There goes my hero, he’s ordinary

- “My Hero” Foo Fighters

He’s not, you know. Ordinary. Not really.

But he chose to be. 

My hero chose to be ordinary, when he was everything but. He chose to be like me. He chose to get inside my head, he chose to live the life I live, see the world the way I see it.

It’s not like he didn’t already understand me, know me, love me.

But he chose the ordinary, so that I would know the extraordinary.

Horton 

As a child, Horton Hatches the Egg was one of my most favorite books. My mom used to repeat one of Horton’s lines to me over and over again: “I meant what I said and I said what I meant. An elephant’s faithful one-hundred precent.” I didn’t understand what this meant at the time, but over the years, it started to click.

Unicorn 

I didn’t know it at the time, but we didn’t have extra money that year; my mom hated that we weren’t going to have new ornaments for the tree. She found a set of these unicorns for my sister and I at an after Christmas sale and bought them immediately. Seeing my unicorn on the tree every year reminds me of how blessed I am to have amazing parents who think of their children before themselves.

Owl

My first Thanksgiving away from home, I spent it in Germany visiting a good friend from college. I found this lovely Christmas shop while traveling through Frankfurt and found this beautiful owl. It was my first holiday away from home and my first international trip by myself. This owl sort of a marks my journey into adulthood.

Moose

In kindergarten, my class had a tree and we each brought in an ornament for it. This is the first Christmas ornament I remember and reminds me of childhood.

Happy holidays everyone! I hope you all spend it somewhere that makes you feel loved, appreciated and happy.

—Jaime

Name: Wonderstruck

Designer/Manufacturer: Taylor Swift

Description/Notes: “The flawless beauty of freesia, apple blossom and raspberry spark a swirl of vibrancy and feminine allure. In the heart, a sweet surprise of blissful vanilla is embellished by airy, sun drenched honeysuckle and white hibiscus. Notes of golden amber and sandalwood are woven with a kiss of lush peach.”

Bottle/Packaging: A rounded iridescent purple bottle accented in gold, including a chain with three charms – a bird, cage, and star. The gold cap has some pretty scroll-work etched on it; however, the overall theme is a bit on the young side. I also prefer perfume in glass that isn’t opaque.

Impression: I don’t usually buy the “celebrity” perfumes. Most of them are absolutely terrible (oh hai J-Lo!). This one caught my eye while I was perusing various perfume forums so I decided to give it a try while in Ulta a couple of weeks ago and see how it settled on me. I wound up purchasing the 3.4 oz bottle.

While wet, this smells incredibly similar to Britney Spears’ “Fantasy” – definitely sweet with a little bit of fruity. This dries to a much more mature scent than “Fantasy.” After half an hour, the vanilla and amber come out to play and are saved from being overly sweet by the freesia and sandalwood. I don’t get a lot of the peach from this, or honeysuckle.

Overall, a fun daytime perfume that is appropriate for teenagers on up. The throw doesn’t last very long, so slather this if you want it to stick around. 

This month I’ve had the opportunity to help my friend Margaret Feinberg promote her new book, Wonderstruck:  Awaken to the Nearness of God.  {You can read my review of it here and an interview with Margaret’s here.}

It’s a book that I’m thankful I read before these past few weeks because it gave me a fresh outlook as I went through some trying times in my life.  However, I still can’t get the question out of my mind –

Was Jesus Wonderstruck?

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth . . . Then God said, ‘Let there be light; and there was light . . . And God saw the light, that it was good.” (Genesis 1:1 NKJV)

WONDERSTRUCK

God then created Heaven, divided the Waters with Land, told the land to bring forth grass, herbs, and trees.  Then He said, “Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens” creating the stars and dividing the day from night. (Genesis 1:14 NKJV)

WONDERSTRUCK

Creatures came forth, birds and sea creatures.  Then land animals.

WONDERSTRUCK

Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness . . . So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.” (Genesis 1:26, 27)

WONDERSTRUCK

I can’t help but to think that yes, Jesus was Wonderstruck.

Even today, as parts of the nation are stuck deep within a snow blizzard, Margaret’s words come to mind.  In Chapter .003 Alpenglow Evenings, she writes . . .

“NAKED WILLOWS AND WELL-CLOTHED EVERGREENS cast maroon shadows across the landscape in front of our home.  The sky above, the ice below, the narrowest of tree branches – all are enveloped by a divine pinkish hue known as alpenglow.”  (Wonderstruck, 45) {Thank you Jesus and Margaret, I love PINK.!}

WONDERSTRUCK

Did Jesus see this?  Was He Wonderstruck?  YES!!!!

