My Christmas Tree
Each time someone comes over I ask them to make something for the tree. It has been a great way to talk about the holiday with everyone. I have had Christmas music on which everyone has enjoyed hearing especially what we listen to at this time of year.
God has been really great to me with this book I am reading, the title is "The Renewed Mind". The last chapter was something that touched my heart and I would like to share it with you. As a young boy Larry would watch a blacksmith look at different metals then put them into two different groups, the fire or the junk heap. The blacksmith told him that some metals could go into the fire to be refined and purified. This is the point that got me, Larry Christianson, the author, said "How much better to go through the fires of testing and proving if in the end you come out refined and purified and able to be of use once again by God- and used in a more expansive way than you had been used before." He talks about how we all deal with our own problems in life and maybe sometimes we don’t think we can deal with them but to think of it this way. Would you like to be put into the junk heap or go through the fire with God! As I started to think of many different things that have happened over the last couple of months here, I am thankful I have been put into the fire and not into the junk heap. As I was thinking about this I kept getting this picture in my head. Some years ago my best friend and I were backpacking through Europe. We had many problems before leaving on this trip. 911 had only happened the month before, her father died, I had my hard first year of teaching so this trip was so much more to us than just seeing Europe! In our last country, we had so many problems and the last one was missing our flight back to London. We got onto a train in hopes to take the Chunnel back to London so I could get my flight back to the USA the next day. As we traveled thoughout the countryside of Germany, one of us asked why do we have to deal with this? I still don’t know how much of that question had to do with taking the train or all of the problems in our lives. As I looked out the window of the train, I could hear God telling me to have faith in him. Now many years later, I hear him telling me the same thing - to have faith in Him. The fire is hot but we are not alone. I say Fire, Lord!
I would like to praise God for my students who have been so great to me! Each one has been so happy to help me with shopping or going to the post office. Last night I had a great time with a family that runs the local newspaper here in Smolensk. On Saturday night the youth came over and we talked about Christmas! On Sunday I meet with some students from the boarding school, we took pictures around the Russian Yard with the Christmas decorations. Around the park we were singing Christmas songs then the girls came with me to my lesson. It was a enjoyable weekend and I hope you had a great weekend also!
Talk soon! <>< JulieJ
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