God's Over the Top Kindness - again!

Phillipians 4:19
My God will richly fill your every need in a glorious way through Christ Jesus.

Throughout my life I have seen God supply my needs and the needs of my family (from my parents when I was younger, to my family now) again and again in surprising ways. God loves to surprise and delight us. He's looking for us to be looking to Him as our supplier, and with a grateful heart, and to be aware that "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above and comes down from the father of lights,
with whom is no variableness or shadow of turning." James 1:17

This Christmas is a little thin. I always love opportunities like this to teach my children to be grateful for the things they ARE blessed with (which are abundant), and not always be seeking for the next thing. "Godliness with contentment is great gain." 1 Timothy 6:6

But of course, Christmas is also a time when it is a joy to see your children's eyes light up with delight at a gift they have desired.

Joshua has been asking for a gaming system. This is something absolutely out of the budget. He's asked several times. When he asks for something totally out of my power to provide I tell him "Joshua, I don't have the money, Just pray and ask the Lord for it." I have to admit, this was not a big step of faith on my part, it was more of a putting off of a persistent question for which I didn't have an answer.

Well, yesterday I was on a phone call with my sister in law in Florida. She told me they are purchasing a new gaming system for their children's Christmas gift and
asked if my children would like the old (perfectly good) Playstation II?

I was overwhelmed at her generosity, and astounded at the amazing kindness of God in answering a huge desire of my son's!

God is SO KIND! He so often gives us not only what we need, but even what we desire.

For Narnia! For Aslan!

I FINALLY got to see Disney's "Prince Caspian" (thanks to redbox). I loved it. I grew up cutting my teeth on C.S. Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia, along with his other fiction works, George MacDonald, Tolkien and many other giants of the faith who had the amazing ability to allegorically demonstrate truths of the Christian walk through fiction. To me, after the Bible, fiction has been one of the greatest means of learning eternal truths, and has impacted my life deeply. I, like 70% of the people in the world wish to be a writer, have always loved to write. Much of the reason being works like these. "If I could communicate, through stories that people would love to read, life changing truths." I have thought, "This would be a dream come true!"

Clive Staples Lewis said: "If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world."

The world mocks Christianity as "The Ultimate Fairy Tale." Could it be that it is because something in every fairy tale resonates within the heart of each person created by One who alone can fill the void in their hearts and the need for a Redeemer? Have they been lulled by the lie, THE lie that first entered the heart of Lucifer. "I will be like the Most High", which he then took to earth to tempt Eve with "You shall be as gods..." "You don't need God, you can fulfill your own destiny, indeed you are godlike, you are god!" A simple twist of the truth. God created us in His own image, to reflect Him and to become like Him. This is the destiny He created us for. The lie Satan would have us believe in bold or subtle form, is that we can live without God; that we don't need Him.

How my heart sang out as little Lucy stepped out of the woods alone, boldly drawing her tiny dagger as she faced a gigantic army of armed, grown men. She walked with confidence toward them... because she knew, behind her was Aslan, defender of those who put their trust in him! Fully able to defeat the enemy.