Today in Dietzville

David & Lindsey Dietz

I want to point you in the direction of a great blog. That of my daughter-in-law, Lindsey. Lindsey is the former managing editor of the magazine for Christ for the Nations. While she was there, she dedicated herself to an entire issue about abortion that caused it to be the #1 most requested/printed magazine in it's history.

She loves the Lord and her family. I love that. And you never have to guess what Lindsey is thinking. I love that, too.

Today, she wrote a blog that I think is something everyone needs to hear. So please just skip right on over there and take a look. You'll probably want to add her to your blog list.

Love

When I was in 4th grade, I was "Love" in a Christmas play. I'm not sure if they chose me for that part because I had red hair or if it was because they knew my mom was a seamstress and knew she'd go all-out on a dress for the part. I don't really remember the point of the play, I just remember I popped up out of a Christmas box in my long white dress with the red trim. I recited something about love...and I felt beautiful.

That's the way I feel this Christmas. I feel like I've been popping out of a box spreading love everywhere. Not just my love---but the love of others---and God's love. Being the director of a benevolence ministry, I'm the natural one people turn to when they want to find a family to help at Christmas. Love has been spread all over this city---and beyond. It feels tangible. That's the way God intended it, don't you think? It still makes me feel beautiful when I'm clothed in Love.

The Language of Love & Respect by Dr. Emerson Eggerichs

I was so excited to read Dr. Eggerichs new book! I had read his book, "Love & Respect" last year and it was transforming for me. I had read Ephesians 5:33 many times, but it had never clicked in my mind that my relationship with my husband was spelled out in that verse. "However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband." Husbands are to LOVE their wives and wives are to RESPECT their husbands. Simple. But I had never seen it until I read Dr. Eggerichs earlier book.
But as I read "The Language of Love & Respect," I felt like I was re-reading his first book. Dr. Eggerichs kept referring to his earlier book and using the same examples. It was frustrating. I was hoping to learn something new, but didn't. My advice to anyone wanting to learn how to relate to your spouse in the way God intends is to read Dr. Eggerichs' earlier book, "Love & Respect."
If I hadn't been reading this book for a book review, I would have layed it down much sooner. The author kept using acronyms and "codes" that I will never remember. It's too complicated to be very useful. He had a great beginning concept from his first book, but lost me along the way.

You Made My Day!

You did! All of you. Today was my 54th birthday and it's been great. I've gotten lots of facebook notes from people, phone calls of grandkids singing, had a delicious lunch which was cooked and attended by great friends, heard from my kids and siblings, had dinner at the Plaza with Andy and one set of our kids and topped it off with a wonderful birthday cake made by Lindsey. You all have made my day!

But that is also what a lady told us at the Plaza. When we got our food, David decided he needed to go to the bathroom. Ryan (5) began chasing after his dad to go with him. When they came back to the table, Ryan announced in his best voice that "he and Daddy had swordfights!" It took a split second for that to sink in, but when it did, we were all laughing hysterically. As we were getting ready to leave, an older woman walked up to Lindsey & I and said, "I had had a really bad day today. Now I may have misinterpreted what your son said when he came to the table, but he made my day!" Lindsey assured her that she hadn't misinterpreted a thing---and we all had another good laugh.

You made my day. Turning 54 ain't all bad....just so you know.

What can I bring?

Have I told you that I love my prayer partners? I love that we've met together at least once a week to pray for the past 15 years. I love that they know the good, bad & ugly about me and still want to be with me! I love that they are open books. I love how much they love God. I just love them.

This morning we met again to pray. We were all in the doldrums about Christmas. We just weren't experiencing it like we wanted to. I told them that I had decided to come to God and ask for the gift of a simple Christmas with meaning. And then I told them that I had experienced a flashback of Christmases past at the stable Sunday night. (See...I told you they don't read my blog! ha! I guess they get enough of me on Tuesday mornings!!)

And then it happened. I began praying and pouring out my heart to God. I asked Him for this gift. He created us emotionally, so I asked Him to pour out on us the emotions we wanted so we might experience all we could this season. One of my prayer partners told us that she began seeing a movie in her mind as we prayed. (What is the deal with movies??) She said that she began to see all of our pasts--pasts filled with fear. And she saw trophies of grace that we began polishing and holding up to God as a Christmas gift to Him. One trophy was of a redeemed marriage. Another was of financial restitution. And yet another was of submission. These were all things God had worked in each of our lives. We were overcome with gratitude as we did just that...lifted them up as a gift to God. It was His idea, His work...and yet we were giving them back to God....all polished up. It's kind of like when you give money to your child to go buy you a Christmas gift from "him." We brought our gifts to God this morning.

And isn't that what pleases Him? He loves for us to talk about His work of redemption. He loves for glory to be brought to Himself. He loves when His kids are delighted.

