Author Archives: Tracy Robbins

Doing a 2020 Recap

Doing a 2020 Recap title image

Doing a 2020 Recap

This past weekend our church did a service revolving around a 2020 recap. There were a few testimonials of people discussing what they’ve learned from 2020, how the year has been impactful for them, or what God had done for them over the past year. It got me to thinking… “How WOULD I recap this past year?”

One of our yearly Christmas traditions came to mind as I was thinking about this. Each year at Christmas we get each of our kids a Christmas ornament for that year. These ornaments usually reflect an event or milestone or memory from the year. This year as I was shopping for their ornament, I knew I wanted it to be 2020 related but not just referring to all of the COVID-19 stuff as so many of them were. I wanted it to reflect the many, many crazy events that took place during 2020—a kind of a 2020 recap on the ornament.

I ended up settling on a type of word cloud ornament. As I was reading through all of the items listed on the ornament, I found myself saying, “Oh yeah, I forgot about that.” It had things like Kobe Bryant’s death, the Australian fires, travel bans, birthday parades, virtual graduations, virtual meetings, distance learning, of course the whole Coronavirus pandemic themed things (quarantine, panic buying, toilet paper shortage, social distancing, face masks, front line heroes and essential workers, etc.), murder hornets, the Beirut explosion, and BLM protests. (It was missing the whole presidential election fiasco which was odd.) It did seem to sum up events of the year pretty well.

On a personal level

While this was a great 2020 recap of the year’s events, it still wasn’t a very personal reflection of the year. I thought about how my mom often does this in her Christmas or end-of-year letters where she summarizes the whole family’s yearly goings-on. So, I started to make a list (although not completely comprehensive)… Continue reading

Funny Friday: Amount of work that I need to get done before Christmas

Amount of work I need to get done before Christmas meme

Funny Friday: Amount of work that I need to get done before Christmas

This meme seems vaguely familiar…The amount of work that I need to get done before Christmas (vs what I’ve actually accomplished).

“Therefore my spirit is overwhelmed within me…” Psalm 143:4a (NASB)

Funny Friday: Lord let this food be a nourishment

Lord let this food be a nourishment meme

Funny Friday: Lord let this food be a nourishment

Does this meme especially ring true around the holidays? “Christians be like… Lord, let this food be a nourishment to our bodies.”

“…and looking up toward heaven, He blessed the food…” Mark 6:41 (NASB)

These Were No Ordinary Shepherds

These Were No Ordinary Shepherds title image

These Were No Ordinary Shepherds

In the Christmas story we read that angels appeared to shepherds to announce the birth of Jesus. In the past, I had never really given much thought to the significance of shepherds at the birth of Jesus. I’ve lived in Oklahoma or Texas for the majority of my life, and my in-laws are ranchers so agricultural references don’t really strike me as odd or incomprehensible.

Then, when I have considered the representation of the shepherds, it’s only been in the context of their humble occupations and place in society. I’ve understood their presence to symbolize that Jesus came for the undesired, outcast, unwanted, or marginalized. I’ve even written about when I learned of the possibility that the shepherds might have even been women. However, I previously hadn’t really considered that there might be even more significance and impact to these shepherds.

So why shepherds? Why THESE shepherds? Was there some significance to this? There absolutely was! Many scholars and theologians believe that these were no ordinary shepherds. It is believed that there was great significance and symbolism to some of these elements of the nativity story and specifically to the details surrounding these shepherds. We’ll discuss what many believe to be the symbolism and meaning behind each of these and why they are so significant and important to the nativity story.

The Shepherds

“And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

“Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.” Luke 2:8-20 (NIV)

The significance of the location

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Funny Friday: Shot my first turkey

Shot my first turkey meme

Funny Friday: Shot my first turkey

A little Thanksgiving humor to finish out the week: “Shot my first turkey this week…Scared the crap out of everyone in the frozen food section. It was awesome.”

“Eat anything sold in the meat market without raising questions of conscience” 1 Corinthians 10:25 (NIV)

Be Thankful–Remember What God Has Done

Be Thankful Remember What God Has Done

Be Thankful–Remember What God Has Done

“I will give thanks to the LORD with my whole heart; I will recount all of your wonderful deeds.” Psalm 9:1 (ESV) 

Thanksgiving seems to be a good time to reflect on what God has done for us, positive memories, blessings, and just things in general for which we’re thankful (for us U.S. folks anyhow!).  When my kids were younger, I used try to find some type of Thanksgiving craft-like activity each year to do this with them.

Sometimes we’d write down things we we’re thankful for on construction paper feathers and then glue the feathers to a paper turkey.  Sometimes we’d do the same thing on paper leaves and post leaves around as decoration, and we’d even made paper link chains before where each link listed an item of thanks (this encouraged them to think of more than just a few items in order to have a chain long enough to hang!).  Previously, I also posted several ways to try to stay thankful like this year round.

Remember 3 things God has done

When I teach at Glory House I do an activity with them somewhat similar to these Thanksgiving activities (even when it’s not Thanksgiving time).  Unfortunately, I can’t take credit for the idea though!  I think I first heard this tip from one of our pastors at church years ago.  I was taught to write down 3 things that God has brought me through, brought me to or delivered me from. They could be what God has done through victories, ways God has come through for me or has been faithful to me, answered prayers, etc.  I was then told to keep this list handy and reflect on it or refer back to it when I’m going through a rough time when things seem hopeless or bleak.

The ladies love when we do this activity.  They also usually come up with more than three, but three things are typically pretty easy to come up with and recall.  It’s just a good way to remember what God has done.  It helps us to think positively and gives us the mindset “He did it before.  He’ll do it again.” or “He helped me with that.  He’ll help me with this too.”

Remember what God has done by finding a symbol

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Funny Friday: Jaden has one dollar bill

Funny Friday: Jaden has one dollar bill

I love this little guy’s take on this math problem so much! “Jaden has one dollar bill, one quarter, and two pennies. How much money does he have?”

“There will always be some in the land who are poor…” Deuteronomy 15:11a (NLT)