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Dec

Seeing Christmas Through the Gift of Myrrh

Posted by: Mikki | Comments (3)

myrrh I love meaningful gifts. What’s a meaningful gift? For me, it’s a gift that says you know me. You understand at least some of the essence of who I am. And it cannot be dishtowels. My hubby and kids all know that I hate getting dishtowels for Christmas (lol, can you tell that I get dishtowels every year from a certain beloved relative?)

The magi brought meaningful gifts to Jesus. Jesus, being just a small child, certainly couldn’t grasp the significance of the gifts but yet they were deeply meaningful. They were prophetic gifts. Frankincense, gold, and myrrh.

I wonder if Joseph and Mary kept the gifts, thought on their meaning, or perhaps, re-gifted? Nah…

This morning I’ve been pondering the gift of myrrh.

Myrrh is derived from tree sap. A tree is wounded, repeatedly, pierced to locate the resin deep inside the tree. The resin then begins to ooze from the cut, dripping out in tear-formed drops which are left to harden on the tree. Later this hardened resin is collected and transformed into something useful. Although myrrh tastes bitter, its fragrance is incredibly beautiful. In the days of Jesus, it was often used in burial and many times symbolized death.

How beautifully this gift spoke of Jesus’ life and death!

Does it speak of your life?

Have you been wounded in this life? Pierced deeply? Repeatedly? Do you have a bitter taste in your mouth from the woundedness?

How can your deep woundedness become a lovely fragrance?

Well, just like myrrh, it is a process that takes time. It costs. The process may involve pain, suffering, bitterness, and hardening, but God’s refining applied to the essence that flows out of our wounded places, can create an aroma that rises from our lives that is a gift. A gift to ourselves, a gift to others, and a gift to God.

Have the wounded places in your life become gifts?

What a great time to ponder the gift that we now have and enjoy that flows out of his wounds.

Nothing Less Than Something More

Posted by: Mikki | Comments (4)

It’s my birthday today. As I get older, birthdays seem more significant. I reflect more. I evaluate my life. I ask questions.

Am I living an authentic life? Am I living in balance? Have I forgotten to listen to my heart or my Lord? Am I enjoying my family, friends, and church community as fully as I should?

I laughingly call myself a recovering workaholic, and as such, these questions are important for me. I have a sense that these same questions are necessary for all of us who live the great American life which exalts busyness above relationships.

In honor of my heart and soul and what I’ve learned in recent years, I took the day off work today. I began the day with a cup of Archers Farm coffee and a bite of almond pound cake and a good conversation with my husband. I drank in both the coffee and the words in my husband’s birthday letter to me.

I received hugs from my husband and youngest son. I enjoyed birthday wishes from my daughter via phone. I await my wishes from my other two sons as it is still early here in Alabama. My husband’s men’s small group sang Happy Birthday to me.

I am filling my soul and spirit with Jesus Culture as I oscillate between reading birthday wishes from friends via Facebook and email and writing this blog.

I look forward to other significant moments today. I plan to read a good book, which is a pleasure of mine, and my husband is taking me to Cracker Barrel for breakfast where I will enjoy the delightful world of carbohydrates.

I feel at peace, and I know that I am not settling for shallowness, either in my relationships or in my dreams.

I want nothing less than something more.

More than living life to check off a to-do list. More than living for the pats on the back that are not linked to relationships that stand the tests of trials and time.

I believe that life is meant to be more. A sacred adventure. A journey of discovery.

I live for more. More fullness of joy. More revelation of God’s love for me. More good conversations. More beautiful sunsets. More meaningful hugs. More laughter. More awareness of the present moment. The heights of the joys. The depths of the sorrows. The richness of life. The beauty of today. The something more.

What about you? Are you living for nothing less than something more?

When Christmas Doesn’t Live Up to Your Expectations

Posted by: Mikki | Comments (0)

christmas ball I suppose I’ve always been a romantic at heart, at least in the sense that I have an unspoken belief that life should be full of magical moments that take my breath away. Like many others I’ve believed that Christmas should always be magical.

My romantic ideas have not always served me well. At times, they have sent me on an endless search for a ‘perfect’ gift, or led me to work to exhaustion to present my home in Christmas splendor, moved me to send a hundred Christmas cards, or left me feeling empty when I opened that less than perfect gift.

Life is not always magical, and sometimes falls short of our expectations.

The first Christmas must have been filled with expectations, too. Mary responded with childlike faith to God’s work in her life. She embraced an unexpected pregnancy of miraculous origin. She, no doubt, endured scorn and gossip. She faced Joseph’s honest doubts and struggles. And now, she has journeyed a long way on a donkey. That’s certainly enough to send a very pregnant woman into labor! Speaking as a woman who has delivered four children, it would be enough to make me irritable!

After her long, uncomfortable, exhausting trip, Mary finds herself delivering her firstborn in a stable. Can you say ‘disappointed’?

I am reminded of the birth of our third born child, Elliott. It was November 1992. Indulge me the telling of my funny birth story. You’ll love it. Read more...

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Categories : Christmas, expectations

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Dec

Thanks to My Readers!

Posted by: Mikki | Comments (3)

thank you Thanks to all of you who take time to read my blog. Last month, I had 9,999 different visits (not page hits which was much greater). Wow, I am honored and love to share my writing with you all!

By His Grace,

Mikki

Thanks to My Readers!

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Nov

When It Seems Too Late

Posted by: Mikki | Comments (1)

shoppping frenzy On the day after Thanksgiving, I awakened to my 2:45 a.m. alarm. I slipped out of bed and tiptoed into the bathroom, trying not to awaken my husband. The night before, I had laid my clothes, my shoes, my jewelry, my phone, my coupons, and my small shopping purse, which goes over my head and across my body so as not to be in the way of the day’s serious work. I quickly dressed for the day’s task, right down to my tennis shoes which are my personal requirement for a major shopping day. I downed a cup of coffee faster than you could say Black Friday.

My daughter and I arrived at the mall at 3:05 a.m. to snag the best deals at Belk, a local department store, which had opened at 3:00 a.m. To my dismay, there were no parking spots left in the front of the mall. None. Apparently all the folks who had hit the 12 a.m. sales at Wal-Mart and Target and Best Buy were now at the mall. Not to be outwitted, I found a place to park behind the mall even though there were no entrances there to any anchor stores. After all, with my tennis shoes on, I could walk/run the length of the mall in a minute flat. Read more...

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Categories : Pain and suffering, failure, redemption

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Seeing Christmas Through the Gift of Myrrh

Nothing Less Than Something More

When Christmas Doesn’t Live Up to Your Expectations

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When It Seems Too Late

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