WONDERSTRUCK

As Christmas Eve approaches, I think of the Night Jesus was born and I Wonder – What thoughts were running through His mind as he lay in Mary’s arms?  I’m sure He was Wonderstruck as He looked into His mothers eyes.

What was Mary thinking?  I’m sure she was thinking what Margaret wrote, “We expected Jesus to show up – and He did! (Speaking of her trip through the Highlands, Page 27, Chapter .001, Wonderstruck)

So this Christmas, Be Wonderstruck.  Let your mind Wonder.  Think about the things that make Jesus Wonderstruck.  Order Margeret’s book – learn to be Wonderstruck. {Click here to find out how you can receive $300 worth of gifts by pre-0rdering Wonderstruck by December 25th.)

Be WONDERSTRUCK – Jesus Is!

Merry Christmas!

{Lorna}

I still use this lovely container to store my jewelry.

One spray of Tommy Girl or CKone takes me on a journey to middle school, where insecurities are high and my main concern was wearing the right brand of jeans.  So of course, I had to wear the same perfume that every other teenage girl at the time was wearing.

In high school, I switched over to Clinique Happy.  Thirty seconds at a perfume counter in a department store can bring back the good old days of no responsibilities and living a carefree life.  In the same way, the smell of Cool Waters for men brings back memories of late night discussions in high school with my best guy friend on the couch or front steps.

In college, I wore a rotating selection of perfumes, often times trying out different fragrances that my roommates owned.  At some point I fell for Philosophy’s Falling in Love scent and stuck with their products for a few years.  I will readily admit that I adore the bottle of the Marc Jacobs Lola, which is one of the reasons I even tried the perfume in the first place.  It is still one of my favorites to spritz on before going out for the evening.

Recently, I went on a search at Ulta and Sephora for my new perfume of choice.  I went into the search thinking that it would be simple.  Something would stick out at me and my mind would be easily made up.  That was not the case at all.  I was bombarded with so many fragrances that did not fit what I was looking for in a perfume.  I hate the fact that I seem to like the smell in the store and then throw down almost a hundred dollars on the bottle, only to decide that I am having second thoughts a few hours or days later.  That’s why I love either putting the little white strips in my purse to smell later in the day or purchasing the travel size first to make sure I love it before going for the whole perfume, lotion, etc.

One of my biggest pet peeves when it comes to perfumes is the fact that so many celebrities have their own collections.  It seems to me that it is an easy financial endeavor for them, but I don’t know that it has necessarily been beneficial to the perfume market.  Or maybe it has, because I am horrified to admit that I really like two perfumes produced by celebrity personalities that I do not care for, Paris Hilton and Taylor Swift.  If I was ever wearing their perfume and someone complimented me on it and asked what fragrance it was, I think I would be too embarrassed to admit it.  So that prevents me from actually buying the bottle.  Maybe I should suck it up and just buy it.  Nobody really ever asks what your perfume is anyway.

Do scents bring back memories for you?  What are your favorite perfumes or colognes.

Little Man is asleep, Junebug is off Christmas shopping with daddy and I should be doing a thousand things. But I am here instead, doing something I love. Sitting in front of this computer, tip typing away with a thought that has been swimming away in my noodle this season. So, I do what every good writer does, I share it with the world. Or at least my corner of the blog-sphere.

I want to preface this by saying that I have no objections to Santa. None. I think he and the idea he embodies is a good thing. In fact, I wish the Miracle on 34^th Street Kris Kringle (Natalie Wood version please) was real. He was so wonderful! But, alas, he is not. Gasp, collective shock, bursting bubbles everywhere can now begin. Santa does not rub me the wrong way. This is my point.

Carrying on, my dear husband and I decided when Junebug was just a wee wiggly babe that we were not going to push the notion of Santa on her or any children that followed, and here is why:

1. Again, while the idea of Santa is lovely, we think that when that idea is played out in real life (i.e. Mall Santa, Salvation Army Santa, guy in red suit with smelly fake beard at Christmas party Santa, etc.) it is super creepy.

2. We don’t want this joker getting all the credit for our gift giving. No kids, that’s not Santa’s good will, that is daddy’s paycheck at work. Thank you now give me a hug. That is just how we roll.

3. And this is where it takes a J-turn (Jesus turn). Instead of sharing the spotlight with the jolly old elf, we really just wanted Jesus to get all the glory. The gifts we give center around Jesus and how He gives us what we need, want, and even the things our wildest imaginations have yet to dream. (We give our kids three presents; a want, a need, and a wildcard.) We also focus on the Wiseman and what their gifts represented.

