A Perfect Picture of Christmas

A Christmas Prayer

The Gift of Gifts

O Source of All Good,

What shall I render to thee for the gift of gifts, thine own dear Son, begotten, not created,

my Redeemer, proxy, surety, substitute,

his self-emptying incomprehensible,

his infinity of love beyond the heart's grasp.

Herein is wonder of wonders:

he came below to raise me above,

was born like me that I might become like him.

Herein is love:

when I cannot rise to Him he draws near on wings of grace,

to raise me to himself.

Herein in power:

when Deity and humanity were infinitely apart

he united them in indissoluble unity,

the uncreated and the created.

Herein is wisdom:

when I was undone, with no will to return to him,

and no intellect to devise recovery,

he came, God-incarnate, to save me to the uttermost,

as man to die my death,

to shed satisfying blood on my behalf,

to work out a perfect righteousness for me.

O God, take me in spirit to the watchful shepherds, and enlarge my mind;

let me hear good tidings of great joy,

and hearing, believe, rejoice, praise, adore,

my conscience bathed in an ocean of repose,

my eyes uplifted to a reconciled Father;

place me with ox, ass, camel, and goat,

to look with them upon my Redeemer's face,

and in him account myself delivered from my sin;

let me with Simeon clasp the new-born Child to my heart,

embrace him with undying faith,

exulting that he is mine and I am his.

In him thou hast given me so much

that heaven can give no more.

~prayer from the Valley of Vision

Happy Birthday, Dear Son

Our Dear "Hoss",

Today is a special day. It is your 13th birthday. So much has happened this year and we find ourselves separated. Never would I have imagined this would be what it is. There is much pain being apart and there are tears shed daily for you, from all of us.

Our love remains steady for you and for our Savior. He is the One who makes living livable when the trials come.

Thirteen years ago you were born in the same state, Missouri, that you find yourself in now. We were supposed to see your beautiful little face a couple of days later, but there was delay. Five weeks later you flew over on a prayer for safety and landed in my arms, nestling cozily. At 12 pounds, you were quite a handful, but such a good-natured baby. The first night you slept through for 12 hours and made that a habit every night.

Words came easily for you at 18 months as well as potty training. You really spoiled your Mom and Dad. Your chubby little arms easily found their way round my neck frequently.

Questions were always on the tip of your tongue. Questions about very deep things: God, Adoption, families and the Bible. At 3 years old, you were thinking through, "Why am I so different from you?" That was a shocker for us, coming from such a little fellow. But we were honest with you and sat you down to tell you the "story". At the end of our little time together, it humbled my heart and brought tears to my eyes, when you told me you were sad. I asked you why and you said, "because I wasn't born in your tummy". Then, I knew that everything would be alright.

I still believe it will be alright.

You are no longer 12 lbs; you are 6 feet, wearing size 15 shoe.

Instead of putting your little arms around my neck; you put your strong arms around my shoulders.

I am so thankful we have these good memories. We'll get through this, son.

I know these things are still close to your heart. I know you have so much hurt and pain deep down inside, still. I know your sadness has shifted to a new place. I know you have lots of questions. Our prayer is that you will find your answers in Christ Jesus.

HE placed you in our home.

HE knew from the moment you were conceived you were be a "Cartwright".

HE has a special plan for you.

HE loves you more than any human on this earth.

HE knows your pain.
HE gave his only Son for you, so you could be His possession.

Your family misses you and loves you.

Days 18-25

The Puebla Ponderosa is headed to Tennessee and Missouri to visit family. We'll be taking our Jesse Tree with us and participating each day. I decided to post the rest of the Jesse Tree in one post. Have a blessed Advent Season. You'll be hearing from me on the road.

Daniel 3 Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego refused to bow down and worship the gold image the king had set up. They told him that "we serve no other gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up." The king had the three men thrown in the fiery furnace. Then the king said "I see four men, loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they are not hurt, and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God". Jesus had delivered them.

Micah 5:2-5 "But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of you shall come forth to me the one to be the ruler of Israel, whose goings forth are from old, from everlasting."

Luke 1:5-25 Zacharias was a priest; he and his wife, Elizabeth, were both righteous before God. They had no children because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both advanced in years. The angel Gabriel appeared to Zacharias and told that they would have a son and name him John. He will be great in the sight of God, and he will make ready a people prepared for the Lord. Due to his unbelief of Gabriel's words, Zacharias was mute until all things were fulfilled.