As we brought our gifts, I realized something else. I tend to focus on what is unfinished in my life instead of praising God for the work He has done. I become an ungrateful child that only focuses on what she didn't get. One of my friends said that she didn't focus on the completed works God had done in her life because she felt like it was prideful. But if our motive is to give God glory, pride isn't involved. It's no different than if I give one of my children a gift and all they can talk about is what they wanted but didn't get. Don't we all like to be thanked---and to feel as if we pleased our children with our gifts?

So does God. We discovered that this morning as we thanked and praised Him for these trophies of grace. Everything changed. Instantly! As we looked at one another, we had huge smiles on our faces. We were suddenly aware of the smells of Christmas in the room. We were overcome with gratitude and love. By bringing our gift of praise, God blessed us with a gift. He filled our hearts with wonder.

What trophy of grace can you bring Him? Polish it up and lift it up to Him with a heart full of praise! And get ready for a heart-change. I'd feel privileged if you'd share so we can praise Him with you.

PSALM 34:1-11

I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth. My life makes its boast in the Lord; let the humble and afflicted hear and be glad. O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His name together. I sought (inquired of) the Lord and required Him [of necessity and on the authority of His Word], and He heard me, and delivered me from all my fears. They looked to Him and were radiant; their faces shall never blush for shame or be confused. This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles. The Angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him [who revere and worship Him with awe] and each of them He delivers. O taste and see that the Lord [our God] is good! Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) is the man who trusts and takes refuge in Him. O fear the Lord, you His saints [revere and worship Him]! For there is no want to those who truly revere and worship Him with godly fear. The young lions lack food and suffer hunger, but they who seek (inquire of and require) the Lord [by right of their need and on the authority of His Word], none of them shall lack any beneficial thing. Come, you children, listen to me; I will teach you to revere and worshipfully fear the Lord.

Sunday in Borger

This is the choir at First Baptist Church in Borger this past Sunday morning. Don't they look wonderful? They can sing really well, too! The women said they spread their glitter cheer all morning!

The Duso family lit the Advent candle and prayed. Kim (left) barely kept her son, Tyler, (whom she's holding) from blowing out the candle! She slapped her hand over his mouth just in time! I just wish I'd had my camera out at that moment!

Ember Sherman and Andy Dietz sang "I Bring an Offering." It was a blessing.

Sunday evening, we went to 6666 Ranch outside of Borger and listened as our pastor told the Christmas story at a "stable." It was very meaningful.



There was a great crowd--even though it was very cold out there. The 6666 Ranch managers were very hospitable and offered us coffee or hot cider.

It was so awesome to sit in the night air and look at the dark sky dotted with stars and think about the birth of Christ and what it must have been like.

Exhausted

I'm worn out. 10 Christmas parties and counting. Not to mention a Toy Day at Living Water, Nutcracker (although my granddaughters were precious!), and a pre-birthday party. We were not home one night last week---and probably won't be this week either. Am I out of control? How in the world do I simplify? Didn't I blog about this last year?

But tonight we had a different event. We went to the 6666 Ranch---to a barn---and sang carols and heard the Christmas story. Our pastor said he's done this every year for his kids and grandkids. He wants them to experience the setting where Christ was born. So he did the same for us this year. (I have pictures to share, but later.)

As I sat there and hid my head behind the blanket I took (I kept getting dirt and hay in my teeth!), God began speaking to me. Actually, He showed me a video in my mind. I thought back to the special Christmases I remembered as a child. They were so simple. I remembered my dad taking us kids Christmas shopping (the year my younger brother, Gary, & I went in together to get my mom this beautiful cross necklace---years later we found out it was a rosary! ha!). As we walked along downtown, I spied a $5 bill blowing in the wind. We asked everyone around if it was theirs and since no one claimed it, my dad let me keep it. What a windfall!! (And probably the reason we could afford the lovely "necklace.")

I remembered the year it snowed and snowed. Our parents took us downtown and there was a horse-drawn sleigh---in Pampa, Tx!! We got to take a ride on that sleigh. It was so much fun. I was probably 4 or 5, but that memory is vibrant in my mind.

Then our family always went to Central Park in Pampa and viewed the life-sized nativity scene where there were speakers that told the Christmas story. It took about 30 minutes to walk the entire scene and view it all. Afterwards, we'd drive around town to see all of the Christmas lights. There were houses (where the rich people lived) that had speakers outside that had Christmas music playing. THEN....then we could go home and read the Christmas story....and then open gifts from one another.

Things were simple. That's what kept going through my mind. I want to focus on Christ's birth. I want to invest in relationships. I want to do the simple things. I don't know how, but that's the gift I'm asking God for this Christmas--and every year thereafter. I want simplicity with meaning.