Christina Jonas Kennedy

Fierce Passion

2013-07-30T14:29:00.000-07:00

Don't Fear Being Misunderstood

2013-07-26T15:19:00.001-07:00

Living Intentionally

2013-04-24T15:18:00.000-07:00

Heaven's Lessons: Ten Things I Learned About God When I Died

2013-03-22T23:44:00.000-07:00

By Steve Sjogren (Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2013)

Lying down on the operating table for what was to be a routine gallbladder removal surgery, the author’s long, question-provoking, and mysterious journey began. Engaging words strung along the lines of the pages tell a captivating and life-changing story that the reader will not soon forget.

As the tale unravels with each clenching sentence, insightful beacons are shed into the author’s life and out of the pages of the book, available for the reader to apply into his or her own life. “The overriding truth we must focus on mentally and hide in our hearts is this: God is at work doing something great with you right in the midst of struggles,” (Sjogren, 2013, p. 75). The beautiful melodic alterations that occurred in the author’s life in the midst of his struggles present waves of fresh hope, carefully packaged for the recipient, the reader.

This book is no ordinary memoir, for the author boldly inspires the reader to step up and take heed to the knowledge he gained from his traumatic and blessed experiences of having died and come back to life. Bound in a dark blue paperback with cloud designs encircling the title on the front cover, this book is one that will transform your perceptions about God, life, and the afterlife, and would make an excellent addition to your personal library and a great gift idea.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255vf: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Second Image courtesy of: FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Miracles

2013-02-14T15:02:00.000-08:00

Legacy-Building

2013-02-13T11:25:00.000-08:00

Creating Beauty with the Broken Pieces

2013-02-08T21:59:00.000-08:00

Crunched dispersed particles of rose pink fell from the blush container. The semi-matte specimens sparkled lightly, now broken free from the once untouched silky compression of the container. The flushed rosiness of the powder beamed against the white paper as its pieces spilled. Seemingly crushed, the blush made a speckled design of pink across the white page. The rose pink crumbled at the slightest touch, smearing and blending into the pure fibers.

Free from the safety of its compact, whished by the motion of the brush unto its canvas, the blush is able to create beauty. It is in the brokenness of the rose pink that it becomes pliable, and able to be used for good.

So, too are our lives. Chipped, shattered, and trying to become mended, we all wander the streets of life. Because, in the “being broken” we become pliable, able and ready to help others, see new pathways, and achieve Jesus-sized dreams.

In the “being broken” we are able to be sculpted by Jesus. Though not always in the way we think we need to be, but in the way Jesus needs us to be, to accomplish for His glory what He has set before us to complete.

However excruciatingly challenging it is for you, I encourage you to embrace the shards embedded in your life. Carefully scoop up the sharp fragments and be comforted in knowing that Jesus has a plan for those, and He has a plan for your life.

Jesus takes the piercing pieces into His already pierced Hands, and creates something amazingly beautiful.

Share the Bounty: Finding Grace through the Spirit of Hospitality

2013-02-05T21:00:00.000-08:00

By Benita Long (Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2012)

Steaming with a plethora of fresh recipes to dazzle the palate and tickle the taste buds, this book is the go-to for cooking, baking, and entertaining guests. Ravishing photographs of scrumptious dishes and beautiful sceneries tempt the eyes to feast a fork into the pages.

Opening this book entices the reader to dance into the kitchen to begin creating the delicious recipes and the treasured moments of entertaining. A luscious offering of soup, bread, salad, casserole, dip, cake, and appetizer recipes are bundled in this book. The ease of preparation of the recipes vary, as does the actual medley of flavors.

Bound in a durable hardback with dust cover, this book will last for many years of use, and would also make a wonderful gift idea. Bible verses, prayers, and quotes delight the 205 thick high-gloss pages.

Second Image courtesy of: FreeDigitalPhotos.net

20,000 Days and Counting: The Crash Course for Mastering Your Life Right Now

2013-01-29T21:36:00.000-08:00

By Robert D. Smith, Foreword by Andy Andrews (Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2012)

Do not let the pocket-size of this book surprise you! The words curled and weaved into the 112 pages of this life-transforming book are abundant.

