Before my husband was a pastor, he was an electrical engineer. (Talk about a career change, right?) He told me once about when he was working on a job where everything seemed to be going wrong. His co-worker was getting more and more frustrated, and his language was getting worse and worse. My husband finally stopped him and said, "Correct me if I am wrong, but this job is going pretty wrong, isn't it?"

The guy agreed, It sure is!

My husband asked, "Then, why do you keep asking God to damn it? It seems to me, what we really need is God's BLESSING!"

Well, the man sputtered and blinked and finally came up with, "It's just an expression!"

Is it? Is it really? Because God is real, and He comes when we call His name. He is listening to everything we say. Everything.

(Matthew 12:36 NLT) And I tell you this, you must give an account on judgment day for every idle word you speak.

Maybe we need to be more careful about what comes out of our mouths. Maybe we should think about using our words to bless and not to curse. Maybe we could work at making our speech more encouraging. Words are powerful things. They can build up or tear down.

(Prov. 18:20-21 NLT) Wise words satisfy like a good meal; the right words bring satisfaction. The tongue can bring death or life; those who love to talk will reap the consequences.

Do your words inspire? Do they create a sense of goodness? Are they wise? Do your words express that you care? Let's think about it.

There's a commercial I have seen where a man is in his car smiling happily. On the seat next to him is his brand new computer! He has his hand on the box in a proud way, and is whistling a happy tune. He stops at a light, and glances up at a billboard showing that the model newer than the one he just bought is now being sold. His proud, happy face is gone so quickly.

The bottom line is that THINGS do not bring lasting happiness. Sure, for a time, we enjoy them. But, there is always something more to be had. Something bigger. Faster! More IN! Things usually leave us wanting more things.

Don't get me wrong! I am very grateful for the things I have. I am thankful we don't have to take the bus anymore. I am thankful for my computer and for SKYPE. I am thankful I am warm, clean and fed. But, years ago, through my choice and necessity, I stepped away from the "wanting things" game. I honestly have everything I need, and a lot more. When we became missionaries, the steady paychecks went away. A lot of things went away. But God became more dear to me than ever. Oh, I admit it is hard sometimes not to have a steady income. I wish I could do more for my kids. I wish I could help other people financially. But God is showing me that having enough is... ENOUGH. I am grateful for the nice surprises and the blessings He sends our way. I am glad when another month goes by and all the bills are paid. And I am content. Things were never meant to be our source of joy. Jesus wants to be that to us.

Do we have the warped idea that our value is based on the material things we have? No. What gives us worth is that God made us and loves us. We are His beloved children.

Do we try to buy the love and approval of others with the gifts we give? Will my grandchildren love me less if I can't buy them big, fancy presents? I don't think so. Hey... even the Beatles knew "money can't buy me love."

A friend once shared about wanting a certain bedspread she had seen in the Penny's catalog. It almost became an obsession! Oh! It was just what she needed to make the bedroom perfect! She finally managed to talk her husband into letting her buy it. Oh the joy! She put it on the bed and spread it out. It was perfect. It looked great. Then, she looked at the windows and remembered that the catalog showed matching drapes! Yeah..... Things. There is always something more to want.

God's people have to learn to live a life of balance. It's not that God wants to deprive us of things we need. He just wants to be first in our lives. He is worthy of that. Because when the computer is obsolete.... when the bedspread is worn out and faded, God will still be there.

(Mat. 6:31-33 MSG) What I'm trying to do here is to get you to relax, to not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God's giving. People who don't know God and the way He works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how He works. Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don't worry about missing out. You'll find all your everyday human concerns will be met.

So dear friends, whatever you unwrap for Christmas remember that if you have Christ, you already have everything! If you don't get everything (or anything!) you asked for, don't sweat it. They are just things. Rejoice in your Savior! Count the blessings you already have in your life. And, have a wonderful and blessed Christmas!

Dear friends, I haul this post out and put it up again almost every year, because we usually need the reminder! I know I do! God already made your Christmas perfect with His wonderful gift. SO, stop stressing and just enjoy it! Blessings and love you to! Mae // the Danish Doll
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
You spent HOURS making an adorable, little lamb costume for your four year old to wear in the church play. On the way to the church, he barfed all over it. It’s OK. What matters about this season is not perfection. What matters is the Savior.

THERE IS A SAVIOR!

Hello, Folks!

Sorry I have not been on here for some time. We had a great time with the kids in N. Ireland, and since I have been back, life has been very busy!

We got up at 3 AM to be at the airport for a 6 AM flight. However, the plane had problems with the navigation system, and we had to get OFF and wait for many hours until a new part was flown in from Frankfurt. It made a long day MUCH longer, but we got to know some nice people while we waited! Of course in Germany we missed our connecting flight and had to wait some more! But look what I got to see! I have never seen a sunset ABOVE the clouds before! Incredible!

