12 Pearls of Christmas - Good News by Deb Kalmbach

Welcome to the 12 Pearls of Christmas! Enjoy these Christmas "Pearls of Wisdom"! Please follow along through Christmas day as each post shares heartfelt stories of how God has touched a life during this most wonderful time of the year.
AND BEST OF ALL ... there's also a giveaway!!!! Fill out the quick form at the link located at the bottom of this post to be entered to win a PEARL NECKLACE, BRACELET AND EARRINGS!  Pearls - a tangible reminder of God's grace to us all.

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Good News!
by Deb Kalmbach

The first Christmas card of the season arrived in my mailbox way back in August. How could anyone be that organized? Then I noticed my friend, Nita, had sent me a card I had written to her more than 20 years ago!
 
Memories rushed back as I read the words penned in my familiar handwriting. It was Christmas, 1991, and my world had unraveled. I could almost pretend everything was all right at this most wonderful time of the year—but not that year.
 
My husband Randy’s drinking problem had escalated to the point where his job and career were on the line. He had already been through two alcohol treatment programs and managed to stay sober for short periods of time. Then he slipped back into old, familiar patterns. His ongoing relapses were a crushing disappointment for our family.
 
I had looked forward to Christmas Eve and our family traditions; making homemade lasagna, singing carols around the piano, attending the candlelight service at church, and then coming home to open one token Christmas Eve present.    
 
“Randy, are you ready to crank out the pasta?” I called to him over the Christmas music I was playing to lift my spirits.
 
I peered into the living room to see what was keeping him. My heart froze. Randy sat on the couch, trance-like, watching a basketball game while sipping a drink.
 
No, not on Christmas Eve, I screamed inwardly. I felt like I was suffocating. Usually Randy pulled himself together but it didn’t happen that night. He drank vodka all evening while I finished holiday preparations on autopilot. None of us felt like eating lasagna or celebrating.
 
Only a few days earlier, I had written these words on the Christmas card to my friend, Nita. I don’t know God’s plans, his timing or his ways in accomplishing his purposes, but I am learning to trust him. He is faithful!
 
I suspect Nita kept my card all those years because she saw a small seed of faith and it encouraged her heart. I didn’t know it at the time, but it would be eight more Christmas seasons before Randy experienced the miraculous breakthrough of finding freedom from alcoholism.
 
As I read the card I had written so long ago, I felt awed by God’s faithfulness to us— even when our situation looked completely hopeless.
 
You may be facing great difficulty as the holidays approach. The last thing you feel like is celebrating. And that’s O.K. The Good News of Christmas isn’t about picture perfect holidays where our homes are decorated a la Martha Stewart and tables are laden with holiday delicacies. Your days may not be merry and bright. You may be grieving the loss of a loved one or the loss of a relationship through divorce or estrangement. Your world has unraveled.

That’s exactly why the message of Christmas is Good News. The Savior is born! The One who came to set you free, to give you peace and hope and help beyond anything you could ever imagine is as near as your next breath. Today you might not be able to see how God’s purposes are unfolding for your future, but you can be assured that He is working all things for good in your life. A twenty year-old Christmas card came on a
summer day as an unexpected gift and gentle reminder of God’s presence—especially in the worst of times.

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About Deb: Deb Kalmbach is the coauthor of Because I Said Forever: Embracing Hope in a Not-So- Perfect Marriage and the author of a book for children, Corey’s Dad Drinks Too Much. She has contributed to The New Women’s Devotional Bible, Pearl Girls: Encountering Grit, Experiencing Grace, and other anthologies. She is a vibrant and engaging speaker who gives hope and practical solutions to those who struggle with difficult relationships. Deb and her husband, Randy, live in a tiny town in Eastern Washington. Visit Deb at: www.debkalmbach.com, or on Facebook and Twitter.

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A three strand pearl necklace will be given away on New Year's Day. All you need to do to have a chance of winning is {FILL OUT THIS QUICK ENTRY FORM}. One entry per person, per day. The winner will be announced on the Pearl Girls Blog (http://margaretmcsweeney.blogspot.com) on New Years Day!

12 Pearls of Christmas Series and contest sponsored by Pearl Girls®. For more
information, please visit www.pearlgirls.info

THE GOOD NEWS ABOUT WORRY by Dr. William Backus

The Good News About Worry by Dr. William Backus is just the book I needed to read.

I don't know about any of you, but I worry. Often about things I probably don't need to worry about. I worry about my job, my health, the health of my husband, my kids, my finances, you name it and I probably worry about it. I even worry about this computer and wonder if it will continue to work!

Dr. Backus wrote this book I think just for me. Well, maybe for you too, if you worry.

Inside you will find yourself. He takes the time to get to the heart of your worries and explains the why. He shows how avoiding something that may make you anxious is actually making you more anxious. He uses biblical principles and points us in the right thinking. Because let's face it, it's all in our head and how we think determines how we act.

There is a page that helps you to see your personal anxieties and then throughout the rest of the book he gives you exercises to help you to biblically overcome those anxieties.

This is a easy book to read and comprehend. Dr. Backus doesn't use a lot of psychological words that are difficult to understand. He writes just like he is talking to you and me.

The only part I had a difficult time with was with the relaxation/meditaion. It's very important that when we try these exercises that our mind doesn't "go blank" but rather we meditate on a particular bible verse or passage. Leaving the mind blank opens doors that are better left closed. It's a open invitation for the enemy of our soul to enter.  So my suggestion in this portion of the book and exercise is to meditate on the word of God.

Other than that, I think this book will be extremely helpful for all of us who deal with high anxiety, getting to the root of that anxiety, looking at practical biblical application and becoming the person God wants us to be and be able to use for His glory.

This book was provided to me by Baker Publishing Group with no expectations of a positive review. Everything expressed in this review is of my own opinion.