Alive Again

Well, how was your Thanksgiving?

Ours was full.  Full days, full bellies, full shopping carts.

I loved having nothing to do except to make memories with my family.  We ate yummy food, played lots of board games, watched lots of movies.  I even squeezed in a mommy/daughter date to have our nails done!

Sadly to say I did not get to take any pictures of us on Thanksgiving day with our family.   But I did grab this video of Baby Yahoo doing his 'dance' as he turns on this toy and spins around for what seems like an eternity.  In doing so he gets a little, let's say, hammered.





I feel bad encouraging this drunken stupor.  But it's just too funny to pass up.  Don't you agree?


I did, though, snap several shots of the Yahoos for our Christmas card.  The following didn't make the card, but are worthy of a blog post.

Baby Yahoo learning harmonica

Goofball

Irresistible

A real treasure.  I never get a pic of just me with The Honey.

I have no words.

Since we had some down time over the weekend I had a chance one night to do some reading with Sweet Yahoo out of The Jesus Storybook Bible.

I really like this book.  It is a collection of Bible stories, but with the story of Jesus weaved throughout.  It shows how even when God was building relationships with Abraham, Moses, and David he was preparing everyone for Jesus.  And how the redemption of His people will ultimately lead to the redemption of all peoples through His Son.

The story we read was when Jesus raised Jairus' daughter.  I paused as Sweet Yahoo read this part:

"'Honey,' he said, 'it's time to get up.' And he reached down into death and gently brought the little girl back to life."

That part 'he reached down into death.'

The truth of that resonates in me.  I have to remind myself to breathe again.

The times that are the most precious to me are when Jesus reaches down into my daily  deaths and brings me back to life.

I have flashbacks of seasons in my life that I was on the verge of death;  The agony and guilt of a car wreck that went horribly wrong,  the crippling loneliness and fear of being a new mom so far away from my own family, the seed of bitterness that grew up in me from withholding forgiveness from a person who hurt me. The list could go on and on.

All of these times, whether they were induced by my sin or my circumstances, had me on the precipice of a type of spiritual death.  But Jesus, who is rich in mercy, reached down into my death and spoke those words to me:

'Honey, it's time to get up.'

And just like that His Word healed my disease.

He is the LORD, my Healer.

Each of these resurrections, these moments when my heart is restarted by His precious still small voice, jolts me back to life.  With eyes wide open I gasp for his Holy Spirit to breathe new life to these weary bones and calloused heart.  My heart begins beating a new rhythm.  A more joyful rhythm.  And just like a pacemaker for our physical hearts, His grace and truth is the pacemaker for my spiritual heart.

Now, for the record, being renewed, being made new  is not fun.  But it is necessary for that abundant life that He promised (John 10:10).  And after 33 years I have finally decided that I cannot settle for anything less.  

So I work at daily surrender.  Dying my daily deaths in exchange for the ultimate living.