Goodbye, Thanksgiving...Hello, Christmas

Today was the first Sunday in Advent. So this past week, we spent time being thankful for all our blessings. Now we focus on the greatest gift we could have ever received - Christmas. I don't mean Santa and his elves. I'm not talking about trees with garland and lights. Don't get me wrong. I like the shiny bows and beautifully wrapped gifts. But the real joy of Christmas comes from remembering the love of a God who would willingly leave a throne of glory to become a helpless baby. The joy is in knowing that Jesus loved us enough to come here and be born in Bethlehem in the humblest of beginnings. Tonight, my roommate and I have watched a couple of fluffy Christmas movies and laughed in delight. But the reason we can enjoy this season and have so much fun is because of the freedom and liberty Christ's sacrifice has given us. Remembering how mankind waited for the Messiah and celebrated His birth, we can now await His triumphant return! In the meantime, we are supposed to live with the joy and victory God has already given us and share the love He gives us with others. I'll say it again before the season is over, but Joy to the World! The Lord has come!

Hives and more...Epiphany!

I missed two days of work this week from a horrible outbreak of what turned out to be hives. HIVES. Monday morning I awoke to find my eyes swollen so badly I almost didn't recognize them in the mirror (the crazy hair gave me away, though). This upset me. The next thing I knew, I was swelling and breaking out all over. My legs, my back, my ankles, my arms... I had problems with hives when I was a kid, but hadn't had an issue in years and years. Because there is a risk of a possibly life-threatening rash with my medication, I became concerned this was related to the drug. I called my doctor and was referred to a dermatologist and told to stop the medicine. The dermatologist looked me over and pronounced, "Oh, they're just hives. Take some over the counter Zyrtec until they go away." He implied they were probably stress-related. I've thought about that all afternoon and evening. The more I worried about missing work and the rash, the more I broke out. The more I broke out, the more I worried. I was doped up on medicine and dreaming about not being at work. I guess all my recent worry about family, work, and money finally caught up with me. I am a closet worrier. On the surface and in most public venues, I seem calm and in control, but inside, I'm fretting. My daily coworkers and my family members know my secret. And I worry about them knowing my neurotic side so well.

But in the end today, I remembered something important. God only expects me to do the best I can do. I should do what I can and let God handle the rest. I see so many areas where justice needs to be doled out for wrongs, but nothing appears to be happening. Then I remember that justice truly remains in God's hands. When I worry about my family, I remember that prayer is powerful, and God hears and honors it. My stress over money? Ridiculous, really. I have so many blessings - a home, food, a car, even this laptop. And work... Sigh... Work is probably my biggest worry weakness. What does God expect me to do? Chip away at the work with my honest and earnest effort and know things will be okay.

Things will be okay. God IS in control. All the time. Forever. A deep breath and this verse helped me today: "Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!" (Psalm 46:10 NKJV)