^{Hebrews 3:4} New American Bible (Revised Edition) (NABRE)

  ⁴ Every house is founded by someone, but the founder of all is God.

The Gift

The week started with a late lunch date with Mike. We had reservations at our favorite restaurant in Newport Beach. On our way there, Mikos, our son, texted us: “Are you at the restaurant yet?” I looked over at Mike and asked, “Should we invite him?” Mike answered with a quick ,”No!” “Why don’t you want him to join us?” I asked. Mike answered, “Can’t we just have a quiet lunch?” With that, I left the subject matter alone and texted Mikos a simple “Yes.” We were well into the meal when I noticed Mikos walking in. I looked over at Mikos while announcing, “Mikos is here.” Mike looked over and said “Hey, what are you doing here?” As usual Mikos eased into our conversation. The subject matter was marriage and how important it was for couples to stay together. Then Mike reached into his pocket and pulled out a small Christmas bag. “I need to give this special lady a gift,” he said, while handing me the bag. I was totally caught off guard and almost felt like looking around for “this special lady.” Our 48th wedding anniversary is not until the 25th of January. But it was Mikos who was even more surprised; the uninvited guest was confused. “Dad, did you have Mom’s rings polished? What is this?” I explained to our son that Mike had given me a new ring as an anniversary  gift. Poor Mike! He had to share the special moment with our son.

The Dad’s Role

It was God’s plan for our son to witness this special moment. Mike is that guy who almost always does everything right. The Bible speaks about the role men are to play in a family. They are to be the spiritual leaders, protectors, and providers for the family. When men take their proper role, there is a balance in the family.

Many times, it’s the women who have a stronger walk with the Lord. When the Lord called me to serve, it was not that easy. Mike was not that accommodating; he questioned my direction and at times made it difficult for me to grow as a Christian. One thing that Mike was consistent about was never stopping me from going on missionary trips. He understood that the work was for the Lord, and he would never get in the way of that. He has always supported my mission work financially as well as spiritually. Through the years, both Mike and I has grown to understand that our calling is different. We are equally yoked and respect the difference in our individual call.

Like Father, Like Son

We have traveled to Mammoth Lakes with Mikos and his family for the past three years. Mikos and his clan are skiers, as is Mike. Not me! I gave up the sport years ago because I never got past the beginner stages.

This year, the weather was perfect for long walks. The surrounding snow-covered mountains reminded me of God’s creation. Sometimes I’m overwhelmed with its beauty.  I enjoy the quiet walks and the sweet sound when a light breeze rustles the trees.  This is a place where the world is shut out for a fleeting moment. I may no longer ski, but I certainly enjoy these trips.

Mikos has followed in the footsteps of his father. Because of his demanding job with its long hours, he and his wife Jenny bring balance to their busy schedules. On these trips, every waking moment is about their family, and Mikos makes sure that they are all well cared for. With the way of the world and, especially all the challenges in public schools, parents must be a united front. He and Jenny are wonderful parents.

Proverbs 4:1-4 New American Bible (Revised Edition) (NABRE)

¹ Hear, O children, a father’s instruction,  be attentive, that you may gain understanding ² Yes, excellent advice I give you; my teaching do not forsake.³ When I was my father’s child, tender, the darling of my mother,⁴ He taught me and said to me: “Let your heart hold fast my words: keep my commands, and live!

The Puzzle

A 1,000-piece puzzle takes work, and just like the matters of life there is order. The first rule in the puzzler’s mind is to secure all the flat edges. Once all the borders are in place, you work with the rest of the pieces. Mikos, Jenny, Maddie and Will worked on putting the pieces together. This simple project brings this family closer together. The late-night talks and singing help achieve the goal of unplanned unity. The puzzle of life all comes into sync; once it’s put together, the puzzlers share in the accomplishment of a job completed. If every piece is accounted for, all is well.

The Master Puzzle Maker

In the same way, the Shepherd cannot rest until all His sheep are accounted for. We are all part of God’s puzzle, cut up in different shapes, with different colors and sizes. But when we are brought together, with every piece of the puzzle in place, you can no longer see the difference because every odd shape takes its place in the puzzle of life. No piece stands out more than any other. The Master Puzzle Maker sees that we are all accounted for.

John 10:14-15 New American Bible (Revised Edition) (NABRE)

¹⁴ I am the good shepherd, and I know mine and mine know me, ¹⁵ just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I will lay down my life for the sheep.