This book was written purposely short because the author blatantly recognizes the limit of time all our physical bodies are bound by. The words, compacted, bold, and raw, much like the essence of a freshly cut onion in one’s pupils, races straight for the heart of the reader.

Unveiling the vision that life is to be numbered in days, not years, rocks the reader free of the static cling of how the world perceives life. This revealing changes and alters the thought processes of the readers, carefully shedding the world’s view on decision-making, dreams, and purpose, and placing seasoned kindling into the fire of inspired legacy-building.

Fresh perspectives bounce to new music in the binds of this durable hardback with dust cover. Thought-provoking inquiries and excellent quotes splash a deep influence into one’s soul, and create a desire for being intentional with each gift of a moment.

Portioned into three sections with a total of eighteen to-the-point chapters, this book wastes no time on fanciful delicacies that fail to hold substance. This book would make a splendid personal addition to your bookshelf, as well as a great gift idea.

Second Image courtesy of: FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Treasure Chest of Yellow Pens

2013-01-22T02:02:00.000-08:00

It was around Christmas that the ink ran dry. The curves and swirls that touched the paper were not printed with ink, but an invisible dance of the pen’s tip on its stage. The yellow pen, in all its vivid inspiration, was only now a casing of its lost possibilities.

I tried to replace the ink, but in delicately striving to disassemble the intricate working of the pen, the crown clicker of the pen heeded its melody of symphony “on’s” and “off’s.” Disappointment arose as the realization that the final music of the written words of this pen had already been spent.

I contacted the organization that dispersed the yellow pens and informed them of the special meaning embedded in this pen, how I wrote a post about it, and how I tried to replace the ink unsuccessfully. I humbly inquired if they could send me a new pen and possibly a few more so that I could give them to people who were touched by my post about the yellow pen.

In a couple of weeks, I received not one new yellow pen, but a package full of new yellow pens!

My heart overwhelmed with this bag of overabounding gratitude-a treasure chest of reminders of what it really means to pray, a treasure chest of pens reminding me of my future. Yet, as I picked a pen out of its hidden place within the envelope, the true validity of the pens potential was transparent. Writing a book requires several thousand well-sculpted words, and here they are-the tools needed to write them.

105 word-filled vessels, ready to prance their ink-tips across the paper. Awaiting the direction of my hand and heart, here are the instruments to write the words. Candescent with the breath of opportunity, a book of words are contained in the ink-filled hearts of the yellow plastic flesh of these pens.

Prayer presents that there is a future. Hope is resilient within the presence of prayer. To pray, equates to knowing that there is more to your existence than what your current situation, abilities, or eyes may present to you in this moment. It is through prayer that there remains constant hope and it is through prayer that offers an eternal future.

As I cling my hand around my new yellow pens, I attach my heart to God. It is only through prayer that my book will be written, and it is only through prayer that my future is secured.

I put all the new yellow pens in a glass vase, as pictured above, which sits prominently on my executive desk. A vase overflowing with written potential, to be seen, heard, and known on this rubber bouncy globe to God’s awe-inspiring hands. A vase abounding in the eternal future I treasure in God.

I am passing the vivacious ink-filled reminders to “Pray” to people who contacted me, informing me that they were touched by my words in my original post about the yellow pen, titled, “The Yellow Pen,” which can be read here.

Achieving Dreams that Equate to Legacy Building or Only Personal Worldly Gains?

2013-01-13T12:19:00.000-08:00

The night creeks on, in the walls of our home and in the clock gears, my eyelashes lower over my eyes like a patio cover shading the illumination. I should be in bed now, but I have words dancing in my mind, reeling to be pressed into the paper. Minute by minute circulates, as the blinking cursor on the page disappears as a new letter is born on the lineless stage.

Days grow cold and nights linger, yet still, the moment of my final heartbeat precedes closer. There is no sidestepping from the truth of reality. This life, no matter how breathtaking or heartbreaking, is solemnly temporary. With all its twists, turns, and unraveling, life is a one-time event.

No dress rehearsals, no practices, no rough drafts, or re-dos, bare and vulnerable, there is ultimately only one time around this merry-go-round.

