December 23, 2024

Oh Come to My Heart, Lord Jesus

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Thou didst leave Thy throne and Thy kingly crown,
When Thou camest to earth for me;
But in Bethlehem’s home there was found no room
For Thy Holy Nativity:

Oh, come to my heart, Lord Jesus!
There is room in my heart for Thee;
Oh, come to my heart, Lord Jesus, come,
There is room in my heart for Thee.

Heaven’s arches rang when the angels sang,
Proclaiming Thy royal degree;
But of lowly birth cam’st Thou, Lord, on earth,
And in great humility:

The foxes found rest, and the birds had their nest
In the shade of the forest tree;
But Thy couch was the sod, O Thou Son of God,
In the deserts of Galilee:

Thou camest, O Lord, with the living Word
That should set Thy people free;
But with mocking scorn, and with crown of thorn,
They bore Thee to Calvary:

Oh, come to my heart, Lord Jesus!
Thy cross is my only plea;
Oh, come to my heart, Lord Jesus, come,
Thy cross is my only plea.

When heaven’s arches shall ring, and her choirsshall sing
At Thy coming to victory,
Let Thy voice call me up, saying, “Yet there is room,
There is room at My side for thee!”

And my heart shall rejoice, Lord Jesus!
When Thou comest and callest for me;
And my heart shall rejoice, Lord Jesus!
When Thou comest and callest for me. 


Oh, Come to My Heart, Lord Jesus ~ Lyrics by Emily Eliott; Score by Timothy Matthews

* * * * *

Oh the memories this song brings to mind;  really, all my childhood Christmases are wrapped up into it. Every Christmas, our church put on a Christmas musical called “Carols by Candlelight” and my sweet precious daddy sang this song and my sweet little sister sang in the children’s chorus behind him. My sweet precious mom and I sat side-by-side in the pew, along with my dad’s parents.  We were all dressed up in our Christmas best and I remember how much I loved sitting right beside my mom. I remember how I loved holding her hand and how safe I felt. How she knew my every need before I asked, and how she knew I would want that piece of gum she had in her purse. Oh, how she loved me and how she took such good care of me. Isn’t that a picture of how our Father in Heaven loves us? And takes care of our every need before we even realize we need it?

The hymn was sung a little differently than the lyrics above. It started like this:

“Welcome, we’ve gathered today to praise the Christ of Christmas.
Let’s invite Him in today!” And then these beautiful words:
“Lord, You left Your throne and Your kingly crown,
when You came to this earth that day.
But in Bethlehem’s home there was found no room for your Holy Nativity.
Oh! Come to my heart, Lord Jesus!  There is room in my heart for You.”

Our God, our Creator sent His only Son to this earth as a baby. He entrusted Him to a carpenter and his wife, Mary. He came into this world in a filthy stable where He was and is still most comfortable—among the dirty. He was laid in a manger, made of wood, and He was to be the Savior. He would later die on a cross, made of wood, so that we, the dirty, could be clean. Do you realize what a miracle this was?

“You came, Oh Lord, with the Living Word that should set Your people free! But with mocking scorn, and a crown of thorns, they sent You to Calvary. Oh come to my heart, Lord Jesus, Your Cross is my only plea. Oh, come to my heart, Lord Jesus. “ And the final verse, that’s full of hope, send chills and brings a smile I can’t contain. “Let Thy voice call me up saying ‘Yes there is room,there is room at My side for you!’” Isn’t that what we long to hear one day? I know I’m living for that day!

So today, if you haven’t given your life to Him or made room in your heart for your Savior, He is waiting. All you have to do is ask. I can’t imagine a better birthday gift for Jesus than to have another of His children ask Him to be in their heart. Can you? Doesn’t matter how dirty you are or how you live or where you live, He meets you where you are and He can’t wait to walk with you through this life. Once He comes into your heart, you will never be the same and He will never leave you or forsake you!

Where are you this Christmas? He knows and He cares and He wants to sit beside you and hold your hand and make you feel safe. Will you ask Him to come into your heart today?

* * * * * 

Let us pray: Dear Heavenly Father, Thank You so much for the gift of Your Son! He came to earth and paid the ultimate price so that we don’t have to. You know where we are right now and You meet us and You love us! Help us to remember and to celebrate You this season and to not get tangled up in the material aspect of it. Help us to keep You in the center of Christmas and the center of our lives. We love You and praise You. Give those who don’t know You the courage to try life with You. Give us Your Holy Spirit to guide and direct us until that awesome day when face-to-face we will see You!  In Your Son’s name we pray. Amen.

