New Year Resolution for 2012

Every year on New Year’s Eve I mentally write a few resolutions.  Each time I would try to accomplish them and obtain very little positive results.  I am learning that in order to improve my life I must seriously write my resolutions on paper, work on my resolutions daily, and actually see progress over time.

These goals are not something I just try to do.  I don’t just try things anymore!  I focus each and everyday on my goals.  Over time, when I see improvement or results in myself, personally, I become very excited!

Today as I sit before my computer to write my goals for 2012, I remember where I was last year in my life.  The area that I have grown the most in my life is self-confidence.  I have found myself doing things I never thought possible.  I want to continue to become a stronger and a better person.  Shortly before Christmas I read a favorite blog of mine, www.HolleyGerth@blogspot.com.  It is titled, “The Best Gift This Year” and it reads: 

“Have you been to the stores lately?  I’ve seen the shelves piled high with gadgets, new styles, and the latest whatever-you-want. 

And I’m telling you, I think I’ve found the best gift this year.

It’s not available in retail locations, online or for $29.95 plus shipping and handling.

Can you lean in and listen close while I whisper this secret?

Psst…it’s you.

Or, really, Jesus in you.

Yes, my friend, you offer Him to the world in a way no one else can.  And no one else ever will.

You are a one-of-a-kind original.  Not replaceable or exchangeable.

Beautiful just as you are because of your maker.

Designed just as He intended.

More amazing than you even realize

Loved, needed and more valuable than all those fancy things in all the stores in the world.

Yes, Ma’am.

You’re the real deal and don’t you forget it.  Promise?”

I agree with Holley!  God designs not only me, but each of us with our own specialness.  He loves us more than we can comprehend.  When any of us leave this world there will be a void that cannot be replaced.  God has placed combinations of talents and skills in each of us and it is up to each of us to develop them.  I want God to continue molding me just like the potter does with his clay.  Many times that means getting outside of the box and doing things I am not comfortable with.  It means to “Count it all joy when I fall into diverse temptations”, as James 1:2 tells us.  I have experienced the personal growth from this.  It is AMAZING and I LOVE it! 

There are people I help each and everyday in life, whether it is just a smile, an encouraging word, or actual coaching.  It is imperative for me to continue to grow in confidence and to become a stronger person and better Christian in order to help more and more people.  One of my favorite stories is The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King by J.R. Tolkein.  One of the awesome scenes in Tolkein’s writing is when Elrond, founder of Rivendale, encourages Aragorn, a Ranger who is helping the hobbits, a dwarf, the elves, and man.  Elrond admonishes, “Put aside the Ranger, become who you were born to be.”  Aragorn had not become all that he could be yet.  Aragorn had all the characteristics of a Christian king with his humility, healing hands, sacrifice, wisdom, and power over evil.  He did take up his sword and lead the people to victory over the evil ring and became king.

It is the same for me.  I am not all that God has made me to be yet.  But I possess certain God-given characteristics (as all of us possess) that I am developing over time.  It is a goal or resolution or more importantly a prayer of mine to keep on going and growing and becoming all that God created me for.  As I grow stronger each day, I know I will help more and more people.  I can’t wait!

A Christmas Letter To YOU!!

Dear Family and Friends!

We hope this Christmas letter finds you happy, healthy, and blessed!  As we reflect upon 2011, we remember all the blessings The Lord has given us this year and we thank Jesus for all He has done for us.  I just want to share some of these blessings. 

In March our family traveled to Florida to visit a pharmacist colleague and his wife who vacations in Lakeport and another couple in Jupiter.  We had a blast visiting, and watching the St. Louis Cardinals play baseball during spring training.  Toward the later part of the trip we traveled to beautiful Key West.  We rode bikes all over Key West visiting the Hemmingway House, Mallory Square, Fort Zachary Taylor, southernmost point of the U.S.,  the light  and light house,  and the beach.   

Our family traveled to Breckenridge, Colorado, in August for a Rodgers Family Reunion.  We spent several days in those majestic and beautiful mountains with our cousins.  I am so happy that we renewed our friendships with Kevin, Vicki, and Kathy; those three have a special place in my heart since we were all students at Southwest Baptist University together.  We are so thankful our children met the Rodgers cousins for the first time.  I am so happy to have met Linda, Blaine and Theresa as well as several other cousins for the first time; my life is much richer now. 