Even though, the transient of life is polished clear with a heart of reverence, people march around the globe blindly. Unregretful and unintentional, living their days in the darkness of acknowledgement that one day, their life will cease.

It is anguishing to see how some people can become so wrapped up and tangled in the external desires of life. Possessions, personal goals that will never see the light of their legacy, and gains of the temporary worldly kind take the reins of their minds, hearts, and numbered days.

Eyes, unhindered at the true veil of the melting candle of life, they look the other way. Creating their days around worldly desires, instead of striving to intentionally form their legacy around their limited time.

Working so hard and spending so many precious limited moments on things and goals that fail to ever leverage beyond their lifetime and into their legacy seems like a writer, walking around with a book, filled with a story eloquently penned, but the words have yet to leave the sacred comfort of their heart’s walls.

Each day, I glaze my mind and intentions over the vision of what my legacy would be if my earthly body were to expire right now.

Most days, especially with working on my book that has not yet been completed, I feel that I have not met the goals set before me, so I am not ready to end my time here; my legacy is not complete yet. Though, after all, this is my own opinion and perspective; the Ultimate Timekeeper holds the final account. I keep praying, for I need more time to write those words that are still percolating in my heart.

However, life is a topsy-turvy pinwheel, gasping for air as it sputters and spins. The deadline of our final heartbeat is selected, but we do not know it. We wander like ravens in the desert, scooping water into our pointed beaks, crowing, and surrender to the wind’s gusts.

Our feeble bodies, unable to fight the current of life’s tragedies, misfortunes, and downpours, we lose momentum. Like the compacted desert ground, we let our God-Sized dreams ricochet into the dusty horizon. After all, it is easier that way. Getting lost in the routine of the world, hiccupping with the strugglers, complainers, and settlers, has always been the facile route.

Regardless of petty facets that gage our earthly marble visual beacons, life is a limited experience and that if you want to die with having lived an intentional life, you cannot settle.

Your determination and persistence of achieving a legacy worth writing, worth remembering, beyond your fleeting portion of time on earth has to gnaw away at the very flesh of your being. You cannot afford to leave anything on the table. Everything has to be uncovered and sliced into.

Living a life intentionally with the goal of also building a legacy that will go beyond your life is not easy. Yet, without a doubt, when that coffin closes and that gravestone is etched, it will be worth it.

It is your choice.

How will you spend your days? What will you build in your life-a legacy worth remembering or a cocoon of personal worldly gains?

Choose wisely.

Image courtesy of: FreeDigitalPhotos.net

PSALM 138:8

2013-01-09T15:22:00.000-08:00

The Lesson of the Snake: How to Avoid Negative Thoughts

2013-01-02T22:18:00.000-08:00

A twelve-inch skinny snake was slithering across the driveway towards the parked truck. I grabbed Spirit’s neck fur in a rush as I said in a firm tone, “Inside! Get inside!”

She understood my words and tone, and quickly walked to the front door. I followed her and opened the door as we both shuffled inside.

I ran to grab the camera, fumbling with the right setting to catch a picture of the slithery creature. With Spirit safely within the haven of our home, I walked back outside and walked a large circle around the truck. Where did the snake go?

I had only been in the house for less than a minute and at the slow pace the snake was moving, it could not have gone that far. Crouching down and looking underneath the truck, there it was.

Perched in the interior portion of one of the back tires, the beady eyes were looking at me. I turned the camera on and focused it on the critter, and just when I was going to click the button, the camera turned off.

Frustrated, I glanced again at the snake and wondered in my mind how I would get it away from the wheel, since I was going to have to be leaving soon. Though later, when I was preparing to leave, the snake was nowhere to be seen.

This uncomforting occurrence made me realize at how quickly we can let negative thoughts invade our minds. One moment we could have a great idea and as soon as the idea pops into our minds, someone shuts it down, claiming how unworthy or not good the thought was.

Just as the snake had appeared in our yard, slithered into the wheel, and promptly disappeared, so can the attendance of negative thoughts. Negativity does not have to check-in for the long haul, nor does it even have to be allowed to walk in the front door.

The bowl of life experiencers is a premeasured one. Each bowl can only hold a specific amount of elements, regardless of whether they are positive or negative. The secret is to fill your bowl first with as much positive contents as possible, so that there will be no room for negativity.

