It’s that time of year again and I am so excited to begin planning for another Christ-centered Christmas!

As always, God has given me a new endeavor for this fall. He has lead me to offer this plan as a class at our church. I am super thrilled to get to meet each week with a group of ladies who are interested in transforming their Christmas celebrations. This class will be an action oriented time where we work on everything from list making to hand made gifts. We will also walk through a devotional that celebrates Christ through the entire process.

For those who are not in this area or are unable to attend, don’t feel like you will be missing out! I will be posting everything we are doing on our forum and blog. I am excited about all the new and fun ideas that will be coming from this class.

For those who are local; come join us! We will begin meeting on Sunday, September 5th and will meet each Sunday evening until November 21st. Look for more details through the Women’s Ministry at the church.

Also, I know many of you have trouble remembering your user name and/or password to get onto the forum each year. Feel free to email me and I will look it up for you. I promise you will not be the only one – I get LOTS of requests for this. It is super easy for me to find and send back to you, so don’t let this keep you from joining in on all the fun!

Looking forward to getting started! It won’t be the same without you so I hope you will join us for another fun year!!!

Desiring to be all about Him,
Angela Turner

It’s that time of year again and I am so excited to begin planning for another Christ-centered Christmas!

As always, God has given me a new endeavor for this fall. He has lead me to offer this plan as a class at our church. I am super thrilled to get to meet each week with a group of ladies who are interested in transforming their Christmas celebrations. This class will be an action oriented time where we work on everything from list making to hand made gifts. We will also walk through a devotional that celebrates Christ through the entire process.

For those who are not in this area or are unable to attend, don’t feel like you will be missing out! I will be posting everything we are doing on our forum and blog. I am excited about all the new and fun ideas that will be coming from this class.

For those who are local; come join us! We will begin meeting on Sunday, September 5th and will meet each Sunday evening until November 21st. Look for more details through the Women’s Ministry at the church.

Also, I know many of you have trouble remembering your user name and/or password to get onto the forum each year. Feel free to email me and I will look it up for you. I promise you will not be the only one – I get LOTS of requests for this. It is super easy for me to find and send back to you, so don’t let this keep you from joining in on all the fun!

Looking forward to getting started! It won’t be the same without you so I hope you will join us for another fun year!!!

Desiring to be all about Him,
Angela Turner

That’s How Much He Loves You

While He was still in heaven He knew why He would come to earth. He knew every detail and all He would face and still, He made the decision to come. John 1:1-3&14
That’s how much He loves you.

Can you imagine living each day of your life knowing the day you would die and that it would be a horrible death? That is exactly what He chose to do. Philippians 2:6-8
That’s how much He loves you.

He spent each day of His life knowing when the time came, they would all abandon Him. Still, He lovingly served, patiently taught and generously granted mercy and grace to those around Him.
John 16:32, I Timothy 1:15-16
That’s how much He loves you.

That night He knelt in the garden, overcome with sorrow over the path set before Him. Nevertheless, He stood to follow His Father’s will. Matthew 26:36-39
That’s how much He loves you.

Betrayed by one of His dearest friends, He simply accepted what was done.
Matthew 26:47-50
That’s how much He loves you.

With an angry crowd surrounding Him with weapons and swords, He went with them willingly.
John 18:3-5
That’s how much He loves you.

He was beaten and mocked again and again, yet He never said a word. Isaiah 53:7
That’s how much He loves you.

He was falsely accused yet He did not defend Himself.
Mark 14:55-61a &15:2-5
That’s how much He loves you.

The King of Kings and Lord of Lords submittingly stood before them, allowing Himself to be tried and punished.
Revelation 17:14
That’s how much He loves you.

He stood sinless as they demanded His crucifixion over a man who had committed horrible crimes. Mark 15:6-15
That’s how much He loves you.

He endured excruciating physical attacks as they mockingly put a king’s robe on Him and pushed a crown of thorns into his head. Matthew 27:27-30
That’s how much He loves you.