Luke 2:36-38 Anna was a prophetess; she was great in age and did not depart from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day. She gave thanks to the Lord and spoke of Him to all that looked for redemption in Israel.

Luke 3:1-20 John the Baptist was preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins. As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah, the prophet, saying, "The voice of one crying in the wilderness, 'prepare the way of the Lord; make His paths straight. Every valley shall be filled and every mountain and hill shall be brought low; the crooked places shall be made straight and the rough ways smooth, and all flesh shall see the salvation of God'."

Luke 3:21-22 When all the people were baptized, it came to pass that Jesus also was baptized, and while he prayed, the heaven was opened. And the Holy Spirit descended in bodily form like a dove upon him, and a voice came from Heaven which said, "You are My Beloved Son, in you I am well pleased".

Luke 2:1-20 A decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered, everyone to his own city. So Joseph went with his betrothed sife, Mary, who was with child to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem. While they were there the days were completed for her to be delivered. She brought forth her firstborn son, wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in the manger because there was no room for them in the Inn. In the same country shepherds were in the field, and an angel of the Lord spoke to them saying, "There is born to you this day in the city of David, a Savior, who is Christ the Lord". And suddenly, there was with the angel a heavenly host praising God. The shepherds went to see the Savior, then they returned glorifying and praising God.

John 19,20 Jesus was born to die for our sins. He took our punishment. His blood made us clean. Jesus was beaten, a crown of thorns twisted on his head, hair pulled out of his face, scourged, and crucified. Three days later he rose from the dead. Everything leads up to this, the cross. The death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ is the ultimate sacrifice to give us eternal life. Amen!

Day Seventeen ~ Second Coming

Isaiah 65:17-25
"For behold I create a new heavens and a new earth, and the former shall not be remembered or come to mind. The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, the lion shall eat straw like ox, and dust shall be the serpent's food. They shall not hurt or destroy in all My Holy Kingdom."

What a picture of God's future kingdom! These things are impossible now, but will one day occur. May we look forward to this day, expectantly.

Day Sixteen ~ Root of Jesse

Isaiah 11 is our reading for tonight.
I am astounded again at the providence of God. He chooses the "poor of this world to be rich in faith"..James 2.

The line of Jesse was an amazing genealogy.

Rahab married Salmon; they bore Boaz; Ruth obeyed her Mother-in-law; Ruth wed Boaz; they bore Obed; Obed begat Jesse; Jesse begat David and through the generations until the Lion of the tribe of Judah was born.

But even Salmon's parents came from a tainted line going all the way back to Perez, Tamar and Judah.

God surely chooses the foolish things of the world to confound the wise.

Thank you, Master, for choosing this foolish vessel.

Day Fifteen ~ Nehemiah

Our reading tonight for the Jesse Tree is
Nehemiah 2 and 6:15-19
Nehemiah grew up in exile due to Babylon's destruction of Jerusalem. He rose to prominence in the Persian Empire, eventually serving as the king's cupbearer. He was later appointed governor of Judah by King Artaxerxes. Through this position he led his discouraged countrymen to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem in only 52 days. Nehemiah was also instrumental in bringing revival to his people as he called them to return to God's Commands. Nehemiah's life demonstrates what is possible when you yield to God's Lordship and submit to His will.

Day Fourteen ~ Josiah

II Kings 22 and 23
King Josiah loved God. In the eighteenth year of his reign, Josiah proceeded to cleanse and repair the temple. The high priest found the Book of the Law. When Josiah heard the words of the Book, he tore his clothes and cried out to God for his nation. He made a covenant before the Lord, to follow the Lord and keep his commandments with all his heart and all his soul. Josiah removed all idolatrous alters and reinstated the celebration of the Passover.

Josiah truly knew where his forefathers had gone wrong. He was willing to stand up against his culture and choose obedience.

Day Thirteen ~ David

David, a Man after God's Own Heart. This description that God placed on David has always astounded, yet encouraged me. It tells me this:

A Man (or woman) after God's own heart:

IS NOT
~proud

~perfect

~presumptious

~a man pleaser

~luke warm

IS

~meek

~forgiven

~persevering

~humble
~contrite
~broken

May we as men and women have our hearts given soley to our Lord who reigns supreme.

