Carolyn McBreen Gibbs Blog: End And Begin Again

Carolyn McBreen Gibbs Blog: End And Begin Again: Endings can be sad, or joyful as they lead into new adventures. The end of a year can cause us to reflect on joys, maybe sorrows, and the jo...

End And Begin Again

Endings can be sad, or joyful as they lead into new adventures. The end of a year can cause us to reflect on joys, maybe sorrows, and the journey that is behind. I look back on my year with many blessings, but also some regret and yes, even some sadness. Usually when we look back, it is too easy to miss the blessings. Somehow the sad things and regrets overshadow the good. Everyday, God blessings are most often dispersed to us

through our day. It may be as simple as a smile when we started our day sad. It could be an unexpected invitation to lunch by a dear friend. It might be a hug, and a kind word. It may be a scripture that perfectly speaks to our spirit exactly when needed. Big, God blessings may not come on a daily basis, but when they happen, it makes our hearts sing. It could be healing for an illness, perhaps a loved one or friend accepted Jesus because you shared, and God honored. Any number of prayers are answered in our lives and God blesses.

A huge blessing and joy for me was to be allowed to be the Director of our Church Grief Ministry. I am privileged to send out grief material, cards, and phone calls to help families through the pain of loss. God has blessed me by using me on Sundays to minister to hurting women, who just need an ear, a hug, and a prayer. I feel honored that God would use me in any way. Yes that is a huge blessing. This year has also brought new babies to dear friends and family. It is always a joy to share in these young families lives, and help them celebrate new life. The beauty of Facebook is instant updates before and after birth, and pictures of little smiling faces. 

Friends and family also had their share of deaths in their families. The family members and friends we lost all knew Jesus as their Savior, so there will be rejoicing in heaven one day. On the sad side, my sister and brother-in-law were hospitalized and then had to go to rehab. They need more care now, and we pray each day for their protection. These are the hard things in a year, because you want to help, but that isn't always possible. The saddest part of our year was watching our beloved Fox Terrier, Samson, slip into old age at 17. He was a good boy, and tried for a year to hang on for us. He got very weak, and we knew it was time to say goodby. Again, God, was there with a dog who needed a home. Molly is also a Fox Terrier, and she came to fill our hearts with joy. She turned one in July. Our neighbors down the hall two in fact, each lost a beloved dog this year. Again, the blessing was God providing a new fur friend for each, and the fact that we are all there for each other when crisis hits!

Regrets? Not really, but I do want to spend more time with The Lord. I want to be more intentional in Bible Study, and prayer time. I want to be even more in tune, so I don't miss any opportunities to serve Him, and minister to others. I suppose if I had a wish, it would be to become closer to being a Proverbs 31 woman. I have been blessed to know several women that play out that model everyday with their families, and their friends. I truly admire such unselfish service, and their doing great things for their families. They sew, knit, can, make jelly, as well as take care of husbands and children. Even when tired, they keep that sweet, sweet spirit.

We ended our year with the Christmas Pageant at our church. It was 11 presentations which kept us busy, and tired. It is always a joyous highlight to the year because many come to know Jesus as Savior because of the pageant. It is also a sweet time of fellowship with friends and church members. After that it is Christmas, two grandchildren birthdays, and time with family. All in all a year goes by very fast. Amid the ups and downs we are blessed, we are happy, we get through all that comes our way, and we journey through the rough spots. If you know Christ, if you are His, if you have a personal relationship with Him, He will be in every second, every minute, hour, day, and go with you each step. If you don't have that relationship with Him....maybe this will be your year! Have a very Happy and Blessed New Year!

Carolyn McBreen Gibbs Blog: Pain Is A Pain!

Carolyn McBreen Gibbs Blog: Pain Is A Pain!: No one wants it. No one greets it with open arms. No one ever truly understands why it comes to them or loved ones, or friends. Pain has man...

Pain Is A Pain!

No one wants it. No one greets it with open arms. No one ever truly understands why it comes to them or loved ones, or friends. Pain has many forms, and ....well pain hurts. The mother who watches her child dealing with the pain of cancer feels helpless. She would take that pain in her own body if given the chance. Seeing friends lose a loved one for whatever reason makes one feel so helpless, so inadequate to comfort. Watching a friend or family member's home break into pieces through divorce, or seeing the pain of abuse, drugs, and alcohol can leave us sad and unsure as to why it is happening. Pain comes in all sizes and forms. It is no respecter of age, race, or circumstance. Pain does not care if you are two or 92. It does not care if you already are sad, lonely, sick, or scared. Why then does God allow pain to invade our lives, or those we care about?

