Womens Ministry at Cornerstone Christian Church for doing such a great job and making the Christmas Tea such a wonderful event.  I was so blessed and honored to be speaking at Cornerstone Christian Church!   I enjoyed meeting and getting to know you!  It was the perfect way to start the Christmas season.  Thank you!

Our Christmas tree was always topped with a star that had multicolored lights that went on and off in sequence.  When my children were very young, we could never change the tree topper – the star was the one they wanted – to make the tree look “perfect”.   I always liked angels for the tree top, but somehow it just didn’t go over well with my family.

Lately, angels are very popular – not only for tree toppers, but in discussion, and they seem to be on everything from cards to ornaments.  Angels come in many forms.  In fact the Bible tells us to be kind to strangers, as they may be angels that we are unaware of. 

After the East Coast was hit with Irene, then only a little while later with an unusual snowstorm, there were some trees that had huge branches and even some that the tree tops were snapped off.  They were so big that I just couldn’t handle moving them an inch.  The smaller branches I managed to drag over to the woods next to my house – but not these.  The Lord protected my house and my well, for if they would have landed on them, it would have been an awful mess.  I am so grateful to the Lord that they didn’t hit anything.

However, I didn’t know how I was going to get rid of these trees.  They would definitely need to be chain-sawed to chop them into smaller pieces that were manageable.  So I prayed for an “angel with a chain saw” to do just that!

God answers prayers!  At first I thought that maybe the town would come – but they did not.  Yet, lo and behold, the “angel” did come.  It was my neighbor who has been very kind to help me out on several occasions.  Although he has his own property to take care of, he spent his time and energy helping me.

Have you ever thought of neighbors as “angels?”  They aren’t real angels as those in heaven, but these “earthly angels” show kindness and are always willing to help others.  It’s so comforting to know that when there’s a need, friends will fill it.

I have a few “angel” neighbors that always help me out.  There was the “angel” that helped with the snake – oh my!  The “angel” that helped me with the thermostat that broke.  My heat was pouring out and couldn’t be shut off.  There’s the “angel” that helped me load cases of books in my car.  I’m so thankful for my “angel” friends.  I pray that God will bless them double for all they’ve done for me.

I also have “angel’” friends who live a distance away that are willing to travel to help.  What a blessing all these “angels” are to me!

I want to have the opportunity to be a blessing in some way – either in word or deed – every day.  Especially during the Christmas season, there are so many in need. 

Have you been an “angel” lately to someone who has a need?  If so, they just may see the Lord shining in you!

Merry Christmas!

Blessings, Evelyn  

P.S. Please check out my articles on www.innervoicemag.com  by clicking on Our Voice and scrolling to the article.  My titles so far are: The Fragrance of Fall, Listen to His Heartbeat, God’s Love Notes, Do-Overs, Just Whistle, and End of Your Rope.