A Christmas That’s Whiter Than Snow

Posted on December 22, 2015 by Paige Givens

“Come now, let us settle the matter,” says the LORD. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.” Isaiah 1:18 (NIV)

Friday’s the day! We’ve been waiting for Christmas for months! We put our tree up about five weeks ago, excitedly hung the ornaments in just the right spot. The choirs sang their songs, celebrated the upcoming birthday of the King. The students made the crafts (the one time a year I really feel like a crafty teacher) and the ornaments, wrapped them up for mom and dad, opened their school stockings, and had the parties. The house has been cleaned, the old has been put away, leaving room for the new.

On Friday, Christmas will be here, and we will celebrate.

And then, the next day, it will be over.

Every year, I am melancholy over the end of the Christmas season. It’s something I so look forward to, but then in the busyness of the celebration, I seem to only grasp it with my fingertips before it’s gone. And then I pack it away and re-clean the house. I get tired of the new stuff and wear out the new clothes and I wish the season was still here.

But Christmas is always here. Because Christmas is actually Jesus, and I seem to forget that sometimes in my “celebrating”. And He doesn’t clutter, He doesn’t wear out, and He is not to be packed away. He doesn’t come from the store, and He isn’t fought over for His sale price.

You see, His love is free. You can have Jesus for free, and you can make this Christmas more meaningful, more lasting than any other year so far!

photo (7)

Here’s how and why…

Christians celebrate Christmas because it is the birthday of Jesus, who came to the earth as a sacrifice for your sins and mine. God loves us all so much, but God is holy and we are not. We all sin, which separates us from Him. So God, in all of His love and wisdom, sent His only Son, Jesus, to come and live on earth, among the sinners He loves so much. Jesus came as a man and wrapped our flesh around Him, breathed our air, ate our food, and had the same emotions and pains that we all have. And then He died for us, around thirty three years later. He died as an atonement for all of our sins. He took the sins that He knew we would commit, and He wore them on His person. He was the one and only sacrifice that we needed in order to be with God. And God sacrificed Him for us.

So what did we do to earn this sacrifice? Nothing. On our own, we could never earn grace and forgiveness for our sins, the ones that the Lord says are “like scarlet”. But through Jesus, the grace has already been given to us. All we have to do is ask for it. How do we ask for it? Well, I’ve either been a bible school participant, helper, or teacher since I was a kid, and Vacation Bible School explains it better than any other way I know: A, B, C.

Admit to God that you are a sinner. (God, I know I’ve sinned and am separated from You. Please forgive me.)

Believe that Jesus is God’s only Son. (I believe that Jesus is the Son of God, and that He came to earth to save my from my sins.)

Confess Jesus as your Savior and Lord. (I confess that You are the One true God, my Savior, my Friend, the Lord of my life.)

And if you sincerely pray that prayer to the God who loves you, the God who sent His Son to earth to die for you, then you will be saved. Christmas won’t have to be over for you on December 26th.

He’s free, He’s here, and He’s available now. He lasts every day, not just in December. He will calm you when the pace of life gets frenzied. He will love you when you are lonely, and He will be your satisfaction and joy when the family and friends have all gone and the decorations have all been put away. He will be your Christmas every day of the year!

Wouldn’t it be awesome if you could make this Christmas whiter, more pure, than any season before? Maybe you are already a child of God, but you’ve just forgotten to celebrate Him instead of the holiday. Maybe you are a Christian who is struggling this season, and you need a fresh reminder of His love and friendship. Maybe His love is something you’ve only dreamed of receiving, but hadn’t felt worthy of asking for. Maybe, like me, you’ve put things of this earth before Him in the past, and you’re ready for Him to break it all down, wash you clean, and make you whiter than snow.

Your white Christmas does NOT have to be over after December 25th. Let Friday be the first day of your celebration! Merry Christmas!

Whiter Than Snow Public Domain, Arranged and Adapted by: Paige Givens, 2014

Sharing words this week with holleygerth.com and faithalongtheway.com.

