Christmas Preparation

It seems that I never stop preparing Christmas gifts!  Yesterday, I learned that my younger brother, John, and his wife, Cathy, are driving to Oklahoma for Christmas.  Mom should be very happy!  All 6 of her kids will be here for the holidays.   Bill and I are hosting my brothers and wives, and my mother for Christmas dinner.  Later, our kids will arrive for New Year's weekend.

Tomorrow night, is our choir potluck and practice.  I spent yesterday at the grocery store.  Every year, I make sherbet and ginger ale punch.  I'll be baking a chocolate bundt cake this morning.

Last Sunday, the choir sang "Repeat the Sounding Joy" from our musical.  It is so Branson style.  We love it!   This Sunday, we will sing "Come On, Ring Those Bells".  And on the 16th, we will sing the entire musical.

Again, I enjoyed spending Tuesday morning at St. Anthony Hospital - Shawnee.  I met an American Indian lady who wanted a priest.  I told her that I had requested one, but I knew God really well.  She asked me to pray for her.  After I prayed, I began singing to her.  She had never heard, "Jesus Loves Me"  and looked into my eyes very intensely.  When I finished, she thanked me and began to cry.  I am learning every week that people don't know, or understand how much they are loved by God!  As humans, we can't comprehend divine love until we have experienced it.  Some have only known judgement, and punishment from their parents.

As I mentioned in my previous blog, Bill has 2 atheists in his "Christian Worldview" class.  It is required by Gand Canyon University or they wouldn't be taking this class.  One of the students just cannot wrap his head around the idea of something existing that he can't see.  As a nursing student he will have to come to grips with that concept.  Also, he can't understand why God would send His son to die for people.  The first problem is accepting the fact that we are sinners who make mistakes, and need to be punished. You really have to humble yourself to see that.  However, the good news is that we have been forgiven.  I have a California license plate on my computer desk that reads, "NOT PERFECT - JUST FORGIVEN.

This week, Bill has started reading the Book of Revelation to me.  That use to be a difficult book to understand, but it is becoming more clear now.  It is an exciting time to be alive and watch the predictions come true!  The weather, the nuclear wars, the famines, and the dissolution of our governement......Wow!  It is absolutely the will of God that Obama be president.  We have a leader who has put fear into the hearts of the nation, and assures them that they can trust him.  People are like sheep, and will follow him off the edge of the cliff if need be.  If the economy of the United States can be flattened and everyone is depending on the government, the 666 can move right in and completely take over.  I am again reminded of my experience in East Germany before the wall was taken down.  I was not allowed to buy anything in the grocery store because I did not have a card!  (Food Stamps?)  They would not accept my East German marks.  The 666 cannot take over until the US dollar is worthless.  We now have a World Banking system, the computer is in place, English is the world language, and the UN is becoming stronger.  We don't know if 666 is a person or an organization, but we do know that it is anti-God, and that Christians will be persecuted.  I am sure, however, that Jesus will come back for his kids before He allows Israel to be destroyed.  He has protected the Jewish people since he made his promise to Abraham.  He is not a liar!  And He has a reputation to keep!      I have peace and happiness in my heart knowing that God is in control, even if my world is falling apart around me.  Thank you God for Christmas time!!