Befana

Today in Italy it is Epiphany and also the celebration of Befana. Here is the information on Befana I found online:

La Befana is one of Italy's oldest and most celebrated legends. Each year on January 6 the children of Italy awaken in hopes that La Befana has made a visit to their house. This is a significant day to Italians because it marks the end of the Christmas season and the day that the three Wise Men arrived at the manger of the Christ child. Over the years the Epiphany has been a more celebrated holiday for the children of Italy than even Christmas.

Sounds normal enough right-kind of like St Nicholas Day in most of Europe. The legend behind Befana really grabbed my attention recently. Read on: (It's a bit lengthy but worth the read)

As legend has it the three Wise Men were in search of the Christ child when they decided to stop at a small house to ask for directions. Upon knocking, an old woman holding a broom opened the door slightly to see who was there. Standing at her doorstep were three colorfully dressed men who were in need of directions to find the Christ child. The old woman was unaware of who these three men were looking for and could not point them in the right direction. Prior to the three men leaving they kindly asked the old woman to join them on their journey. She declined because she had much housework to do. After they left she felt as though she had made a mistake and decided to go and catch up with the kind men. After many hours of searching she could not find them. Thinking of the opportunity she had missed the old woman stopped every child to give them a small treat in hopes that one was the Christ child. Each year on the eve of the Epiphany she sets out looking for the baby Jesus. She stops at each child's house to leave those who were good treats in their stockings and those who were bad a lump of coal.

Can you see where I am going with this! Of course it is all legend but I find it a very interesting one. The part of the legend that struck a chord with me is how Befana was too busy to go and look for Jesus with the Wise Men and now she spends her days searching and searching hoping that it isn't too late.

What a great application! God can even use legends passed down from generation to generation to make a point.

Today we find that so many people are too busy-they are busy studying, working, fixing up their homes, going here and there and they have no time for Jesus. How many times do we hear the excuses why people don't want to come to church, why they aren't interested in even knowing who Jesus is. Many say they will get around to it once they have more time, or when they are older. Remember the parable of the Great Supper? (Luke 14:15) The master had prepared a feast and sent his servant to invite many to the feast. One by one, they all made excuses-buying land, busy with family, busy with work. The master became angry at all their excuses! There is nothing new under the sun! The same excuses today as were back in the day of the parable. They don't have time come away and sit with Jesus. Everything else takes priority.

Sadly, even Christians have fallen into this category. Christians who once were at the church- for every bible study, every time the doors were open and something was going on, there there were. They didn't mind that they might lose an hour or two of sleep if the study was in the evening-they were going to hear the Word, be in fellowship. Fellowship and the Word were priority.

Here in Italy people are known for their dedication to housework. This is another thing I find particulary interesting about the legend of Befana. She was doing a good thing-cleaning her house. But, her housework took priority over finding Jesus! Maybe I am stretching a bit in my comparison, but please indulge me a bit :) In some cultures where women are all about their housework, we see Jesus and the study of the Word can take a back seat. It is like the story of Martha and Mary. Martha was doing what was good, after all, someone had to prepare the meal right! But Jesus said that Mary had chosen the better part. What was Mary doing? She was sitting at the feet of Jesus, listening and learning-taking in all that she could from Him.

So, what is the point of all this??? Should we forget about housework-of course *NOT* just a joke!! Should we not do our job, our schooling, spend quality time with our families? We are to do all these things-everything that God gives us to do we are to do and do it mightily, as unto Him. However; none of these things should take precedence over Him and His Word. Spending time with Jesus and getting to know Him should be priority in our lives.

Just like the legend of Befana-she still searches today hoping it isn't too late. She rides around on her little broom hoping to find Jesus. There will be a day when it is too late. Don't harden your heart towards His voice, His beckoning, His calling.
Christian, don't harden your heart either. Don't become so preoccupied with life that you don't have time to sit at His feet. In Matthew 6 Jesus talks to us about not worrying where we will get our food, our clothing. He will take care of everything we need. Often times we mix up the order of things. We think everything else needs to come first and what time we have left over can be given to God. No, He says that we are to seek Him first, seek His kingdom first. He knows what we have need of. He knows our finances, how many hours of sleep we actually need, the tests and exams that are coming up. Take your schedule and give it to Him. Yes, be faithful in your job, your home-with all your responsibilities; but do not use what God has given you as an excuse to put Him off. He gave you that job, He gave you that family, the intelligence to go to school, the home you live in, etc. He gave them to us, but He didn't give them so they could take priority.

Let's make it our priority to truly seek after the things of God, to put nothing or anyone in His rightful place in our lives.

Partial

I wonder how many of you slept through the night last night with my little teaser of a word yesterday. Ha ha, sorry I can't help myself sometimes :)


It's the time of year when many make New Years resolutions. It's not something I usually do-it's more of a constant thing every so many months for me-wanting to make changes here and there in my life and attitude. Last night, a word came to me once again that I have been hearing over and over again for the past week. Jim and I drove to Switzerland the other day and listened to a few messages along the way. We were going through Pastor Damian's teachings on 1Kings and he spoke firmly about this word and it struck a chord with me. Then, last night the word came up again as I was reading and I realized the Lord was getting my attention and I wanted this to be my 'word' for the year. (not just for a year but you get the point). What is that word the Lord is speaking
Listening to the message I could feel a little twinge in my bones-you know the kind you get when you know it pertains to you! What does it benefit us if we just read the Word without obeying what it says. I don't consider myself a disobeyer (is that a word) but realized there are areas of my life that I miss the mark. It's easy to find myself partially obeying certain areas rather than completely.