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Unto You

Posted on December 15, 2015 by Paige Givens

What does the Amazing Grace look like? The grace that was given to a wretch like me? Is it bright and pristine, like a perfect white coat of paint that covers up all of my pencil smudges and misprints? Is it a calming blue, washing over me like the waves wash over the sand, smoothing out the ridges and cracks over and over? Is it red, like the blood of sacrifice, the atonement for the sins of my black heart?

What does grace feel like? Is it warm, like a comforting blanket on a cold winter’s night, enveloping me despite all of my failures. Is it cool, like a fresh gust of wind on my weary frame, tired from running in the wrong direction? Is it the prickle of hay, filling up and spilling out of a manger? A manger that carries the very Grace that I need? Is it heavy and splintering, like the cross that was carried on the back of my Rescuer?

What does grace taste like? Is it sweet, like a favorite song rolling off my tongue? Is it salty, like a mother’s tears as she holds her Firstborn for the very first time? Is it bitter, like her grief as she watches her Firstborn die for a people who don’t seem to care?

What does grace smell like? Does it smell like a musty stable, woken up in the middle of the night to house a Savior? Does it smell dusty, like the winding path of a Minister that the world had waited for since it’s beginning? Does it smell like perfume, aided by the tears of repentance and worship?

And what does it sound like, this gift of grace? Does it sound like a beautiful song, the blending harmonies of my faith and His love for me? Does it sound like a mother calling to her children, “Time to come home! We’re waiting for you at the table!” Does it sound like the tiny cries of a Newborn among the din of the sheep, the donkeys, and the chickens? Does it sound like the pounding of nails and wood? Does it sound like a woman’s elated, shrill cries of “I have seen the Savior! He’s alive!”

“For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.” Luke 2:11

shepherds

Grace was born unto you. Yes, even you.

You may feel like the last person on earth that Grace came for. You may feel like you have been ungrateful, unloveable, and unwilling.

He was born unto you.

You may think you are too far gone, too stained with decisions and mistakes. You may think that you’ve turned Him away too many times in the past to receive Him now.

He was born unto you.

You may think you’re too poor, or too rich. You may think you are too busy, too old, or too young. But the time to act is now. Know this.

He was born unto you. You.

He waits for you. He calls to you. No longer the cry of a newborn, His voice will clearly cut to your soul. His voice will be bigger than your current commitments, your past mistakes, and your constant worries. No longer the hands of an infant, His hands will hold you, carry you, and sustain you. No longer the feet of a baby, His feet will walk with you wherever you go. He waits for you.

He was born unto you.

What are you going to do with Jesus?

Unto You words: Keith Hyatt   music: Paige Givens   copyright 2002

My wonderful friend Keith Hyatt wrote the beautiful words to this song. As you listen, know that no matter who you are, where you are, or what you’ve done, He came for you. What will you do with Him?

Sharing words with friends over at holleygerth.com and faithalongtheway.com.

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What’s Your Story?

Posted on November 18, 2015 by Paige Givens

If you could sum your story up in a few words, what would you say?

Some people have stories of epic proportions. They’ve been miraculously healed, saved from a bondage so tight that it was breaking them, and brought from the depths of despair.

In light of these stories, it’s easy to feel as if your ordinary story may be, well…ordinary.

But no story of God’s love is ordinary.

My story does not come from a place of despair. It doesn’t come from a place of longing, suffering, sickness, grief, or bondage. 

However, I am a sinner. On my own, I am wrapped in the chains of sin. But God’s grace has miraculously saved me! He has broken the chains of sin and given me a new life in Him.

I am shy around new people. I am nervous when I have to speak in front of a large group. I am awkward more than I am graceful. I am anxious. I am very ordinary.

God has taken my life and made it extraordinary through His grace. He has put words in my  mouth when I had none. He has carried me when my feet faltered and fumbled. He has taken my anxiety and given me peace.

If I had to sum  up my story in a few words, I would say this:

Grace is my story. Redemption is my song.

So I’m curious. What’s your story? If you could sum it up in a sentence, or maybe two, what would you say?

We want to hear it. Nothing is too ordinary. God has given you a story, and your story is ready to touch lives today. So get it out there! Share it with us below, and we will celebrate with you!