When folks ask Junebug if she will be waiting up for Santa, she smiles and says “Of course!”. Number one rule, we don’t ruin the party for everyone else. We have a Christmas tradition in our house where we watch a Christmas movie every night in December ending with It’s a Wonderful Life on The Eve. Most of those movies are Santa themed and that is ok. Junebug has no disappointment and has come to love the idea of Santa as much as we do. Just the other night as we were watching The Santa Clause with Tim Allen, we all agreed what a great Santa he made, and how kind he became the more “Santa” he became. In fact, I think her favorite Christmas tune is “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus”, she can’t get through a chorus with out rolling on the floor laughing.

I have some folks and relations who, very kindly and with a warm spirit, ask me, “Aren’t you withholding a little Christmas magic from your kids in doing this. They are going to miss out!”. And I can see where they are coming from. We don’t put out a plate of cookies and carrots for St. Nick and his hard working reindeer. We don’t write a letter to the North Pole.

But, and this is my response in equal kindness and love, what is more miraculously magical than a virgin giving birth to the Son of God? What is more wondrous than God himself coming to dwell with us? That is what I don’t want them to miss! Instead of telling my kids to be good or they wont get any presents on Christmas morning, I get to tell them that good or bad, we have a Savior that came. In fact, we will never be good enough. No room clean enough, no being nice to your brother enough, no “yes sir” and “thank you, please” enough. He came just the same. And for one purpose alone. Not just so we can dress a tree in all our twinkle-light finery, or sing carols while holding our hot cocoa close (though these things are really nice). No, the best and only purpose was to live to grow up out of that feeding trough of a cradle, and to die for us. Even me, whose best works are but bits of trash left behind after the grandest of Christmas parades. For this He CAME! For this angels, armies of mighty angels, sang out in the night to the lowest in society, a rag tag group of shepherds and all of their wonderfully smelly sheep. For this he sent a gaggle of wise kings and men on a thousand mile journey, led only by a star, so they could give this Savior-king boy presents that would represent the lonely path that was His alone to claim.

This is the wonder of Christmas.

And it is in this place, the place of childhood belief and faith, I start with my kids. Weaving a story, a brilliant story that is TRUE!. One that they can find their names in. This story isn’t one where they have to be nestled in their beds, eyes tightly shut to experience. We open our eyes wide and ask, “What do you think it was like in David’s town that night?” “What do you think the shepherds felt (past fear and trembling) when they saw Christ?” “Was it really a bleak mid-winter?” “Was Mary afraid when she went into labor, she didn’t have her mom to help!?” We really get into it. Up and over our heads into the Nativity story, and like an ocean of starlight and colors of every shade, we are swept away in the beautiful reality that God stepped into time and flesh, made himself so vulnerable in an infants frame, just to make our hearts His home. Oh what immeasurable love Christmas holds!

I believe the whole of this story that trumps Santa’s any day, can be best put in the words of one precious and gifted writer, Margaret Feinberg. She says, “The Creator desires to captivate us not just with his handiwork but with himself–displaying facets of his character, igniting us with his fiery love, awakening us to the intensity of his holiness.” Wonderstruck .

This and every Christmas, I long for captivation! Captivate my mind and heart O’ God! I want my children to be captivated by the sweetness of his coming and by how much He really loves them in the way that He died. This time of year and always, I pray you are captivated by the reality that His is the story that is real, and just like my Junebug and Little Man can find their names in the story, so can you. That beats a naughty and nice list, don’t you think?

Merry Christmas to all! May our Lord and King who is Emmanuel, The God of the Universe, Creator Himself, come into your hearts this season. May you cling so tightly in the coming months and years to Him who has no darkness at all. And may you be like a child at His feet as He tells The Story of Redemption. Your story.

Hey, if the quote by Maragret Feinburg inspired you or peaked your interest to her work (which is AWESOME by the way, more than one of her books has changed my kingdom thinking) then for sure pick up a copy of her book which is relasing Christmas Day!  You can pre-order now for your Kindle or e-reader for a rock bottom price!  Go to www.margaretfeinburg.com for more info on this and ALL her work. 

There is little difference between a man who can’t read and a man who don’t read. Reading is critical in life. I love to read and I think you can learn to love it too. Find something you either are passionate about or struggling with and begin to read about it. Here are 1o Book I think you should read in 2013. 