My Christmas Employment

I have finished my seasonal job; Saturday was my last day. On that particular day, a customer came in to purchase a new handbag. Her handbag looked quite worn out. “I’ve had this bag for 10 years, and I think it’s time to purchase a new one,” she said. “Ya Think?” I said to myself. I watched as she perused the store for a new purse. The young woman looked pretty normal, wearing black leggings and a black top. Her tennis shoes looked new, yet she has held on to this handbag for 10 years. People like this lady are from a unique group of individuals; they do not care what others think about what they wear or use. These people are more than the salt of the earth; they harvest the salt, and that is why they appreciate what they have. It took her a while to pick out the perfect purse, and all I wanted to be sure of was that she buy the matching wallet. I looked for the matching wallet, but we were sold out. Turns out she had already purchased the wallet months ago and was waiting for the purse to go on sale. This young woman taught me a lesson in patience; she waited for the deep discount on the handbag to match her wallet. It was  not important for her to have everything new together. She was frugal, yet she had fun shopping around and trying different handbags. But all along she was just going to get the one that matched her wallet.

This is how we should all be when it come to searching for our spiritual needs. We are too quick to make decisions; we compromise because we lack guidance in prayer. The lady with the new handbag will never return her purchase because she was certain it was the right one. In our walk with the Lord we take many turns; some roads lead us closer to Him, while others take us in a different direction. It is on those roads that we learn our life lessons. We can get stuck in the misguided roads in life, but it is not until we have learned the task that we go on to the right path. This is when we  feel that release to leave the past behind. Many times the Lord will place people on your path for a season; these people have important roles in our lives, but when the road ends we each go our separate directions. We may never see these individuals again, but they were placed in our path for a reason. These acquaintances may have been those special angels we needed when we were hurting  or needed a friend to talk to.

My Friend Christy

When we moved to the San Fernando Valley, I did not know a soul. My children were small, and Mike was in his late twenties when he was promoted to a VP position in a large corporation. The demands for his job meant long hours at work. This was during my soul-searching years; I had left the Catholic Church and wanted to get connected with a new fellowship. As a family we started attending Valley Vineyard. I quickly made friends with the pastor’s wife Christy. We had children the same age, and it was a perfect fit. For two years we were content with our lives. Christy and I had so much in common: we exercised, made meals together, and our families became best friends. Then came the news that we had to move because Mike was starting a new company. I was devastated! Christy and I remained friends for a short period, but our busy lives would take its toll on our relationship. She was a friend that God placed in my path and I will forever be grateful for her. My friend Christy went home to be with the Lord at age 56. We were blessed to attend her beautiful service.

The Lord continues to place these individuals in our lives. You can serve as one of these angelic beings by becoming a friend to a stranger. It does not take much to meet the desires of someone who needs your friendship. We are all looking for love, and just like in the song by Kenny Rogers, we are looking for love in all the wrong places. REMEMBER:  to be used of God, you need to be near Him so you can hear what He is saying. In a whisper He breathes life into our spirits, but we must be yielded to what He wants of us. As busy as I was during these past weeks, I felt that the world got the best of me.

WW

My prayer life was suffering because I was on overload. I slept a lot more than usual, and all the See’s Candy I was eating added to the lethargic mindset; the sugar played with my blood glucose, bringing me down to a new level of fatigue.   Then I opened an email to discover that Weight Watchers was not giving up on me. The deal was a sweet hallelujah, and I signed on the virtual dotted line. So here I am, Lord, coming to do your will. I have also decided to use my last season’s spring handbag one more time. God is Good!

The Real Epiphany

As a reminder, we are still celebrating Christmas until the Epiphany of the Lord, which falls on January 6th. Enjoy another two weeks of the glorious Christmas season. O Come, Let Us Adore Him! The Wise Men came bearing gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. The gold represents His birth, the frankincense His ministry, and the myrrh His death.

Matthew 2:10-11 New American Bible (Revised Edition) (NABRE)

¹⁰ They were overjoyed at seeing the star, ¹¹ and on entering the house they saw the child with Mary his mother. They prostrated themselves and did him homage. Then they opened their treasures and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

The Co-workers

I was delighted to work with the most wonderful group of people. These young adults are not only hard working, they are humble and don’t feel an entitlement. Many are still in college but manage their time to earn their own way. These millennials are cut from a different cloth, and God will help them every step of the way because they deserve special treatment for their efforts. My daughter Sonja and assitant manager Jacob have trained them well!