Grace Is My Story, Redemption’s My Song by Paige Givens, 2014 (BMI)

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The Spirit That Hovers Over The Waters

Posted on November 5, 2015 by Paige Givens

You’ve been waiting for me here, in this place. The shadows of night fade into vibrant blue, autumn golds and reds. The mist is gliding up into the colors, in a dance only the Creator could choreograph. It sways with the waters, to a melody of morning birds, to the treble of rippling waters and the cadence of dripping dew.

water 1

This is Your song, Lord. Your creation is singing it for You.

But in the midst of this glorious song of Your creation, You’ve been waiting. For me. You’ve been waiting for me to get still. You’ve been waiting for me to get rid of this world’s noise. You’ve been waiting for me to listen to the song.

But I can’t sing a song so beautiful, Lord. My song is not melodic. My song is not flowing. My song is not brilliant with colors.

water 2

You assure my soul that I’m okay. Because You are singing for me. You are taking Your creation’s song of wonder, and You are singing it for me and to me. What a beautiful song You sing, Lord!

You were here long before I was, hovering over the waters, knowing that at this moment I would choose to be still and listen. How I wish I would have listened sooner! Your song fills me like no other. It soothes me and satisfies my soul.

water 3

Thank you for waiting for me here. Thank you for singing to me today, Lord. Thank you for Jesus, who sings for me when I have no voice, no words. Thank you for the Spirit that hovers over the waters.

"And the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters." Genesis 1:2b (NIV)

“And the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.” Genesis 1:2b (NIV)

Sharing this week with holleygerth.com and faithalongtheway.com.

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Teachers Say the Craziest Things…Halloween Edition!

Posted on October 30, 2015 by Paige Givens

Okay, so it’s established that teachers say some pretty crazy things in a school day. But just imagine the silliness that goes on during Halloween. Teachers go to great lengths to maintain order–or we just join in the craziness ourselves.

As I listened to us (the teachers) today, I realized that while teachers always say crazy things, nothing beats the stuff that comes out during Halloween!

Here it goes…this was just from today. Remember, it was said in all seriousness. 🙂

1. Thank you if you are not howling in the bathroom. This is a bathroom and you are a human.

2. I’m sorry, but she’s right. Candy corn really isn’t corn. Nope–it’s not even a vegetable. It’s candy.

3. Someone’s legs are laying on the floor. Guys, whose legs are those? Everyone stop. Look at the legs. Pick them up if they’re yours. Thank you. 

4. Watch out, ya’ll. Don’t step on all these cats in the floor.

5. Take this to Mrs. Tuck. Yep, she’s that unicorn over there.

6. Uh-oh. There’s a pile of “wet” in the floor.

7. I’m hearing sounds. I’m still hearing sounds. 

8. Thank you if you are not barking right now.

9. Don’t eat these body parts until you get home. (In reference to candy!)

10. Okay everyone. Stop and ask yourself, “Am I the one making the ghost noise?” If it’s you, I want you to stop until we’re outside, okay?

11. This was the most fun day, right?!? 😉


It was tiring. It was crazy. But it was fun. My favorite thing to hear a student say is ,”This was my favorite day!” 

Happy Halloween!

Happy Fall!

And now, I will go take a nap!!!!!

  

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Teaching Kindergarten…Fall Home Living Station

Posted on October 12, 2015 by Paige Givens

Here are some Fall Home Living ideas that our kindergarten group started last year…

Fall has arrived! We are embracing it and celebrating it in kindergarten. Some of my wonderful kindergarten partner teachers and I  got the ball rolling for a fall farm and pumpkin patch station over in the Home Living Corner. Here are some of our ideas (I’ll start with mine because their stations are so much “prettier” than mine…it will just get better and better!)

We’ve just now opened our Fall Home Living Station in my room. The students are thrilled to make lists, buy pumpkins and other fall items, and most of all to talk and play with each other.

My pumpkin patch is a morning activity, so there are two or three students over here at a time.

My pumpkin patch is a morning activity, so there are two or three students over here at a time.


Bring your money to buy some pumpkins! We made our own dollars. It was a good numeral writing practice for us.

