Oh where is my hairbrush....

I actually know exactly where my hairbrush is. It's on my bathroom counter. Broken.

*sigh*

I recognize that I can easily stop by Target today and buy a new hairbrush for likely less than five dollars even if I'm splurging on the fancy kind. But this is a prime example of how we take simple everyday things for granted.

You see it's not that it was a super special hairbrush or anything, I don't even remember when or where I got it, but I'm fairly certain that I've been using the same hairbrush for the better part of 10 years without fail.  So when the head of said hairbrush decided to detach itself from the handle mid blow dry you can understand the brief moment of panic and despair that I felt when my good and faithful companion of more than a decade was rendered useless in my hands!

Now I'm sure you're sitting there thinking, Amy, get it together, it's an inanimate object to which you should have zero emotional attachment. You're probably also wondering why you read this inane blog where some woman is droning on and on about a broken hairbrush. Both are reasonable thoughts to be having at this point.

Long story short (too late) I somehow drew a connection this morning between my silly, broken hairbrush and all of the really important things in our lives like family and friends, and health and safety, that we take equally for granted each day. Somehow I have to believe that this was one of those God moments when He uses seemingly insignificant things to make a much more significant change in our hearts.

So I'll leave you with that thought and point you in the direction of Larry the Cucumber of Veggie Tales, who also knows what it's like to have an all-too-strong attachment to one's hairbrush (at least I actually HAVE hair).

90s Sunday School Kids Rejoice!

Let every heart, prepare Him room...

December 11th and a very happy birthday to my sweet little nephew who is turning TWO today!

I'm sure all of you are preparing for the holidays just like me and everyone else we know...

Checking the lights...

Finding the perfect gifts....

and eating way more food at every holiday party, cookie exchange, and potluck than should even be humanly acceptable.  

It's easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of the season - I am just as guilty - with so much going on it's hard to even fit everything in! I've heard that from so many more people this year too - perhaps because Thanksgiving fell so late in November.  Everyone seems just that much more in a rush to finish their shopping and plan their parties and send out Christmas cards, and get the decorations up.

Maybe that's why I have found myself meditating more lately on the line from 'Joy to the World' that titles this post:

"Let every heart, prepare Him room..."

Prepare - we certainly spend the month of December preparing for this, that, and the other thing don't we? I could go on and on about how much I prepare for, well, everything in my life (we'll address my OCD planning issues later...) and the Christmas season is no different.

As I really reflect on that verse however, I find myself a little convicted.  I mean on one hand, I'm TOTALLY prepared - my shopping is done, gifts are ready to be wrapped and shipped, my cards are in the mail, my decorations have been up since the weekend after Thanksgiving.  I'm FULLY prepared for the holiday season aren't I?

On the other hand, have I really prepared my heart, prepared room in it for Him, for the newborn Savior? After all, that's what the Advent season is all about.  A somber time for reflection and preparation for the coming of the King.  Somber....yeah...I think we can all admit this time of year tends to be anything but somber.

So Christmas is just two weeks away, and tonight as I sat in my church's Wednesday night Advent service, I listened to our pastor talk about Zechariah and how he was dwelling in God and His Word even as his wife Elizabeth was pregnant and subsequently gave birth to a child that she was never supposed to be able to have.  Despite the momentous things around him, despite all the hustle and bustle, he found his quiet place and time to give glory to God and to really tune into what God's purpose was for him and for this new child who would soon be known as John the Baptist, and for all of the other things happening around him.

What a beautiful lesson for all of us as we countdown the next 14 days!  How can we prepare Him room?  How can we dwell in the true meaning of the blessings He has given and what He means for us to do with them to serve others? I hope to focus more on this idea in the next two weeks and I hope you will find a quiet place and time do so with me!

Love Does

I've never written a book review on the blog before but if ever there was a place to start it is with the book "Love Does" by Bob Goff.  The style of writing is hard to describe.  Basically each chapter is a short story that Bob tells using experiences that he has encountered throughout his life. In addition to being the best-selling author of Love Does, Bob is also an attorney and founder of Restore International, a nonprofit human rights organization operating in Uganda and India.   

The premise of this collection of experiences is to demonstrate that loving others as He first loved us does not mean just saying the words and thinking the thoughts but that Love DOES.  It is action, it is actively pursuing opportunities to love others.  Like the picture I found above with a quote from Bob, it's giving away love and grace like you're made of the stuff.  

This was truly an inspiring book and I don't think I'm doing it justice in this description. Please check it out.  Even if you are unsure of where you are in your faith journey, this book will move you in ways that you wouldn't believe.  

Today I discovered he is also hosting a conference this week in Tacoma, WA called Love Does Stuff  which will including many presenters and even some musical performances.  Among them being the Kid President!  So wish I could be there and hope it becomes an annual event!  Maybe next year. 

Here are some of my favorite quotes from Love Does! 

“But the kind of love that God created and demonstrated is a costly one because it involves sacrifice and presence. It's a love that operates more like a sign language than being spoken outright.” 

“Grace works that way. It's a kind word from a gentle person with an impossible prayer. It's a force sometimes transmitted best hand to hand in a dark place.” 

“...we need to stop plotting the course and instead just land the plane on our plans to make a difference by getting to the "do" part of faith.” 

“Simply put: love does.” 

-Bob Goff