Two little girls who have my heart.

It was wonderful to be with my sweet little granddaughters again! They are so precious, and so much fun. I love the way they love each other. If Sianna is crying about something, baby Aliza cries, too, just because she is upset when Sianna is upset. I guess that is biblical! Isn't there a scripture that says "weep with those who weep?"

We worked hard and made a delicious Thanksgiving meal for the family. Turkey with stuffing, glazed carrots, corn, sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes with gravy and for dessert, pumpkin pie, cherry cobbler and apple crisp. It was fun to work with my daughter, Abby and we all enjoyed eating the good food.

Then the next day we took down the Thanksgiving decorations and put up the Christmas stuff so we could have a mini Christmas together! Cramming TWO holidays into ONE week was a LOT!

Aliza liked the rag doll I made for her. She was patting it and talking to it in her sweet one year old chatter.

We wrote a story for Sianna, and put it on the ipad so she could look at it whenever she would like. We used lots of pictures of her to illustrate.

This pic is dark, because the light is behind them, but Grandpa is reading the story to Sianna. I love the way she says GRANDPA! So sweet!

Sianna wanted me to take a picture of EVERY ornament on the tree!

She got the camera and took some interesting pictures of Grandma! Those are her wee fingers on the lens! She is almost three years old now, and is sure she can do ANYTHING!

We got a chance to go to into Belfast and see some sights. The kids gave me some birthday money and I bought two sweaters! What a lovely treat! We also went to the new Titanic museum. It is an incredible building, and the tour is so interesting. The Titanic was built in the shipyards of N. Ireland.

On Friday we were so privileged to be a part of a youth evening in Belfast. We were interviewed about the work we do in Denmark. We had the honor of praying with many young people who feel the call of God to missions. It was so exciting to see over 500 young folks who love God and are crying out for the nations of the world. Worship was led by our daughter, and it was loud and fervent. We loved it!

It is always so hard for me to say good bye. It will probably be months and months before I see them all again. Wouldn't you have trouble saying good bye to this sweet face?

I thank God that we were able to go. It has been years since we celebrated Thanksgiving with family. I am rich in lovely memories, and so blessed to have been able to be there.

Thanks for sharing my trip with me!

Here are a couple of verses that thrill our hearts! We love hearing about God's love. It is wonderful, isn't it?

(Eph 3:17-18 NLT) Then Christ will make His home in your hearts as you trust in Him. Your roots will grow down into God's love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God's people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep His love is.

What many of us do not seem to understand is that knowing, really knowing the richness of Christ's love comes with a price. How do we get those deep roots that hold us steady and keep us strong in the Lord? In my humble experience, I would say this joy only comes through adversity. Suffering, even. To really know the depths of His love, it must be put to the test. When you find yourself in that place where His love is the only thing holding you, your roots are DEEP!

But, most of us run screaming from any test or trial that comes into our life. Our prayers are all about getting us OUT instead of strengthening us to see it THROUGH. Often, when we face some unavoidable hardship, rather than clinging to God and trusting Him to see us through, we get bitter. We blame Him. We turn away from our strength and comfort. Why do we do this? Why do we prefer the shallow life?

Now, I am not saying we should open our arms to welcome every awful thing that comes along. No. We need to know the source of our trials. If they come from the evil one, we have authority in the name of Jesus to send them away. But there are things God allows to help us learn and grow. We need to understand that these things will ultimately be for our good.

While "seasoning" and "refining" are words we don't mind using if we are talking about WOOD, we would rather not apply these to our own lives. So, we live avoiding God's "gym" as much as possible. We wiggle out of every opportunity He sends along to stretch and strengthen us.

We want all the "freebies" -- all the good stuff God promises His children. We want the protection and the blessings and the prosperity. But, sadly, we do not want those deep roots.

"One who gains strength by overcoming obstacles possesses the only strength which can overcome adversity." ~~ Albert Schweitzer

Here in Denmark several years ago we had some mighty strong winds pass through. We lost a lot of trees. Do you know the kind we lost? We lost the ones with shallow roots. They could not stand against the wind.

As a pastor, I have watched people who turned away from God. The winds came, and they could not stand. We all know the song about how the wise man built his house on the rock, right? It's kind of the same thing. Deep roots and a strong foundation are the best chance we have to survive the hardships and adversities of life.

Charles Spurgeon said," If we cannot believe God when circumstances seem to be against us, we do not believe Him at all."

Dear one, I trust you have made it a priority to grow those deep roots!

If you listen to the media, or many folks today, you know what THEIR F word is. Well, that isn't mine. Are you relieved?

My favorite F word of all time is FREEDOM! Oh! I am so thankful for it! Not only the freedom I have because I am an American, but the freedom that I have in Christ.