Bring your money to buy some pumpkins! We made our own dollars. It was a good numeral writing practice for us.


Students have sorted acorns, pumpkins, leaves, squash, and pinecones.

Students have sorted acorns, pumpkins, leaves, squash, and pine cones.

Lori is known for having a spotless, organized classroom. This carries over into her beautiful Home Living Station.

Notice the scale to compare weights of pumpkins.

Notice the scale to compare weights of pumpkins.

Fall home living 005    Fall home living 006

Pies for sale!

Pies for sale!


More sorting and playing opportunities.

More sorting and playing opportunities.


A writing opportunity to create labels.

A writing opportunity to create labels.

Connie made a sign post back in September for her apple orchard, and her kiddos wanted to keep the orchard sign as well as the pumpkin patch sign and interchange them as needed.

Another writing opportunity: creating signs.

Another writing opportunity: creating signs.


Notice the open/closed sign that the students made.

Notice the open/closed sign that the students made.


Apple and pumpkin pies.

Apple and pumpkin pies.


Connie uses the large orange pom-pom balls as her pumpkin pie filling!

Connie uses the large orange pom-pom balls as her pumpkin pie filling!

Fall Home Living Station is a favorite for most of our students (okay, and their teachers, too!). The learning is real, authentic, and spans across the curriculum. The language is relevant to real-life. While students are “playing”, they are really working on many levels of skills.

Please let me and my colleagues know if you are also embracing the Home Living Station to enhance your curriculum. We love to get new ideas.

And oh yes… as we say in the south, “Happy Fall Y’all!”

 

 

 

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20 Pumpkin Activities for Young Children

Posted on October 11, 2015 by Paige Givens

Woohoo! This Friday, me and my peeps are going to party like it’s Halloween!!!

And by “peeps”, I mean my kindergarten students…and by “party like it’s Halloween”, I mean that we’re going to do some fun pumpkin activities. 🙂

Anyway, Halloween has always been a day that wears me down as a kindergarten teacher. It’s like they went trick-or-treating on the way to school and ate ALL the candy before they ever walked in and sat down. They are beyond excited.

Our school has an ABC parade, in which the kindergarten children (and their teachers) dress up as letter people and parade through the school to celebrate the alphabet. Ours is at 8:10 am, which starts our day of joy and excitement off right away.

So I used to try and get back to my normal routine at 8:30, as soon as the parade was over and the last parent was headed back home. Why did I do that to myself and my kids?

I quickly realized that wasn’t working, and I discovered a way to make Halloween at school a special day for my kids where they could do fun activities and learn new things at the same time. I call it the Halloween Pumpkin Palooza.

pumpkins

I’ve collected several pumpkin activities over the years. Here are 20 ideas for having fun with pumpkins on Halloween, whether you are a schoolteacher, preschool or daycare teacher, or a parent!

1. Pumpkin Books

I know what you’re thinking. Duh. While it may not sound like the most original idea, on fun days like Halloween it’s easy for us to go an entire day without reading a single book to our kids. So I usually gather up my pumpkin books that I haven’t read yet and pair each book with an activity. We read the book, do the pumpkin activity, read another book, do another pumpkin activity, and so on.

2. Pumpkin Sorting

I have the students to bring in a variety of pumpkins (voluntary, of course). I bring in a few myself. We sort pumpkins by color, size, and texture. We sort by the source of the pumpkin, whether it was a pumpkin patch, grocery store, or the child’s own yard.

3. Describing A Pumpkin

This makes me think of the Investigations (AMSTI) activity called “Describe a Button”. Each child gets a turn to describe the pumpkin, and we compile a list of it’s attributes. Depending on the number of children you are working with, you may or may not make the rule that no one can repeat an attribute.

4. Drawing A Pumpkin

Another extremely unique idea, I know. But it’s amazing how excited the children get when they get to use special tools to draw with. Maybe markers, colored pencils, glitter, or paint. “Googly eyes” are always a favorite as well.

5. Informative Writing About Pumpkins

Fall is the perfect to time to introduce informative/explanatory writing to young children. They learn all sorts of fun facts about pumpkins, spiders, bats, and seasons. I like for my children to do a non-fiction, informative piece about pumpkins. We search the internet and magazines for real pictures of pumpkins to go with our non-fiction writing.