The angels of heaven were poised and ready to respond to His call for rescue, yet He never said a word. Matthew 26:53
That’s how much He loves you.

So beaten down, He needed help carrying His own cross. Still, He continued on.
Matthew 27:32
That’s how much He loves you.

They used nails piercing His hands and feet to attach His broken body to the splintered wooden cross, yet He did not struggle against them. Isaiah 53:5
That’s how much He loves you.

Those He came to save gambled for His clothes, insulted and mocked Him, still He hung there for hours. Matthew 27:35
That’s how much He loves you.

They said “HE saved others, but He can’t save Himself!” He chose not to prove them wrong. Matthew 27:39-44
That’s how much He loves you.

In the midst of all the pain, He prayed “Father forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.” Luke 23:34
That’s how much He loves you.

Even in His death, He was still caring for the needs of those around Him.
Luke 23:39-43 & John 19:26-27
That’s how much He loves you.

He lived a sinless life, yet He chose to take on the sins of the world.
Isaiah 53:11 & I John 2:2
That’s how much He loves you.

He knew He would have to be forsaken by His Father while He took our sins upon Him, still He chose to take them all. Matthew 27:45-46
That’s how much He loves you.

When He had completed the work His Father had given Him, The Holy Son of God died.
John19:28-30
That’s how much He loves you.

“He was wounded for our transgressions;
He was crushed for our iniquities;
upon Him was the chastisement that brought us peace,
and by His wounds we are healed.”
Isaiah 53:5
That’s how much He loves you.

I love the natural motivation it brings.

It causes me to evaluate where I am.

Where I am in my relationship with Christ,

in my relationship with my husband,

in my relationship with my kids,

in my homekeeping,

in my ministry,

where I am in my, well – everything!

Show me Lord, show me Your plans for me in 2010.

Not my will, but Yours.

Show me how to be more of who You want me to be.

Show me how to continue to grow closer to You.

Show me how to be the wife and mother You know I can be.

Show me how to be a blessing to those you put around me.

Show me Lord.

Read through the lyrics.

You can also listen to it with the link below…

It’s still a mystery to me
That the hands of God could be so small,
How tiny fingers reaching in the night
Were the very hands that measured the sky

Hallelujah, hallelujah
Heaven’s love reaching down to save the world
Hallelujah, hallelujah
Son of God, Servant King,
You’re here with us
You’re here with us

It’s still a mystery to me,
How His infant eyes have seen the dawn of time
How His ears have heard an angel’s symphony,
But still Mary had to rock her Savior to sleep

Hallelujah, hallelujah
Heaven’s love reaching down to save the world
Hallelujah, hallelujah
Son of God, Servant King
Here with us
You’re here with us

Jesus the Christ, born in Bethlehem
A baby born to save, to save the souls of man

Hallelujah, hallelujah
Heaven’s love reaching down to save the world
Hallelujah, hallelujah
Son of God, Servant King
You’re here with us
You’re here with us

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=om5-95_Byjo

“But when the fullness of time had come…”

All week I was thinking about our current place in time and how that relates to Christmas.

Our current place in time is in the middle.

What am I talking about?  In the middle?

I really like boiling things down to the simplest level.  I try not to get too buried in the complexities until I have first started with the groundwork.  In our timeline’s simplest form I see it like this…

Before Christ Came

1^st Coming

In the Middle

2^nd Coming

The prophesies were made and so many waited and anticipated the promised Savior’s birth.  They didn’t know it, but they were waiting for the very first Christmas.  Words can never express all Christ accomplished in His first coming (John 21:25), but we know He came; He lived, He healed, He taught, He died and rose again completing the work God the Father had given Him.  Then, He promised He would come back again.  We live in anticipation of His coming again – in the middle of the two comings.

What an amazing blessing it is to live here and now – in the middle.

We celebrate Christmas because we live in the middle.

When the fullness of time had come, He was born.

The fullness of time is coming again.

