Christmas Pictures!

     Today I went to our church in the morning  to take some brighter, fresh looking pictures of the beautifully decorated tree. Looking at these makes me see God's creation in the beautiful things in life, and makes me to appreciate it all the more. :)

All Photos are Copyright by Madeline Burris Photography

My Christmas Project!

     I have been trying to decide something to do for the many friends that I have, instead of buying gifts I thought I would knit them gifts, it's more sentimental!! So this is my project...Knit Christmas Tree Ornaments! I will post the pattern below! :) Enjoy!!


     ~Knit Christmas Tree Ornament~ 

Size:
Approx 5" high and 4" wide

Gauge:
Not vital

Materials:
Green worsted weight yarn(I decided to use white)
Needles appropriate for yarn

Instructions:
CO 4 sts.
Work in St st (stockinette stitch)for 4 rows.
Using the Cable Cast On or Knit Cast On, CO 6 sts; K rem sts.
CO 6 sts; P rem sts - 16 sts.
Cont in St st and dec 1 st each end every row until 6 sts rem.
CO 4 sts; P rem sts.
CO 4 sts; K rem sts - 14 sts.
Cont in St st and dec 1 st each end every row until 4 sts rem.
CO 4 sts; K rem sts.
CO 4 sts; P rem sts - 12 sts.
Cont in St st and dec 1 st each end every row until 2 sts rem.
P2tog.
Break yarn and pull through loop, leaving a long tail to make loop for hanging. 

Note:

     The tree will curl, so you will have to starch it.

1. • Knit the ornament following a pattern from a craft book or magazine.
   • Prepare a solution of laundry starch and water according to the manufacturer's directions or mix half fabric glue and half water. If desired, add glitter or sugar for sparkle.
   • Saturate the clean* snowflake in the solution. *Clean by completely saturating in water and letting air dry.
   • Use rustproof pins to pin the ornament into shape on a towel or waxed paper.
   • Let the ornament dry completely before touching or moving it.

Guess What's Just Around the Corner???

     You got it! Christmas! I remember saying last Christmas, "Before you know it, it will be Christmas again." How time flies! Christmas has to be my favorite season of all. The beautiful weather, the giving, the overall sense of joy. However, Christmas shouldn't be about making ourselves feel good by giving or receiving gifts, or making and baking things(for Santa?) It really should be about remembering our Savior's birth! Jesus Christ came down from Heaven, He relinquished His heavenly throne to come down to earth as a human baby boy. Matthew 1:21 says, 'And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.' "Save His people from their sins..." I'm that person, and so are you! Jesus gave up so much to come down to earth, but He wanted to! He knew why He had to, he knew he would one day die on the cross for all the sins of the world(that means yours, and mine). Philippians 2:8 says, 'And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.'


    This year, remember what the true reason for Christmas is. Jesus Christ...He came to this earth as a baby, He lived a holy perfect life as a child and a man, He died for the sins of the world, and He rose again to one day come back to earth and receive the Church. I Thessalonians 4:16-17, ^'For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.'

'My Purpose Statement'

My greatest desire in my life and what I would like to accomplish; is to love and serve God wholeheartedly in everything I do and say. And that I will not be proud of talents the Lord has so graciously given me, but that I will use these talents for the use of edifying others and growing spiritually in the Lord.       Amen.

'Forgiveness'

     As a child you might remember a sibling stealing away your most beloved toy, because they liked it better. And you, with your bottom lip puckered, arms crossed blatantly refused to forgive them until they gave your toy back. Then maybe...maybe then you might 'think' about forgiving them.
  
     In Matthew 18:21-35, it is talking about how Peter came to Jesus and asked him how often should he forgive if his brother sin against him. He asks, "Until seven times?" But Jesus told him, not seven times, but until seventy times seven. And for all you mathematicians out there, that's 490 times. Wow, I struggle with forgiving once. That's a rebuke to myself.


     We must also realize that there is a purpose for the wrong doing people do to us. Whether it's to grow us in our faith in the Lord, or to chastise us, or maybe to humble us. Romans 8:28 says, 'And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them that are called according to his purpose.' There is a purpose for everything in our lives, though we might understand it now. God is omniscient and knows the true purpose of the now. Genesis 50:19-20 says, 'And Joseph said unto them, Fear not: for am I in the place of God? But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.'

    One thing we need to do, is consider the forgiveness we have in Christ. Even though we sin and still don't want to admit that sin. God still has given us forgiveness. He sent His Son to die and He forgave us those sins on the cross. If we accept and believe that he has saved us we will have eternal life through Jesus Christ.  Jesus is the perfect example of genuine forgiveness. Ephesians 1:7 says, 'In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace.' He took upon himself the sins of the entire world, all the sin we have done, continue to do, and will continue to do. We need to ask ourselves, since I am forgiven, do I forgive others who wrong me? We so many times are forgiven of things we have done and yet we are obstinate and do not forgive others. Ephesians 4:32 says, 'And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.'

    We need to understand that God is our model of true forgiveness. I Peter 4:8 says, 'And above all things have fervent love among yourselves: for love shall cover a multitude of sins.' God so loved us, that He sent His only Son to die for our sins. What love, that covers all of our sins. That's our example we need to follow, someone who forgives seventy times seven.

    




  

'My God IS Immutable'

     Change...it is something we hear of, experience, and most of the time do not like. You see change when you go to the grocery store, and your favorite cereal is with the oatmeal instead of with crackers. Then you become frantic looking for it, looking for something that will ease your mind.
  
     But some things never change. Hebrews 13:8 states that, 'Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, and today, and forever.' Isn't it an awesome thing to be able to have a God who has loved you, loves you now, and will forever love you. It is an amazing thing to have a God who has known you forever before you were born. Psalm 139:13 says, 'For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb.' God knew us before we were even born, He could count the hairs on our head, He knows what we will do when we grow up, who we will marry. Is it not a great comfort to know that if we trust in Him, the God who knows all things with direct our paths and lead us in that way we should go. Psalm 139:4-5, 'Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.'

     Delight thyself...we don't really use words like this anymore. To delight thyself means to have great pleasure in, to have a high degree of enjoyment. In context; to delight thyself in the Lord means to take joy in serving the Lord, being obedient, staying in God's Will, doing good acts this world would otherwise frown upon. It is also a good thing to know that God's Grace is never changing. Without His grace we have no eternal life. Ephesians 2:8-9 says that, 'For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.' Aren't you glad that we don't have to work for our salvation? It is a gift that was given to us, our debt of sin was paid for by Jesus Christ when He died on the cross. He took the sins of the entire world.
  
     Imagine this, you are a parent with an only child. You watched that child grow from a most treasured baby, you loved each little precious word, each inquisitive question of, "Mommy, why is the sky blue?" Then suddenly amidst all your happy moments you are asked, to give that child's life to save millions others...that precious child...your only child.
  
     John 3:16-17 says, 'For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.' ...What love...a sacrificial love. God loved the entire world so very much, that he was willing to give up his most precious child for us. Wow, if that doesn't blow your mind, I don't know what will.

     Aren't you glad that God's love will always be there for us, it will never change. Our debt is paid, all we have to do is accept that gift of eternal life, and ask forgiveness of our sins. Only then can we experience true love, joy, peace, longsuffering(patient endurance), gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness(submissive humbleness), and temperance.

     God's grace will never change, His love will always cover us, and His truth will always guide us. That is why I am truly grateful that my God is Immutable.