details...

I am naturally a very inquisitive person...I may be quiet, but I am one who loves details and I pick up on everything! This can be a very good quality for a forensic scientist, a detective, or some other sleuth of that sort...but when it comes to the plans of God, I have to admit my curious, logical mind sometimes gets in the way! I have improved over the years...many lessons learned...some the hard way, and, more recently, some by learning to hear and trust God's voice. It's funny how I can strive to create a plan, but when I just learn to let God direct it, something miraculous happens...and a path that wasn't even visible yesterday, suddenly emerges right in front of my eyes.

We just today became members of a church that we have been going to for about 3 months! We are already seeing God's hand opening doors that no man can shut! (Hallelujah!!) I am also praying for miracles for my extended family, both on my side and Luis's...there are so many needs...but God is more than able! He has been so gracious to us, and we are so thankful to Him. My prayer is that God helps us to be real Christians...no sugar coating...no rose colored glasses...just REAL! I think the world has had enough "make it look like everything is perfect" Christians, who are really full of bitterness and empty on the inside. The time is getting short, and so many people's lives are hanging in the balance. 2009 is going to be a year of great harvest!! Get ready, get set, GO!

We had a nice Christmas at home and then later at Uncle David's house with he and Grandma Carmen. I am trying to figure out how to convert my video...so for now, you'll have to settle for pictures...unfortunately I took more video than pictures.

What Child is This?

It's Christmas Eve, and the house is quiet...everyone is asleep, and I am thinking with excitement toward tomorrow morning...the stockings have been stuffed and are hung...the presents are wrapped and tied...everything is ready. We had our traditional Christmas Eve...we read the Christmas Story from the Bible, and each opened one gift. We talked about God's gifts to us...love, peace, joy, forgiveness, and heaven. What an awesome gift, that He would leave the beauty and perfection of heaven for each one of us. His motivation was sheer love and a desire for the Father to be reconciled with the creation that he so deeply cares for. Pastor Kevin spoke this past week about the "discussion" in Heaven when God was creating the world...Desiring to have fellowship and communion with mankind...knowing that he would give us free will, which gives us freedom to choose to love Him, as well as the freedom to sin...knowing we would need a Savior to rescue us from that sin...and Jesus stepping up during the conversation and saying "I'll go, send Me", all before man was even formed out of the dust of the ground. What an amazing plan...what total sacrifice...what great love. What child is this? This was not an ordinary child...this was and is Emmanuel...God with us...I AM...the one who was...who is...and who is to come! Happy Birthday Jesus...thank you for being the greatest gift of all.

The Twelve Days of Christmas (Parra style!)

On the twelfth day of Christmas my true love gave to me....

Twelve lawnmowers humming (my romantic small engine mechanic ♥ )
Eleven peppers roasting
Ten piles a-heaping (we have leaves...everywhere!!)
Nine loads of laundry
Eight gallons of milk (per week...we need a cow!)
Seven swarms a swatting (gnats!)
Six geese a laying (literally, over at Uncle David's)
Five molten wings (as hot as lava...only Luis can eat them!!)
Four crawling bugs (Palmetto, to be exact)
Three torque wrenches
Two fried tamales
and
A part for our lightning-struck stove

I Wonder as I Wander

Have you ever been wading in the ocean, walking out deeper and deeper as you face the horizon? Then, after being out there for a while, you turn around and face the shore, and you find that you have drifted far to the left or to the right of your spot on the beach. We begin to walk back toward our point of origin, now with our attention focused on a target, a definitive destination...the very thing that was lacking when we were facing the other way. Sometimes life can be that way, as well. We set out on a course that is right before us, thinking that we are completely in control, only to find that our intended course was not what was intended for us at all. We can get so caught up in the here and now. So captivated by the sights and sounds of those things that are only pleasing for a moment, but have no eternal value. Trapped by things that seem divine, at first glance, with mortal eyes.

Then, at other times, we feel as though we are drifting, wandering without a purpose or point. Our focus is fixed, yet when we momentarily shift our eyes, it seems as if we are going nowhere. Our path has taken twists and turns for no apparent reason at all. Our trek seems futile, at times, and we question each step. Then after a long time of walking, steadily fixed on the unchanging, immovable Mark, we are given a gift. We, for a moment, have the ability to see our voyage from the viewpoint of a high flying eagle. We see that the twists and turns were necessary shifts that had steered us away from danger...danger that we never even came close to...danger that we never even realized was there. And although these crooked paths made the journey a bit longer, and bit more curious, we are stronger and healthier because of them. We realize that what we perceived as walking blindly was actually a sanctuary paved through a mine field...a trail that we would not have chosen, had it been left up to us to choose. Yet every step, a precise calculation by the One who always sees the beginning from the end.

