Good evening! For the next 9 days, I will be on a mission trip to Vietnam. During that time, I will have new blogs each night from guest authors! (Also, on many nights, I will post pictures from my trip here!) For the next 26 evenings, my spot will be filled by my dear sister in Christ, Trina Agee Cornell! Trina and I went through many mission trips together and I have been a guest in Trina's and her husband, Bob's home. Please keep me in your prayers!
Power of Positivity #10
I enjoy communicating with my family and friends through social media – especially Facebook. I follow a number of people and organizations that focus their efforts on spreading positivity to the masses. I love reading posts from Proverbs 31 Ministries, tobymac, Lysa TerKeurst (the founder of Proverbs 31 Ministries) – and Power of Positivity. I came across this organization through a friend of mine – I noticed that she shared posts from them on a regular basis, and I decided I would “like” the page and check it out for myself. Power of Positivity has spoken to me on a number of levels – the Lord allows just the right one to cross my path when it is most needed. I wanted to focus this series of blog posts on the posts that have resonated with me – and the lessons that I have learned from them.
“Don’t ever save anything for a special occasion. Being alive is the special occasion.”
Christmas is a special time of year for my family, full of traditions, memories, and quality time spent together. My parents had – and still have – a way of making this season magical and memorable. This part is easy – since they have become “Grandpa” and “Groovy” to their two little grandboys, Bob and I have the chance to see it all through Connor’s eyes. The lights – the food – the gifts – the stories – the wonderment of the season through the eyes of a child is absolutely unmatched.
At this time of year, my family hosts a wonderful Christmas Day brunch. The menu has evolved over the years – it now includes breakfast casserole, homemade cinnamon rolls, biscuits, my father’s homemade gravy, sausage, bacon, and fruit. It is our main meal that day – with this kind of spread, who needs anything else? For this particular meal – and all meals with certain special significance – we would gather in the dining room, using my parents’ fine china and silver set. We all felt very important – dignified – and special on these special occasions. When my mother pulled out the “good china”, we knew it was a big deal!
Growing up in this way, I was taught that certain things are reserved for certain occasions – and were not to be used at any other time. Although this adds a certain sentiment to these occasions, what do these dishes – and the dining room – do otherwise? They collect . dust. They sit there until the next special occasion arrives. When I first read the above quote, it hit me right between the eyes. All these years, I thought special occasions were certain days of the year. As a child of God, being alive is the special occasion – taking that first breath every morning is worth celebrating. It seems so simple – but yet so profound.
For dinner tonight, break out the fine china! Sit in the dining room for a change! Bring out the fancy napkins and the napkin rings! Today is a day to be honored – because the Lord Himself created it.
Steve
Luke 18:1
E-mail me at shawley@westburychristian.org
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