A Wakeup Call

Disturb us, Lord, when 
We are too well pleased with ourselves 
When our dreams have come true 
Because we dreamed too little, 
When we arrived safely 
Because we sailed too close to the shore. 

Disturb us, Lord, when 
With the abundance of things we possess 
We have lost our thirst 
For the Waters of Life; 
Having fallen in love with life, 
We have ceased to dream of eternity 
And in our efforts to build a new earth, 
We have allowed our vision 
Of the new Heaven to dim. 

Disturb us, Lord, to dare more boldly, 
To venture on wider seas 
Where storms will show your mastery: 
Where losing sight of land 
We shall find the stars. 

We ask you to push back 
The horizons of our hopes; 
And to push us in the future 
In strength, courage, hope, and love. 

- Poem written by Sir Francis Drake

Reaching hearts with God's love

"To invest in a child is to invest in a better future for everyone."-- ADRA People of Promise. "Present in 125 countries, the Adventist Development and Relief Agency is a non-governmental humanitarian aid agency that provides sustainable community development and disaster relief without regard to political or religious association, age, gender, race or ethnicity." 


ADRA is an organization that's close to my heart. 


Consider ADRA when you're giving to those in need during this holiday season and always.


God bless you,


Alexis

The Heart of Christianity

Dear blog readers,

At the heart of Christianity is an altar call.

The Holy Spirit of God calls you to come just as you are to Jesus Christ. Don't try to "have it all together" or be completely pure and spotless. God meets you where you're at and can take you to where you've never been. He LOVES you and wants what's best for you. All He asks is that you accept HIM and have faith in His Word.

Best described by an altar call song by a hallmark of Christian music Crystal Lewis in her song suitably titled, "Come Just As You Are," here's the video:

In the words of Jesus Christ, "Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me." -- Revelation 3:20 (NIV) www.biblegateway.com

Preaching through singing =)

When the ordinary meets extraordinary, beautiful things happen. :)

When celebrating the holiday season, nothing makes your soul smile like "The Hallelujah Chorus".

It was an ordinary day in the food court, until something extraordinary happened:

The Nativity Story

My Grown-Up Christmas List

Dear blog readers,

Merry Christmas!

I love this time of year as it truly is the most wonderful!

A great writer by the name of Hamilton Wright Mable once penned, "Blessed is the season which engages the whole world in a conspiracy of love."

Right on Mable! :)

This holiday season tends to bring out the best in humanity with classic, heart-stirring movies like It's A Wonderful Life, people being nicer to each other in the stores and on the street, kitchens filled with sweet scents of cooking and baking of holiday dinner favorites, school children happily giving gifts of cards and candy to each other and their favorite teacher, not to mention all the engagements, births and marriages which take place on Christmas Day! :)

Unfortunately, we don't always stay in these good spirits after December 25th. Most of us go back to our old routines and the gift of kindness is forgotten.

Enter, "My Grown-Up Christmas List," a song by a woman whom I believe is a kindred spirit :), Amy Grant! Amy's been making music for decades but this song of hers is by far, one of the very best.

Why? Because it engages the audience in a conspiracy of love. :)

Don't take my word for it, see for yourself:

A Season of Thanksgiving

"Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life.  It turns what we have into enough, and more.  It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity.  It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend.  Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today and creates a vision for tomorrow."  
~Melody Beattie

Dear blog readers,

Happy Thanksgiving!

My grandma always says, "Gratitude will change your attitude."

On this Thanksgiving Day, I hope and pray that we will celebrate those whom we are thankful for and embrace the daily blessings God bestows upon our lives.

As you're feasting around the banquet table today, remember to ask God for an opportunity to share your faith in HIM! :)

Love,

Alexis