The difference in these two walks is not really in the walking at all. It lies in the point on which we are focused. The first, a vast sea of endlessness, beautiful to the eye, detrimental to the soul. The second, a firm foundation, unchanged by the rolling waves or shifting sand. Life giving, and secure.

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"For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope." Jeremiah 29:11 (New Living Translation)

God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen

I went out his evening, by myself, for a relaxing, testosterone-free, ladies Christmas party with some of the gals from church. I left my three "merry gentlemen" at home. When I returned, Luis was asleep on the bottom bunk, and the boys had beaten me to the door, putting in their snack requests....When I asked why they didn't ask Dad to get it for them, they responded "He said wait for Mom to get home". Ahhh...it was a heavenly three hours, while it lasted...

Let it Flow, Let it Flow, Let it Flow!

Today we finished school relatively early, and I put the finishing touches on my Christmas cards. The weather was so mild that I let the boys go out to play in shorts and t-shirts...definitely not the central New York, cabin-fever winters around here! I was going around, doing some chores, when I peeked out the front door to check on the boys. They were busily playing in the front yard. After a few more minutes, I peeked out again, and saw Joshua and Jonathan huddled in the soccer goal. I called out to them, to make sure everything was alright, and Josh decided to then inform me that his little brother was bleeding. As Jonathan began to walk toward me, I noticed a large, grapefruit sized blood stain on his t-shirt. As he came closer, I noticed that there was also blood on his shorts and hands. Uncle David came into the yard and made a comment about the large quantity of blood. So, I lifted up Jonathan's shirt, and saw that his whole little tummy was stained red...more blood. So, I got him in the house, went to the restroom, and began to strip him down. I wet a wash cloth and started to clean up his once olive, now crimson skin. As I put his clothes to soak in cold water, I tried to find the source of the bleeding. After wiping for a while, I noticed a small, pin-sized cut, just over his lower ribcage. I mean this cut was so small, that I only noticed it because the blood began to flow after I cleaned him. How this tiny opening made such a horrid mess, I'll never know! All I can figure is that there must have been a small vein near the cut, and it just kept pumping out through the path of least resistance...namely, his cut. After about 15 minutes of pressure, I was finally able to get that little pesty cut to stop bleeding. I bandaged him up, and "Shouted" out his clothes. Jonathan later admitted that he picked an old scab, just to see if it would bleed. He is definitely all boy! Just another average, ordinary day at the Parra ranch.

We Wish you a Merry Christmas

Yesterday, we had the opportunity to go Christmas carolling at a nursing home in Fairfax. It ended up just Jonathan and I, along with a great group from our new church (that we just love!). Jonathan was (and still is) in dire need of a haircut, but due to the lack of time, I just wet it, slicked it back and hair sprayed it. (He's three, and gave no protest...miracle!). When we got to the nursing home, one of the ladies from church commented that he looked like a little Eddie Munster...after looking at his little slick hair and sweet face, I had to admit she was right! No matter...he and his little friend J.R. were the stars of the show as they passed out presents to all of the residents that attended our little gathering. Out of my boys, Jonathan is most assuredly the more outgoing one, and he gave handshakes, hugs and a "Merry Christmas" to each of the men and women that he talked to. My heart was really touched as I watched the sweet elderly residents sing along with us to the old familiar Christmas songs. Even though we were only there a short while, I felt like we had touched eternity . I left that center feeling so full, knowing that I had received much more than I could have ever given.

O Little Town of Bethlehem

I was wondering today, just how big (or small) Bethlehem was at the time of Jesus’ birth. Obviously it was small enough, that the many people returning to it, as ordered by Caesar Augustus, filled every inn and vacant spot available. I am sure the homes were bursting at the seams by the sudden influx of visitors. Historians say that the population was somewhere between 300 and 1000 inhabitants when Jesus was born...a far cry from the tens of thousands that it grew to in the twentieth century.

I love to get a glimpse of the mind of God. Isn’t it amazing that God would choose the least likeliest of places to be the setting of the most important birth of all? Think of it...the Jewish scholars of that time were trying to decipher the scriptures, while right there, in the middle of nowhere, God was unfolding it all. The intellects of that day had their minds and hearts so focused on the triumphant entry of a king...one of high loftiness, one of great power and influence, and there, in the little town of Bethlehem, God fulfilled His Word in a way that was so unpretentious, and so incredibly basic, that even the shepherds in the fields nearby knew that something supernatural had taken place. The intellects of our modern world are not much different than those of old. While the technology has changed, the mind set has not. So often we believe God only works on a large scale and, in searching for the "greatness" we trample over the very thing that God has set before us. God still chooses to use Bethlehem as the setting in which to fulfill His will. My Bethlehem has a population of four. My sphere of influence, with God’s guidance, is endless.