Ben Sira 3:18 New American Bible (Revised Edition) (NABRE)

Joseph

The readings for Sunday, December 22nd, were from The Gospel of Matthew 1:18-24. These are powerful verses about St. Joseph, Mary’s future husband. He was a man caught in a difficult situation: his fiancée was with child and he wanted to do what was right before God. Though Joseph was to become the foster father of Jesus, he is never quoted in the Bible. Joseph was a strong, silent man. When the Archangel Gabriel appeared to him in a dream,  he did as he was instructed. I imagine  Joseph being in deep prayer and asking God for a sign from heaven; then Gabriel appeared to him in a dream. Joseph had already contemplated quietly separating himself from Mary. God used archangels at this time because the world had not been introduced to the triune God. These angels were powerful messengers from God; they had the anointing to convey a message with gentle force. Joseph knew that his prayers were answered with the confirmation of the message from Gabriel the Archangel.

Mary

It was different with Mary; the Archangel Gabriel appeared to her in person. Mary had taken a Nazarite vow, which meant that her entire life was set aside to serve God. Her parents, Anna and Joachim, were like Hannah and Elkanah (1 Samuel 1:1-28); they  could not conceive a child. Tradition has it that Anna and Joachim concieved and dedicated Mary to the the service of the Temple. At the age of three she was presented to the priest, and she remained in the care of the priest until it was decided that she should marry Joseph. Mary was 15 years  old at the time of Jesus’ birth. Her life remained true to the consecration of a Nazarite vow.  Joseph honored her and cared for her, but they never had children together because she remained a perpetual virgin. Joseph was much older than Mary; he was a widower with sons of his own. God set Mary aside to be the Mother of God.  Mary, from her birth, had been prepared for this great and mighty calling. Thank you, Blessed Ever Virgin Mary, for saying, “Behold , I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.” (Luke 1:38)

Baby Jesus

The reason  that we celebrate this wonderful Annunciation, and the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ is no surprise. He came to save us, and we are all called to serve Him. This tiny baby was born in a manger, wrapped in swaddling clothes, and nursed by the holy, consecrated milk of His precious Mother Mary;  yet many cannot set aside time to recognize the greatest event in all of history. There is no better time than now to seek Him! The Lord waits for us to give our heart, mind and spirit to Him. I pray that we all come to the understanding that it is He Who sits on the throne, it is He Who allows us to go through trials, so that we can draw closer to Him. I will never stay silent about how much I love Jesus, for where would I be without Him in my life? I bring good tidings in sharing that Our Lord was born on Christmas day, and He loves us all the same. No person is more special than another. We may believe that because we served Him longer that He loves us more. That is not how He operates. I am closer to the Lord because I seek Him out. I may know more about serving Him because I sacrifice my time to serve, but in all honesty anyone can do the same. Nothing changes in the Kingdom of God.  He loves us all the same and patiently waits for us to come in.

The Seasonal Job

I worked this past Saturday for eight hours. I watched as people methodically decided to pick out a wallet as a Christmas gift. I learned a lesson in patience that day. The Lord showed me those who could not make up their minds  because they were taking everything into consideration for the person they were purchasing the gift for. At first I wanted to scream, “Pick a wallet for Pete’s sake!” I never experienced an uncomfortable situation at work; instead I learned special things about strangers. One lady shared a touching story with me. This young lady,  a newlywed, said that she moved the date of her wedding so that her ailing mother could attend the ceremony. Her mother went home to be with the Lord shortly afterward. She bought two wallets because she wanted to be certain that she purchased the right one for her husband.

I could not believe that I lasted that long on my feet; I believe the Lord gave me special graces to endure this long day. I looked at my watch and it was 3 o’clock, the Divine Mercy Hour. I silently prayed the Chaplet of Divine Mercy to myself during this time, partly because I still had three hours left on the clock, but mostly because it was the right thing to do.

The Big Misunderstanding

Working with my daughter has allowed me certain privileges; for example,I get a substantial discount on the merchandise I purchase in the store. I had already worked four days and  was planning on paying for some of my purchases with the money I earned. My daughter Sonja told me that I had a check at work. Then the saddest thing happened: I got to work early to select the gifts for other family members, but when Sonja rang up the total, I paid with a credit card. Then I asked her for my check,  only to discover that the money had already been deposited into my account almost two weeks ago! I had no idea that it was a direct deposit situation.  I never really enjoyed the fruits of my labor.  I had already spent the money without being aware that it was already in my account. I know that may come across as odd, but honestly my mind has been so preoccupied with matters of life that I did not bother to check where  the extra money came from. It just  meant more spending.

As I sat in great despair over the most ridiculous  mistake, suddenly it came to me that I still owed a co-worker $100 for throw blankets that he scored for me on a discount. I could feel the blood rush to my face as I announced that I owed him money. Since Sonja pays me a stipend for watching her sons, she told me that she would pay for the blankets with the money she owed me. So, woe is me, I can’t cook, and I can’t manage money either! That’s perfectly fine because I have other gifts.

Merry Christmas from our family to yours!