1. Jesus + Nothing = Everything  by Tullian Tchivijian
2. Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers
3. Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis
4. The Grace Effect by Larry Alex Taunton
5. Life Without Limits by Nick Vujicic
6. Linchpin by Seth Godin
7. Soul Detox by Craig Groeshel
8. Crazy Love by Francis Chan
9. Radical by David Platt
10. Wonderstruck by Margaret Feinberg

This list would cost you about $125 at Christianbook.com

I Recommend

Best Bible

ESV Study Bible

Best Book on The Holy Spirit

Remembering the Forgotten God, by Francis Chan

Best Book To Start Discipleship

Multiply, Francis Chan

Best Bible Software

Logos

Best Bible App

It is a tie. 

Logos

YouVersion

The chance to finish out another year.

2012 is nearly beneath the soles of feet and behind me and right in the front, raring to go is the beginning of 2013. A year that promises to be filled with more surprises, heartbreak, and intrigue. Once again I have managed to make my life sound like an upcoming attraction of some kind. But no. This is not a movie trailer. This is the promise of something different.
I look forward to the inevitable change that the new year will bring which is why I have now decided to bring up the possibility of a New Year’s resolution.
Of course your first thought is probably, “It is way too early to make a New Year’s resolution! It’s only December 19th!”

To which I say, “Mind your own business.”

Better be prepared while I have time. I have a lots to do.

Now, it is a well-known fact that New Year’s resolutions are almost always broken within the first month, (or week depending on your conviction to your resolution) after they are made. This is because most of the time the resolutions are made under the duress of making one and under the false impression that they can be held out and kept immediately.

Most people fancy to quit drinking or smoking or to lose an inexorable amount of weight which, aside from being very noble goals, are things that cannot be taken out immediately. They require time and often when people resolve to never pick up another cigarette or doughnut and attempt to leave them behind at one moment, they fail in this quite quickly. Not to say that such an idea should never be tried. I’ve seen people do it before and there’s no question that it’s possible. It is just unlikely for it to succeed every time.

I have thought long and hard about my New Year’s resolution and after quite a bit of thinking, I have decided this.
I have got to proceed into the realm of an almost impossible task. A task that I know many have attempted and have mostly failed at. But this little Christmas Countdown has put a new life in me that I can only say will make this attempt worth while.

I resolve to write a blog a day.

Now you may sit back in your seat and smile believing yourself to be quite smart and knowing that I will fail.
And the possibility is there. But I declare that I will not. This blog, wonderstruck17, will bring you dreamy, electronicy, Owl City, sugar-coated, romantic writings for 365 days a year in 2013. That means I must stock up on the Port Blue, Lydia, and Pez (music, music, candy) for the next year. I am prepared to shock and surprise myself. It will be quite an interesting venture if it can be pulled off. So wish me luck. The countdown starts on January 1, 2013.

And now for something completely different.

My life only compares to a small number of these items. Not the murder part of course. Then this would be a different blog entirely. But when it all comes down to it, I believe I was over-dramatizing situations as usual. I have a bad habit of this. As much as anyone would love to believe that their lives are comparable to movies and are all set to call Mr. Spielberg with a brilliant tale for a thrilling cinematic experience that will change the world, then they better do a quick reality check. Not everything is like a movie.
Just the moments where you discover that you have a long lost aunt who built a secret underground tunnel that leads to the lost city of Atlantis and $1 billion dollars in gold.
Wish I had one of those.

- Margaret Feinberg in Wonderstruck

We probably all know the illustration used in Revelations to describe some Christians as lukewarm. It says, “I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other!  So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth.”  I have struggled with self-evaluation when it comes to whether I am hot, cold or lukewarm. I know which one I would want to be, which one God would want me to be, but still I struggle with which one I am.

I have been blessed to be able to read a preview of Margaret Feinberg’s book “Wonderstruck” that is available for pre-order now and comes out next week (check my own wonderstruck moment blog and my Q & A with Margaret Feinberg blog for more detail.)

When reading the preview of Margaret Feinberg’s book “Wonderstruck,” I came across the quote above and focused in on that “Igniting us with his fiery love.” phrase. What came to mind was an actual campfire. As a kid my family went camping a lot and I was in boy scouts so building campfires was a somewhat normal and common experience. In fact, I love building fires for a multitude of reasons and the analogy for experiencing the wonder of God seemed to work pretty well.

Cold – When we are living a life that is cold I imagine a dry piece of wood. It does nothing, it cannot help you roast s’mores by itself. It cannot create warmth and it cannot provide the ambiance that drives so many pleasant experiences like a fire can often do. All it can do it sit there and look like a piece of wood. What lies inside that dry piece of wood though is potential. A potential to become something greater than itself, a potential to become a campfire. Just like that piece of wood, people who have no connection with God, those who have not been ignited by God’s love they are better off then the lukewarm because of that potential.

