Run, Rudolph...Run!
by Beth Duewel
This year I asked my son to give me a few items on his “wish” list. His requests deemed almost customary for a boy of fourteen: CD’s, computer games, clothes…um…well, he asked for gift cards instead. I mean, can I help it if shopping for jeans has turned into rocket science!!! Then the clincher, “Also…can I plueeeze have a bag of rattlers, mom?”
Oh, dear Lord it’s come to this—my son wants a bag of snakes for Christmas. They warned me to limit caffeine intake during my second trimester—but did I listen?
Josh must have recognized the look of emergency room visits dancing in my head when he comforted, “It’s okay—it’s only a bag of sticks that you rattle together to make it sound like deer antlers hitting each other. It’s supposed to attract deer.” “Ohhhhhh, okay.” Not much comfort there.
I don’t know when or how it happened that my young man...[read more]
|
Forward & Feedback
It's a little thing that makes a big difference. I love to hear from you and I love knowing you want to share my "Out of the Wilderness" e-newsletter with your friends. So, please forward this to those your friends and acquaintenances. Then, be sure to let me hear your feedback by using the website's contact page.
|
|
Warmth on a Cold Day
Hello Friends,
Today our family woke up to a snow day. Besides adding a mound of mittens and long undies to the laundry, it provided another little gift. A day to slow down. Too bad six inches of snow has to fall to make the earth grow still—even if it’s for just a while. 
If I close my grown up eyes I can still remember snow days. Ice sickles hanging like stalactites from roof to ground. Snow balls shaped into puffs of white cotton. Ice skating on the small crick behind our house, but for some odd reason, I never made it to the Olympics. And then (just once) sticking my tongue to a frosty fence. What can I say? I mean it looked so…um…frosty. I guess some of us learn our lessons the painful way. Nevertheless, the highlight of my day was always a big bowl of snow ice-cream. (A teaspoon of vanilla, quarter cup of sugar, and ample scoops of white—and I do stress white here—snow.) Oh, the sweetness. Oh, the bacteria!!!
Despite shovels of ingested germs, I think (little gulp here) I turned out okay.
Now, watching the kids play snow football and jumping into knee-high drifts, I am thankful. I am thankful to catch a glimpse of white and reflect on God’s goodness and provision. I’m grateful for my husband that plows through to clock in another day. For healthy children, and sweet friends. And I’m thankful for Snow days.
 So even though winter white may not grace the ground where you reflect; remember that in a far off snow covered piece of earth, there’s a woman praying for you: the recipient of my newsletter. And now I must go…because I think I see…I see my youngest daughter sharing a handful of snow with a friend. "Oh no! Not that snow!!!"
Blessings,
|
Mountains to Molehills -
Tethering through the trials of life.
We all have climbed our share of mountainous trials haven’t we? You see anyone (except me, of course), can stay on secure ground, but when we climb the highest heights we can experience God in a way we never imagined. So, tie on your climbing shoes and lets go.
For more about this and other popular speaking topics, click here.
|
My Wish for You this Season:
|
There is always something to do on my to do list. But, I did want to take a moment to share my hope that your faith "follows the Star" this season. Jesus is the Star of this time of year and of my life. If you'd like to talk to me about Jesus, if you have questions about following Him in your life or if you just need to how to ask Jesus to be the Star of your life, I'm here for you. Just click here, and let me know what's on your heart. It will only take a click, and you could know a deeper peace.
|
What gift do you have to present to Christ? The gift of hospitality or of caring. Remember, some of the greatest gifts don't require wrapping!!
On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshipped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh. (Matthew 2:11 NIV).
|
|