I have always celebrated Christ’s birth at Christmas, but I don’t think I have previously thought a lot about what took place just before that incredible birth actually happened.

Can you imagine the conversations that must have taken place between God and Jesus?

Can you imagine what heaven must have been like knowing the time for Christ to be born had come?

There is so much to take in and consider, but the biggest truth God has been talking to me about this morning is…

Jesus

chose

to

come

I have been reading in John chapter 1 today and through these verses I have been trying to wrap my head around all that means…

Jesus chose to be born.

He chose to become flesh (a little baby) and dwell among us. – John 1:14

I can not imagine what it must have been like for one part of the Holy Trinity to be born into this world as a baby.

I have no way to even begin to comprehend all He left behind to come

and

yet

God’s Son;

GOD’S

SON

DECIDED

to

do

exactly

that.

He knew what this world was like.

He knew why He was coming.

He knew what He would endure while He was here.

He knew He would come to His own and His own would not receive Him. – John 1:11

And

Still

He

Chose

To

Come.

That’s how much He loves you and me.

“The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.  He was in the world, and the world was made though him, yet the world did not know him.  He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him.  But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God”

John 1:9-12 esv

God has had me in Galatians this morning; particularly chapters 3 and 4.

As I have been talking to God about preparing my heart for Christmas, He has been teaching me to see the bigger picture of all we are truly celebrating.

I have always spent time at Christmas focusing on all that surrounded Jesus being born.  I would consider and reflect on a young engaged couple, a journey with a donkey, an innkeeper, a manger, shepherds and angels, kings bringing gifts and all the details of that amazing story.

Now, I am coming to realize that remembering the story surrounding Christ’s birth is only

a

small

part

of

the

whole

celebration.

“Christ came” seems so small in relation to the truth of that moment in history.

God has been teaching me that Christmas is so much more than the manger scene.

“But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of woman…”

Galatians 4:4 esv

The coming of the promised Savior marked an amazing moment in time.

It was THE beginning of God’s plan set in motion.

Without Christmas there would be no Easter.

Without a birth there would be no cross.

This December, I am going to be spending time on my knees, at His feet and in His Word learning straight from God Himself to see the bigger picture of CHRISTmas and blogging about what He is teaching me.

Want to join me?

I heard a lady at a store yesterday…

(yes, Stacey and I braved black Friday again, but that is another post)

The lady at the store was describing her turkey disaster.

We purchased ours, so no drama at my house (this year)

We did have a dog grab a turkey leg off the counter last year – lol!

We had a wonderful day with yummy food and lots of loved ones.

I truly have SO MUCH to be thankful for.

Monday – Christ-centered Christmas Day

I will be working on any preparations I need to make for the Christ-Centered Christmas ideas I want to include in our 2009 holiday.

Monday – The Charlie Brown Christmas frames.  I’m so excited to add this to my decorations this year along with my little Charlie Brown tree.

Tuesday – Post Day

I will be working on my Christmas cards and packages I am planning to mail.

Tuesday – I am working on 10 cards a day to get them finished up by next week.

Wednesday – Gift List Day

I will be working on finishing off my gift list, stocking list and handmade gifts.

Wednesday – I polished off 6 handmade gifts.

Thursday – Menu Day

I will be working on my holiday menus as well as holiday meal planning needs.

Thursday – finalized all Thanksgiving plans with family members and ordered our ham.

Friday – Home Keeping/Traveling Day

I will work on my home decorating plans as well as my prep for guests.  If you will be traveling this holiday, work on travel plans on this day as well.

Friday – I scheduled a one time cleaning with a maid service for the week of Thanksgiving.  This is a gift from my sweet mom!  Have I written lately about how much I LOVE my mom???

Saturday – Major Progress Day

Saturday – I made the most of my major progress day!  My daughter and I spent a big part of the day out shopping.  I picked up several stocking stuffers, some items I needed to finish off my last handmade gift, found one more gift and bought the non-perishable groceries for Thanksgiving.

I hope you had a great week too!