We all climbed a 12,000 foot mountain together and our children and other cousins climbed a 14,000 foot mountain on another day.  This was a new experience for me, but I am so glad I persevered through all the huffing and puffing and fatigue to reach the top of the mountain. It was worth it all!  I am grateful to Cousin Kevin for watching over our children and I am grateful to Cousin Theresa for being patient with me.  I was the last one to the top and she stayed with me the whole time.  Christopher, our son, has decided he loves all the adventure Colorado has to offer, such as the mountain biking, climbing mountains, and more.  I know the family gathers once every three years for this event; however, I hope it will be sooner.  Just got to say that I do not think I can wait that long for Linda’s great cooking! 

Steve and I have taken  amazing business trips to Kansas City, Missouri and to Atlanta, Georgia this year.  All I can say is, “We are so blessed!”  We have built relationships with so many inspiring and encouraging people.  Our lives have changed in so many ways.  It has been a dream of mine to make a difference in the lives of people.  When people look at me and say, “Thank you.  You have given me the answer to my prayer”, I know am doing just what God wants me to do.

Our oldest daughter, Stephanie, will be graduating from St. John’s School of Radiological Technology and Stephanie desires to find employment in the Springfield, Missouri area.  Our son, Chris, is taking airplane flight lessons, working as a life guard at the YMCA, and playing his guitar and fiddle.  Our youngest daughter, Hannah, will be graduating Home School High School and has aspirations to attend Southwest Baptist University’s Physical Therapy School.

In the picture you see two guys; one is standing by Stephanie, Jeff Hall.  They have been dating for three years.  Jeff lives in Joplin, Missouri and yes, he and his cousin survived the tornadoes.  They lost of most of their belongings, but are getting their feet back on the ground now.  The other guy standing by Hannah is Jorden Luthy.  They have been dating for a year.  We were blessed to witness The Lord saving Jorden and seeing Jorden baptized this past summer.

This is Steve’s 24^th year at the same pharmacy location.  He is a great guy and has provided for our family very well.  We celebrated our 30^th wedding anniversary in June.  Life has been wonderful!

For years I have said, “When I get more time, I will write my memoirs to leave behind to my children!”  Last summer I asked myself, “Am I just going to talk about it, or am I going to just do it?”  I made the decision to write my memoirs, even if it is only one story per week.  I post a story on a blog every week just to keep myself accountable.  As I wrote and posted, there was something that happened to me that I never considered.  I never thought about how much fun all the reminiscing and writing would be.  Each of these memories is a cherished blessing!  I just look at life with a grateful heart more and more.  Each of you has blessed my life in specials ways.  I thank God for YOU!  The blog address is www.teresa-allyouneedislove.blogspot.com if you choose to read any of the stories and perhaps share any memories you have with me.  I would love hearing from you.

We wish you a wonderful and blessed Christmas Time and New Year (2012)!!!!

Steve, Teresa, Stephanie, Chris, and Hannah

Christmas Program Memories

Sunday night we traveled to Half Way Missionary Baptist Church to see the Christmas Program as we have done for the past 24 years.  Much of my husband’s family attends this church.  This particular Christmas Program was like all others except our children are nearly grown up.

“Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be unto all people.  For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.”  The narrator read from Luke 2:10-11.  While the choir sang, “Angels We Have Heard on High”, I watched the group of angels in an assortment of sizes walk and skip down the aisle to stand behind Mary and Joseph in the front of the church.  I smile and glance at Steve who was sitting beside me.  I saw him brush a tear from his eye.  “Are you okay?” I asked.  He responded, “I am just remembering when our children were younger and participated in the Nativity Story.” 

As we hold hands scattered pictures of our children participating in Christmas programs at Half Way Missionary Baptist Church and Bethel Missionary Baptist Church flood my mind.  Visions of our oldest daughter, Stephanie, age two and dressed in a white angel outfit with a beautiful gold halo, smiling with her arms raised upward.  She said, “Hey, Mom, I sure like the way those wings feel on my back!” 

A picture of our son, Chris, arrayed in a royal red robe and crown, carrying his gift of gold to the Baby Jesus.  His robe fanned outward as he proudly walked to the manger. 

And Hannah, tiptoeing down the aisle, angelically.  She was the youngest and the littlest angel!  Her smile glowed that night.  We were blessed to watch nieces and nephews participate with our children.

 

Many more moments filled my mind.  Our children acted each Nativity Character over the years.  And now our children are all grown up.  And it seems like we only took a breath and the years have passed all too quickly.  I am blessed and filled with joy.  I am thankful for all the wonderful cherished memories.

Lately, a friend once shared with me that she was worried about her young children.  I empathized with her and added, “Just enjoy every moment with your children.  You are a GREAT mother.  Your children will learn.  This journey of raising your children is full of joy, remember to look for it! 