Day Twelve ~ Ruth and Boaz

The key verse for tonight was Ruth 2:16 "But Ruth said, 'Do not urge me to leave you or turn back from following you; for where you go, I will go, and where you lodge, I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God, my God'."

Without Ruth being willing to follow Naomi and received the true Yahweh as her own, Obed, Jesse, David and ultimately King Jesus would not have been born. This faith, this blind faith, resulted in salvation for us. Obviously, God would have worked this another way, yet the obedience of His people is part of His plan to bring things to pass.

If I could meet Ruth, I would say, "Thank you for your devotion to your mother-in-law, and willingness to follow the true God."

Day Eleven ~ Trumpet of Joshua

Joshua was a mighty man of the Lord whom Yahweh raised up to be the leader of the Israelites after Moses died. Our reading for the Jesse Tree tonight was Joshua 6.

Prior to this passage, Joshua had showed himself to be a godly man who was willing to follow his previous leader, Moses. Joshua was one of the brave spies who entered the land to scope it out. He came back with the information that Moses required, yet, strengthened by the Lord to do the task that was asked. Ten of the twelve spies chose not to trust.

If I was Joshua, I probably would have had something to say to the Lord.
"I was willing to enter the land and trust you..and now, not only do I have to wander with THESE people, but I will lead them into the land eventually???"

But Joshua did not do this. He obeyed. Once they entered the land, he continued to obey, even when it seemed as if God's commands were ridiculous, such as the story of Jericho.

I pray when God is doing things in my life that do not make sense, I will blindly obey.

Day Ten ~ The Great Commandment

Deuteronomy 6:1-9 gives us the greatest commandment.

The one that all other commandments hinge on.

The one that produces the greatest fight within.

The one that the world can't ever understand.

The one that those who do not see through the eyes of faith cannot fathom.

The one that riches can't replace.

The one that drives us to our knees.

We MUST love HIM with ALL our heart, soul, mind and strength. This IS the greatest commandment.

Our Beautiful Piano Player ~ Christmas Rectial

Day Nine ~ Promised Land

Numbers 13 recap: The children of Israel came to the land God had promised them. They were afraid and refused to enter. Due to their disobedience to God, He made them wander in the wilderness for forty years.

Have you disobeyed bringing consequences?

Have you wandered?

He is there to restore!

Day Eight ~ God Offers a Covenant Relationship

Our reading tonight is Exodus 19 and 20:1-17.

I never saw the giving of the Ten Commandments as part of God offering a covenant to his people.

Ultimately, without the Ten Commandments we have no standard by which to measure our lives by. Therefore we will never see a need for a Savior. But the Ten Commandments say so much more than just what they "say". They show us our sin, our need for redemption, and God's holiness. They extend to all of the commands in the New Testament as well.

This is a great way to use the "law" in evangelism.

Day Seven ~ Joseph's Coat of many Colors

Tonight on our Jesse Tree we are focusing on Joseph's story. This is one of my favorite Bible Stories and one where God's sovereignty shines. I think of what Joseph went through. His own brothers sold him into slavery, but most of them really wanted to kill him. Now knowing the end of the story, gives me great hope when I feel like questioning what God is doing through a certain situation. Trust, faith, hope, reliance on my maker: these things we cannot live without. Joseph did not question God. He trusted in his Yahweh. May we do this too.

What man meant for evil, God meant for good.

We have all experienced the truth of that at one time or another.

Psalm 103:1-5
Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless His holy name.
Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget none of His benefits;
Who pardons all your iniquities,
Who heals all your diseases,
Who redeems your life from the pit,
Who crowns you with loving kindness and compassion,
Who satisfies your years with good things,
So that your youth is renewed like the eagles.

Day Six ~ Jacob's vow

Genesis 28:10-22
As Jacob slept he had a dream that a ladder was set on earth, and it reached up to heaven; and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. God said, "The land on which you lie I will give to you and your descendants, and your descendants shall be as the dust of the earth." Jacob made a vow that the Lord will be his God.

Jacob became Israel. He certainly waned in his commitment to Yahweh. Just like us, he strayed at times in sin. Yet, God's lovingkindness remained on him and his descendants forever. Was there consequences to their sin? Surely, but His Yahweh and our Jehovah never breaks his covenant nor promises.