Ten Ways to Stick to an Exercise Program – #7 Progress Slowly and Be Patient

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Why does it happen every year?  Those New Year “Resolutioners” who start a new exercise regiment only to quit before spring arrives.  Research shows 60% of people who start an exercise program drop out within the first 6 months or even less. In my opinion, there are three reasons why people quit so quickly.

  1. They attempt too much too fast.
  2. Their schedule cannot handle that big of a change.
  3. They are not patient and want to see quick results.

When it all becomes overwhelming without seeing the desired results, they throw in the towel.  To stick to an Exercise Program past the first six weeks, you have to progress slowly and be patient.

HOW IS YOUR PATIENCE?

Patience. Who really likes that word?  I have to be honest; patience is not my best attribute.  When things are not going my way, my natural tendency is to become aggravated and quit.  However, when I think about the qualities of Jesus, I can’t help but think about how patient He is with me.  Where would I be if Jesus gave up on me so quickly?  He believes in me and knows what I can accomplish through Him.  Despite my weakness and failures, He never gives up on me.

What if you had the same patience with yourself that Christ has with you?  What could you accomplish? Could having patience with yourself be a way for you to stick to an exercise program and make it a habit? What would happen if you did not give up so quickly?

Galatians 6:9 says:

Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”

 I WANT IT NOW

I definitely like living in a world where we can get almost anything, quickly.  When I  make up my mind that I want something my philosophy is “why drag out the process.” I have even said this to God when praying for certain things in my life.  🙂  Thankfully, He knew that I needed to progress slowly and not add too much to my plate at one time.  There were things He needed to teach me that would take time.  He knows every time how much I can handle at each stage of my life.

It is the same with exercise.  Killing yourself trying to get quick results is not the way to develop healthy habits that will lead to a consistent exercise program.  A new program must be designed with the right program at this stage of your life.

Don’t give up on yourself.  Results happen when you are consistent.  When you decide to be patient and progress slowly, you will find it is easier to stick to an exercise program.

In Good Health,

Crystal

A Daughter’s Worth: Week 12 – Living with Optimism

This is our last week with “A Daughter’s Worth” bible study.  I hope you have enjoyed this study, as much as we have!  Sometimes online Bible studies can be kind of pressing, especially when you have such a busy schedule.  But, one thing that I have learned is that putting God first and foremost, in all things, is an absolute necessity in order for everything else in my life to run smoothly.

The Word tells us to seek Him first and all things will be added unto us.  That means first thing every day, we should be making time for God.  We should be seeking God in our daily schedules, tests, extra-curricular activities, church functions, sports, and more.  If God hasn’t called us to it, we cannot expect Him to bless it.

This week, in Week 12 of A Daughter’s Worth, we will discuss “Living with Optimism” and what that means.  This may be the end of this study, but it’s a very important part of this book!  I hope you will take the time to read it, meditate on what you’ve read, and spend time with God.

Here is your schedule for the week:  

On Monday, Diane will discuss giving honor to God.

On Tuesday, Teresa will discuss recognizing the holiness of God.

On Wednesday, Jordan will discuss receiving happiness from God.

On Thursday, Tonya will discuss resting in the hope of God.

On Friday, Edwina  will discuss looking forward to Heaven with God.

And then to close the week off, Coleen will have a special message for us.  So be sure to stay tuned!

Be sure to check back soon because we will be announcing what’s next for GCH:decaf SOON!!!

Now a word from Miss Morgan:

Hey girls this is our last week, which is crazy; but this week we will be talking about how we should give God glory and that we should know the holiness that God has. God also will give us happiness, which we should learn to accept, and to always have the Joy of the Lord with us.

Lastly we will also be talking about resting in the hope of the Lord, and that we should always look forward to Heaven and living with God forever. It’s weird thinking this life will end, but we will live FOREVER in Heaven with God, which is amazing. I love you girls!!



Before Morgan and I close for today, I want to ask you if you know Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior?  If not, we invite you today to ask Him into your heart.  Please pray with us:

Lord Jesus, I come to You today and ask You to be my Lord and Savior.  I have learned who You are through this bible study Lord, and I want to know You personally.  So today, Lord, I confess the sins that I have in my heart, and I ask You to forgive me and cleanse me of all unrighteousness.  I ask You now to come into my life, as my personal Lord and Savior.  AMEN!

If you prayed this prayer with Morgan and I, would you send us an email?  We’d like to pray with you.  You can reach us at GCH_decaf@girlfriendscoffeehour.com.  

We love you, so does He!

Have a GREAT week everyone!

Morgan & Christi