6. Pumpkin Crayon Rubbings

It’s always fun to take a rubbing crayon and do a crayon rubbing to see how the different textures and different varieties of pumpkins show up on paper.

7. Naming The Pumpkins

This is a new activity that my kids loved doing last year. Each child gives a name suggestion for the pumpkin(s) and then the class can either vote, pull the name out a hat, etc. in order to name the pumpkin. It’s a good chance to teach children about voting or probability, depending on your method of name choosing.

8. Ordering The Pumpkins

Put the pumpkins in order by size. Smallest to largest, shortest to tallest, skinniest to fattest, there are many possibilities.

9. Weighing The Pumpkins

Use a digital scale and a balancing scale to record the pumpkin’s weight.

10. Graphing About Pumpkins

There are many different types of graphs you can make. We usually either graph our favorite pumpkin from the different types in our room that day, or we graph how many pumpkins came from the farm, how many came from a store, or how many came from a child’s garden patch in the backyard.

11. Estimating With Pumpkins

In small groups or pairs, students can estimate how many cubes long the circumference of the pumpkin will be. Which brings us to number 12…

12. Measuring The Circumference 

We simply take yarn and put it around the middle of the pumpkin. Then we measure the string by making a cube tower to match. We count the cubes, then compare the true tower with our estimated towers. When comparing, we always use the language, “Was your estimation the same/different as the actual number?” instead of “Was your estimation right or wrong?”

13. Pumpkin Paper Mache

There are many different ideas for  pumpkin paper maches on the internet. I’ve always left this craft experience up to a very brave parent. However, the years that we’ve made these, the kids have loved them….and they last forever! (Be aware of latex allergies.)

14. Pumpkin Patch Dramatic Play Area

This activity can actually go on all during the fall season. The children absolutely love this dramatic play center and the teaching opportunities are endless. For a full description of the Fall/Pumpkin Home Living Station, click here.

pump

15. Trying Pumpkin Recipes

We sample different pumpkin foods, with some of our favorites being pumpkin pie,  pumpkin muffins, and pumpkin doughnuts. We’ve even tried pumpkin pop-tarts before. They were very interesting!:)

16. Painting The Pumpkins

I’ve seen some very unique ideas online for painting pumpkins into all sorts of characters. My kids usually just end up covering the pumpkin in a rainbow of colors.

17. Singing Pumpkin Songs

You know I haven’t fully taught any topic until I’ve sung with my kids about it! There are lots of fun pumpkin songs and fingerplays on YouTube. My favorite is one from my own childhood:

5 Little Pumpkins

5 little pumpkins sitting on a gate

the first one said, “Oh my! It’s getting late!”

the second one said, “There’s fog in the air!”

the third one said, “We don’t care!”

the fourth one said, “Let’s run and run and run!”

the fifth one said, “Isn’t this fun?”

then, “Whooo!” went the wind and Out! went the lights

and 5 little pumpkins rolled out of sight!

 

18. Carving The Pumpkins

Halloween is just not complete until we’ve carved our biggest pumpkin. I like to carve mine early in the day so that I can put a flashlight in it for the rest of the day and let it glow.

19. Roasting The Seeds

After we’ve cleaned them together, we put the seeds out on a cookie sheet and spray some  butter on them. We sprinkle a bit of salt and then walk them to our wonderful lunchroom ladies, who bake them for us for about 30 minutes at 350 degrees. They really are very good!

20. Saving Some Seeds

One of the most favorite activities for the children is to take some seeds home from the carved pumpkin. Some children have even saved the seeds until springtime and planted them with their families to see the growing cycle of a pumpkin come to life before their eyes.

 

If you’re in the classroom with young children, Halloween is going to be a day full of activity. But the activity doesn’t have to be all craziness. It really can be meaningful! There is no magic or genius in the activities above. They are extremely low-maintenance (okay, maybe not the paper maches!), but they make for very real, relevant, and authentic learning.

