WHAT'S IN YOUR HEART?

We have spent alot of time talking about our hearts in this Christmas season. We talked about them at the Ladies Brunch, the Church Christmas Dinner, and the youth Christmas party. Much of what we have said or heard was not new to us...and at times it was said just because it was what a missionary should say at Christmas time. That is until Saturday night at around 11 PM. We received a phone call from Michigan saying "Mom is in intensive care. Her heart is not working correctly."

POW!

All of a sudden all at that heart talk took on new meaning. It was a long night as we waited to hear what would happen next. As I sat in my livingroom thousands of miles from my mommy, I had time to really think about hearts. I do not have words to express how deeply the idea of my mom's heart not being okay physically, has affected how clearly I have seen the many mal-functioning spiritual hearts around me. That awareness grew tremendously on Sunday morning when my mother crying on the phone said " No don't come home, I will be alright and you have things to do there." We talked about the Christmas program that would happen later in the day. Earlier in the week we gave out 100 invitations. My Mom, she has her spiritual heart right where it should be. I hope I am that brave when my children say "It's time for me to go Mom."

On Monday at noon, my mom was fitted with a pacemaker. She is doing great! She may even be home in time for Christmas dinner! Most people get battery operated toys...but my mom well she is now my battery operated supermom. Actually the pacemaker is just a detail. I think she is really a Holy Spirit-operated super testimony. Please thank God with me for a Christian mother who even in dificult times keeps her eyes on the Christ of Christmas! Please pray for her recovery and all the lifestyle changes she needs to make now.

Lots of people came to the Christmas program. The kids, teens and adults did an excellent job of sharing the need for Jesus Christ to be born in each of our hearts! I pray that Christ is the center of your heart and Christmas!

70 people in two 10 by 12 foot rooms

We were packed in like sardines but we were happy sardines! Last night was our Christmas supper at the church. We have 6 tables, 35 chairs, and 15 benchs. The food was great. The games were a blast! The fellowship and friendships strengthened were awesome. I will try to post a picture tomorrow as I can't find the camera now.

One of the best Mexican Christmas traditions...

We are having our Christmas dinner at church on Saturday night. Clemen one of the ladies is going to make pozole!

Pozole (from Spanish pozole, from Nahuatl potzolli; variant spellings: posole, posolé, pozolé, pozolli, posol) is a traditional pre-Columbian soup or stew made from hominy, with pork (or other meat), chile, and other seasonings and garnish, such as cabbage, lettuce, oregano, cilantro, avocado, radish, lime juice, etc. There are a number of variations on pozole, including blanco (white or clear), verde (green), de frijol (with beans), and elopozole

You can see how to make at the following webpage:

http://www.fronterakitchens.com/television/episodes/pozole_party.html

How I woke up this past week...

Tuesday 4AM: "mom....Mom...MOM...I'm in the bathroom pukeing..." TJ
Wednesday 3AM: "honey...Honey...HONEY...(Loud barfing) Antonio
Thursday ?AM: Diana running to the bathroom
Friday: Diana still running to the bathroom
Saturday 5AM: neighbor's kareoke party still going strong
Sunday 4AM: "Honey, Diana, I have this great idea. Tell me what you think okay?"
Sunday 6AM: "Mom, I don't feel very well." Alyssa
Monday 7AM: "mom...mom...MOM...I went downstairs and the Christmas tree is tipped over and a lot of ornaments are broken..."
Scented candles are one of my favorite things. When I am stressed they are calming.
TODAY I LIT ALL OF THE CANDLES THAT ARE IN THE HOUSE! Like the two pictured here, I am hoping for a little peace and joy!
It is going to be a good but busy week! We have the ABWE Christmas party, the Youth Group Christmas party, and a Christmas dinner at the church. We also have 2 different couples in weekly marriage counselling and a family has asked for family counselling. Plus the normal church activities and homeschooling. I think I'll go light another candle.

What will you give Jesus this Christmas?

Saturday 3 AM: I put the finishing touches on the house in preparation for the ladies Christmas brunch. The brunch would begin in 7 hours. I was kind of crabby due to lateness of the hour and the extra busyness that a perfectionist puts on herself. I decided to run through the Powerpoint for the talk and then go to bed. The title of the talk, "What will you give Jesus?" As I flipped through the slides, this small inner voice said, "You are going to talk about focusing on Christ this Christmas, but it's 3 in the morning and you are focusing on what?" I ignored it for about 5 more slides. Then a picture of Jesus on the cross appeared on the screen with the words of John 3:16. I turned off the computer and simply fell to my knees in the middle of the livingroom. After admitting or should I say confessing my lack of "practicing what I preach," I just got "still and knew that God is God!"



Saturday 9:30 AM: I looked out the bedroom window, as I brushed my hair one last time, before everyone arrived. There were 27 ladies standing in front of my house! In the land of "everyone is always late" they were early! Almost all of them were from Valle Dorado (mother church to the church we are planting!) As I opened the door, the van pulled up with another 16 ladies from Las Trojes!

Saturday 10AM: The music started and 43 ladies broke into song. Joy to the World filled the cul de sac where we live! After singing several Christmas carols, they each introduced themselves by answering several questions. One of them was, How long have you been saved? All of them were saved! Their time saved ranged from one and one half years to 51 years! Thus my livingroom/diningroom area was filled to overflowing with Christians! I know that many of you attend churches with many more saved women than that. Here in Mexico that just isn't an everyday occurrence! I do not have the words to describe the next 4 hours of praying, teaching, sharing, laughing, crying, singing, eating, doing the craft, and fellowshiping. What a privilege to witness how God answered your prayers for the brunch! A couple of times, I just stood back and observed everyone. My joy was complete when I saw the woman who has been saved for 51 years exchanging phone numbers with the woman who has been saved one and one half years!

Our challenge in the talk was three fold.

This Christmas we will:

-recognize that the cute baby in that manger scene was born knowing full well He would die a cruel death to pay for our sins in 30 some years.

-in gratitude, choose to live the same kind of sacrificial life for the honor and glory of our Lord.

-choose to sit at Jesus' feet instead of going to Walmart, the zocalo, or the Christmas bazaar!