I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas

It may be 70+ degrees outside, and I may even have broken a sweat sweeping leaves off the steps of our house yesterday, but hey, a girl can dream, can't she??

Away in a Manger

One of my favorite sights at Christmas is the nativity. Here in Hampton, down in the main square, they have a large, almost life-sized, nativity that is just beautiful. While Hampton has it's problems, it's nice that at least they get some things right now and again. We have a small nativity that I have set up in the living room. It's funny...amidst all the ornaments, ribbons and bows, the thing that the kids enjoy putting up the most is the manger and all the characters. It's almost as if they sense something special about it, even without really understanding the full importance of it at their early ages. I remember growing up, Mom had a manger, too. I used to love to assemble it as well. Hers had a light that was placed through a hole in the back of the "stable", and I remember how I used to sit next to the fireplace, or wherever Mom decided to place the manger that year, and rearrange the sheep, and the cow with the funny spring horns, and I would notice how Mary and Joseph's faces would glow from the light from that star-bulb. Since I have had my boys, I find myself thinking how it must have been to give birth outside, surrounded by lowing animals and a bustling city too small to hold all of the citizens returning for the census. A far cry from the beautiful birthing centers and even hospital rooms that we find ourselves in today, (which many times we complain about in the course of our stay). I also find myself wondering if I would have been as brave as Mary to say "yes" to the Lord's plan. How it must have felt to be carrying the Savior of the world for nine months, then raise Him, and ultimately watch Him hang on a cross for all humanity...even for those who would mock and reject Him. Then to raise again, in all His glory. What a time it must have been to be alive. Sadly, for some both then and now, it is a tale too far-fetched for their logical, pragmatic minds to believe. For the rest of us, it is the foundation of all of our faith, the Hope that we cling to, and the Promise that is soon to come again.

Do you hear what I hear...

I am the only one awake, and the house is quiet. This is the time of the night when I can hear sounds that usually fade into the background next to the sounds of two healthy, energetic boys. Without even trying, I can hear the quiet hum of the computer...the swishing of the dishwasher...if I focus a little more, I can tune my ear to the deep breathing of little ones fast asleep with not as much as a single care in the world. If I listen even more intently, I can hear the sound of peace...no, it's not readily audible...but rather a subtle, motionless calm. It is something I could never create, for even the attempt would be loud in comparison. It is a gift that has been extended...not one I have earned or even deserve. Sometimes I forget it's here...or even sweep it out the door inadvertently. Sometimes I overlook it, and fail to give it it's proper respect. Sometimes my words disturb it, cut through it like a knife, and I toss by the wayside the very thing that my heart needs most. But as the coldness of it's absence drifts through the rooms, and the chill of the void brushes my arm, I am reminded that all I have to do is let the peace back in...and upon the invitation, it rushes in like a flood, bringing a warmth and glow to everyone and everything it touches. The Prince of Peace came to us on Christmas. And He continues to come to whomever desires Him...bringing peace like a river...peace that passes all understanding...peace in the storm...peace. Stop. Listen. Do you hear what I hear?

Santa Claus is coming to town

This is something that was in our Women's Ministries Newsletter for this month, and I liked it...and thought you would too!

Why Jesus is Better Than Santa Claus

Santa lives at the North Pole...JESUS is everywhere. Santa rides in a sleigh...JESUS rides on the wind and walks on the water. Santa comes but once a year...JESUS is an ever present help. Santa fills your stockings with goodies...JESUS supplies all your needs. Santa comes down your chimney uninvited...JESUS stands at you door and knocks, and then enters your heart when invited. You have to wait in line to see Santa...JESUS is as close as the mention of His name. Santa lets you sit on his lap...JESUS lets you rest in His arms. Santa doesn't know your name, all he can say is "Hi little boy or girl, what's your name?"...JESUS knew our name before we were born. Not only does He know our name, He knows our address, too. He knows our history and future and He even knows how many hairs are on our heads. Santa has a belly like a bowl full of jelly...JESUS has a heart full of love. All Santa can offer is HO HO HO...JESUS offers health, help, and hope. Santa says, "You better not cry"...JESUS says "Cast all you cares on me for I care for you." Santa's little helpers make toys...JESUS makes new life, mends wounded hearts, repairs broken homes and builds mansions. Santa may make you chuckle but...JESUS gives you joy that is your strength. While Santa puts gifts under your tree...JESUS became our gift and died on a tree...the cross. Let's remember to keep Christ in Christmas...Jesus is the reason for the season.

and here's one more...(this one really hit home...especially the part about he kids and husband!)

