Wake up my Heart!

Scripture of the Day: Luke 2: 7-14 7 And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn. 8 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. 10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. 12 And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, 14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. Song of the day: Jesus is Born Today (the Oak Ridge Boys) Jesus was born...

Scripture of the Day: Luke 2:19 But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart. Song of the Day: Oak Ridge Boys - My son, My son I have spent more time than is reasonable trying to find the lyrics to that song, and have had no luck! You Tube has it ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PGl1T26SW30&noredirect=1 ) and although the quality is not the best, you can hear it! If you listen be prepared you may cry - the song gets me every time. Chorus: He was so many things to so many people my son, my son - Teacher, Prophet, Messiah and King - my son, my son. This post is one I have no real idea how to write. In the wake of last Friday's horrific events in Connecticut, the lyrics to that song, and the bible verse take on a new meaning for me. Jesus was a lot of things. He was a teacher, he was a prophet, he was the Messiah. But he was also Mary's son. Like all mothers, Mary took what people said about her child and pondered those things in her heart. She too...

Scripture of the Day:  Isaiah 7:14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.  Lyrics to “You’re Here” by Francesca Battistelli Hold on now, gotta take a deep breath I don't know what to say when I look in your eyes You made the world before I was born But here I am holding You in my arms tonight Noel, noel, Jesus our Immanuel You're here, I'm holding you so near I'm staring into the face of my Savior, King and Creator You could've left us on our own, but You're here I don't know how long I'm gonna have you for But I'll be watching when You change the world Look at your hands, they're still so small Someday You're going to stretch them out and save us all Noel, noel, God with us Immanuel Someday I'm gonna look back on this The night that God became my baby boy Someday You're gonna go home again, But You'll lea...

Scripture of the Day: Psalm 127:3 Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb a reward. Song of the Day: Thank God for Kids by the Oakridge Boys (lyrics below in case you have never heard this gem!!)                                                  If it weren't for kids have you ever thought There wouldn't be no Santa Claus Or look what the stork just brought Thank God for kids. We'd all live in a quiet house Without Big Bird or a Mickey Mouse And Kool Aid on the couch Thank God for kids. Thank God for kids, there's magic for a while A special kind of sunshine in a smile. Do you ever stop to think or wonder why The nearest thing to heaven is a child? Daddy, how does this thing fly? And a hun...

I have decided that for the month of December, I am going to focus on a different Christmas song for each post. I love Christmas music. Any, and all kinds - much to the consternation of my husband who only likes Bing Crosby!  Today's post is about the Little Drummer Boy (specifically the version by MercyMe - please listen if you have not!) Scripture of the Day: Luke 2:8-12  8  Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night.  9  And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid.  10  Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people.  11  For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.  12  And this  will be  the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swa...

Scripture of the Day: Psalm 100:4-5 Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations. This Thanksgiving was one on which I was having some issues with the "thankful" spirit that is supposed to go with that day! I had been looking for a moment of thankfulness and I found it, quite unexpectedly, (and repeatedly) over the weekend. My Great Grandma Kessler passed away when I was young (maybe 10 or 11). I have some very fond memories of her, and they all piled on this weekend! On Friday, I made her recipe of orange buttermilk cookies. I have wanted to make those cookies for years, but I just recently bought some orange extract to be used for that purpose. I think I had those cookies only one time, but boy, do I remember them! I have had to wait so long, because I do not believe in zesting fruit peels - extract all the way...

Scripture of the Day: Matthew 21:22 22 If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer. This weekend we had a big milestone in the Frailey household! My little man prayed for the first time by himself on Saturday! Proud mama moment that made me cry. Here are the details...we had prayed together on Saturday morning for my husband to kill a deer because we are dependent on that meat to feed us throughout the year. After I laid Nathan down for a nap I heard him cry, "Help!" so I went in to his room. What he needed help with, was praying! He closed his eyes, bowed his head and folded those little hands and said, "Dear God, I would like to go to the mall or the libary and please help my daddy get a dear. Amen." (note - those are his two favorite places and the typo is intentional :)) Friends, some people hunt for the trophies, but we are dependent on the meat! Finances are hard, and good beef is expensive, so each year, that meat gets us through. S...

