I hope you like this picture. This is my front yard when you come up the path to my front door. Those are trees behind the Joy sign. It gives me joy to look at it, because Jesus is in the center of the joy! He makes everything worth while. Sometimes we have trouble keeping the joy sign up because of the wind, but I will never let the joy fall over! We can be overcome with joy, but the sign must stand!

I am finishing the Sunday morning Bible Study this week called "Uninvited" Some of you may be saying to yourself, you are going from joy, to uninvited! What a let down. No, don't think that, because sometimes the greatest joy comes from working through those ugly feelings to receive real lasting release. If we don't face our challenging emotions, we can't be freed from them.

Starting on January 15, we will be offering this study again, because it is just that good. It is a DVD teaching by Lysa TerKeurst, and she is coming to us from Israel. She has chosen some of the best known spots where Jesus taught and shared to reveal truths that will set you free! If you are not from this area, you can do the study on-line, by going to "Uninvited.com"

I know a lot of people feel left out, and uninvited this time of year. My Mom was one of them. I always made her feel welcome, and got her special little gifts, hoping to cheer her up. She had a troubled family life as a child, and as an adult, so building relationship with her helped her to see Jesus as a loving, caring Father.

I am happy that she is now with the Lord, because I know she has joy, that will never leave her, safe in His loving arms. Is there someone you know who could use some special care this season? Maybe you could invite them to Christmas dinner, or New Year's Eve? Ask God to show you someone that you can minister to. He will!

There isn't a picture tonight, because I have had some technical difficulties. I don't know why, I do the same thing every day, but today my pictures didn't arrive in my inbox. Does that make sense? No, but none of this makes sense anyhow, so what can I say?

I have wanted to share this quote with you from the Bible Study by Priscilla Schrier, "Armor of God." "Sensitivity to taking offense is one of the key ways satan traps believers in his web of deception." page 48.  I know this can happen so easily. I am more aware of it now, but when I was younger, it didn't take much for me to take offense. How about parents and children, when someone says, I think my little boy Johnny is a little more advanced at coloring than yours. See how he stays in the lines.

I didn't know this was an IQ test, you might say to her. There you go, both women are offended. Both boys just want to play, but the Moms are up in arms over something silly.

"Good sense makes one slow to anger, and it is his glory to overlook an offense." {Proverbs 19:11}
"A brother {or sister in this case}, offended is more unyielding than a strong city, and quarreling is like the bars of a castle." { Proverbs 18:19}

All of these examples are pretty strong. Pride is at the root of it all. I hate to say that, but it is true. The Holy Spirit is so very close when we are willing to lay down pride and put aside offenses. Our enemy knows how easy we can fall into this trap. Don't do it! It is better to be wronged than to allow our feelings to be hurt. "Humble yourself in the sight of the Lord and He will lift you up." James 4:10 I would rather have the Lord lift me up anytime, than my flesh try to do it. I will stumble and fall on my own, but if He does it He gets the glory. I'd say thats a win-win. Amen!

We have a God who loves us regardless of our behavior. We can't earn it, work for it, or deserve it, love just is, as He is. I did not know that anyone could have a relationship with Jesus as a child. My parents didn't know, and I'm not sure anyone else around us knew about Him either.

I was in High School when my best friend Debbie found out about Jesus. She was very sure that He was who He said He was. I was not so sure at first. Where was He all this time, and why didn't I know about Him from my church? My mother was Presbyterian, and so I went with her occasionally. It's funny, when I felt challenged by this new found faith of my friend, I got involved in my church, helping with Sunday School. It was almost as if I wanted to give them a chance to show me this Jesus.

I didn't find Him there. I was slowly coming to see Him in my friends, and I totally yielded my life to Him when I was 18. I was baptized in Conscience Bay, here in Setauket, my my new Pastor. Only my two friends from High School attended, but I remember it, as if it were last week. I felt brand new on the inside. I made a statement that day, by my obedience to God's word to go into the waters of baptism, and be washed. It was only symbolic on the outside, but It was real on the inside.

I haven't thought about it in years, so why today? I suppose our topic of love reminded me. Love so patient, constant, and close. Love that melts away bitterness, harshness, or worry. He melts my heart of all that I give to Him. He is constantly saving me from myself. What a wonderful Savior!

If we know God, then we can be sure of our future. This was said by a woman who suffered through the holocaust, in Germany because she and her family hid Jews in their house during the 2nd World War. As Christians, her Father and Mother felt that commanding that all jewish people be taken to camps was wrong. They were right, but it cost them their lives, except for Corrie. She lived through to tell her wondrous story, of hope and grace.

We wonder sometimes about why things work out the way they do. In Corrie's situation we might ask, "Why was she spared and her sister died?" She tells of the mix up of papers where she was released by accident, when she was supposed to be killed. God saw fit to let her go, and tell of how she read scriptures to all the ladies in her bunk. She gave hope to those who were dying and hurting. She remained strong during the most awful circumstances.