(Isa.44:22 NLT) I have swept away your sins like a cloud. I have scattered your offenses like the morning mist. Oh, return to Me, for I have paid the price to set you free.

In my younger years, I was a confused, scared young lady who did not feel like she had any value. I was so unsure of myself! I worried a lot. I did not like myself at all.

But one day, I came to Christ and laid all that hot mess down. He freed me! Oh, it didn't happen immediately in some areas, but it started to get a lot better.

(John 8:36 NLT) So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free.

Maybe you never hated yourself or felt weighed down by life and your problems. Maybe you never doubted every decision you made and felt worthless. I did. You can imagine how wonderful it felt when those chains fell off!

Sometimes, when I go up to take communion, I am reminded of a scene from Braveheart. I just want to stand there and yell, "FREEDOM!!!!" as loud as I can. I haven't done it, and probably never will, because I think it would scare people! But, I feel it. I am thankful for it. Freedom.

This is what Jesus did for me. He said, (Luke 4:18 NLT) "The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, for He has anointed Me to bring Good News to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the oppressed will be set free...

There are so many people --even Christians -- who have swallowed the lies that the enemy whispers in their ears. "You are no good. You can't do anything right. Something bad is going to happen to you/your family/your job/your health ..." and on and on and on. Lies. Torment. Intimidation. Oh, the devil loves it when we fall for his garbage.

(2Cor.3:17 NLT) For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.

Part of being free is knowing what GOD says about you. Part of being free is knowing WHO WE ARE IN CHRIST. Part of being free is TRUSTING HIM! If He says He will never leave you, He won't. If He says, not to be afraid, there is nothing to fear. If He promises to meet your every need, He will do it. If He says you can do it, you can! God cannot lie. He will not lie, and He loves you with perfect, powerful love. Christ bought your freedom with His own blood. Don't insult Him by living like you don't believe it.

Yes. My favorite F word ---- FREEDOM!

We all understand, that if we are followers of Jesus Christ that Heaven is our home. We know, but we sometimes get distracted and focus more on all this life offers. We get bogged down with accumulating material possessions. We work to gain security in our earthly life and tend to push the thought of Heaven into the background.

(Col 3:2 NLT) Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth.

I must admit that with each passing year, Heaven looms larger! As you see more wrinkles, gray hair and those nasty brown spots on your skin, you realize that the body is not immortal! As time passes, it seems like many I love have taken their "permanent retirement." It is a comfort to me that I will see most of my family members in Heaven. Someday, we will all be together again! I am blessed with a Christian heritage that goes back many generations.

When we must attend a funeral, we often find we are face to face with the reality of Heaven It is a reminder to us that this life we are living is temporary. We never know when our number will be called.

(Mark 11:25 NLT) But when you are praying, first forgive anyone you are holding a grudge against, so that your Father in heaven will forgive your sins, too. "

It is so sad for me when I have to go to the funeral of an unbeliever. I remember my husband preaching the funeral of a nightclub owner who was murdered. Apparently, several of the man's friends had made the comment that this guy was now "partying in hell." My husband's message title for the funeral was, THERE ARE NO PARTIES IN HELL!

Life goes on. People live. People die. While we have those moments of thought about what happens when we die, we tend to focus on the next weekend, or holiday or paycheck. Of course, this present life is important. God put us here for a reason, did He not? Perhaps we should view this life more in relation to how it will impact our eternity. Much of what we spend time on will have very little affect on that.

(Mat. 6:20 NLT) Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal.

(Mat.7:21 NLT) "Not everyone who calls out to Me, 'Lord! Lord!' will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of My Father in heaven will enter.

We need to be living in a way that is pleasing to God. We need to pray and direct our children along this same path. We need to do all we can to point others to Christ. We need to live so we will have no regrets, because our bodies are temporary, but Heaven is forever.

(2Cor. 5:1 NLT) For we know that when this earthly tent we live in is taken down (that is, when we die and leave this earthly body), we will have a house in heaven, an eternal body made for us by God Himself and not by human hands.

My final destination is Heaven! Will I see you there?

Negativity really "irks my tater!" I have worked so hard to train my mind to think in a positive way. When I am around those who complain and point out every troublesome thing they can think of, I just want to ...... well..... I will say I want to leave. I wish I could shake some sense into them, or just smack 'em, so maybe it is better that I just get out of there!

(Phil.4:8 MSG) Summing it all up, friends, I'd say you'll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious--the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse.

Have you ever noticed that it is so easy to find the bad, and so hard to discover what is good? I ask you, what benefit comes from always seeing the worst in everything? Constructive criticism is all right, but just bashing everything and everybody.... no thanks.

Perhaps the biggest problem with this is attitude is that it can become a habit. We all know people who complain constantly. Do we enjoy being around them?