Lukewarm – A lukewarm human reminds me of a soggy piece of wood. At first glance it looks like it could be the catalyst for something great, but in reality it will be discarded because it is portraying something that it is not. Lukewarm people are similar, they want you to think that they are doing what they are supposed to do for God, but they are soaked to the bone with things that make it hard to ignite them.

Hot – This is a piece of wood that is on fire. It is exactly what you need and is using it’s potential to give off something much greater than itself. Something that it cannot do on it’s own, it gives you warmth, comfort and s’mores (with a little more help of course)!

Wonderstruck seems like it was crafted specifically for those lukewarm Christians, the ones who, like Margaret, were experience a fading of a sens of the splendor of God and needed a “fresh encounter with God to awaken me from my sleep, to disturb me from my slumber,”

Margaret is very open in the opening chapter of her book when she says, “Worship was meh. Conversations felt flat.” If this is you, as it is me at times, then let me leave you with Margaret’s own words and encourage you to buy the book and soak it in like I will be doing next week! Let’s all be filled with the wonder of God and start living Wonderstruck!

“Look for him in your workdays and weekends, in your meeting-filled Mondays and your lazySaturdays. Search for him in the snowy sunsets and Sabbaths, seasons of Lent and sitting at your table. Pray for—and expect—wonder. For when you search for God, you will discover him.”

The winds of change can bring so much that impact our lives.  Some times these winds bring news of great hope, love, joy, and happiness.  Other times these winds bring clouds of  hurt, disappointment, and despair.

We all experience these winds at some time in our lives. We have experienced them with our friends and loved ones:  The bad news of cancer, the unexpected death of a friend, the loss of a job, or the horrible end of a marriage – all bring it…

If we aren’t alert to the troubles that these clouds bring, we will fall into a trap that will blow us off of the path God has intended for our lives.  I’m sure if we are both honest we have all been there at some point in time within our faith walk.  Margaret Feinberg writes about her life where the “marvel of life” was misplaced.

Faith invites us into an enchanting journey—one marked by mysteries of divine beauty, holy courage, irrepressible hope, unending love. But in my life, any sense of the splendor of God had faded. I knew I needed a fresh encounter with God to awaken me from my sleep, to dis- turb me from my slumber.

And so I prayed for wonder.

Palms extended, wide-eyed with expectation, I waited for an answer. And God did not disappoint. For me, a prayer for wonder asks the Lord to expand my capacity to see and savor the divine gifts all around. (Margaret Feinberg, Wonderstruck, 7).

When we look through the lens of the Holy Spirit we can see the good in all things. Psalm 34:8 says, “Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.” (NIV).

You who sit down in the High God’s presence, spend the night in Shaddai’s shadow, Say this: “God, you’re my refuge. I trust in you and I’m safe!” That’s right—he rescues you from hidden traps, shields you from deadly hazards. (Psalm 91:1-2, The Message).

Seeking doesn’t always bring answers but rather more questions.  These are lyrics by The Choir, in their song, The Forest, from their newest album, The Loudest Sound Ever Heard.

More is hidden than revealed. Sometimes the path to understanding is concealed. It hurts to be alive, your pain is real. Go on laugh until you cry, it’s good to feel

The sun will shine. The sun will shine on you. The sun will shine. The sun will shine on you.

I believe the sun will shine on you and me, my friend. I have learned to trust the turning of the seasons. Even now the sun is breaking through the clouds again. But I still don’t know the causes or the reasons

So, in the wake of unanswered questions how do you deal with change that comes throughout the seasons in your life?  I have found praying and reading the Bible are two of the best ways to deal with that which I can’t understand on my own.  Just as those stars have been there throughout time – God is always here with us.  He is not out there somewhere but right here among us.  If the clouds have obstructed your view of God – pray! Pray that He will reveal his marvelous love… may you be filled with the wonder, excitement, and joy of his love.

The revelation of God is whole
and pulls our lives together.
The signposts of God are clear
and point out the right road.
The life-maps of God are right,
showing the way to joy.
The directions of God are plain
and easy on the eyes. (Psalm 19:7-8, The Message).

My skirt is still damp when I sit down between my husband and his co-workers for dinner.  All eight of us turned around to inspect the water marks left from a drizzly boat ride at dusk moments before. Our soggy seat stains rival the sweat rings under our arms but I don’t mind.  It’s the first time I’ve had dinner with friends in months. They don’t know that, no one does.

