The Most WONDERFUL Time of Year

This truly is the most wonderful time of the year.
The happiest season of all!
Hearts will be glowing!

Yes, this is my most favorite season of the year. The decorating, the party planning, the christmas musical at church, not so much the cold weather unless there is 10' of snow & I HAVE to stay home, the christmas lights, the logs in the fireplace - all of it I just love.

Even though it is the 5th of December, I have found myself already going to the malls like everyone else who waited til the last minute, however my tree is decorated, the outside of the house is decorated (mom you would be so proud!!!), my christmas cards are ordered, and I have even a few presents bought, just not wrapped. In the midst of all this I just find myself so busy running here and there, making sure everything is just right!

I have been finding myself thinking about buying gel pens to match the color of the cards, what kind of new recipe I will make for the Pastor's family this year, what type of decorations I will need for the Christmas musical, what dates my "Before & After" Christmas party will be. However in my "busy-ness" I fail to remember why we celebrate this wonderful season. It is so cliche' but Jesus truly is the reason for the season.

Tonight we had choir practice for the Christmas musical, and as we began to sing about how glorious, majestic & worth our King of Kings truly is ~ He came into that practice. I finally ended the song and turned it into a beautiful time of prayer. I had our Music Director lead us in prayer. She began to quote Psalm 46:10 'Be still and know that I am God." She began to encourage to put God back in His rightful place. I couldn't help but to stop and pause and rest in His presence. To truly concentrate on Him and thank Him that He came as a sweet little baby to this earth so long ago. Also remembering that He created us to worship Him & that He deserves all praise and glory.

Since leaving practice I have been repeating that verse of Scripture over and over again. I was also reminded of a blog that my sister wrote a little while back. It's not Christmasy by any means, but it's appropriate for this blog.

"The Silence Between the Notes."

She wrote,

"Have you ever noticed in life that sometimes the quietest moments are the ones that define you the most? Just recently I was reminded by the great composer Ludwig VOn Beethoven that it's not necessarily the musical notes that carry the mood of the piece but the dramatic pauses in between.

SO here I am today faced with the longest and loniest and largest PAUSE in my life. I have reached point A and am moving to point B but the journey between the points is what is defining me as an individual. Life is not always about achieving one goal to the next; sometimes life is about learning from the journey that has brought as far as we are. Life can not alwasy be about one event or another,finishing one task only to look for another, or to achieve the greastest reward still looking for something greater. There are times when we need to realize that being still and quiet are not bad things but they are sometimes the most valuable to you spiritually,emotionally,physically and mentally.

As a Christian how can you expect to hear the voice of God when all we ever do is talk or busy ourselves with the voices of other people. We listen for the approval of men never really seeking the approval of the ONE that matters the most. I think that sometimes we surround ourselves with noise and voices to drown out the VOICE that speaks the loudest. Beethoven also said that while God whispered to all men HE shouted at him(Beethoven) causing him to go completely deaf. It was not until then that Beethoven actually listened and heard music for what it really was. He realized then the importance of a PAUSE was the importance of the SILENCE.

I belive that life in its own way is a symphony that only you and I can determine where the PAUSES and the silence play HUGE roles. Life can't always be about the crashing of the cymbals and toooting of horns and the delicate whines of a violin; but somewhere along the line there has to be a PAUSE a time of reflection a time to stop and ponder the moment a time to rethink and a time to refocus.
It may come at an awkward time in your life or rather unexpectedly but never disregard the silence. In the silence is where we hear the most."