I have learned several things about pain. I have had a lot of it. I should point out that there are different pains. There of course is the physical pain of injury and illness and disease, but there is also the mental pain of heartbreak, abuse, loss, and things that hurt emotionally. There is also spiritual pain when we know we are grieving God, or are not in step with Him. No matter what the source, pain is pain, and it hurts our bodies, our hearts, our emotions. I have learned that physical pain can be a nagging, always present ache, or it can be a pain rated a 10 on the doctor's charts that may come and go.There is medication for pain, but sometimes there isn't enough medication to take the pain totally away. It makes it tolerable, and each person has a different level of tolerable. I have learned that when you go through intense physical pain, you learn what you can tolerate, and what you can not. There have been times when I went to bed, not knowing how I would get through the night. It is those times I fall asleep with a prayer on my lips, and tears in my eyes. It helps me to remember God is with me. He sees my tears, He knows my heart, and then too, I think about Jesus pain on the cross. Believe it or not that makes my own pain more tolerable. Jesus has always gotten me through the pain, and He understands that pain!

Emotional and spiritual pain are just as painful, but are usually due to our own choices, or consequences of our actions. When this pain hits, prayer is the first line of defense, and reading God's word shows us how to deal with the issues of heartbreak. It's all in the Bible, and it can direct our path, heal our hearts, and give us God's wisdom. Through this pain, I have learned to trust God. He knows the outcome, before the situation even happens. Tragedy can strike out of nowhere, blindside us, and leave us devastated. We question God, we may even yell at God! " Why, God? Why me?" I have also learned that because I have given my life to Christ, He will never let anything touch me that has not gone through Him first. If satan decides to take a loved one through a bad situation, or wants to disrupt my life, God has the final say. One thing I know for very sure is that if God allows

it, if God brings me to a situation, God will see me all the way through it! 

God has gifted me with sympathy, and empathy for others. I not only feel sorry or sad for others going through a valley, but I feel their pain. Sometimes that is so hard, but i am grateful God has trusted me to feel others pain, so I can minister to them. He also has given me the pain He has,both physical and emotional so I can share with others. It is hard to minister to someone in a situation, if you have never experienced their pain. God uses all our situations and trials to teach us, but also to help others. The biggest lesson we can learn from our pain, is this....God is always there, He loves you. He will not leave you or forsake you. I need God, in the pain, through the pain!  Pain is a pain, it always will be, but with God it is much more tolerable! 

Carolyn McBreen Gibbs Blog: An Empty Place

Carolyn McBreen Gibbs Blog: An Empty Place: Holidays are a time of joy, happiness, family. Whether it is Thanksgiving or Christmas, an anniversary, or birthday, they are special times ...

An Empty Place

Holidays are a time of joy, happiness, family. Whether it is Thanksgiving or Christmas, an anniversary, or birthday, they are special times in our lives when we celebrate with loved ones close by, or at least on our minds. My Daddy died at the end of October, so the first Thanksgiving and Christmas were not the same. My mother was deep in mourning, and as an only child, it was hard to handle my own grief, and deal with hers too. My Daddy loved The Lord, and I knew he was celebrating with Jesus, but it still was a lonely, empty spot where he had always been. He always liked Christmas, because he had a chance to do for others. It didn't matter if it was family gifts, or giving extra to his church, or rewarding those who worked for him. He was a sweet, gentle man that got great joy from the joy he could give to others. He was a very quiet man, so not everyone saw all he did for others.

My mother-in-love left us right after Christmas and New Year in 2011. The last Christmas was the first without her. Another empty place. She liked Christmas, but as she got older, she relied on me to decorate for her, and do her shopping for her grandchildren, and great grandchildren. When she was still independent, she would bring all the gifts to our house, and we would wrap everything Christmas Eve after Church. Between that and the pre- preparations for dinner the next day, we were up very late. She always brought Christmas cookies she had baked, and a loaf of her Pumpkin Bread...one for each grandchild, and one for us! that was her signature Christmas goody. I never got the recipe from her, because it didn't seem right to supersede her specialty. One year she made ceramic trees for all of us. Lights fit into holes on the tree, and when plugged in created a beautiful hand made tree!  She also has been having Christmas with Jesus since she left us.

