Q: Where were you born?
It was probably our hardest year financially we had ever had. I was 35 and 2 years walking with Jesus. Dana was 10 and Jason 5 and it was time to tell them there would be nothing under the tree this year. They really didn’t seem to think it a big deal but Nancy and I were hurting inside at the thought of an empty Christmas. We had taken what money we had and bought the necessary $5.00 gifts for the family gathering.-Randy Catlett
Q: Where were you born? I am weary of "super-preachers" who are striving to create "super-Christians" and "super-churches". I have too often witnessed the personal breakdowns that have come with this agenda through the over 30 years of being in vocational ministry. I believe that simply being a graciously born anew follower of Jesus the Christ is awesome enough for any human soul. At least it is for me. Is it for you?You can catch the the whole post here.. it is a short post and really worth reading!
I have to admit that I do not feel strong spiritually right now. I am forced to trust the Lord in a way that I have had to do on several other occasions. I am again reminded that I can only flow with the Spirit at a heart level ... I can only be at peace when I give up control of this situation.Again in July.. after Ann had got to where she could again walk with a cane.. another relapse came and I penned these thoughts:
Life has its way of intimidating us doesn't it. Nebuchadnezzar can show up in all sorts of ways. Sometimes he shows up overtly demanding that we bow to the things that we know we should not bow to, but sometimes he shows up so subtly intimidating us to bow in thoughts and attitudes. This is where I am challenged today as I watch my wife back in a wheelchair and struggling physically from MS. I find Nebuchadnezzar standing over me today intimidating me ... telling me to bow to a subtle worship of fear, self-pity, hopelessness and despair. I find something rising within me saying, like the guys in Babylon:August and September followed with MS relapses that were progressively worse. In October I wrote this:
O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to give you an answer concerning this matter. Our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the furnace of Multiple Sclerosis; and He will eventually deliver us. But even if He does not, let it be known to you, O king, that we will not bow to feelings of fear, self-pity, hopelessness and despair. This is the day that the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it.
Sometimes following Jesus takes us on a journey that is both hard and heartbreaking. Reading Jesus words to Peter so resonates with me this morning. It reminds me that sometimes our path takes us to places "where you do not wish to go". I am in such a place in this season of my life. I have had to take a month long sabbatical from work and church because of the difficult circumstances of my wife's hospitalization.. been almost 3 weeks now.. still struggling.. trying to walk again.. in physical therapy.Sitting here, at the end of the year, I recall what the Lord spoke to me last month:
If God didn’t cause it then it can be changed.. I don’t have to have a fatalistic view of the future.That is where I am today.. experiencing the new normal.. letting go of my expectations and embracing Hope.. our Blessed Hope.. the Lord Jesus himself.. the invitation is to hope again.. won't you join me in accepting that invitation?
The past is Satan’s playground, the future is the Lord’s.. the invitation is to play in God’s playground.. it is an invitation to hope!
-Bob Edwards
Q: Where were you born? Letiah Fraser
When I first heard from my father-in-law about the Thanksgiving dinners that we were giving away as part of our outreach there was one family in particular that came to mind. I knew that God had presented me with this opportunity to reach out this family in their time of need. They just had their forth child, a little girl, and were struggling to provide for the other three growing pre-teen boys. They receive some state assistance but that isn't always enough. In fact, the state just informed them that their current residence, a two bedroom duplex, isn't sufficient for them; their newborn can't share the parents bedroom once she turns one. As I created a bond with the mother I realized that there was more than prayer that I could do for them. I offered the dinner to them and immediately the mother began to cry. She said that she had been praying that God would provide some food for them and that this was such a blessing. Thank you Metro for making a difference for this family.Natalia Catlett
I have a beautiful nativity scene that I inherited from my mother-in-law. She won it in a 25 cent raffle. The ceramic figurines are all antique white and I have a blue light shining through the back of the stable.-Phyllis Pesch
Q: Where were you born? 
My dad had a Christmas family tradition that drove me, my sisters and brother crazy. He would make us wait to come down on Christmas morning.. we could only come downstairs when we heard the music playing.. sometimes it would be Rudolph.. sometimes it would be a Christmas Carol.. sometimes I think that it would be Hawaiian music.. my dad loved Hawaiian music.. we just couldn't come down until it played. I remember waiting at the top of the stairs thinking that he would never play the music.-Bob Edwards
We were invited to spend Christmas in Hawaii with older friends, who were devout Catholics. Tony and I were not Christians yet. We were young parents with two young children in tow.-Livie Sanchez
-Kelli Dennis
Q: Where were you born?1 Thes 5:16 Be joyful always; 17pray continually; 18give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.Read more on Michael's blog.
As a spiritual director and teacher, I often have the experience of people asking me about how they can come to discover God's will for their lives. Actually, it is the most commonly asked question that I encounter among God's people. There is much to say about divine guidance. However, I believe the place to begin to get our bearings is not to fret about discerning the details, but to create the kind of atmosphere around our souls, our lives and our inter-personal relationships in which the Holy Spirit is free to express Himself--His "natural habitat" if you will.
