Free Will Love

     Christmas is quickly approaching and I've seen some beautiful light displays all throughout the county. With the light displays are now those blow up holiday critters. I've seen penguins wearing cute Santa hats and scarves in a snow globe. I've seen Frosty the snow man, I've seen lots of Santa with his reindeer ready for take off or just landing. I've even seen Snoopy and Woodstock in Christmas decor! 

    Yes all that is very cute and brings a smile to many people as they pass. But what about the true meaning of Christmas? Love?! 

   My darling husband and I were having a conversation the other day after we had had a heated discussion. It had finally calmed down and apologies were made and excepted (that's right folks I don't have the perfect marriage nor are we always happy). He likes to leave off a fight/misunderstanding on a good note. But I feel he's buttering me up! haha! Anyway, while he was "buttering me up" he began to tell me things he's thankful for. In the midst of his thankfulness speech his spoke these words: "Thank you for loving me everyday, I know you don't have too. You could have loved anybody, but you love me." I was stunned. I didn't listen to anything else he had to say after that point as I mulled over the significance of these words.  

   I guess I took it for granted that I choose to love my husband everyday. But he doesn't. He showed real humility as he spoke this. True understanding of free will love. How many times a day do we take for granted so many things? Water? Food? Heat? Shelter? Love? Sometimes I go about my day and never even realized I made a conscience choice to love my husband or my son. Maybe it comes out naturally or maybe I forget, with all the busyness, to really, really love them. To take a good hard look and appreciate all I have. This brings to me another question: If I treat my husband and son as such how do I treat Jesus, who I cannot see? 

 Jesus is coming again but not as he once came. His first decent to earth was in the most vulnerable of positions. A baby. Since I've recently become a mother I have seen how helpless a baby is and how much they HAVE to depend on their caregiver. Not that I mind at all taking care of my little boy. But the king of the world, the one who is exalted in heaven and earth, came as small wee babe and was born in a barn...how clean. Not. The nurse in me cringes when I think of how sterile the place must have been. My point is Jesus came to earth quietly when he could have just come riding in the clouds and people would have recognized him as the Son of God and believed in him. He chose the hard way so he could truly understand us. He became human. He knows what its like to live in the flesh, though he remained sinless. He loves us EVERYDAY. He knows our weakness. He forgives our failings. He loves our brokenness. He is our strength. 

   Christmas is about humility. Jesus even said in Matthew 11:28-30 "Come to me all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." Christmas is about Love. Vulnerability. Hope. Joy (who isn't hopeful or joyful when a child is born?)

    Jesus didn't have to love us or be born as a baby. He could have come any way he chose. He could have only picked certain people to love. But he loves us. He has free will love too. I'm going to choose to love as Jesus loved. With humility and gentleness. 

   

   This holiday season, don't take love for granted. I encourage to love as Jesus loves. Even though many may be undeserving. We are undeserving of his love and forgiveness which was demonstrated on the cross.  Ephesians 4:2 Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. 

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

First Post

Hi all!

I've decided to finally go after my dream of blogging. This has been a year of pursuing dreams I never would have otherwise gone after. I took up painting this year, something I thought I'd try my hand at in my 50's or later, when all the kids have moved out of the nest. I also managed to graduate nursing school and just found out today that I passed the NCLEX on the second go. One of the hardest tests I've ever had to take. I also gave birth to the most beautiful little boy in all the world this year. That was the proudest moment of my life to date! Nothing compares!

pictured below is Joseph Harold 3 days old

     Since this has been a year of dreams coming true, why not add one more thing I've always wanted to do! 

    Now, let me tell you why I have named this blogg Jehovah Increases. I'm a "meaning" person. As in, I really like the reason I do something to be special and have a special meaning. If I was ever going to get a tattoo you betcha' it would have a pretty spectacular meaning. So knowing this now you can imagine that I named my son something very special. Its true. You got me, you're completely right! 

 The name Joseph is a Hebrew baby name. In Hebrew the meaning of the name Joseph is: May Jehovah add/give increase. Found on sheknows.com

   When my husband and I found out we were expecting a little boy in May (that's when he was developed enough to tell he was boy) we immediately began discussing boy names. We looked on tons of names sites and read thousands of names. We wrote lists of names we each liked but kept coming back to 5 different names and their middle name counterparts. I would share them but they might be used for different kids! Its so much fun surprising everyone with the name! 

    I had to look up all the meanings of all the names we like, naturally. My husband is not big on meanings but because he knew I was he was patient with me. Fast forward to four weeks before Joseph made his appearance and had picked out his name, AT LAST!

A picture my husband took the day after our house burned of our anniversary cards to each other.

     In January of this year our first home burned and we lost many priceless items along with some very valuable ones too. I remember watching our first home burn and thinking that God must have something else for us. I kept thinking about the story of Joseph and how he was sold into slavery by his own brothers because he was daddy's favorite. His dad loved him so much he even had a special rainbow coat made for him. Anyways, back to Joseph being sold into slavery.That was an extremely devastating event in Joseph's life, but he still upheld God's character and God rewarded him years later when Pharaoh gave Joseph more power than all in Egypt, besides himself of course. Joseph's mother had named him rightly, for when she birthed him she said, "May God add more." Joseph not only saved Egypt from a 7 year famine, but surrounding countries and his whole family too. God used the difficult situation he had been placed in to shine through and even reconcile Joseph and his brothers. 

Even though we lost a lot in the fire what we gained was indefinitely more than we could ask for or imagine in support and love from our church family and neighbors around us. Then on January 24th we found out that we were expecting!!!! 

I named my son as Rachel of the Bible named her's, though bad things happen in this world Jehovah increases! God adds more. God's blessings are continuous. He shines the brightest in our darkness!

Whenever I think of my son and what his name means, I think of this beautiful testimony. How God brought something good out of something tragic.