Image courtesy of: FreeDigitalPhotos.net

2013: The Year of Dreams

2013-01-01T00:07:00.000-08:00

An invigorating new year has arrived. 365 days of untouched goodness, challenges, and blessings stand before us. With fresh pages of our yearly planners, we stand ready. Dreams beginning to uncoil from the depths of our minds, we must take action-for this is the year of dreams.

2013 is the year to slide our dreams off the virtual shelves within our thoughts and step forward in motion to accomplish them. Boldly masking our doubts and trivial insufficiencies, surrendering to the Voice, which calls us to the embedded purposes within our hearts.

Day by day, we will run and sidestep to check off each item on our dream lists. Not just the end focus, but the journey too will remain as a forefront of our insightful processes.

Gathering up the presents of our days, we shall engulf our work in the presence of Him. It is the Most High God who beckons us and who is the Ultimate Overseer of our life’s work. May this year’s work be an honor to Him.

PSALM 115:15 “May you be blessed by the LORD, the Maker of Heaven and earth.” (NIV)

Wishing you a blessed Happy New Year 2013, full of 365 days of joy!

The Ultimate Light: How to Illuminate the Dim Areas of Christmas and of Life [The Heart of Christmas Advent Series: December 25]

2012-12-28T21:16:00.000-08:00

Another Christmas has presented itself, temporarily shutting down the busy stores and calming the hurried people. Quiet roads mask the hurting emotions of those having a less than merry Christmas.

Twinkling Christmas lights hem the borders of homes like mini lanterns lighting the way, yet if only they could hem the hearts. Drizzly water sweeps from the night sky with bursts of breathy breezes.

Driving past the lighted decoration hoopla in yards and on roofs, the skepticism weighs in, “Do the hearts of the home mirror the exterior cheery disposition?”

Christmas has never been picture perfect for everyone every year. Tears still fall and hearts still beat despite their broken nature.

The harsh way the world closes along the streets of cities slices like a knife to the already scarred. Pressing down on the fleshy incision of the wounded, a world still open for the greetings is desired to those whose hearts are aching at the disappointments and loneliness of the season.

Clouds brush over the sun and scour its illumination, bringing a dull hue of subtle light over the city and over hearts. This isn’t the way Christmas is supposed to be. Yet, this year, especially so soon after the tragedy of Newtown, Connecticut, it is.

Prominently scraped, shattered, and so yearning for the Love that only comes from Above. To fill in the gaps, mend the broken, comfort the lonely, disperse peace, and to illuminate hope with Heavenly Love is what is so earnestly and silently needed.

Christmas this year may be over, but the potential of miracles last all year.

So, to all of you who may have had a less than stellar Christmas, you are not alone.

Jesus was born in the darkness of night. The Ultimate Light, He was delivered to illuminate the world with the Greatest Love.

Born in a hidden place, a small stable intended for animals, not for the birth of The King. Though in that sacred moment and in the deepest hours as the world slept, Jesus Christ was delivered so that He could die and rise from the dead-to deliver us.

Not with boughs of celebrations, but with tears, evil, and hardships, Jesus came into the world as vulnerable as they come-as the flesh of a newborn baby with the power to heal, defy death, and save the world.

As your life has experiences of struggling, heartbreak, and dark valleys weaved into its vibrant tapestry, know that He is with you. The King born into this world as a fragile infant is the same Lord that walks with you today.

DEUTERONOMY 31:8 ““The LORD Himself goes before you and will be with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”” (NIV)

I encourage you to seek the Ultimate Light of Love from Above. Ask Him to wrap His arms around you and guide you. Stray from the feelings of heartache, whether they may have originated from things or people. Let Jesus fill the empty caves of disappointments and loneliness that you may be feeling.

Thank you for reading The Heart of Christmas Advent Series for December 25. I welcome you to visit my website often for inspirational articles, insights on how to live intentionally, and updates on my first book that I am writing.

Following the Star: Sharing in the Three Wise Men’s Overjoyed Discovery [The Heart of Christmas Advent Series: December 24]

2012-12-24T03:23:00.000-08:00

Just as the Christmas lights twinkle in the night, so do the natural light creations of God’s-the stars. Have you ever pondered how it would be to take off walking, following a bright star in the night sky seeking a world-transforming discovery? Many years ago, that is just what the three wise men did.

