Tears in a Bottle

You keep track of all my sorrows.
You have collected all my tears in your bottle.
You have recorded each one in your book.
Psalm 56:8 (New Living Translation)

The verse above arrived via a devotion in my email last week. It struck me hard. I couldn’t tell you how many times I read it, but I drew comfort from the verse each time. 2009 was a mixed bag. It’s a little over an hour before 2010 rolls in as I write this post.

I could take the time to beat myself up over not meeting a couple of goals, but I’ve had quite the year, some good and some not-so-good surprises. Some gains and major losses. Every year has its moments, but 2009 will definitely be a year I won’t forget. Especially since I ended the decade so much differently than I entered the decade.

I’m grateful to God for carrying me through even when I wasn’t as trusting as I should be. I’m most grateful for the times I broke down in tears that He saw every tear. When no one else really saw my pain, I know He did. I’m not one for pity parties, so I’m officially bottling up the disappointment of this year and not looking back.

I have a few goals (not resolutions) for this year.

12 Pearls of Christmas: Just God

A Tangible Reminder
by Mary Byers

Last year I read Me, Myself, & Bob: A True Story About Dreams, God, and Talking Vegetables by Phil Vischer, creator of the Veggie Tales video series. I was interested because my children grew up on Veggie Tales. But I was also interested because somewhere along the way I noticed Phil Vischer was no longer with Big Idea, the company he founded. I knew there must be a story there, so I picked up the book.

Though millions of children can sing the Veggie Tales theme song, Big Idea no longer exists. After expanding too quickly, the company was forced into bankruptcy. Vischer writes about the experience in his book, which is part memoir and part business tutorial. And it’s a touching example of how one man encountered grit and allowed it to be turned into grace.

12 Pearls of Christmas: God With Us

I’m participating in a wonderful blog tour for the next few days. Be sure to check out the contest below – you could win a three strand pearl necklace. — Ty

LISTENING FOR CHRISTMAS
by Deb Kalmbach

I used to be the queen of over-commitment, and December brought out the worst in this malady. It was as if I were poised at an imaginary starting line, and when I flipped the calendar page, I was off and running–the December dash!

You could hardly see any white space on my daily planner it was so jammed with events. Kids’ Christmas programs, church programs, and endless lists of things-to-do obscured my calendar and my vision to see what really mattered. Each day when we hung another ornament on our Advent tree, I felt my chest tighten, and my breathing get shallower. Only single-digit shopping days left…Panic mode was about to set in.

12 Pearls of Christmas: Life Beautiful

I’m participating in a wonderful blog tour for the next few days. Be sure to check out the contest below – you could win a three strand pearl necklace. — Ty

Life Beautiful
by Margaret McSweeney

During a quiet moment after Thanksgiving, I started reading my parents’ stack of love letters that I recently found in a storage box. As a Christmas gift to you, I would like to share my father’s words to my mother written to her during Christmas 1949. This incredible "hug from heaven" has been a tangible affirmation that Pearl Girls has true meaning and great worth for women throughout the world. I pray that God will continue to bless this ministry and outreach. May we all realize that the grit in our lives can be transformed into grace through the love of God.

This is what I found written on a tiny folded card inscribed with "Christmas Greetings" on the front:

12 Pearls of Christmas: Gifts of Purpose

I’m participating in a wonderful blog tour for the next few days. Be sure to check out the contest below – you could win a three strand pearl necklace. — Ty

Too Precious to Wear
by Sarah Sundin

One Christmas when my mother was a girl, she received a string of pearls from her father. Since her parents were divorced-an unusual situation in the 1950s-she treasured the pearls as a sign of her father’s love. When he passed away her senior year in high school, the pearls took on even greater significance.

When I was growing up, my mother talked often about the pearls, but my sister and I never saw them. Mom kept them safe in their silk-lined velvet box tucked in her jewelry box. For dressy occasions, she wore other nice jewelry, but never the pearls.