1 Corinthians 13 applied to Christmas

If I decorate my house perfectly with plaid bows, stands of twinkling lights and shiny balls, but do not show love, I am just another decorator. If I slave away in the kitchen, baking dozens of Christmas cookies, preparing gourmet meals and arranging a beautiful adorned table at mealtime, but do not show love, I'm just another cook. If I work at the soup kitchen, carol in the nursing home and give all that I have to charity, but do not show love, it profits me nothing. If I trim the spruce with shimmering angels and crocheted snowflakes, attend a myriad of holiday parties and sing in the choir's cantata, but do not focus on Christ, I have missed the point.

Love stops the cooking to hug the child. Love sets aside the decorating to kiss the husband. Love is kind, though harried and tired. Love doesn't envy another's home that has coordinated Christmas china and table linens. Love doesn't yell at the kids to get out of the way, but is thankful they are there to be in the way. Love doesn't give only to those who are able to give in return, but rejoices in giving to those who can't. Love bears all things, endures all things. Love never fails.

Video games will break, pearl necklaces will be lost, golf clubs will rust, but giving the gift of love will endure.

O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree...

...how lovely are your branches...well, what little there are of them, anyway! haha..Luis, the boys and I went out to our little woods behind our house and chopped (well, chainsaw-ed) our quaint little tree for Christmas. Now, we don't have the lovely Douglas firs or scotch pines...the ones like Dad use to go a cut down for us...we have the old southern pines. So, since we are being frugal (cheap), and since we wanted the fragrance of a real tree, we went out and hunted for the best one we could find. For those of you who aren't familiar with the southern pine variety of a Christmas tree, don't feel bad..it's because it was never meant to be a Christmas tree. Our pines are about 25-30 feet tall...all trunk until the very top. So you can't really see what your tree is going to look like until you cut the tree down. Since we don't want to kill more than one tree for our living room, we take what we cut, trying our best to eye a good one from the ground. Then we do our best to fill in the gaps with the many ornaments we have collected over the years. Although our little Christmas tree looks just like the one Charlie Brown brought back to the Christmas play, and was ridiculed for, we gave it some love, and made it our own. We took the rest of the night to decorate our tree, while the holiday channel played our favorite Christmas songs. We drank cocoa, and ate cookies, then watched a Christmas movie. It turned out to be a fine day!!

This afternoon, when we came home from church, our precious little tree was lying lifeless, in the middle of the living room floor...I think it was a sign...Our treasure of a tree has been evicted from the house altogether, and now resides on the front porch...I informed Luis that next year, we're getting a fake one!

Exposed

The other day, I was making breakfast for the family...a Parra favorite- homemade French Toast! As I was cracking the eggs, I noticed that a piece of shell fell into the bowl. I ever so carefully used the broken egg shell to attempt to retrieve the renegade tidbit, which had quickly hidden under one of the yokes. As I finagled my way around the yoke, the edge of the shell caught the side of the yoke and all of a sudden...POP!!! The yoke broke.

I don't know if God talks to everyone in the same manner, but God spoke something to me that morning as I was fishing out the shell from my eggs. He said, "That's how a life is...when that life chooses Me over all the desires and trappings of the world, that life walks with a shield encircling them...a shield that comes from Me...when the attacks and snares of the world try to destroy the very life I have created, this shield is impervious. But, when a life chooses to step outside of the bounds of My protection, and leave the habitat I so carefully formed for it, it becomes so very fragile, so exposed...because it is outside of the destiny, the provincial armor in which I have created for it to live."

I began to think of how far this egg must have travelled...all of the bumping and jostling along it's long journey...and ever so miraculously safe inside the shell that was designed for it's protection. Not even as much as a crack on the outer shell...divine security. But then, the minute that egg left the safety of it's Creator's perfectly devised environment (and entered my bowl!), it was suddenly left unprotected in a place it was never created to be and became so very vulnerable...even to the very shell that was once it's safe haven. I began to think of how it is when we willingly and knowingly step out of God's perfect will for our lives, and we too find ourselves defenseless...far from the shielding hands of the Father...not that He doesn't desire to care for us, but He can not go against His own word...and that Word, which was meant to guide and keep us, must now judge us, when we choose to deliberately walk contrary to that which we know to be just and right and pure.

I have lived on both sides of that "shell". The peace, the sure foundation, the confidence that comes from knowing that God's own hands are surrounding us every moment...every step...every breath...when we choose to walk in the path that He has, so beautifully, created for us...is something I pray I never take for granted...and something I do not ever wish to live without again.