Christmas on my mind

I must admit, I have Christmas preparations on my mind right now. Yes, it is far too early to think about pulling out the decorations, but not too early to plan menus and all the goodies for the children that will be under the tree. Financially speaking, I think it's best to plan ahead and not wait until the last minute. I am also going to gift wrap ahead this year. In the past I have had marathon wrapping sessions and this year I prefer to eat that particular elephant one bite at a time. I am going to wrap presents as they are purchased.

On a different note, we have been having wonderful sermons the past several weeks at church out of the book of Malachi. Our preacher has done a wonderful job of conveying the message of that book and it has been a very enriching experience. Perhaps if I have the time over the weekend I can share my notes on his sermons.

The house is quiet right now. We just finished lunch and the children are attending to their work. I will soon have to get back to mine. We will take one short jaunt out today to purchase some last minute items for this week & weekend. My daughter also wants to go visit her grandmother's grave, so we will stop and get some flowers and then proceed on to the gravesite. It is very cold (despite a bright sun) and we will have to bundle up so as to not catch a chill.

That's all I have time for right now. Blessings to all my blogging sisters!

A quick post

It's been so long since I have blogged on a regular basis. I am going to try and do better. I could regale you with all the stories and circumstances that have kept me away from this keyboard, but really ~ does it matter? Lol...

I have had a very long and fast paced day today. I am now sitting for a while with a cup of hot tea to relax just a bit before my husband gets home. I have classical music playing in the background, but my daughter also has her teeny bopper music playing so the sounds surrounding me are not quite as relaxing as I had hoped. :-) Oh well, those sounds will be gone too soon. I spent the first half of the day running bill errands and the children worked on school assignments. The second half of the day was spent shopping ~ trying to fill in gaps in the children's wardrobes here and there where certain items have been out grown. (Can you believe the cost of clothing now??) I had hoped to fit in a trip to Hobby Lobby today, but after taking care of the children's needs and groceries it was simply not to be. ((Sigh)) Oh well, perhaps another time. :-)

Well, I really must get my mind pointed toward getting dinner on the table. But I will be back. I promise.

"I have loved you...And you have snuffed at it"

Malachi 1:2 ~ "I have loved you," says the LORD

First of all I would like to say how wonderfully comforting that sentence is. I think that sometimes we get into the frame of mind of thinking about God in terms of what He wants us to do and how He wants us to do it while forgetting that all of that is backed by a love so immense that we cannot comprehend it. I think that we are given an earthly glimpse into that love with our relationship with our children and the love we have for them.

In Malachi chapter one God is dealing with the Israelites post excile. He expressed his love for them but they responded with, "How have you loved us?"

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Malachi 1:6-14

6 "A son honors his father, and a servant his master. If I am a father, where is the honor due me? If I am a master, where is the respect due me?" says the LORD Almighty. "It is you, O priests, who show contempt for my name. "But you ask, 'How have we shown contempt for your name?'
7 "You place defiled food on my altar. "But you ask, 'How have we defiled you?' "By saying that the LORD's table is contemptible. 8 When you bring blind animals for sacrifice, is that not wrong? When you sacrifice crippled or diseased animals, is that not wrong? Try offering them to your governor! Would he be pleased with you? Would he accept you?" says the LORD Almighty.
9 "Now implore God to be gracious to us. With such offerings from your hands, will he accept you?"-says the LORD Almighty.
10 "Oh, that one of you would shut the temple doors, so that you would not light useless fires on my altar! I am not pleased with you," says the LORD Almighty, "and I will accept no offering from your hands. 11 My name will be great among the nations, from the rising to the setting of the sun. In every place incense and pure offerings will be brought to my name, because my name will be great among the nations," says the LORD Almighty.
12 "But you profane it by saying of the Lord's table, 'It is defiled,' and of its food, 'It is contemptible.' 13 And you say, 'What a burden!' and you sniff at it contemptuously," says the LORD Almighty. "When you bring injured, crippled or diseased animals and offer them as sacrifices, should I accept them from your hands?" says the LORD. 14 "Cursed is the cheat who has an acceptable male in his flock and vows to give it, but then sacrifices a blemished animal to the Lord. For I am a great king," says the LORD Almighty, "and my name is to be feared among the nations.

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Look at verse 13. "What a burden!" It is hard to believe that a people that had been so blessed and protected by God would ever express themselves thusly.

Is it possible for us to have this attitude towards God as well? Of course it is! How many times have we, as a people, complained that a church service is too long, that reading the Bible is boring or that we "don't get anything out of it?"

The Lord tells us exactly how he deals with such attitudes in verse 14. ~~

"But cursed be the deceiver..." Malachi called those who thought God would be satisfied with just any kind of lifestyle a deceiver. He not only called them a deceiver, but he told them they were "cursed" before God.

Let us not snuff at the love of God and His commandments!