As you can see I circled the word 'incomplete'. This was the perfect word I was looking for. If we think about it, there's a huge market for 1/2 and 1/2 or partial of things. Don't want all the caffeine, well there is half caffeine coffee; 1/2 the fat in this ice cream, even places of worship where only half the truth is being told. Partial-not complete! It can be fine for foods or drink but when it comes to our spiritual lives this word should not exist. Think about our kids and when we ask them to do something. How frustrating it is when they don't obey or even partially do what we tell them to do. It can be the same when we read our bibles. We read, mediate on the Word, pray and then go about our day. It's easy to find ourselves partially obeying what we read-I like obeying the easy parts, the fun parts, the parts I am not struggling in, but the more challenging parts -that's a different story.

Let's learn to completely obey what we read and what we hear from the Word and do it completely.

So there you have it-obedience to the Word! Not just making a plan to read it each day but to obey what God is saying to me even when it's challenging!

Sneak Preview

Just a little hint of what one of tomorrow's topics will be about :) I decided to post now in case I forget tomorrow lol..

New Year

Greetings!!
I am ready to start blogging again!! It has been something I keep wanting to do again but either don't have the time or just not sure about what to say.
Proverbs 29:11 says "A fool vents all his feelings but a wise man holds them back". Sometimes in wanting to blog it's been because I want to vent and this scripture always comes back to me. It's hard to know at times when it's ok to write what is really on your heart and when it's best to remain quiet.
My heart in having this blog is to keep you informed as to what is going on here in Padova, what the Lord is doing/saying and then of course the daily or almost daily flips and flops of my life.

So,,,are you reading your one year bible? Don't get frustrated if you miss some days-just pick up and go to the day and if you can, go back to the dates you missed. It's overwhelming if we miss some days and then we think we can never catch up-just do what you can do, but do it with all your heart.
Let's get this blogging started :)
ciao for now

Slowly returning

To blogging that is! So much time has gone by-I am using my old computer which does what it wants when it wants.
It was fun to redesign the blog and look at all that is out there to make your blog look pretty.
Lots to catch up on but it is way to hot right now-over 100 degrees everyday this week. Today my hands and feet finally decided to swell. I was doing so good and then poof!! It's painful too so that doesn't help my fingers.
Anyway, I can't wait to start writing again!!
Ciao for now!

A Plead For Patience

Alas, my sweet and loyal friends, I have come to make a brief mark on the ever neglected blog. Bear with me as we continue to work on my old computer and get things moved around, take some stuff off, put new stuff in, I just don't get it all.
Hopefully in the next week or two I will be back to my desktop and able to write away. I miss writing, I really do. I miss putting up some photos after I have fooled around with Photoshop longer than I should :)
Anyway, keep us in prayer, pray that we don't despise the day of small things, that we keep our eyes on Jesus. We know we are in the preparation stage right now and Spring is around the corner. It's like you gathered all the ingredients necessary to make the cake, read the instructions carefully, put it in the oven and then you have to wait and wait for it to be ready. I feel at times the Lord is putting the little cake tester in my middle to see if I am ready yet :) Ha ha, I love how He gives us pictures to understand. The timer is on, and we are prepared-----
equipped for all He desire to do this new season.

God's blessings upon your day !

Wow

Has it really been so long? I keep waiting for my computer to be fixed so that I can change up my site and unChristmasy it. I suppose I am just keeping up with those who say we should carry the theme of Christmas in our hearts every day!
It's kind of a drag not having my normal computer. I am very thankful for the laptop-it just doesn' t have all my programs and pictures and all my doo dads in it. Hopefully in the next week things will be back to normal.
I have been listening to a great study in 1Samuel the past week. (you can click on Calvary Modesto to the right if you want to listen). Wow, so many different things going on in my heart. Rejoicing, excitement, conviction, searching. Isn't that just what the Word of God is intended to do? Hannah's beautiful example of prayer and trusting God, how not to parent by Eli, the children of Israel wanting to be like everyone else and rejecting what they had, Samuel, and his heart to serve the Lord, Saul, Jonathon. It's just amazing. Yesterday I was literally almost jumping inside listening about Jonathon's faith. I liked the quote Damien used-
The children of Israel looked at God in light of their circumstances, yet Jonathon looked at the circumstances in light of who His God is. It is something we have heard before but sometimes it just needs repeating and the Lord knows when! It is so so true. Things around us can seem hopeless, bleak, mundane at times. Beauacracy, difficult situations, but who is our God? Has He not allowed these things to pass our way. Has He not promised "Lo, I am with you always". Do not fear, put your hope in Me...all these promises He gives us and yet when faced with difficulty how do we respond? Sometimes I just want to give up-throw my hands up in the air and say 'what now'. Throwing my hands up is good if I am releasing it all into His hands! I need to do that more often. Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In ALL your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your path straight.
What a promise that is!
I want faith like Jonathon-faith that says, you know what, the enemy doesn't scare me, I am not going to chicken out and go run and hide-I know my God, I know his record, I know what He has accomplished in the past, and I know He will do it again. Noone gets away with messing around with the children of God. We need not run into caves because of fear!!
How I wish I could put a little picture on the post today-or a little cute doodad. Once again it has to wait.
Throw your hands up today-give Him whatever you have been holding onto. Let it go and keep your hands up in praise!!! He loves you unconditionally!!!