Stepping boldly in faith, with overjoyed hearts, following the star they kept walking until it led them to Jesus.

In a way of experiencing the whole “Follow the Star” situation, our family has a Christmas tradition, which is explained below.

FOLLOW THE STAR

This experience is mostly geared towards children, but can also be implemented with pets as we did this year. We do this Christmas tradition each year on Christmas Eve at night, but since my younger brother and I adults now, I hide gifts for Spirit to Follow The Star to find the gifts. Before we do the Follow The Star, we read the Bible story of Jesus’ birth, which can be read in Matthew 1:18-25 and 2:1-12, and Luke 2:1-20.

Directions

-Hide three small gifts around your home in different places for each participant. Some great hiding places include behind pillows on a sofa, in cupboards, under a bed, in a desk drawer, in a plant, underneath a chair, in a toy bin, etc. The participant to be finding the three gifts should wait in another room and not watch you hiding the gifts.

- Turn out all the big bright lights in the room(s) that the participant will be seeking the three gifts. Christmas lights, lighted villages, and night lights are fine. The main element is you want to create a nighttime environment, much as experienced by the three wise men.

-Turn on a flashlight and shine it up towards the ceiling. Walk around your home shining the flashlight upwards in front of you. The participant is to follow the light of the flashlight, much like the star.

-At each place you hid a gift, stop walking and shine the flashlight above the hidden gift. Let the participant find the gift.

The purpose of the three gifts is to symbolize the three gifts that the wise men gave to Baby Jesus. I discussed the symbolism of the wise men’s three gifts here.

MATTHEW 2:9-11 “After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the Child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. 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.”(NIV)

I encourage you to take a moment in the evening and stand under the blanket of stars.

Neck tilted, eyes maneuvering around the glittery white lights against the deep dark space, take in the beauty and attention to detail that God infuses in His creation.

Thank you for reading The Heart of Christmas Advent Series for December 24. I welcome you to visit my website daily as we countdown to Jesus’ Birthday!

Image courtesy of: FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Maintaining Joy: How to Stay Energized with Joy [The Heart of Christmas Advent Series: December 23]

2012-12-24T02:54:00.000-08:00

Things take longer than planned, plans combust, and life becomes a bit tangled. If only there was a detangle solution for life like there is for hair!

Alas, there is no simple or quick fix for the balls of knots that occur in our days, but there is an endless plethora of energy that one can cling to. Grasping completely with both hands, there is no secret mixture, but there is joy.

Joy that drips and drizzles into your life. Pooling in some areas and appearing dry in others, joy is the water in a desert. The warmth in the winter, the food for the soul, the love in the heart, and the constant reminder that you are so abundantly blessed-is the joy that spills from Jesus into our hearts.

HEBREWS 12:2-3 “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider Him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.” (NIV)

I encourage you to lap up the dollops of joy in your life and embrace them in bowlfuls. Despite whatever challenges you may be knee-deep in, joy is always present, but sometimes needs to be actively sought.

Strap the wonderful joy unto your being like a jacket, lace it unto your path like shoestrings, and dance to the joy that sprinkles into your life like a winter rain.

Thank you for reading The Heart of Christmas Advent Series for December 23. I welcome you to visit my website daily as we countdown to Jesus’ Birthday!

Greatest Christmas Story: Telling the Story of Jesus [The Heart of Christmas Advent Series: December 22]

2012-12-24T02:25:00.000-08:00

Year after year, gathered around in our cozy home, we read the first and greatest Christmas story. The Bible open in one of our laps, the voice of the reader would permeate the room.

As the story went along, another family member would demonstrate the motion, moving the stuffed nativity dolls within the stable. It was always a precious time spent, presenting the story of Baby Jesus being born into the world while all of us hovered over the nativity.

The Greatest Christmas Story can be found in the Bible in

Matthew 1:18-25, 2:1-12, and Luke 2:1-20.

I encourage you to gather your family and spend some quality time together reading the greatest Christmas story. It is a time that will be cherished forever by you and your children/grandchildren.