For Christians that know for sure their loved ones are in heaven, the sting of death and separation may be a little easier, but our loved ones are still missed! We miss their physical presence, we miss their voice, their touch, their laughter. We miss what our life was like, because they were a part of it. Holidays can be a time for family to share favorite memories of the one who went home. It can be a time of honoring them with donations to those less fortunate, and a time of looking through old pictures. It is still a sad time, but it can also be a sweet time of reliving their life with us. One thing we know is that holidays will take on a knew look when a loved one leaves us. Sometimes the second year of holidays may be more painful than the first, because we are still a little numb, and just beginning the grief process. 

Remembering our loved ones is healing! It's O.K. To think about them, it's alright to cry. Pain in grieving does not last forever. The missing your loved one will always be there until God calls you home. The gaping hole that person left in our life will flare up and hurt, sometimes because of a holiday, or a special song, or even a smell. My mother- in -love always wore the same perfume, and even now, if I pull one of her blankets out of the closet to use, the scent is there. I have washed those blankets, and yet the essence of Mary is still there. Painful as it may be, pushing through the memories, the pain, and the loss will eventually heal the broken heart. Never forget that God is close to the broken hearted. As He says in Isaiah 61:1-3, God will heal your pain. He sees all your tears. Start a knew tradition in your family this Christmas, designed specifically to honor your loved ones who have gone on, whether it just happened or many years ago. The simplest is to have a specific candle for each one. Light each one, on Christmas Eve, or Christmas Day to honor them. Think on their influence in your life, and Thank The Lord for the time you had with them. Most of all remember God knows your grief, He gave His only Son to die for us. They were reunited, but for the time Jesus had our sin piled on Him, He and the Father were separated. God sees, God knows, God will see you through not only Holidays, but the other sad, empty places too!

Carolyn McBreen Gibbs Blog: Traffic Not Just Cars

Carolyn McBreen Gibbs Blog: Traffic Not Just Cars: Traffic is a rather innocent word. We usually think of getting in our car and hoping traffic is not too backed up on the interstate. Traffic...

Traffic Not Just Cars

Traffic is a rather innocent word. We usually think of getting in our car and hoping traffic is not too backed up on the interstate. Traffic is fairly light at certain times of the day, and our route is smooth and easy. Other times traffic can be our worst nightmare. Tempers flare, we feel like we will never get to our destination, because others keep getting in our way. Traffic is the movement of vehicles on highways and by-ways, to move from point A to point B. Traffic is controlled by law enforcement, and by obeying the laws, we remain relatively safe. 

Traffic can also be the movement of goods by import and export. Many things we use everyday are brought to us through the traffic of buying and selling goods. Traffic that we hear about often is the drug traffic. The goods are illegal, and dangerous, and even though there are laws, the ones trafficking drugs do not follow the rules. There is a darker side to traffic. It is a side that until recently, few knew existed, and many are trying to put an end to. Human traffic has become a multi-million dollar business, fueled by greed, and lust. It is a horrendous plight that many young boys and girls find themselves in. Most are from poor families, from third world countries, and families get desperate. They sell their children in order to survive. Many of these children are as young as eight years old, and are taken away and hidden until they can be indoctrinated into a world of sex and slavery. They are separated from family they will never see again, abused, and brain washed through terror, to do what they are told. From that point they are bartered, sold, and at the mercy of adults who don't care.

What happens to these children? Do they ever get away? The FBI and many other agencies as well as ministries are beginning to rescue and turn these shattered lives around. I can not even imagine being sold for money, by my parents, and turned over to total strangers. I also can not imagine that at eight, nine, or ten years old. While most are sold for sex, there are those who are sold to wealthy people, who want slave labor in their mansions. Wherever they end up, they have no freedom. Most often these children and youth are given drugs which make them easier to control, and consequently dependent on their captors for more drugs.

