A Christmas Poem

Twas the night of Christmas when all through the town,
people were stirring, they had come from all around.
The census was being taken with much care.
Hundreds came to be counted and my family was there.


The children were comfortable, all snug in their beds,
after traveling far, now warm and well fed.
Dad and I in weariness, not feeling our best,
settled down now for a good nights rest.


When up on the roof there came such a clatter,
I jumped from the bed to see what was the matter.
Up the stairs I went as in a race,
and came to the roof and wide open space.


The moon seemed blurred by a brighter light.
I looked around and beheld the sight.
When what to my startling eyes should appear,
but a star, so bright, so big and so very near!


With people now crowding around to see,
everyone was saying, how can this be?
Now from out in the fields, the shepherds came,
whistling and shouting, calling their sheep by name.


Now Wooly, Curley, now Henry and Sadie!
Over here Chloe and Bell and Little Lady!
To the top of the hill and to the sheep stall,
now hurry on, hurry on, hurry on you all!


As the clear night sky gave the star a great glow,
the angels told the shepherds what they needed to know.
So off they went with their flocks in tow,
giving God the glory to bestow.


And then in a twinkling I heard someone say,
follow the shepherds, they know the way.
As my family drew near and looked inside,
I saw a woman holding a baby by her side.


He was wrapped all in cloths from His head to His toes,
and He was sleeping; His eyes were closed.
There were animals hovering all around.
It was strange, they weren't making a sound.


His mother's eyes, how they sparkled, her smile was so kind.
Everyone came close, she didn't seem to mind.
Her husband was watching as we all stood there,
ever thoughtful and gracious showing much care.


There was something wonderful happening here,
and we all found ourselves wiping a tear.
This was the Child, who was sent from above,
to help us, to heal us and save us with love.


It is a Christmas miracle, not just a story,
that Jesus left heaven and gave up His glory.
He came into this world through the lowliest door,
so we could be redeemed and completely restored.


But have we the wonder lost,
removed Christ from Christmas? At what cost?
We are in a hurry. Too busy. Indifferent, don't care.
And we think life has treated us unfair!


When the final page has been turned,
I wonder if by then we will have learned,
that when it is all said and done,
Jesus is all that matters, He is the only One!

Intermingle / Interdependence

A few years ago I wrote a blog sharing my thoughts about feeling alone over the holidays and how I managed through them. The grief from losing a loved one brings such a loneliness to our lives. We will always have that sense that someone is missing and especially feel that when our families are together. But the loss of a loved one is not the only loss we find ourselves in. Perhaps it is the loss of a marriage, a career, or ones health. Whatever the circumstance, I want you to know, you are not alone. "God makes a home for the lonely" says Psalms 68:6.


In my last book, Great-Hearted, the very first chapter is entitled, "You Are Not Alone." This is usually the first thing we want to know when afflicted with grief and loss. Does someone understand me? Although grief is personal to each individual, there are others who have suffered before you and can relate and help you in the journey. Ultimately, God is our "ever present help in trouble" and understands us more than any human can possibly understand. However, we need each other. Ecclesiastes says "Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. If one person falls, the other can reach out and help."


I wanted to intermingle dealing with grief over the holidays with the interdependence of family and friends. However, interdependence isn't just for the holidays... it is needed for all of life.


I'm so thankful for my own family. They have been a source of strength whether they realized it or not. Just knowing I could call on them at any moment is a comfort. This year we have a little new addition that we are absolutely crazy in-love with. Ed and I are honored that he is named after our son. The holidays have an extra blessing this year because of this little life.


 Richness isn't  having an unending supply of money and possessions but in the comradeship of good friends to which we are blessed with many.


Then we have our church family. I personally know from experience how enriched my life is because of a church family. They have helped in our grief in so many ways. There's a group of ladies I meet with every week. We've all studied the same Scripture on our own during the week, then we meet together and talk about what we learned. I have gained so much knowledge and wisdom from these gals. We hold each other accountable. We minister to each other. We pray for one another. We cry together. We've all had difficult times and some are going through hard times now. One of our books we've studied is Colossians where we found this verse, "I want you to know how much I am struggling for you ....that (you) may be encouraged in heart and unified in love." This is compassion in action. I have gained strength and comfort from my supportive group of ladies. I call them "mine" because that's how affectionate I feel toward them. We need each other in good times and in hard times.


God did not create us to live in isolation, even though sometimes in grief that's what we want to do. From the beginning, God said it wasn't good for man to be alone.






In my book, I wrote in the first chapter, "Although my family and friends were comforting and helpful and would have done anything for me, I had to learn to rely on God and the strength and peace only He could bring me." The Christ of Christmas is truly the only hope for our world and our lives. His peace is a gift and once you've experienced that, you will know you are never alone.