Lately, I’m alone at the community table, trying to read His lips across the street, through rain falling like a waterfall on glass. And no matter how close I put my eyes to the glass, how much I press on the transparent wall for clarity on all the questions that begin with why, all I see is my own reflection staring back at me. It doesn’t look the way I imagined; the empty table or my reflection. And perhaps that is the point.

In her new book Wonderstruck, Margaret Feinberg writes, “We all need a table, a place where we gather to be fully and truly ourselves. Without such a place, we may lose track of our souls, embracing a cheap, snap-together fiberboard image of ourselves instead of the uneven, rustic, knotty reality that, when unveiled, reveals the mystery and beauty of the imago dei—the image of God. We need a place where we pray for a replenished wonder of friendship and wait for God to answer in unexpected ways.”

My friends and I, we tell stories about honeymoons and memorable trips. Tip stemmed glasses to quench soul thirst and laugh about parenthood.  And the heaviness, it falls off in belonging.

The more I live in the confines of my own mind, the busyness of my own making, the less I bare the image of His likeness. I forget the “uneven, rustic, knotty” soul that I am.

And I’m willing to wade waist high in floodwater to get close enough to hear His voice and touch his face but perhaps if I did, then I wouldn’t know the wonder.  Wonder that comes on the heels of hunkering down in the wait of isolation, for the crack of light to skim the floor and turn my head toward the voices around the table.

Loneliness, it’s the rut we step over between the old eyes and the new ones being made in the hollow. New eyes to see that what we’ve taken for granted is often our greatest gift.

Margaret writes, “Despite the miles and meals they shared, those closest to Jesus had lost their childlike receptivity, their ability to recognize that both God’s response to us and our response to God is seldom what we anticipate.”

When taught by depravity, a hole in a leaf becomes an intricate web of myopic beauty, dead nettles like a choir of heads hallowing halleluiahs; sun, the illuminator of translucent glory, and a soggy water mark on the seat of your skirt, an answer to prayer.

That’s when you know you are Wonderstruck, that you’ve seen the face of God and you’re not alone.

“Therefore once more I will astound these people with wonder upon wonder.” Isaiah 29:14

Q4U: Where have you seen the wonder of God in your own life?

My friend, Margaret Feinberg, has a new book and 7-session DVD Bible study called Wonderstruck: Awaken to the Nearness of God, which releases Christmas Day. Margaret’s books are on my Books I Read list and I’ve had the privilege of reading a few chapters of this new one. I know you will love it. So I’m giving two copies away today on the blog. Just leave a comment and I’ll add your name to the drawing  on Thursday.

Linking with Emily, Jen, Eileen.

Leslie Durham and Michelle DeRusha won a copy of Wonderstruck. Congratulations and Merry Christmas friends!

The people that haunt me through every moment that I have forgotten to put behind me. I’ve been told before that I need to forget them, but it’s difficult. They stick to me with their long and lasting memories and never leave me be for even a New York minute. I’ve lived with them till now.
Every day I receive more.
Every day they grow more tiresome.
They grow as tiring as the silent scrape of snow against the ground.
I wish to leave them behind.
A winter’s night is all I need for them to leave. I’ll get down on my knees if I have to and pray them far away. They’ll disappear with a sudden breeze and blow into a different realm of existence. I’ll be able to stand again on my own two lone feet and walk away with a lighter set of shoulders and a worn back from carrying things I never needed to hold on to.
I’m bad at letting go I suppose. It is not one of my stronger points. But it is something that needs to be done.

If you’re anything like me, you’re often looking for a great and challenging read that won’t waste your time, but encourages your walk with the Lord. I’m happy to share my latest treasure with you. It’s called Wonderstruck: Awaken to the Nearness of God by Margaret Feinberg. Margaret is a new friend that I met through an internet conference that she and my husband spoke at this Fall.

Her new book will be released on Christmas day, but since I was able to be a part of a group of folks who previewed this book, I thought I would share a bit of it today.

The goal of this book is to help us to “awaken to the nearness of God”: to see and experience Him in everything. I was particularly drawn to one chapter where Margaret beautifully describes the night sky while a passenger on a ferry-boat in Alaska. She artistically crafts a scene in which she wasn’t able to sleep, because of the exploding lights in the sky. What she was observing was the aurora borealis (Northern Lights).  My mind began painting pictures of the canvas God was painting in the sky and my bucket list began to grow. Margaret describes how she couldn’t go to sleep because she was so riveted by the ever-changing display of God’s majesty before her.  She couldn’t take her eyes off the “midnight delights”. Then she says, “It occurred to me that this is the posture that we’re supposed to take in our spiritual journeys. God delights for us to cup our hands in prayer and scrunch our faces against the vault of heaven in holy expectation that he will meet us in beautiful, mysterious ways. The Creator desires to captivate us not just with his handiwork but with himself-displaying facets of his character, igniting us with his fiery love, awakening us to the intensity of his holiness.”