There are more articles, stories of redemption, and lives salvaged than ever before. As more people learn that Human Trafficking is in every state, and throughout the world, there is more awareness of the problems. Ministries are working with The FBI and other agencies to get the victims to a safe haven. It is not unlike the Underground Railroad during the Civil War. There are safe houses, scattered across the country, and people stepping up to help. It is no longer a secret and lives are being changed, saved, and given hope. The Human Sex Traffic is probably the most evil of all evils, but as with all money makers, it is the money that is important. My prayer is that this evil will be crushed. My prayer is for more and more people to learn of this evil, and will help in one

area or another. In fact, here is a thought....the next time you are stuck in traffic, say a prayer for these victims. Ask God for their safety, their release, and their restoration to a normal, hope filled way of life. A life they have never known. My prayer is that you will remember that a delay in traffic congestion could be a much needed prayer for one of these victims.

Carolyn McBreen Gibbs Blog: The Rest Of The Story!

Carolyn McBreen Gibbs Blog: The Rest Of The Story!: Our Church Christmas Pageant is in full swing. After hours of set construction, costume design, music learned, and parts memorized, it has c...

Carolyn McBreen Gibbs Blog: I Wonder.....

Carolyn McBreen Gibbs Blog: I Wonder.....: Wondering is a favorite past time, maybe because I have always been one to dream and fantasize "What if."  As an only child, I spe...

Carolyn McBreen Gibbs Blog: Carolyn McBreen Gibbs Blog: The Rest Of The Story!...

Carolyn McBreen Gibbs Blog: Carolyn McBreen Gibbs Blog: The Rest Of The Story!...: Carolyn McBreen Gibbs Blog: The Rest Of The Story! : Our Church Christmas Pageant is in full swing. After hours of set construction, costume...

I Wonder.....

Wondering is a favorite past time, maybe because I have always been one to dream and fantasize "What if."  As an only child, I spent a lot of time with me, and my imagination. This year as we start our second week of Pageant Presentations at our church, I have especially wondered. This year our writers have gone beyond Jesus birth, to His ministry on earth, and then His death and resurrection. As I wait for my cue, I have thought first about Mary.  According to scripture, she was young, and was engaged to Joseph. An angel, out of nowhere tells her she is going to have a baby. Not just any baby, but God's son. What would you think? Just for a minute she must have been incredulous. How do you explain that to your fiancé  and your parents. Mary trusted God, and if she was scared scripture does not reveal it. 

Next for Mary is the trip to Bethlehem with Joseph. Again she is going out of her comfort zone, and she is due to have a baby any time. If the baby is born away from home, she has no mother with her to help her through. Nothing familiar to comfort her. Next she is confronted with no place to stay. The Bible does not give us any clue as to Mary's attitude with all this, but it would be like having a baby, 100 miles from home, camping out in a tent, with no amenities at all. I can't imagine how amazed she must have been, perhaps scared, and wondering what God intended with all this strangeness. When Jesus is born what did she think when she looked at His little face? She gazed at Him with a mother's heart, but at the same time...this was God's son! Why her, why here, and what now? How overwhelmed she must have felt. Did that night with angels, bright star, shepherds, and a crude stable blur from one image to another? Did she grasp the major importance of this event?

What about Joseph. We don't know how old he was, but older than Mary. He is engaged to a nice girl, and then he learns she is going to have a baby. He knows it isn't his. Would you be able to understand this? He too is visited by an angel, and assured all will be well. We in our lives may have entertained angels and not known it, but these angels were there specifically to bring messages from God. Joseph as far as we know, took care of Mary, and was willing to also accept God's plan. Did he have moments of a lot of doubt. Did he feel betrayed, and reluctant to take on the care of a baby that was not his? He has a lot of responsibility to get a wife, who is due to have a baby anytime, and himself to another town just to register and pay taxes. This has to be out of his comfort zone too. 

Now it's a quiet ordinary night, shepherds are out settling their flocks. All of a sudden a brilliant star appears, and then an angel comes from heaven to tell you about a baby born in a stable, and He is God's son. I can only imagine what they must have thought. Were these amazing things a part of their normal world...probably not. During one presentation of our pageant, the goat I was leading, got spooked by the loud music. When I tried to quiet him, and lead him, he reared up on his back legs. Imagine a whole flock of sheep, and goats when a blinding, bright light, and a voice from the sky erupts their normal quiet. All it would take would be one animal to react, and they all would follow. It probably was hard not to be a little upset by the disruption. 

