StaceyRising.com

Well, it's the day after Christmas and I can't help but want to reflect on yesterday.  This year I told one of my boys that it would be a slim Christmas and his response was, "SMALLER THAN LAST YEAR?"  I just smiled.  I share that with you to let you know that I have NOT arrived when it comes to keeping perspective on Christmas, that's for sure.  In fact, yesterday morning I was awake at 5:30am due to my excitement.  Not for my gifts, but to watch my kids open theirs. So this year Christmas lands on a Sunday...and all those with children groan.  Actually it was my pastor that answered someone who asked if he would be cancelling service on Christmas and he responded, "I can't imagine being anywhere else on Christmas day than in Jesus's house, on His birthday!"  I love that!  Again, I know that getting kids ready on Christmas day can be a challenge, but in our house it was not an option, to NOT go!  By the way, the service was amazing!  Our pastor preached on The Greatest Story ...
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It is Sunday morning and I am waiting for the coffee to quit brewing so that I can suck some down.  I was exhausted last night after not sleeping well the night before AND a weekend full of "getting on my Jesus" at a Beth Moore Conference.  The worship, if you have ever been is second to only what I think Heaven will be like and then Beth always bring a fresh anointed message that no matter who you are, if you listen you will God himself speak through her. This weekend she spoke on the book Philemon which has only 25 verses.  It has 355 Greek words (so we did some Greek class this weekend) and it is located between Hebrews and Titus.  Beth will be so proud of me, as I am a good student who took notes.  The whole book is a personal letter from Paul to Philemon.  Paul was in prison writing Philemon about one of his slaves that had escaped from him and "caused him harm" (perhaps stole from him or left him hanging).  Paul, who led Philemon to the Lord basically tells him in the ...
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