Thank you for reading The Heart of Christmas Advent Series for December 22. I welcome you to visit my website daily as we countdown to Jesus’ Birthday!

Expanding the Scope of Love: How to Find the Good [The Heart of Christmas Advent Series: December 21]

2012-12-21T00:59:00.000-08:00

The final sweeps of getting everything in place for Christmas has everyone scurrying around. Bows flying, people short on nerves, and life is a little hectic in the anticipation of the final days before the celebration of Jesus’ birth.

Even in the middle of the race, it is important to find the time to love and appreciate those around you, especially your family and friends.

It is often overlooked the little things that your family and friends do to make your life easier and to enrich your days. Whether that is helping you with your daily to-do’s or just being there to care about you, those people do those things for you because they love you, regardless of whether or not they will ever receive any gratefulness from you for helping. By acknowledging their help, you will not only make them feel that their efforts are appreciated, but you will also be making them feel that the love they have for you is being reciprocated.

A little bit of love

can do a whole lot

of good.

God sent His love through a Baby, Jesus, to be born into this world and die for each of us.

1 JOHN 4:7-8 “Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.”(NIV)

I encourage you to expand the scope of your love and as a result, you will discover the good in your life, in other people, and in the world. Give appreciations of gratefulness stated by words or written in cards. Show your family and friends that you care about them by helping them with things they may need help with.

Presenting energies of love towards those people that spend their precious limited time assisting you with simple life duties is something never to be taken for granted, but should be channeled back to them with love.

As we can see by the story of Jesus, a little bit of love can go a long way to create good.

Be a mirror to the world,

boldly reflecting

the light of

God’s love.

Thank you for reading The Heart of Christmas Advent Series for December 21. I welcome you to visit my website daily as we countdown to Jesus’ Birthday!

Image courtesy of: FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Sharing Birthday Month with Jesus: The Majestic Wonder of a December Birth [The Heart of Christmas Advent Series: December 20]

2012-12-20T02:41:00.000-08:00

My Mom looked at me and acknowledged my evaluation of the lack of candle images on the bag compared to her years of life, smiling back at me.

It is funny how some people, as they get older, fluster at their increasing age. Scratching their head as their number of years alive gains a plus one.

Not everyone gets the blessed opportunity to be old, especially as their age increases, the number of people that reach that “older” age decreases.

Waltzing noiselessly throughout the kitchen, taping “Happy Birthday” signs on the fronts of cupboards and windows, I am blessed to have another birthday of my Mom’s to celebrate. Assembling a birthday scene with the fabric nativity set, candles, heart-shaped cutouts, and a tabletop Christmas tree, placed strategically, as to not make a sound.

December birth, how neat it must have been for my Grandma giving birth to my Mom five days before Mary gave birth to Jesus many years ago. The majestic wonder of the Christmas season in full bloom and the overwhelming excitement of a baby entering the world during the same week of Jesus’ birthday must have made for a joyous Christmas for her family, just as it does for our family now.

In the shadows of the night, trading sleep for the hope of joy for another, I set out to surprise the birthday girl when she makes her appearance in the morning.

In my delightful attempt of making her birthday beautiful, I hope that she also recognizes the grandness of the new age she is turning and gets to experience.

Getting older is a gift denied to many. Being younger is a more popular age, not because being old is not, but because one has to be young first in order to be old. Thus, not everyone makes it that far down the number count.

NUMBERS 6:24-26 ““The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the LORD turn His face toward you and give you peace.”” (NIV)

I encourage you on your birthday to celebrate your new age and to be thankful for all that the increased age symbolizes. Reflect on all the trials and victories that have sculpted you to who you are today, but also aim not to lose sight of your dreams that hover in the not-so-faraway future.

Embrace being older in all the setbacks and set-forwards it provides you. For, each age has its advantages.

Thank you for reading The Heart of Christmas Advent Series for December 20. I welcome you to visit my website daily as countdown to Jesus’ Birthday!

Image courtesy of: FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Peeling Back the Layers: The Lesson I Learned From Cleaning Our Home [The Heart of Christmas Advent Series: December 19]

2012-12-19T02:42:00.000-08:00

The tiles, free of the clinging dust, receive a cleansing from the sponge mop. Polishing the squares to the matte elegance presented the original beauty of why this tile design was selected.