Scripture of the Day: John 16:33 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace.  In this world you will have trouble.  But take heart! I have overcome  the world.” Do you ever go through times when the world gets you down? When bills and obligations and cultural perceptions and "shoulds" seem to be all you can see? There are days when I can focus on the big picture and feel at peace, but there are also days when I cannot seem to see outside of my own life's little bubble. On those days the trouble of the world clouds just about everything I see.  The verse forces me to look outside of my own little bubble of trouble and makes me smile out of hope and thankfulness. Jesus overcame the world. He gave us expectation of trouble - it was all around him, and it is all around us today. When you focus on surrounding your life with Jesus, he encompasses your life in a different kind of bubble. A peaceful one. He overcame the world for YOU. Any trouble...

Scripture of the Day: Jeremiah 17:7-8 (Note: I am reposting this because someone close to me is in a drought of sorts) 7  “But blessed is the one who trusts in the  Lord ,     whose confidence is in him. 8  They will be like a tree planted by the water     that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes;     its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought     and never fails to bear fruit.”   The words are so positive! If you put your trust and confidence in the Lord (and really, there is no better thing to put your trust and confidence in than that), you will be blessed. And my friend, this blessedness is for always. Note how the passage ends "It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit." Sometimes in your walk with God you will be in what I will call a time of plenty. God is working t...

Scripture of the Day: Isaiah 4:6-7a 6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7 Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. On this, the eve of the next American Presidential Election, I am not feeling very hopeful. Regardless of who "wins" tomorrow, half of the country will be upset. My high school social studies teacher used to say "It doesn't matter what you believe, you will always end up in someone else's hell." I still think that is a true statement! And much like that, for every person who thinks tomorrow's election ends well, someone will think we are entering, or staying in, a kind of hell. But really, this country will survive (either way!!). If you vote, you have had your say and that is really all you can do.  Instead of focusing on the election coverage tomorrow nigh...

Scripture of the Day: Philippians 4:6-7 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Today we are leaving for a week long vacation to see family and this week with Halloween activities and other life happenings, I have not packed a SINGLE thing! When I think about all that needs to be done before we leave, I would like to panic a little! I woke up with a need to read a post I wrote prior to a vacation a few months ago (view the post from 6/28 if you are curious about that one) and that has been very helpful. Just like on that day, I found myself faced with a nudge this morning that I have not been praying about the little things that would make my anxiety go away! I am a little saddened that I did not learn my lesson that time, but feel happy that we have a Teacher who doesn't mind tea...

Scripture of the Day: Isaiah 40:11 He tends his flock like a shepherd; He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young. Oh, how that is a verse I needed to see yesterday! At church we are going through the book of Isaiah and this is not the first time it said something I needed to hear. For good or bad, my life pretty much revolves around my kiddo. I sometimes feel like my parenting skills are lacking and with his vocabulary becoming larger and the introduction of the word "why" into conversations several times a day, I find myself at a loss. This whole verse wraps me in the comfort of God's arms - and for several reasons. When I picture Jesus, I envision him with little children all around. This verse gives me that picture with God. Where are the little children? Close to his heart. Even when I screw up, as I do on a daily basis, God has my little man close to his heart. In addition to that, God leads us i...

Scripture of the Day: 1 Corinthians 12: 4-11 4  There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit.   5  There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord.   6  There are different kinds of working, but the same God   works all of them in all men.   7  Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.   8  To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom,   to another the message of knowledge   by means of the same Spirit,   9  to another faith   by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing   by that one Spirit,   10  to another miraculous powers,   to another prophecy,   to another distinguishing between spirits,   to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. 11  All these are the work of one and the same Spirit,   and he gives them to each one, just as...