Kate Nowak said in her book, May You Be Blessed, “Joy is everywhere and it is only when I refuse to see it that it appears to be absent from my life.”  We can fret about a crisis we are facing and we can fret about times already passed.  When we do that we do not see the joy that is everywhere and we miss today’s blessing.

Sunday evening I watched our children and niece and nephew, ages ranging from 17 to 30, banter with each other.  These kids were still not too big for a goody bag filled with an apple and candy.  They traded and bargained the candy and teased each other about pretty girls to ask out.  I watched an uncle and nephew tease a little girl and boy about stealing their Christmas gifts, and more.  It is not the end of joyful times, but the beginning of a lifetime filled with joy!

“This is the day the Lord hath made; we will  rejoice and be glad in it.” Psalms 118:24

A Pleasant Task

By Hannah Stewart

The aroma of homemade Chex-mix and warm holiday cookies filled the air as we covered our home in Christmas decorations.  Christmas decorating, making Christmas treats, and watching Christmas movies has always been a joyous and pleasant activity because it brings me closer to my family and reminds me of Christ’s birth.

The day after Thanksgiving was always filled with the preparation of homemade Chex-mix and sugar cookies.  The preparation of the Chex-mix was fun for everyone.  We were all given one item that we would drop in a big black and white speckled baking pot.  Mom would pour the warm mixture of Worcestershire sauce, butter, garlic, and onion salt over the pretzels, cereal, and cashews and then gingerly mix all the items together.  After we finished baking the Chex-mix, we started on the cookies.  We would roll out the soft and buttery tasting cookie dough and become covered in flour.  Next, it was time to pick out the snowmen, Christmas trees, angels, Santa, and star cookie cutters to make the various shapes.  After baking was complete we decorated them with colored icing and colored sprinkles.  We ate them until we were nearly sick from the sugar overload.

While the cookies were cooling we opened the Christmas boxes.  We were excited as we took the Christmas decorations out one by one.  The manger scene was my favorite to place on the mantle above the fireplace.  Mom would give us a camel to unwrap and position on the mantle.  The shepherds, kings, and animals were wrapped in newspaper that always had a unique smell that I loved.  Putting the lights on the Christmas tree was eventful.  It was challenging to agree on which lights to wrap around the Christmas tree.  My older sister, Stephanie, preferred the white lights, and my older brother, Christopher and I preferred the colored lights.  After much debate and discussion and laughing, we settled on the colored lights.  The snow village was one of our favorites.  It was especially difficult to find a place for it.  I loved spreading out the cotton that looked like snow, setting up the houses in little rows, and placing the people outside the houses.

At the end of a busy day, we stood back and observed all that we had accomplished.  We were tired to the bone.  It was the perfect time to eat our Christmas snacks while watching Christmas movies.  Finding the Christmas movies was difficult sometimes since they were in the very back of the video cabinet.  We had to decide exactly which one we wanted to watch first.  Frosty The Snowman, The Little Drummer Boy, The Muppets Christmas Carol, Christmas With The Kranks, The Santa Clause, and Rudolf The Red-Nosed Reindeer were some of our choices.  We decided on Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer since he was bold and courageous.  As we watched Rudolf we curled up under a furry warm blanket.  Eating our freshly prepared snacks and drinking the hot chocolate with marshmallows, we felt quite in the Christmas mood.

Mary's Little Boy Child

Many times in life I just need to stop and reflect upon the Gifts of God whether it be the rush of the Christmas Season or any day of the year.  On a particular evening I was sitting in my favorite chair, listening to music, praying to God, and allowing my mind to focus on the love of God. I received a great blessing.

It was during the Christmas Holidays I was rocking one or our children to sleep.  The house was dark except for the Christmas lights on the tree and on the fireplace mantle surrounding the Nativity scene.  Holding and rocking my child, I admired the beauty of the lights and Mary, Joseph, Baby Jesus, the shepherds, the kings, angels, and so on.  I whispered to my child about the love that came down from Heaven.  At the same time we listened to Christmas music.  One of my favorite Christmas songs, “Mary’s Little Boy Child”, began; I just relaxed and listened to the words of that wonderful song. 

Long time ago in Bethlehem -

So the Holy Bible say,

Mary’s boy child, Jesus Christ,

Was born on Christmas Day

Hark now hear the angel sing,

New King’s born today,

And man will live forevermore -

Because of Christmas Day

Shepherds watched their flocks by night –

They saw a bright, new, shining star

And heard a choir –

From Heaven sing,

The music came from afar

Hark now hear the angel sing,

New King’s born today,

And man will live forevermore -

Because of Christmas Day

Now, Joseph and his wife, Mary –

Came to Bethlehem that night,

They found no place to bear her child,

Not a single room was in sight,

By and by they found a little nook

In a stable all forlorn,

And in a manger, cold and dark,

Mary’s little boy child was born,

Trumpets sound and angels sing,

Listen to what they say,

That man will live forevermore

Because of Christmas Day.