The Bible does not tell us how long Mary and Joseph actually occupied the stable. Once people started to leave town after the census, did they get a room? We know they were advised to go on to Egypt to protect Jesus, but we don't know what happened in between. Did more people come to see Jesus, or did they just spend time resting and taking care of their new son?  What did they do for food? Did people offer to feed them, or did they bring a lot of food with them? If the Bible doesn't address something, we are to trust God that it is not relevant, but natural human curiosity makes me wonder about the ordinary. I also wonder as I wear the same costume night after night for the Pageant, did they have more than one outfit? Did they have access to a place to wash their clothes? And did Biblical people have as much trouble putting on the head gear as I have been having each night? As one lady in our dressing room said, they probably just put them on and did not even worry about how it looked. They were for practical reasons and not part of a costume. 

When I think about all our luxuries I wonder if I could have gone through what Mary did. Then I remember that their life was simpler, but also harder. Mary and Joseph were asked to go way beyond comfort, and the things they knew for God's overall plan. If I pay attention God will move me out of my comfort zone too to do what He has for me to do. They trusted God. I trust God. They had the Holy Spirit to lead and guide them. I have the Holy Spirit to lead and guide me too. We are not so different, yet I wonder how well I would have done, had I been living in that time. It is hard to imagine sometimes....and that's all the more reason to wonder!

Carolyn McBreen Gibbs Blog: The Rest Of The Story!

Carolyn McBreen Gibbs Blog: The Rest Of The Story!: Our Church Christmas Pageant is in full swing. After hours of set construction, costume design, music learned, and parts memorized, it has c...

The Rest Of The Story!

Our Church Christmas Pageant is in full swing. After hours of set construction, costume design, music learned, and parts memorized, it has come together in the final Dress Rehersal. Now begins two weeks of presentations. Excitement is at peak levels, and the anticipation of knowing what we do will impact many lives hangs in the air. Each of us is part of an amazing network of players serving our Lord and Savior. What we present in 11 performances may be the first time some come face to face with Jesus. We will work as a team, we will pray without ceasing, and we will do it all that others may come to know Christ!

Each year the presentations lead obviously to Jesus birth. There is always a modern day thread with people who need to hear the message, then Jesus birth, the Magi when Jesus is a little older, and then the facts that surround Jesus death and resurrection. All culminating in a grand finale. The transition to Bethlehem is preceded by majestic camels, and then the sheep, goats, baby animals, and Mary riding a donkey.  Angels appear, flying angels proclaim the wondrous birth, and our sanctuary, transformed into Bethlehem,erupts in joyous music. 

Where does Christmas end and life begin? Christmas is only the beginning of the story, and that was foretold hundreds of years before it happened. There is so much more to the story. Jesus was not born as a human just to be a nice person. He was God's son in the flesh, sent for a specific purpose. It is not just so we can have a feel good holiday with lights, and gifts! From the beginning, when the earth was still void, God had planned mankind. He knew man with skin on, even though made in His Image, would sin, and become separated from God. He also had a plan for man's salvation, to restore Him to fellowship with God.....that plan was Jesus! Jesus had to be humbly born as a man, teach God's word, then He had to die. It was no ordinary death. He had to fulfill prophesy. He was arrested, but committed no crime. He was tortured, beaten beyond recognition, and crucified on a Roman cross. He deserved none of it, but we did. It was our sin...yours and mine that kept Him on that cross until He had no more blood to give. His one time blood sacrifice washed our sin from us, and it all was put on Him. In three days, He rose from being dead! That death and resurection gives us all a way to be saved from our sin. Jesus was born a man just to die in our place.

It is a free gift from God to us. Like any Christmas gift, we have to take it from the giver, open it, and use it. What it all means is, that until Jesus died on the cross, sin kept us from fellowship with God. God cannot have fellowship with sin. The blood of Christ washed us clean, whiter than snow, His word says. Now if we say yes to that gift, ask for forgiveness, and turn from our sin, we say we believe that Jesus is God's son, and we are willing to turn our life over to Him. We become new creatures on the inside, and now when God looks at us, we are covered by the blood Jesus gave to get us clean.