Day Five ~ Abraham's Faith Confirmed

Genesis 22 reveals a story of true faith being revealed and confirmed. Abraham is put to a test that cannot be compared to anything anyone of us has ever been tried with. He was promised a son, and given a son. And then asked to kill his son. Abraham believed and trusted in His sovereign Yahweh.

Has your faith been confirmed by trials?

Day Four ~ God's Covenant

Covenant is a word not used in our culture much anymore; maybe because so many people have a hard time even keeping their word. For example, I covenanted with my husband 15 years ago. Yet, in our day and age, even that covenant can be broken very easily.

Think on this: God, creator of the world, made a covenant with Abraham, a mere human. He made a covenant that cannot be broken because the maker of that covenant must keep His word; that is His very nature.

Genesis 12:1-3; 15 was our reading tonight for the Jesse Tree.

Because of this covenant, we, the new testament church, can be grafted into having a covenant with our Maker. AND He promises this:

Philippians 1:6 For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.

I Peter 1:5 ...who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

Lord Jesus, Thank you for saving me and keeping me. Thank you for your faithfulness even to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Thank you for making a way for me to be covenanted to you.

Day Three ~ The Flood and Judgment

Reading Genesis 6-8 was our reading tonight for the Jesse Tree.

After our family worship time, I am extremely thankful for the promise of the rainbow. My thoughts also went here:

There is one last judgment that must spur me on to worshipping and witnessing.

God's holiness must not be spurned.

Trust God even when what he asks of me seems insurmountable.

Sad yet Happy

The Puebla Ponderosa received a package in the mail today. I never thought pictures could bring such joy, yet such deep sorrow.

The youngest holds it close to her heart without letting go, kissing it profusely, and went into hysterics when she thought she'd lost it.

Lord, thank you for not losing me, keeping me close to you. Please find my lost lamb. I know you know where he is. Bring him into the fold, Lord. Break his legs if need be, but please bring him in.

Day Two ~ Temptation and Fall of Man

Total Depravity....if you have ever had children in your home at anytime and at any age (even those cute little ones) you never question that every human is born into sin. From the moment of birth their thoughts are only of themselves....they have to be taught to think about others.



Genesis 3 was our focus of the Jesse Tree tonight. The reminder of destruction of sin and evil was evident. As a believer, that reminder automatically brings to mind the redemption plan God the Father already put into motion at the point of Adam and Eve's decision to rebel.

But the reminder of the need of Jesus in others lives comes to the forefront as well.

As a child of God I have been given the ability to conquer temptation and sin. AND, when I choose to sin even though I know it is wrong...the sound of mallet against nail should penetrate my conscience.

Sin, direct and indirect rebellion against God: horrid!
God's amazing redemption and forgiveness: beautiful!

Jesse Tree~Day One

Today we started our Jesse Tree. We begin where all of life began: Genesis 1.

Today there is such hot debate concerning creation, intelligent design, and evolution. The Bible holds the truth. We, believers, that "fight" for the truth need to remind ourselves the fight is more than over how the world began. Just as we use this subject to start our Jesse Tree, we must see the "lies" that are being told as not just coming against the beginnings of the world, but against God and the truth that leads to the manger and the cross.

People don't need to just hear our side of the debate. That won't change their hearts and their need for Jesus to rescue them from their sin. They need to hear about the life changing Gospel of Jesus.

This is a great way to do that. We attended the Tampa Premeire. The Gospel message is very clear.

Happy Gotcha Day, "Marie"

Our beautiful, oldest daughter celebrated her Happy Gotcha Day this last weekend. She has been with us for 9 years and , oh, what a wonderful 9 years that has been.

Our dear "Marie",

God is preparing you for a special life. He has given you such compassion and love for other people, while trying to do your best to make your Heavenly Father pleased.

Watching your baby video this last weekend reminded us how very far you have come. Having ACC has not kept you down. God has truly performed a mighty miracle in your little life. Every time I see you read your Bible reminds me of what our Great God has performed. Your desires to be "just a mommy" is seen as precious in his sight. Don't ever let anyone look down on you because that is the highest ambition a young, godly woman should have.

You have been such a prayer warrior, especially in light of your oldest brother not being in your life right now. Keep praying and believing, Princess.

Thank you for all the love and joy you bring to our home. We are blessed beyond words. Our prayer for you is that as you grow physically, you will grow even more spiritually and your light will shine brighter and brighter.

We love you,
Daddy and Mommy