Before I get out of bed in the morning, I stretch, tell my Father "good morning," and just thank Him for another day. I think of all my blessings, and my heart is full of thanks and praise. My life is not perfect by any means. If I want to concentrate on the hard things -- the painful things, I could. But, I don't want to! There is no profit in it.

(Col 3:17 MSG) Let every detail in your lives--words, actions, whatever--be done in the name of the Master, Jesus, thanking God the Father every step of the way.

Soon, for those living in the U.S. it will be Thanksgiving. While I think it is wonderful that we have a special day set aside to count our blessings, I think it would be awful if we only did it on this one day.

"The unthankful heart discovers no mercies; but let the thankful heart sweep through the day and, as the magnet finds the iron, so it will find, in every hour, some heavenly blessings!" ~~ Henry Ward Beecher

Giving thanks daily is a vital part of the Christian life. Practicing an "attitude of gratitude" is incredibly important. Negative thinking and speaking can even affect your health!

(Phil 4:4 MSG) Celebrate God all day, every day. I mean, revel in Him!

If someone were to follow us around and record everything we said all day, would you be ashamed to listen to your words played back to you? If you know you tend to be negative, why not begin to ask God to change the way you look at life?

(Col.3:15 NLT) And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful.

Be thankful. Always.

Have you ever wished you could have a “do-over?” Have you ever said something and then given anything if you could take it back? Have you ever longed to rewind your life and skip a part? Yeah... that would be nice. I know I have done/said things that I regret very much.

Well, we cannot erase parts of our lives, but there are ways we can make things better.

(1John 1:7-9 NLT) But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, His Son, cleanses us from all sin. If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth. But if we confess our sins to Him, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.

Confessing our sins is good for us. Dealing with our mistakes and making things right can only make us stronger. God is so faithful. He knows we goof up. All we have to do is ask Him for forgiveness, and then ask for His grace and strength to change the behavior. If we have wronged anyone, we meed to also go to them personally and ask forgiveness. It’s not really that complicated, is it?

So, why do you suppose it is so hard to do? I guess the biggest reason is pride. We do not like to admit when we are wrong. We squirm at the thought of facing someone we have done wrong to. Humbling ourselves and asking forgiveness is something we often choose to avoid.

But if you don’t make it right, the ache in your heart is still there. The pain doesn’t go away. It’s like having a big splinter in your hand. You have got to take it out if you want it to heal. Choosing God’s remedy is sometimes painful, but it is the only way that brings relief. Yeah, you can harden your heart. You can push the problem down deep and try to ignore it. I have tried that. It made me even more miserable. It’s not worth it.

As many of you know, it is hard to live long distances away from family. But, you just have to make the best of it. I am thankful for SKYPE and the telephone. However, in August/September, I was able to spend some time in the US, and greet our newest grandchild, Annaliese Jolie. She is such a little beauty! I also got reacquainted with my two wonderful grandsons, Josiah (almost2) and Lucas.(age 4) We had lots of fun. One evening a very talented photographer friend stopped in and did a photo shoot with us. It was so wonderful to have great pics! Here I am chilling with my sweet baby.

I love babies. I love the feel of them all warm and sweet on your shoulder. If I could have, I probably would have had a lot more of my own. But, I am thankful for two beautiful daughters, and my five grandchildren.

I think sometimes we neglect our children's spirits. You know, we are all spiritual beings. We have a soul, we live in a body, and we have a spirit. Most people do not neglect their soul. We enjoy beauty, good music, entertainment, etc. We also spend a lot of time driving our children to dance class, music lessons, soccer practice, sleep overs, etc. But what are we doing for our spirits --- that part of us that responds to God? What are we doing for our children? We need to make it a priority to bring them to the Lord. Sunday School should be more important than any sport. We need to tuck them in with a prayer, send them off to school with a prayer. We need to TEACH THEM to pray. We need to teach them to love and honor God with everything they have. Because, you see.... our spirits never die. Our spirits are eternal, and what we do with them now, will determine their eternal destiny.

Heaven is my final home. I want to make sure my children and grandchildren will be there, too. I am so glad this world is not all there is. As I get older, I must say I think about it more. I pray daily for my family. I pray that they will love and serve their Creator. I pray they will understand what Jesus did for them on the cross and that they will live in His love and light.

I figure even though I don't get to see my children and grandchildren very often, I can still do something wonderful for them. I can pray. What a wonderful privilege!

Lucas has decided I am one of the few people who can kiss him without him wiping it off! I am honored!

I couldn't forget these two little cuties! My sweet little girls in N. Ireland are equally precious. I will be seeing them around Thanksgiving time! I am so excited!

I hope you have enjoyed my grandma post. I have shown you some of my dearest treasures.