The Pageant this year will follow Jesus from birth to His ministry, to His crucifixion, and death. The scene where Jesus hangs from the cross is powerful.

The final and lasting and best part of Christmas is the resurection and the gift of eternal life He gives to us all! That is our final destination.....Eternity in Heaven with God! I pray that you all are blessed by this season, but that you will remember, Christmas is only part of the story! Life with Christ is the rest of the story!

Carolyn McBreen Gibbs Blog: It's All About Me... Yes Or No?

Carolyn McBreen Gibbs Blog: It's All About Me... Yes Or No?: Do you have days when you just want everything to be about you? I think we all do that at one time or another. Young children are wired to o...

It's All About Me... Yes Or No?

Do you have days when you just want everything to be about you? I think we all do that at one time or another. Young children are wired to only care about themselves, and we have to teach them to start caring about others, and teach them not to be selfish. I was a terribly selfish child. I was an only child, and I thought the world and everyone in it revolved around me, and if it didn't it should have. Thankfully I had people in my life that were willing to teach me to care for others, but it took awhile. Even then, God was putting people in my life to change me into a more caring person.

The most unselfish person I have ever known was my Dad. He was a humble, unassuming man, who lived to serve and take care of others. Of course he took care of his family, but he was always there for others too. Many nights after working a full day, if anyone called and needed something in regard to their life insurance (which is what he did) he went back out to see them. He didn't just sell insurance, he councieled his clients, he spent time with them to give them exactly what they needed, not just to make a sale. He selflessly gave up his evening if there was a need. He never gave thought as to what was easy or comfortable for him, it was what worked best for someone else. If a client was a farmer, and couldn't meet anywhere else, Dad would tromp out into the corn field to take care of his client's needs.

When he coached the Lutheran Hospital student nurses' basketball team, he wasn't just a coach. He was their father away from home, he was their mentor, he cared about each of them. If they had a problem, they knew they could call him anytime and he would do what he could. When my mother decided cooking was too difficult for her arthritis, he took her out to eat every single night. At home, he fixed breakfast and lunch, cleaned up, and then did a day's work. He did not enjoy eating out. After a long day, he longed to come home and rest and eat in his own home, but he gave that up for her. 

When I needed anything, he was there. He gave up many Saturdays to teach me to drive. He spent hours watching Dance recitals, Ice Skating Shows, and any other thing I wanted to try. I know there were times when all he wanted to do was read a book, watch a western, or a wrestling match on T.V. But instead he did what his family wanted. He loved working on his cars. He changed his own oil in our driveway, and even taught me about cars and how they run. That just made him happy. Then my mother decided that didn't look good and what would the neighbors think. So he quit what gave him pleasure, so she would be happy. He never complained, he never got mad about it, he just did what he had to, selflessly, and quietly.

God blessed me also with a husband that is a selfless example of putting his wants aside for others. He is a pastor, so there are many times he sacrifices his time and energy for those in need. He has made it a policy to keep his phone on 24/7, 365 days a year. He could just not answer after hours, or on his days off, but he won't. He is there at 2:00 in the morning, or any other time someone is in crisis. He will use his day off to visit hospitals, council, or pray with others. He too will eat out, or have food delivered that isn't on his diet, just because he knows it helps me. I have seen him get dressed at 3:00 in the morning to meet a family at the hospital. Yes that is his job, but even if it wasn't he would do no different. If someone needs something, he will work until he can find a way to help them. 

These men in my life are prime examples of my Lord and Savior, Jesus. Jesus of course was the ultimate, perfect example of selflessness. He left His heavenly throne, was born in a stable, and humbled himself every day on earth for us. He faced a cruel death, shed His blood, until there was no more, took the weight of all the sin past, present, and into forever, and did it no  matter what He may have felt as a human. He gave of His time to teach and bring God's word to the nations, got very little respect, and yet never once did what He wanted. He did what God, the Father wanted! Through Christ, I have learned to do for others too, but I am not consistent. I have the heart to take care of others, and to put their needs first, but I fall short. If I am tired, or in pain, or don't feel well, I put me first. Not so with my Dad and my husband. On the upside, after Jesus' example, and their example, I have a constant goal to aim for. I am still learning, and one day, I will be unselfish, and I will put everyone in my life first! Role models like I have are rare, but you may find some in your life too....if you just look around.