Beautiful. True. Inviting.

As I read page after page of this descriptive tribute to the wonder of God, my heart swelled with joy. As I read my Bible, I yearn for more and more of my Maker, so I can’t tell you how fun it is for me to find others who feel the same! I would call Margaret a “kindred-spirit” with an absolutely amazing talent to story-tell.

In Wonderstruck, Margaret invites you to toss back the covers, climb out of bed, and drink in the fullness of life.

She says:

“We all need a table, a place where we gather to be fully and truly ourselves. Without such a place, we may lose track of our souls, embracing a cheap, snap-together fiberboard image of ourselves instead of the uneven, rustic, knotty reality that, when unveiled, reveals the mystery and beauty of the imago dei—the image of God. We need a place where we pray for a replenished wonder of friendship and wait for God to answer in unexpected ways.”

I am wonderstruck. Over the years, as I’ve awoken to the nearness of God, I’ve begun to see Him in everything. His plan for our lives is so clearly presented through the scriptures. His ways, while not always easily understood are best and right and fitting for each of His image bearers. He is everywhere, and I love to point this out to others, because while I didn’t have this terminology before (thank you Margaret!!) I want you to be wonderstruck as well.

So where have you seen the wonder of God in your life?

Explore more:

MargaretFeinberg.com

**Margaret’s 7 session Bible Study is called, Wonderstruck: Awaken to the Nearness of God. Her book, by the same name, releases on Christmas day, but can be pre-ordered now on Amazon or Barnes and Noble. 

To learn more, watch the Wonderstruck Video.

Margaret recently posted a great warning on her site that those who have read Wonderstruck[www.margaretfeinberg.com/wonderstruck]have experienced the following symptoms:

-An inability to stop smiling

-An uncontainable desire to pray

-A loss of interest in judging others

-A quiet, unshakable confidence in God

-A renewed ability to see the wonders of God all around

And from what I’ve seen, they’re all true! I wanted to share some thoughts that stuck out to me as I read a sneak peek of Wonderstruck:

Margaret’s ability to draw my attention to the most simple and basic thoughts concerning God and His pursuit of a relationship with me are beautiful.  Her introduction has drawn me to a place to pray – to ask God for wonder.  I am confident you will also have a similar experience as you read Wonderstruck.  I pray I never lose my sense of wonder in my pursuit to know Him more.  That’s why as I embark on this journey through Margaret Feinberg’s, “Wonderstruck,” I’m joining her and praying for wonder.  I hope you will too. 

Many of us say we want to experience God, but we don’t look for his majesty. We travel life’s paths with our heads down, focused on the next step with our careers or families or retire- ment plans. But we don’t really expect God to show up with divine wonder.

God invites us to look up, open our eyes to the wonder all around us, and seize every opportunity to encounter him. This isn’t a passive expectation but an active one, the kind prompting us to elbow our way to Jesus, knowing he longs to meet us with a hearty embrace and sometimes even twirl us through the air. (26-27).

Follow Margaret’s snarky, funny, and inspirational posts on Twitter, Facebook, or her blog. You can learn more about this great book by visiting www.margaretfeinberg.com/wonderstruck where she’s offering some crazy promos right now with up to $300 of free stuff. I’ve seen the book for as low as $7.95 ($14.99 retail) on Barnes & Noble for all you savvy shoppers.

My friend Margaret Feinberg, has a new book and a 7-session DVD Bible study releasing Christmas day called Wonderstruck: Awaken to the Nearness of God – a personal invitation for you toss back the covers, climb out of bed, and drink in the fullness of life.  To learn more, watch the Wonderstruck video click on the word video now.

As you many or may not know, I’ve been a fan of Margaret Feinberg and her books for a while.  I recently received insider’s scoop about Margaret’s new book.  Here are some highlights from the interview:

Where did the inspiration for the Wonderstruck book and Bible study come from?

Margaret Feinberg’s response:  Have you ever had one of those seasons where everything goes wrong, and when you think it can’t get worse, it somehow finds a way? Most people who have worked in ministry have experienced those seasons—some may be in one right now.

My husband, Leif, and I had just gone through one of the roughest years of our lives. In the aftermath, as we processed the pain and loss, I had an unexplainable desire in my heart. I began praying for the wonder of God. In essence, I said, “God reveal yourself, your whole self to me. I want to know you as Wonderful. I want to know you as I’ve never known you before and see you in places I’ve never recognized you before.”