Here’s a sheet (front/back) we use to record our pumpkin data…

pumpkin palooza 1

pumpkin palooza 2

I’m sure I’ve left out some great ideas! Let us know your “Pumpkin Palooza” ideas in the comments section below.

Happy Halloween!:)

 

 

 

 

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Being a Teacher: To The Poor Souls Who Had Me During “The First Year”

Posted on September 22, 2015 by Paige Givens

After eleven years of teaching, I still don’t exactly count myself as a seasoned veteran teacher, but I am by no means a newbie anymore. There are moments from my first year of teaching that I play back in my mind and just cringe. And when I think about the kids that were placed in my room, on my roll, during that fateful first year, I feel like I owe them an apology of sorts.

I mean, they made it. They’re okay. They are perfectly normal tenth graders now. All by the grace of God. Because there were days when I was just a mess.

So, to the ones who had Mrs. Givens during my first year as a public school teacher, I have a few apologies to make…

I’m sorry that I almost lost half of you on the first day of school during bus and parent pick up time. (Hey, there are 25 buses. 25. Buses. And about a million cars.)

I’m sorry that I never took you out to recess for the first half of the year for fear that you would never line up when I blew the whistle.

I’m sorry that I took you all to the restroom at the same time and made you all stand in a line every day silently while you waited for the entire class to have a turn in  the restroom.

I’m sorry that I made you pull cards for talking in the hallway (talking, mind you, not yelling).

I’m sorry that I didn’t do math stations.

I’m sorry that I taught exactly as the book told me to teach. I said exactly what it told me to say. I didn’t have time or confidence to sit down and think of better ways.

I’m sorry that I didn’t know what to say when you showed me your scribbles and scrabbles and wanted me to “read” it.

I’m sorry that you did so many worksheets.

Yes, if I was able to do it all over again, I would do it very differently. And the cool thing about being a teacher is that we do get to do it all over again each year. We are not perfect. Things happen each year that we would like to change. So we do. It’s a wonderful perk of being a teacher.

I have learned some very valuable lessons over the years. I have learned that I don’t have to say exactly what’s in the manual. I have learned that I don’t have to do exactly what the other teachers are doing…and they don’t have to do what I’m doing. On the flip side of that, I’ve learned that my teaching friends are extremely wise and creative, and collaborating with them is a gift. I’ve learned that the majority of  young children are not out to “get” their teachers, and that if they are corrected kindly and allowed to practice desired behaviors, they quickly do what their teachers want them to do. And most of the lessons  I’ve learned about teaching, I think the Lord has used my students to teach me.

So while I apologize to my students from the first year, I also have to thank them and let them know that they actually played a very special part of my career…

Thank you for making me laugh. And actually, you made my husband laugh and my mother laugh and my grandmother laugh. Because I talked about you all the time. I told your funny stories and sayings to my family and they loved you almost as much as I did!

Thank you for lining up at the whistle when I finally took you to recess in January.

Thank you for working hard on all the worksheets I gave you.

Thank you for enjoying your activities in kindergarten for the most part. I stayed each day until supper time getting ready for the next day. One time on a Friday I got blocked in by the football game traffic because I stayed so late. So I’m glad you enjoyed your days.

Thank you for telling me how good I smelled.

Thank you for telling me how pretty I was.

Thank you for telling me how nice I was, even when I wasn’t.

Thank you for telling me I was a good teacher.

You probably taught me more than I taught you that first year. You taught me how to love my job. You taught me how to manage a roomful of kids. You taught me how to get half of  you to the buses (25 buses. 25. Buses.) and half of you through the millions of cars to your car. You taught me what kinds of activities were more meaningful than worksheets. You taught me that I could be a good teacher. You made me a teacher.

I can look at my class picture from the first year and still remember all of your names. You all look happy and content, which gives me hope that maybe I didn’t scar you for life! (By the way, I look like a child in that picture. Maybe it was because I was 21!) I don’t think I will ever forget you. Thank you for the part you played in my life!

P.S. And to the ones who had me the year before that as a supply teacher (when their teacher had a baby), I’m reeeaaallllyyyy sorry. That’s a whole other post for another day!

 

 

 

 

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What Happens When He Draws Us Near?

