Psalm 16:11 - Hearts Come Home For Christmas

I love this picture a friend gave us last year for Christmas.  A few weeks ago it looked like all three boys, their lovely ladies and our grand babies would all be “home” for Christmas at the same time.  I tried to not get my hopes up for fear of something happening to stop it but I prayed and asked others to pray.  The one thing that kept coming to me to pray for was the Lord’s will so I did.  His will was to give me the desire of my heart with a blessed day.  Seeing my grand babies play together blessed me in abundance.  Hearing the boys talk about things they did growing up warmed my heart. Even though this house wasn’t “home” to Adam nor Paul and was only “home” for a couple years for Ben it’s where “home” is  right now for us.  I was thinking about how blessed we are with this home.  There’s so much more space than the home on Tannerville Road but we had so many good memories there.  Monday we made new memories here with all thirteen of us together.  

The Lord truly blessed this Momma’s heart with the day with answered prayers...

• I prayed for everyone to be healthy...they were
• I prayed for no emergencies or deaths to happen in the church...they didn’t
• I prayed for everyone to have a fun time...I think they did
• I prayed for physical and emotional strength to enjoy the day...I did

As I have said so many times throughout this month, “It’s not about the presents but about His presence.”  Living in His presence has allowed me to share with Him the desires of my heart in a different way.  Yes, He already knows them but I need to voice them to Him.  It is in His presence that I find peace, contentment, and joy.  Psalm 16:11 reads, You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.  Woo hoo!  The best present I could receive on this earth was having all of the boys and their families together.  That present was only because of the Lord’s presence in my life.  As I pray each and every day, more of You Lord and less of me.

Dear Jesus,

Thank You for Your presence in my life.  Thank You for the ways You show Your love to me.  Lord, I pray for those who are going through a tough time this holiday...those who are dealing with the death of a loved one, those who are dealing with an illness, those who are separated from family...all of those hurting.  Lord, touch them in a way that they will know You are there for them.  I also pray for today as my siblings and I gather at my Momma’s house.  Once again it wasn’t “home” to any of us but it’s “home” now because that’s where she is.  Lord, I pray for continued blessings upon her.  I pray for relief from her physical pain and the hurts of her heart. Father, thank You for being My Presence.  Amen.