God did not disappoint.

What do you mean by “the wonder of God”?

Margaret Feinberg’s response:  Sometimes talking or writing about wonder feels like tying kite strings to clouds. It’s ethereal, and you can never quite get a grip on it. But if you look in the dictionary, the two main definitions of wonder are: “being filled with admiration, amazement, or awe” and “to think or speculate curiously.”

Those definitions come together beautifully in our relationship with God. That’s why I define the wonder of God as those moments of spiritual awakening that create a desire to know God more.

In other words, the wonder of God isn’t about an emotional experience or having some cool story to tell your friends, but the wonder of God makes us want more of God—to go deeper and further than we’ve ever been before.

Why are you calling people to #LIVEWONDERSTRUCK?
Margaret Feinberg’s response:   If you look in the Gospels, what you’ll discover is that those who encountered Jesus were constantly left in wild amazement. They were awestruck by the teachings of Christ, the healings of Christ, the mind-bending miracles of Christ. Within the Gospel of Luke we see words like “awe” and “wonder” and “marvel” at every turn. If this is the natural response to encountering Christ, how much more should it be for you and I—who are invited to live in relationship with Christ as sons and daughters of our God Most High? We even created a free PDF that looks at some of these Scriptures. For a free copy, email us at wonderstruck@margaretfeinberg.com and we’ll send you one.
Follow Margaret’s snarky, funny, and inspirational posts on Twitter, Facebook, or her blog. You can learn more about this great book by visiting www.margaretfeinberg.com/wonderstruck where she’s offering some crazy promos right now with up to $300 of free stuff. I’ve seen the book for as low as $7.57 ($14.99 retail) on Barnes & Noble  for all you savvy shoppers.

Thank you for reading with me and I am praying that each of you will personally experience Wonderstruck: Awaken to the Nearness of God !

Until Next Time,

M

Watching you stumble
Is harder than knots
Tripping a tumble
And missing the shots.

Praying for you
Comes easier than many
Pick yourself up
And try from beginning.

So here is my call
And my prayer in true.
So I offer my all
And hope just for you.

God invites us to look up, open our eyes to the wonder all around us and seize every opportunity to encounter him.

- Margaret Feinberg

As you may or may not know, I’ve been a fan of Margaret Feinberg and her books for the last few years. I recently received the insider’s scoop about Margaret’s new book. Here are some highlights from the interview:

Where did the inspiration for the Wonderstruck book and Bible study come from?

Have you ever had one of those seasons where everything goes wrong, and when you think it can’t get worse, it somehow finds a way? Most people who have worked in ministry have experienced those seasons—some may be in one right now.

My husband, Leif, and I had just gone through one of the roughest years of our lives. In the aftermath, as we processed the pain and loss, I had an unexplainable desire in my heart. I began praying for the wonder of God. In essence, I said, “God reveal yourself, your whole self to me. I want to know you as Wonderful. I want to know you as I’ve never known you before and see you in places I’ve never recognized you before.”

God did not disappoint.

What do you mean by “the wonder of God”?

Sometimes talking or writing about wonder feels like tying kite strings to clouds. It’s ethereal, and you can never quite get a grip on it. But if you look in the dictionary, the two main definitions of wonder are: “being filled with admiration, amazement, or awe” and “to think or speculate curiously.”

Those definitions come together beautifully in our relationship with God. That’s why I define the wonder of God as those moments of spiritual awakening that create a desire to know God more.

In other words, the wonder of God isn’t about an emotional experience or having some cool story to tell your friends, but the wonder of God makes us want more of God—to go deeper and further than we’ve ever been before.

Why are you calling people to #LIVEWONDERSTRUCK?

If you look in the Gospels, what you’ll discover is that those who encountered Jesus were constantly left in wild amazement. They were awestruck by the teachings of Christ, the healings of Christ, the mind-bending miracles of Christ. Within the Gospel of Luke we see words like “awe” and “wonder” and “marvel” at every turn. If this is the natural response to encountering Christ, how much more should it be for you and I—who are invited to live in relationship with Christ as sons and daughters of our God Most High?  We even created a free PDF that looks at some of these Scriptures. For a free copy, email us at wonderstruck@margaretfeinberg.com and we’ll send you one.

Follow Margaret’s snarky, funny, and inspirational posts on Twitter, Facebook, or her blog. You can learn more about this great book by visiting www.margaretfeinberg.com/wonderstruck where she’s offering some crazy promos right now with up to $300 of free stuff. I’ve seen the book for as low as $7.57 ($14.99 retail) on Barnes & Noble for all you savvy shoppers.