As Tyler and I came home from running errands today I couldn’t’ help notice colorful leaves on some of the trees and also covering the sidewalks. This picture makes me think of the many entries my blog friends wrote when fall arrived. Now those friends have posts about getting snowed in and below-zero temperatures, but here in Southern California the trees are still catching up!

I just started a book that was a gift from my pastor and his wife. It is High Call, High Privilege by Gail MacDonald who has around forty years of experience as a pastor’s wife. She writes about lessons she’s learned , the need to be authentic and effective and how she has overcome the struggles and pressures of her role.

I really enjoyed this portion from the Introduction–

I believe that relationships need to be prioritized. For me, priority one focuses on my knowledge of and intimacy with God. If this relationship isn’t vital and lively, all other connections are up for grabs.

I love how Gail describes what a priority this relationship is to her–vital and lively. I looked up both words in the dictionary and I think reflecting on their definitions helped me reconsider prioritizing changes needed in my own relationship with God.

Vital: existing as a manifestation of life, concerned with or necessary to the maintenance of life, characteristic of life or living beings.

Lively: briskly alert and energetic, active, intense.

Mark 12:30 says, “‘And you shall love the Lord your God will all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment.” This command sounds pretty vital and lively to me. Sometimes I trick myself into thinking I can just do a half-hearted Bible reading time and quickly glance through my prayer journal and that somehow that still “counts.” But reading Mark 12:30 doesn’t sound like that is okay. There are too many alls in Jesus’s command for a half- hearted or hurried attention to Him to pass. Vital and lively is a great admonition to me for my pursuit of Him to be aggressive and eager.

Yesterday was Tyler’s first Christmas. It has been fun to see his reactions to things like lights, wreaths and trees. Suddenly things that we are used to from years of Christmases are embraced with a whole new excitement! I put up a little tree (as you can see from the picture, I mean little–3 feet tall!) Tyler kept trying to eat it. I also put up a strand of evergreen garland with lights and on Christmas eve Bobby and I put all our presents out by the tree. I don’t think Tyler gets what any of it is all about, but he loved playing with the wrapping paper and any bows and ribbons lying around.

Bobby and I gave Tyler some little balls and on Sunday bought him some balloons. He loves balloons. If he spots one far away across a parking lot he’ll start saying talking away and trying to get us to walk over to them. So we got him three balloons to match the soccer, basketball and football that we had gotten him and now he even says “baboon” when he’s playing with the balloons.

He really liked the other toys he got too. One thing Bobby’s parents gave him was a stuffed Mickey Mouse. Right when he pulled it out of the bag and tissue paper he even kissed him on the nose!

My in-laws gave me a digital camera so I am thrilled about posting pictures from my own camera here on Blakeyblog! Blogging is a lot like keeping a journal. I was looking back in my archives at the entries from last December. It’s so neat just to read what I was thinking about then–mostly anticipating Tyler’s arrival. It’s so fun to look back on pictures and comments too. Blogging or journaling is such a good way to be able to look back at God’s hand working in our lives.

Last week Bobby and Ty recorded an amazing song they just wrote called “All I Want For Christmas.” I hope you will click on the link to listen to it. It’s such a beautiful song about Jesus being all we want. Most Christmas songs are singing about Jesus, but this song is a worship song of prayer to Him.
“And there is nothing that this world can bring
That compares with Jesus Christ my King
God’s gift to me.

So I will sing Your name
And I will bring You praise
For You came down to save us all

Jesus You are all I want for Christmas.”

Merry Christmas from the Blakey’s!

It’s hard to believe that another week has come and gone. It seems like the remainder of the year is flying by. We have been busy with the ministry, some Christmas parties and my brother-in-law’s wedding last Friday. I am thankful that even when things are a whirlwind the Lord is constant. During the last two weeks it has seemed like a battle to sit and spend a length of time with the Lord. I know it is critical that I sit quietly to read and pray with Him, but it’s frustrating how many distractions there are and more frustrating still how quickly my priorities become skewed.

I was so blessed that Tyler slept in some and I was able to read Habakkuk this morning. Chapter 2 is a “Woe to the wicked” chapter because the prophet Habakkuk was warning the nation of their doom as a consequence of their idolatry. He says that idols are powerless and mute–”But the Lord is in His holy temple. Let all the earth keep silence before Him.” (Habakkuk 2:20) God is holy, we are not. That is why we need to be silent, reverent and fearful before Him

I know that idols of my heart are empty and vain, mute and powerless. Why do I take my focus off my Lord and put it on these other things? At a Christmas party last night Ty led us in worship singing a simple chorus, “How could we not adore You? How could we not adore You? How could we not adore You, Christ the Lord?” Really this is a rhetorical question and if God where to ask us this we would have no answer. We choose so many things over Him, but how could we do this considering how worthy He is?