When we trust God, our lives are not our own. We belong to Him, and sometimes that means going through the fire. The miraculous part is that we come out on the other side. I think of the Prophet Daniel, who went through a real, physical fire, and came out not even smelling of smoke.

"When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, Nor shall the flame scorch you. For I am the Lord your God, The Holy One of Israel, your Savior;    Isaiah 43: 2-3a

We can trust God that He will do what He says He will do, and be who He says He will be. Corrie had to trust God that her sister was with Him at the time that He appointed. We can trust Him too. Allow Jesus to be all that He wants to be in your life. Amen.

This is ice skating at Tanger Outlets. It was a warm night, and looked like a lot of fun. I used to ice skate all the time, but it has been a while. It's one of those things that you have to do often or it just isn't that much fun. It could take me the whole session to feel like I could really skate!

My Pastor shared the stories behind some of our favorite Christmas carols yesterday. I forget sometimes that they were written as hymns of the church because I hear them in public places all the time. Do you ever stop in a store when one of these beautiful well-known songs comes on, and look at the people shopping? I have, and it will cause you to pray for them. Many have no idea that it is playing, forget about what it means.

Music has always been so very special to me. I studied music therapy in college, and wrote my thesis on how music affects seriously mentally handicapped children. Most of these children couldn't walk, or feed themselves, but when music was played, they tried to sing! It is a universal language, and God gave it especially for us during the end times to celebrate His love for us and ours for Him. Also to let Him know how much we want Him to come!

Music, from the beginning, has been a powerful instrument to express affection, love and hate. The enemy of our souls knows how to use it to effectively influence those who will listen. We as the People of God, know how to express ourselves to God, using music as He intended it to be. Worship the Lord with your voice today!

This is Stony Brook Harbor just a few weeks ago. Our Island is so beautiful! Step back and enjoy all the natural resources and you can forget that you not are far from home. I did not realize how populated my area has become until I saw it from the sky in a plane. I couldn't believe how many building, homes and shops have been built in the past 10 years.

Things happen all the time around us that we may not be aware of. I can drive down a street many times before I realize new buildings. Of course this is good because I need to be driving, not looking, but my point is, how quickly change occurs. We can see it in our children, and other people, but I don't think I am aware of how I change.

 This is another reason why the body of Christ is necessary. I hope always to change for the better, but if I don't who will let me know? I hope "they" do so gently, because I can be sensitive. My husband is really good at this. He is always careful to let me down gently. I hope you have someone in your life who can do this for you. In love, truth shared can bring life to a person. I can think of a few times when this was not the case, but we will leave that alone for now.

I have learned and I'm still learning how to deal with my children and loved ones, so that they will "hear what I say," and not turn me off. "Let your words be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone." {Colossians 4:6 } NIV This is hard, because we try to do something that is spiritual in our flesh. This usually just causes confusion! Only God has the right words and when we look to Him, they can come out of our mouths, instead of a mumbled bit of fleshy jargon. Bless someone close to you today with your deliberate words.  Blessings and love to you all. Talk to you on Monday.

  I know this isn't what you'd expect from a girl like me, who loves the beach, but I do think it is beautiful. This was my front yard last winter. I love the four seasons. If winter could be a little shorter, I'd be fine. We don't always get what we want. God knows this is a good thing! Especially for women, who can be emotional about almost everything.

Sometimes when I get too emotional I will ask God to slow me down, and help me to see if I am distressed about something when I don't have all the details. My daughter Stephie got her finger caught in a metal door. Not the side that closes, but the side where the hinges are. OUCH!

 Yes, she was pretty upset, but she didn't cry until we got to the car. Great control, I must say, but the reason was she didn't want anyone in school to see her crying. If it were me, I would have let it fly, but anyway. The walk in clinic said, not broken, just keep it in a splint. Two weeks later it doesn't feel any better. We go to the Orthopedist, who took x-rays again, and said it is broken, but that is not the problem. She has a bone cyst, and he would like us to see a hand specialist. O.K., I have never heard of a bone cyst before so we go to the next doctor. I am still not concerned, because she seems fine at this point.

We see the hand specialist, and he reads all three sets of x-rays,{he took his own as well} and then he says, This is a bone deformity, I will send the x-ray on my cell phone to my friend at the  Hospital for Special Surgery, but I think it is benign.  What did you just say? Benign, what is the opposite of that if you are wrong? I just thought this, but didn't say it because I was pretty shocked.  After I got home, I thought, Lord what does this mean?

  It has been a week and a half since that appointment. The doctor hasn't heard from his friend, and I rest in the Lord. Stephie belongs to Him anyway. I pray for the deformity and cyst to shrink, and know that whatever it is, His grace will cover us both.  I don't have all the answers yet, but while I wait, I will rest. He is so faithful!

" The Lord will guide you continually, And satisfy your soul in drought, And strengthen your bones; You shall be like a watered garden, And like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail. { Isaiah 58:11}