As I rocked and listened, I was grateful to be a mother.  There is no words to describe the feeling of rocking my children to sleep, holding and hugging them and feeling his or her softness, smelling their sweetness, and loving them.  When the song ended, I thought that Mary must have had these same feelings. 

I wondered if Mary, Joseph, the shepherds, and the wise men have any stress like all of us do to some extent.  Of course, they did.  You see, I had allowed trials to dim my view of the blessings of this Christmas.  Everything had to be just right, I had to please everyone, attend events, shop, bake, and the list goes on.  We have all been here sometime whether it is Christmas or just life in general.  On that evening I was frustrated.

I looked at Mary, Joseph, the shepherds, and the wise men again.  They all came to see the Christ Child and they all needed Jesus, as do all of us.  I was reminded and realized that Jesus wants us to come to Him and allow Him to take the stress and the burdens away.  He only wants us to trust Him.  How difficult can that be?  I felt a quiet peacefulness there in the family room holding my child and I knew God was and will continue to be in control of my life.  I felt the stress diminish and disappear.  I felt like I was wrapped in Jesus’ arms just as my child was wrapped in my arms.

I stood up and carried my sleeping child to their crib.  Right before I laid them down, I kissed their sweet head.  I walked back into the family room to turn the music and the Christmas lights off and I remembered one of my favorite Bible verses found in Luke 2:10 -11, “Fear not:  for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.  For unto you is born this day in the city of David of Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

Is Santa Claus Real or a Fairy Tale?

When I became 6 years old, I began to question the realness of Santa Claus from little things people said.  I, also, could not imagine my parents lying to me about this.  I was confused until one Christmas…

“It is time for you kids to hop in bed and go to sleep or Santa will not come!” my parents told my younger brother, Buddy, and me.  It is always so difficult to fall asleep on Christmas Eve.  I tried to stay awake, because I longed to see Santa Claus.  Is he real or not?  I awoke Christmas morning; in fact, I awoke before anyone.  I listened for noise in the kitchen.  No one was up yet so I quietly slipped out of bed and slowly crept to the family room to look for the gifts under the Christmas tree.

I stopped in my tracks and quickly took in a breath of air!  The tree appeared to be just as it was the day before.  Nothing!  No gifts!  I thought that maybe Santa had not arrived yet.  He is busy, but it was daylight.  No, that was not it.  My next thought was that my brother and I did not earn our gifts by being good kids.  I tried everyday, but I must not have been good enough.  Holding my head down, I slowly walked back to bed.  As I lay there, I cried a little as I thought the whole situation over.

Shortly, I heard my parents brewing coffee and preparing breakfast.  I heard my Mom tell my Dad that she was going to put the gifts under the tree, while he went to milk the cows at my grandparent’s farm.  “What?” I questioned my Mom’s statement.  I heard my Dad leave in his rumbling truck and my Mom drag a huge box into the family room.  I snuck out of bed and tiptoed to the family room for the second time that morning.  I witness my Mom setting wrapped gifts under the tree.  “Hmmmm.”  I went back to bed to think some more. 

I concluded that there is no Santa Claus, because Santa Claus puts gifts under the tree, not my parents.  Where did the gifts come from?  I decided the gifts were from my parents.  I pondered this for a few minutes.  I thought, “Wow, it certainly was nice of them!”  I felt happy to know they cared so much.  Should I tell my parents that I knew?  Should I tell my brother?  No, absolutely not.  Why should I ruin all the fun my parents were having?  And why should I ruin it all for my brother?  I decided to play along with their little scheme.  After all it was going to be a great Christmas Day!

A few Christmases later my brother was 6 years old and I was 8 years old.  His peers at school told him that there was no Santa Claus.  He was devastated.  At supper my parents told both of us there is no Santa Claus.  Buddy was crying.  My parents looked at me questioningly.  I said, “I know!  I had known for a long time.”  “What?  How did you find out?  And why didn’t you share that information with us?”  I told them the whole story.  I am a mature 8 years old and not a baby anymore!

They were both quite surprised!  My Dad said laughingly, “Well, I guess the joke has been on us the whole time!  We thought you didn’t know, but we were the ones who didn’t know!”