Scripture of the Day: Philippians 4:13 I can do everything through him who gives me strength. I have a knack for remembering the dates of important things in my life - most of the time. I was just thinking yesterday that I do not remember the date I got engaged and that seems an important one to have forgotten! :) Unfortunately, those important dates for most of my young life revolved around major surgeries. For instance, on October 27, 1995, I had my colon removed. And then, wonderfully, on October 13, 2011, I had surgery to remove some of my small intestine and now have what is called a permanent ileostomy. Granted, I was not excited about it at the time! For the past couple of weeks, I have been reliving the day of surgery last year and the weeks that followed. I had surgery last year for a couple of reasons. 1) My GI doctor in Chicago told me I needed it - medication would not have helped my issues and my quality of life would improve. 2) I felt that it was in God's plan ...

Scripture of the Day – Psalm 56:8 “You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book.” I am not much of a crier. Sappy movies don't usually bring on the water works and I seldom cry happy tears (weddings being an exception - those get me every time!) So when I do cry it is usually heartfelt and out of sorrow, confusion, or seeming helplessness. In the past several years I have noticed I have two kinds of tears. The first kind comes about when I am typically responding to something in a silly way when really I need to just push through. When I cry these tears, my face scrunches up, and I like to be in the fetal position. Those tears hurt. The second type of crying I do is really quite peaceful. My face is calm and tears simply roll from eyes down my face. Those tears bring healing. Last night in the course of 15 minutes I cried both types of tears (reason isn't really important - but everything...

Scriptures of the Day (Warning - lot of Scripture today!): Proverbs 3:21-24 - My son, preserve sound judgement and discernment, do not let them out of your sight; they will be life for you, an ornament to grace your neck. Then you will go on your way in safety, and your foot will not stumble; when you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet. Matthew 6:25-27 - Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life. When my siblings were little, I remember watching the movie George of the Jungle over and over. One of my favorite parts of the film is when George tells Ursula (the woman who takes...

Scripture of the Day: Isaiah 7:9b If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all. The first time I read the words above, my first thought was “well, that’s a little harsh!” But the more I have pondered those words, the more I see their truth…and that perhaps they do not have to be harsh at all. Maybe the words are comforting. I’m about to give a very personal example of what that verse brings to mind. My Uncle Charlie (who knows I’m writing this!) was diagnosed with lung cancer (and has never smoked) in early 2011. The prognosis was not, and is not, good. If I recall, with treatment, life expectancy was no more than a year. And yet he is still here. To directly quote him, “ I THANK GOD, when I get up every morning, and continue to see the light of day!” Charlie stands firm in faith. One of my favorite chapters in the Bible is the “Hall of Faith” (Hebrews, Chapter 11 – READ IT if you have not!). They list many Biblical characters, most of whom you ha...

Scripture of the Day: Isaiah 66:13a (note, this is a re-post from May – there is illness going around my house and I needed to hear this today and am hoping maybe you do too!) “As a mother comforts her child, so will I comfort you…” That verse hits me particularly hard today because I currently have a sick little guy. And if you have children, I think you will understand when I say that I would do just about anything in the world to help him when he is sick. There is no helpless feeling that is somehow quite   as helpless   as when your child is sick. You would rather be sick yourself, or snap your fingers and make it all better! Think of how you attempt comfort for your sick children – cuddles, extra hugs and kisses, whatever food they want (that won’t make the illness worse), favorite movies, security items, sleeping in bed with you…and the list goes on and on.  In the future, I can only imagine when my child needs other comforts that may come from hurt feelin...

Scripture of the Day: Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans  I have for you,” declares the  Lord,  “plans to prosper  you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. This week I celebrated a big birthday. I turned 30. I remember when that seemed old! Now it just seems like a big deal because when I write my age it will begin with a 3 instead of a 2! When I turned 20, I was just waiting to turn 21 and for my life to really begin...and now, I find myself not really waiting for anything. I am not sure if that is good or bad :) I have spent some time reflecting this week and feel extremely blessed. As far back as I can remember, I had somewhat of a life plan. It didn't include much, I just wanted to be married and have at least one child by the time I was 30. Both of those things have happened, even though for a long time I had my doubts about either one! More than anything, I wanted and prayed for a husband...and then I wanted and prayed for a chi...