Dark clouds can appear unexpectedly in many formations, and in 2012 I faced a significant ominous health challenge for the first time in my life; on the day of my initial diagnosis I left the hospital as the sun was setting to see this amazing sky with silver-lined clouds; immediately as I observed the radiance of the image, the Holy Spirit impressed on me, “all will be well.” Having heard this encouraging word before I received the doctor’s recommendation for surgery and treatment, I knew I had to take a picture of the sky. At rush hour in the medical center, that was no small task! My view obstructed by buildings from every perspective, maneuvering around congested traffic, I managed to find a parking lot with a clear view of the sky and captured the silver-lined clouds to encourage me throughout my medical journey over the next few months. On the celebratingchrist.com Home page we superimposed the Star of Christmas to honor Jesus, our ultimate illumination and the “light of the world”. Read more
https://celebratingchrist.com/ccngn3/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Silver-Lining-11-1-2012web.jpg5361000c3l3br4t3xhttps://celebratingchrist.com/ccngn3/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/DawsonCC-300x161.pngc3l3br4t3x2017-12-15 21:22:122019-12-06 01:08:31The Silver Lined Clouds Story: A Personal Testimony
The one tradition with which everyone agrees is being home for Christmas! Home is where our families are, where we feel loved and cared for. Home is where memories of Christmas’ past are etched in our minds and hearts. Home is where we can experience all the joy, hope and love that is central to the spirit of Christmas. Yet many are without a real home this Christmas. Natural disasters have destroyed tens of thousands of homes in the devastating hurricanes of Houston, Puerto Rico and Florida, the consuming fires in California, and other disasters around the world. Terrorism has displaced millions, Christian, Jewish and Muslim, throughout the Middle East and impacting other parts of the world. And many people confront health, work and financial challenges which have altered their lives, causing some to lose their homes or be dislocated. Our active military may be stationed far from home, leaving families separated for long periods. Where is home for these this Christmas?
In contrast, my husband Ken and I have moved into a new home this Christmas. Since we do not have children, we traveled for Christmas in past years, going to winter resorts to enjoy the snow and festivities of the season. Yet our tradition when away from home was to find a local church wherever we were to celebrate Christmas eve candlelight service. “Home for Christmas” in those years was joining a congregation gathered with other families to remember the true meaning of Christmas. Now in our new home, we decked the halls throughout the whole house with decorations which had been stored for 15 years! It is a joy to share the memories and experiences of the season with friends and neighbors in our new home town of Flagstaff. We are grateful to be home for Christmas and anticipate sharing the traditions of this special season for many years to come.
While privileged to be in our new home, we think of the many who are not home for Christmas. Christ himself was not born at home, but rather in a stable on a field in Bethlehem. This was more than a coincidence caused by Herod’s decree for a census, returning all Jews to their ancestral homes. Rather God ordained that His Son should be born in Bethlehem as prophesied in Micah 5:2: “But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.”
Why Bethlehem? Could it be that aside from being the “house of bread”, the ancestral home of the line of David, that Bethlehem is where the sacrificial lambs for the temple were raised? Indeed, the shepherds watching the sheep were the first to receive the announcement of the angelic host on the first Christmas: “And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.’ And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, ‘Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.’ Luke 2:13 – 15
Jesus was born as the final sacrificial lamb on a hill in Bethlehem over which a bright star shone, also prophesied: “Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, saying, ‘Where is he that is born King of the Jews, for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him?’ Matthew 2:1-2
This sacrificial lamb also was called King. The Savior of the world was not only king of the Jews, but King of the universe! God Himself sent His son Jesus born of a virgin, laid in a manger, and ultimately crucified that all people may be reconciled to Him: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” John 3:16
After Christ was crucified, He rose again and ascended unto the Father to prepare our eternal home: “In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.” John 14:2 After the resurrection Jesus shared with the women in the garden: “‘Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God.’” John 20:17
Regardless of our current circumstances or where our earthly home is, it is comforting to know there is an eternal home awaiting us! The ultimate home for Christmas shall be heaven. Awaiting us are family members who have departed before us. They are already celebrating Christmas in their heavenly home with Christ Himself. As the Chris Tomlin popular song Home rejoices, “I’m going home where are streets are golden… I’m in your open arms where I belong…. The trump will sound, the angels will sing, Hallelujah, Hallelujah, I am going home.”