After spending a couple of hours cleaning our home, I sit at my technological seat to the world. The black bar of the word document, flashing like the heavy panting of a dog after a long walk, yearns for the words that would allow the line to temporarily retreat behind the white curtain of imaginary paper.

My hands, statuesquely hovering over the keyboard, wait for the words that refuse to appear. Deeply desiring to continue my typing, I just can’t find the words. Oh, the words! If only they could be picked from a forever-stocked store and placed in a cart. Yet, they must endure the strategic harvest within my heart and transcend throughout my blood vessels, enlivening my fingertips to rhythmically press each letter.

My body, restless from the stint of actively cleaning to suddenly feeling forced to the desk’s chair, this rut is a familiar place for this writer. Plastered into a jar of the limitless possibilities of letters that raise their squiggly hands in an effort to be picked for my arrangements, my heart cherishes this stage but also performs more efficiently with the internal flow of orders. Taking the balance beam between the could-be’s and maybe’s of word potentials, I feel more like a novice gymnast than a graduate-level writer.

I am lost in my own words, sewn durably in some areas and fraying in others, experiencing a mixed organization across the numerous pages. Halted at the frozen word count for days, I am unable to move forward because the words refuse to attend.

I know that once I tumble from this emptiness of unknown, I will freely flap my wings and soar within the jet stream of ready-to-type words, at least for a little while. However, this hill is steeper than I expected, and is lasting longer than I have hoped.

Silence swarms my attentive ears as I roll evaluations of why I seem super-glued in this section in my book writing. My mind drifts back to my cleaning duties of earlier...vacuuming and mopping.

Lost in a dark forest, somehow I am no longer seeking the illumination that I knew had been there all along. The radiant light sparkles in the previous cave of unclaimed words.

The dance atop the gorgeous letter keys is again energized. Surprised and somewhat fearful, I realize that in my book writing I have been trying to tiptoe over certain areas of my life, focusing on the times I selectively desire to share and leaving out the rough patches that have so unexpectedly led me to writing this book.

This type of cleaning, the peeling off of the layers that comfortably cloak my true heart, have to be removed in order to pen a memoir that presents me in ever prism of refinement that my endured trials have afforded me, regardless of the human vulnerability it will reveal.

I clasp the valid concept of how to tackle this hill of my writing. Beginning to enter one letter after another, my fingers form words as my book creates a story that one day, I dream, will transform the world.

PSALM 51:10 “Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.” (NIV)

I encourage you to peel back the layers of creative fabrication, revealing your true heart. For God created only one you-for purposes only you can satisfy.

Thank you for reading The Heart of Christmas Advent Series for December 19. I welcome you to visit my website daily as we countdown to Jesus’ Birthday!

Image courtesy of: FreeDigitalPhotos.net

The Birth of The King: The Filling of Your Heart [The Heart of Christmas Advent Series: December 18]

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As the hours towards Christmas are lapped up like the spoonfuls of refreshment scooped into the mouth of a dog, it is important to keep your eyes pasted to the true meaning of the celebration.

Sparkling lights are flourishing on the exterior eves of houses, while the interior glow of Christmas accents are adorned within. Ornamental décor is placed around the house. Flavorful candles dance in dim spaces.

Nativity sets are standing atop counters and tables with angels hung on pine branches. Lighted villages embellish the landings of chunky furniture.

Amidst the physical Christmas sprinkles, one must fill their heart with the year-round love that is inspired by the events of why Christmas is recognized, which is the Birth of The King-JESUS.

ISAIAH 9:6 “For to us a Child is born, to us a Son is given, and the government will be on His shoulders. And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”(NIV)

I encourage you to find time between the dashing to complete last minute Christmas to-do’s and spend it with Jesus. Put the plastic Baby Jesus in the nativity aside and communicate with the One in Heaven.

Thank you for reading The Heart of Advent Series for December 18. I welcome you to visit my website daily as we countdown to Jesus’ Birthday!

