A Long Time Coming

Probably my favorite gift received this Christmas was Martha Stewart's Homekeeping Handbook. (That woman and her team are geniuses beyond compare.) I have always shared Martha's intense love of all things hospitality, including making a home a beautiful sanctuary in which to live and welcome guests. Predictably, this passion was fanned into flame when I acquired my own place. (Perhaps it's the exhorbitant rent in LA that truly ignited the spark.)

All this to say, with a Martha personality, it's often the Mary in me that gets second string (See Luke 10:38-42). I believe that all women battle one or the other complex. There's the Marys of this world who err on the side of passivity or can tend to be takers, and there are the Marthas who give and give but begrudgingly, making the lives of those around them miserable. Both personalities have their lovely and ugly characteristics.

Martha is the consummate hostess: attentive to detail. She knows the business of her home. Mary knows how to receive and cherish moments, a skill highly overlooked by our society.

This Christmas, I was challenged to find the balance of the two. Following Martha's footsteps, I want to truly know the "condition of my flock." Per Mary's lead, I want to sit in the presence of the Lord and hear His heart.

Thus, I am taking a blogging sabatical. School begins for me this week. It's the beginning of a new year and I want to start it on the right foot, spiritually and practically.

Even in the first few days of the year, I've had ample opportunities to minister to those around me. God has heard the cry of my heart for the lost and searching, both in my immediate and not-so-immediate circle. It's a thrill to watch. And I suspect there is only more to come--moments I do not want to miss.

So, here is to a brand new year full of blessing and inevitable hardships, but ultimately opportunities for God to show Himself strong on our behalf and in our weaknesses.

Happy New Year.

See you soon.