What a homecoming it shall be when we are reunited with family and friends for the great feast of the Lamb and King! “Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honor, and glory, and blessing. And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, I heard them saying, ‘Blessing, and honor, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever.’ Revelation 5:12 -13 Indeed, “Blessed are those who have been called to the wedding supper of the Lamb.” Revelation 19:9
If you are displaced, have lost your home, or are separated from family and home, you can still rejoice this Christmas simply by knowing the One whom we celebrate, Jesus. When He resides in your heart, when He has made you anew in His resurrection power, you become His temple. In a sense, you are at home already through the indwelling of His Holy Spirit. Praise the Lord, He makes a way for each of us to experience His peace, joy, and hope now and for eternity. If you do not know His presence, then this Christmas receive Jesus as your personal Savior. Wherever you are, you indeed will be home for Christmas!
https://celebratingchrist.com/ccngn3/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/home2017.jpg30204031c3l3br4t3xhttps://celebratingchrist.com/ccngn3/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/DawsonCC-300x161.pngc3l3br4t3x2017-11-27 23:00:542018-04-18 21:10:14Home For Christmas
For three consecutive Thanksgivings I chose to spend the day in Galveston, since my husband had moved to our second home in Flagstaff, preceding our eventual relocation, and I was living in our Houston home of many years. Since I was traveling back and forth to manage the transition after the sale of our company, it did not seem practical to travel to Flagstaff for Thanksgiving when I had obligations in Houston prior to the Christmas holidays.
The Beach Walk Inspiration
Finding myself alone for the long weekend, Galveston was a perfect diversion to enjoy the day. On the final year of my transition, I was taking my traditional walk on the beach when I spied some small pieces of driftwood. I was inspired to pick them up though I was not sure what I would do with them. I was not accustomed to shelling on Galveston beach as it is not the ideal location for finding pristine shells, however, having found the driftwood it occurred to me that they could easily form a cross. With that in mind, I began to pick up shells thinking I could create an image of Christ on the cross with them.
Unprepared for shelling, I did not have anything to bag my collection so I carefully cradled them in my hands! Somewhere along the way I found something to hold them as they became more than I could hold! Now committed to my creative mission, I realized that I needed a large shell to represent the body of Christ. The notion seemed impossible to find until I spied an elongated piece of oyster shell – “ah, perfect for the broken body on the cross,” I thought.
Giving Thanksgiving
Laden with a good supply of shells I completed my walk and then prepared for Thanksgiving buffet at my favorite seafood restaurant. I decided I would return to the beach later after a hearty meal and texting all my friends and family to wish them a happy Thanksgiving.
The Beach Gallery
With bag of shells and driftwood in hand, wearing my beach shoes and hat, I returned to the beach to create and photograph the image representing Christ on the cross. It was a windy day and I wanted to take advantage of the incoming tide; my idea was to capture water surrounding the cross to designate His living water washing away our sins. This was a challenging assignment as the wind kept taking my hat away, and in the rising tide my bag of shells kept floating away! I had to find the right distance from the shoreline to have time to create the image, allow the water to partly surround it and snap the picture. Ultimately, I managed to bring all elements together without losing my hat!
The Meaning of the Beach Cross
The resulting image is on the celebratingchrist.com home page. It has become a favorite photograph of mine as it memorializes my journey over the previous three years of my business and personal transitions. While I was alone on the beach for Thanksgiving far from family, I believe the Lord inspired me to be thankful for all He had done for me.
Those fragile, broken and worn shells represent His crucified body. The driftwood of course represents the wooden cross upon which He hung. The sand represents the entire world for whom He gave His life, that all may be saved. The water reflects not only His blood washing away the sins of the world, but also the Holy Spirit who fills us upon acceptance of His sacrificial grace. The pierced shells for His hands and feet remind us of the nails from which He bled. The jagged shell for His bowed head, represents the crown of thorns pressed upon His brow. Above His head is a broken sand dollar, traditionally viewed as telling the crucifixion story, here represents the message written by the Roman soldiers, “King of the Jews”.
Together for Thanksgiving
This Thanksgiving I was privileged to spend with my husband of over 40 years in our new home in Flagstaff. Together we thanked the Lord for bringing us through a challenging period of our lives to celebrate together in our new home. Each Thanksgiving I spent alone on the beach, I felt privileged to enjoy the beauty of His creation, His presence in my life, and His promises to bring me through my transitions.
Come to the Cross
In the same way, His sacrifice provides these same promises for you. Wherever your journey takes you, whatever your circumstances, you can always come to the cross to satisfy your needs.
Seven hundred years before the birth of the Messiah, Isaiah foretold: “Surely, he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.”
Isaiah 53: 4 – 5
Bring your burdens, challenges and transitions to the cross and He shall restore, provide and sustain you.
https://celebratingchrist.com/ccngn3/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Galveston-Self-Crucifiction-Depiction-11-2015-.jpg28742292c3l3br4t3xhttps://celebratingchrist.com/ccngn3/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/DawsonCC-300x161.pngc3l3br4t3x2017-11-23 21:50:272019-09-25 20:33:47The Beach Cross Story: A Personal Testimony
Thank you for sun, sky and sea For sand and shells For brisk breezes and breaking waves – Thank you, Lord, for everything. Related posts: The Beach Cross Story: A Personal Testimony
Prologue: On a calm and clear night, long ago in Bethlehem, an amazing miracle transpired that would affect the entire world for all eternity. God announced the long-awaited birth of His Only Son whom He sent as Savior of the world. To ensure no doubt of His intention to gift mankind with a path to […]
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