True Joy: Sharing the Joy of God with the World [The Heart of Christmas Advent Series: December 17]

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Blended among the trials and tribulations of life, deep within the gravels of each of our souls, a force exists to those who tenderly, yet ambitiously, dig to uncover the hidden valuable nuggets.

Much like panning for gold, the nuggets are discovered. Perhaps, covered in fragments of dirt and chunks of debris, but their worth is the same.

Beneath the muck and mire, the nuggets’ energy radiates above the surface. Profoundly embedded within the foundation, yet also potentially abundant, it is challenging to contain.

Despite the dips and falls, the nuggets aspire to fail not. With the heart still beating, regardless of the current situation, illumination flickers within the pacing soul, for it knows what awaits the expiration of its physical shell-Heaven.

This is true joy.

ROMANS 15:13 “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” (NIV)

I encourage you to seek the joy in your heart and share it with the world. For the world needs people to share the joy of the Lord with those hurting, especially during this Christmas season.

Thank you for reading The Heart of Christmas Advent Series for December 17. I welcome you to visit my website daily as we countdown to Jesus’ Birthday!

Image courtesy of: FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Intentional Living: How to Live Each Day with Purpose [The Heart of Christmas Advent Series: December 16]

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I once heard this saying, “Give a dog an hour, you can bill him for seven.” This is based on the thought that each year a dog lives, his/her body has actually aged seven years. Though this statement is poked at dogs, the message is paramount to us as well.

It is vital for us to live intentionally. Going about our life’s work with purpose in hand, striving not to falter with petty distractions, but to aim Heavenward.

For the only way to move forward is to look upward.

Living intentionally all the time is not an easy task. Tiredness sprinkles on our twinkling eyes, while other tasks tap our shoulders with requests.

Yet, life is temporary. Thus, we must slip on our shoes and dance with the flow of the winding visions of our life’s dreams.

Rhythmically moving to the song of life as the deadline is fast approaching should be a commonplace for us each day.

Striving to put urges of enthusiasm into our daily performances, as we click away at the agenda of our life purpose because now is the time we are being given.

Now is the time we are here and for the reasons steeping in our hearts, perfectly planted by God.

PSALM 90:12 “Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” (NIV)

I encourage you to go about the dance of your days with intention, boldly claiming the purpose God has presented you to fulfill.

Thank you for reading The Heart of Christmas Advent Series for December 16. I welcome you to visit my website daily as we countdown to Jesus’ Birthday!

Image courtesy of: FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Christina Jonas Kennedy

Fierce Passion

Don't Fear Being Misunderstood

Living Intentionally

Heaven's Lessons: Ten Things I Learned About God When I Died

Miracles

Legacy-Building

Creating Beauty with the Broken Pieces

Share the Bounty: Finding Grace through the Spirit of Hospitality

20,000 Days and Counting: The Crash Course for Mastering Your Life Right Now

Treasure Chest of Yellow Pens

Achieving Dreams that Equate to Legacy Building or Only Personal Worldly Gains?

PSALM 138:8

The Lesson of the Snake: How to Avoid Negative Thoughts

2013: The Year of Dreams

Top 12 Posts of 2012

The Ultimate Light: How to Illuminate the Dim Areas of Christmas and of Life [The Heart of Christmas Advent Series: December 25]

Following the Star: Sharing in the Three Wise Men’s Overjoyed Discovery [The Heart of Christmas Advent Series: December 24]

Maintaining Joy: How to Stay Energized with Joy [The Heart of Christmas Advent Series: December 23]

Greatest Christmas Story: Telling the Story of Jesus [The Heart of Christmas Advent Series: December 22]

Expanding the Scope of Love: How to Find the Good [The Heart of Christmas Advent Series: December 21]

Sharing Birthday Month with Jesus: The Majestic Wonder of a December Birth [The Heart of Christmas Advent Series: December 20]

Peeling Back the Layers: The Lesson I Learned From Cleaning Our Home [The Heart of Christmas Advent Series: December 19]

The Birth of The King: The Filling of Your Heart [The Heart of Christmas Advent Series: December 18]

True Joy: Sharing the Joy of God with the World [The Heart of Christmas Advent Series: December 17]

Intentional Living: How to Live Each Day with Purpose [The Heart of Christmas Advent Series: December 16]