Month: December 2009

Happy Christmas

May the Lord bless you and keep you and make His Face to shine upon you and give you peace. I pray you have received the gift of Christ… the gift of salvation through faith in the Only One who can save, the only perfect atonement for mankind. His life for yours, His peace for your pain, His forgiveness for your sin, His payment in full, His presence in your life.

Christmas is about His presents. His presence.

God bless you this Christmastime with the Joy of the Greatest Gift ever Given.

with love, pamela

Leave it to Levi Strauss & Co to be at the forefront…

Of some sort of trend or controversy or something… These are just some things I’ve been mulling over since seeing a Levi’s ad.

DockersPants

Do you s’pose this just might be a boon to the company — a marvelous marketing campaign that just might bolster sagging retail sales?

I appreciate the seeming change of heart at LS & Co — or the affirmation that men — hard working men — not social causes, have built their company. That, or someone in their ad department had a brilliant idea to market pants to — da ta da dahhhhhh — Men!

I remember fifteen years, or so, ago that Levi Strauss was on my personal “do-not-buy-retail” product list. That was for its stand on marriage and benefits to other than traditional marriage and later its stand on the Boy Scouts, et al. Well… I feel fairly certain that their overall corporate position on roles and gender blending/blundering and moral ambiguity, etc., etc., has not changed. And, for that matter, the company has more than likely attempted to keep a step ahead of metropolitan trends.

Not that Levi Strauss is, in the grand scheme of things, the end all be all, but as marketing goes, there will be others who join in the affirmation of God ordained uniqueness just as there will be those who mock the company relentlessly. Though you won’t hear about God or God’s marvelous design. You’ll hear something else — a message of the importance of being strong, perhaps of men who are dashing and debonair, mannerly and in style. Or something along that line. I think just like this country is bound to break under the strain of economic chaos, so also, men can’t stay on this feminized or, figuratively speaking, emasculated role to which domineering women have relegated them. Men were not created to be what many women are demanding them to be.

So, do you think men might finally take a stand against the lies that have been foisted on them and begin to see their incredible worth, their design and God given roles and responsibilities — as defenders, leaders, protectors, providers, endowed by the Lord to be heads of their homes and responsible for their families to be respectful and to guard women and children, etc., etc.?

Or will that happen when women embrace their unique and precious design and calling… and eagerly live it?

hey, so, it’s me…

No, I didn’t move to another country and, no, I didn’t lapse into a coma or drug abuse or anything like that… I just haven’t been blogging. And I probably won’t start back at it just yet, either.

It’s a long story.
But not interesting enough to blog about.

Suffice it to say that I’ve just had a sorta difficult autumn time and it’s been pretty much an uphill climb to stay on track… you know, the kind of track your thoughts travel on. Something I’ve never been really very good at is handling discouragement — or hiding it, either — yeah, I know… I tend to be pretty good at encouraging others in trials…

But, somehow that doesn’t always translate into a personal reality. I mean, I can really see great good in others. I can really see beautiful qualities, abilities and potentialities in others. And, generally speaking, I can empathize with others and am quick to see and offer Scriptural solutions or spiritual encouragement when others face trials, disappointments, discouragement or depression.

I hope I’ll see the brightness of the new season as sort of a signal to turn the corner and embrace the new year. I’ve been praying to this end… and I’ve been praying to have a new and keen sense of purpose and worth in and for the Lord.

To this end, today I began to do the things I know lead to more right things — more bright things. Tis, after all, the season to be jolly, isn’t it? And I have just returned from a very brief, but very wonderful few days away with my husband… so one would think there’s no reason whatsoever for continuing to feel a little blue. I know this sort of thing happens before a great change or a new adventure is embarked upon. And I do know that the Lord is prompting me and prodding me in several areas.

Still, the twinge of uncertainty and mild anxiousness continues. Maybe you’ve experienced seasons like this — I know I have in the past (and perhaps that’s why I’m not all the alarmed at the depth and length of this one) and am always amazed at the gracious Hand of the Lord in these times. His tender mercies are new every morning and, surely, Great is His faithfulness.

And so, coming to the longest or shortest (depending on how you look at it) day of the year, there’s great inspiration and anticipation for brighter days ahead.