Posted on September 21, 2015 by Paige Givens

Have you ever asked the Lord to draw you closer to Him? Did your question come from a time of despair, grief, or desperation? Or did your question come from a place of guilt at your own complacency?

We’ve all had times when we wanted to beg someone to hold us close. “Not me,” you may say. “I’m fine on my own.” But it’s not true, friend.

When a baby is just venturing forth on his tentative feet by himself, he becomes part of a complicated dance of balance and motion. He sways this way and that, gains a confidence he didn’t know was there, takes several almost-running steps, and then eventually falls flat. Usually on his face. And what does he do?

He cries for someone to pick him up and hold him close. He buries his face on their shoulder and pours out his woes while the one who loves him croons softly in his ear, telling him it’s going to be okay.

And what about older children? When I was in the fourth grade, I got a horrible hair cut. You know, the kind kids at school tease you about! I won’t show you the haircut…I’ll just say, they called me “Broccoli Head.” I can laugh about it now, but as a child, I was mortified. I was hurt. And all I could think about was going  home and seeing my mom, because I knew she would draw me close and tell me it didn’t matter how my hair looked.

And when we’ve messed up? What do we do? As a senior in high school, I wrecked the back end of my parents’ car. Mom came and got me and did whatever it is adults have to do when their kids wreck their cars. When Dad got home, I could hardly look at him. But like a moth to a flame, what did we do? He drew me close and I cried on his shoulder, because I had made a mistake and I was sorry. And he said it was okay and he hugged me close.

When a baseball team wins the World Series, they all grab each other and hug and get in a big ball on the field. When a beauty queen wins the pageant, the other contestants run and hug her close.

When we are celebrating, when we are scared, when we are too grieved to get out of bed, we want someone to draw us close.

There is One who will draw you near to Him on any occasion. There is One who waits for your prayer…”Draw me nearer, Lord.”

“Hug me, Daddy. Hug me tight.”

When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, because she thought, “If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed.” Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering. Matthew 9:20-21

She knew if she could just get closer to Him, close enough to touch, He would heal her. He would help her. He would alleviate her suffering. So she drew near.

When you draw near to Him, He will draw near to you.

Come near to God and he will come near to you.  James 4:8

And what will happen when our Father draws us near?

He will heal us, He will help us, He will take our pain on Himself. He will get us out of bed. He will forgive us. He will celebrate with us.

The song says, “Draw me nearer, nearer, nearer blessed Lord to Thy precious bleeding side.”

So what happens when He draws us nearer to His side? We get His blood on us. The nearer we get to Him, the more His blood covers us. It covers our sins, our stains, our tears, our ambitions, our gains, our health, our fears, our weaknesses, and even our successes. 

Let “the blood that gives me strength from day to day” NEVER “lose it’s power!” Let me draw closer and closer to the side of Jesus.

“I Am Thine, O Lord” Fanny Crosby, 1875: Public Domain  Arranged by Paige Givens, 2014

Posted in Devotionals | Tagged , , , , , , , | 11 Comments

Mercy Is His Ministry: A Song

Posted on September 1, 2015 by Paige Givens

Mercy Is His Ministry
Words and music by: Paige Givens (BMI), copyright 2014

Are you tired? Are you worn?
Your old garments, are they stained and torn?
Well there is rest at Heaven’s throne
Where Jesus waits to clothe you with a spotless robe

Mercy is His ministry
It’s heaven’s gift to you and me
Take His hand, and you will see
That mercy is His ministry

Are you lonely? Are you poor?
Has this world not filled what you hunger for?
Well there’s a Friend who makes all things new
He’s prepared a feast and He set a place for you

Mercy is His ministry
It’s heaven’s gift to you and me
Take His hand, and you will see
That mercy is His ministry

Are you bound by sin’s dark chains?
Do your past mistakes leave you filled with pain?
Well lay them down at Jesus’ feet.
With just one touch He’ll loose your binds and He’ll set you free

Mercy is His ministry
It’s heaven’s gift to you and me
Take His hand, and you will see
That mercy is His ministry

Posted in Music and Songwriting | Tagged , , , , | 6 Comments