In Habakkuk 3:3, 5, 6 the prophet gives us a picture of our great God–

“His glory covered the heavens,
and the earth was full of His praise.

His brightness was like the light;
He had rays flashing from His hand,
and there His power was hidden.

He stood and measured the earth;
He looked and startled the nations.
And the everlasting mountains were scattered,
The perpetual hills bowed.
His ways are everlasting.”

I like how the MacArthur study Bible notes–”The entire universe responds in fear at the approach of Almighty God…the earth and its inhabitants are at His disposal.” We take this Almighty God far too casually. He is not a swear-word option, He is not just a little part of a nativity, and He is not Santa for Christians. He is powerful and eternal, Redeemer and Judge. He is Lord over all creation and the earth trembles before Him. Sometimes we need to be reminded that we are a part of His creation and what an amazing reality His love is!

How you can think so well of us,
And be the God you are,
Is darkness to my intellect,
But sunshine to my heart.”
-Frederick Faber, 1874

I haven’t blogged in over ten days and I don’t have any good reasons or excuses. Some days I have so much I would love to say here and I sit down and I can’t seem to write anything coherent. Other days I am excited about blogging all day and before I know it it’s 11pm and I tell myself “I’ll blog tomorrow.” Sometimes I go through days of wanting to write and knowing I should but I don’t and then I wonder if James 4:17 applies even to blogging…

Last week Tyler and I had colds for a few days. I ended up taking him to the doctor for his normal check-up and to see if he had an ear infection, thankfully he didn’t. The poor little guy was not his usual self crawling all around exploring. Instead he was sensitive and just wanted to be held. I didn’t mind though. I enjoyed holding him while he slept a few times, it made me realize how much he has grown in only a matter of months. People always say to new moms, “Enjoy it now, they grow up so fast,” and I guess it is true. In just over two months Tyler will be a year old and it sure doesn’t seem like it’s already been a whole year. It’s a good reminder to me to make the most of each day!

This weekend we had a special activity for our high school group called “Christmas in the City.” We used to do this event in San Francisco but now that we live in Orange County we had to find some ways to customize the event to our new group. Friday night students came for several hours to decorate lots of sugar cookies, have a white elephant gift exchange and do some caroling. Saturday morning is spent delivering the cookies we decorated the night before to people who serve in our church. After meeting up for lunch we loaded up the vans and headed up to Santa Monica where we spent the afternoon at the pier. There is a ferris wheel and many other rides and it was a good time hanging out with our students and getting to talk with some of the leaders. After the pier everyone walked a few blocks down to a nice Italian restaurant for a big family-style dinner before heading home.

Today, Pastor Mike gave a great exhortation for us to be lights in this dark world. I liked how he described a tree with hundreds of lights amidst a group of trees that have no lights–the lit tree stands out clearly and distinctly. We need to stand out in our actions and words, shining with the truth and love of the gospel.

“You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:14-16

During Christmas time something people are talking a lot about is joy and peace. I always find this a contradiction to the chaos of commercialism and materialism that goes on this time of year. There doesn’t seem to be much of either, even though everyone is talking and singing about it. One thing that Pastor Mike said addressed this is — “Joy comes from obedience.” We cannot have joy if we ignore Christ or are ashamed of Him. We also cannot have joy if we are just trying to do the religious things without a true relationship with God. Joy comes and from obedience because obedience is what someone does who is following Christ. Obedience means that they are right before God, what could possibly bring more joy than that?

Last week I put evergreen garland that has little white lights in it up on our fireplace mantle. Every time I pointed it out to Tyler I would say “Look at those pretty lights Tyler, wow!” A few days later, he was playing in the living room when I plugged in the lights. I was so surprised when Tyler looked up and said “Wow!” I thought of that today during Pastor Mike’s message. For many Christians Christmas is just the same busy holiday year after year, they do all the parties and family gatherings, presents and a tree. The traditions are all in place but nothing is really different about them because it is somehow all too easy to get caught up in the season but be lazy spiritually. Pastor Mike urged us to take advantage of this time to be renewed in our joy as we reflect on the fact that Jesus is the light of the world.

I want to opt out on a few parties and maybe not get too crazy with gifts and baking and decorations if that would help me spend time before the Father to say “wow” that there was born a Savior who is Christ the Lord!