Lauren Sparks

The Sparks Notes

Praying Glory to God in the Highest #2

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gloryToday is International Tea Day and National Wear Your Pearls Day.  If you want to be fancy, throw on your jewels and brew some tea in your finest cup.  If not, just plop down in a comfy chair in your sweatpants and let’s pray glory to God in the Highest.

 

Staying in Luke chapter 2 – the most popular place to read the true Christmas story – we see the shepherds have just heard the marvelous news of the Savior.  After the angels returned to heaven, these men wasted no time in deciding to go find Jesus.  It is their expediency I want to focus on today.

 

“So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger.”  Luke 2:16 NIV

 

I am challenged and encouraged by the haste of the shepherds to be with Jesus.

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There was nothing, not even the sheep in their charge, that took priority over basking in the glory of the Savior.  So this prayer emerged:

 

 

Let’s flood this space with praise this month.  Comment below on who He is to you.  And share this on your favorite social media platform using the icons below.  Invite others to join in giving glory to God in the highest.  And if you don’t want to miss any of the party, subscribe using the form on the right hand side of this page.

 

Praying for you in this.

Lauren

What is a Gift Worth?

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giftOne Christmas during the teenage years, my sisters and I decided to make presents for our parents.  Lacking the money or the talent (well, this doesn’t apply to my younger sister) to do anything significant, we put our brains together and came up with a plan – boxer shorts.  I know.  My parents are so lucky to have us!

 

We went to WalMart (or it could have been K-Mart back then) and bought a package of cheap men’s boxer shorts in baby blue.   Some leftover fabric from my mom’s sewing supplies provided the inspiration for decoration.  It had penguins and other winter themed designs that we cut out.  Using needles and thread that also belonged to my mom, we hand-stitched embellishments all over the shorts.

 

Despite my mom’s efforts to teach us the craft, seamstresses we were not.  Without a sewing machine or any skill, this project took hours.  We holed up in our room – imagining the cute and comfy pajama shorts on their recipients.  I’ll pause here to tell you that I have no idea why we thought my parents needed or wanted boxers.  But they would get them.  One with Mama and another with Papa in letters cut out of coordinating material.

 

The sheer amount of time we spent on these gifts intrigued my folks.  And if they were disappointed by them on Christmas morning, we would never know.  In fact, I remember my dad wearing his on repeat.  Even after the sad little penguins and letters started to fall off.  My mom and dad appreciated their gifts because of the sacrifice of time and effort my sisters and I made to provide them.

 

A More Important Gift

 

We celebrate Christmas because Jesus came to give us the greatest gift of all.  As hard as it is to believe, even better than boxer shorts. 

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In the midst of presents, decorations, parties and Hallmark movies, we often forget what makes this holiday special.

 

Jesus gave up heaven for a time.  He became human, being born as a baby, and lived a perfect life despite temptations.  He died an excruciatingly painful and humiliating death on a cross to take the punishment for our sins.  And because of this, we are forgiven.  Redeemed from sin.  Made white and clean as Christmas snow (if you live somewhere that snow actually happens).

 

The feeding trough in your nativity set (we call it a manger) is only special because of the sacrifices made by the baby Mary and Joseph placed in it.  These sacrifices give us salvation.  And our salvation is a priceless gift.  He is worthy!

 

And now for this week’s featured post from the link up!

 

I am so pleased to share a post from my fellow link up host Tammy Kennington today.  She wrote so beautifully in Advent and the Arrival of Christ – and even taught me something about Advent that I didn’t know.  This time of year I am so aware that we live in the already and not yet, and Tammy encouraged me so much.

 

 

1. Share 1 or 2 of your most recent CHRISTIAN LIVING posts. (No DIY, crafts, recipes, or inappropriate articles.) All links are randomly sorted.

2. Comment on 1 or 2 other links. Grace & Truth linkup encourages community.

3. Every host features one entry from the previous week. To be featured, include this button or link back here on your post (mandatory to be featured, but not to participate).

Grace and Truth_Meet Hosts

We encourage you to follow our hosts on their blogs or social media.

MAREE DEE – Embracing the Unexpected
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LAUREN SPARKS
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LISA BURGESS – Lisa notes
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TAMMY KENNINGTON – Restoring hope. Pursuing peace.
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