Tag: christmas

The Master Craftsman: Finding Beauty in Life’s Struggles

Charlotte BurkholderLeave a comment

January 14, 2026

The beautiful bowl’s beginning was anything but beautiful. A skilled woodworker turned the bowl from a large tree burl–an old knotty piece of wood. It has been said that stress, on a tree, causes a burl to develop. A car crashes into the tree, storms damage, insects attack, and abnormal rapid cell growth produces an ugly, dense, woody lump.

Stress can do ugly things to us as well. But we have a Master Craftsman who can produce something beautiful with it. God knows what to do with hazzles, heartaches, troubles, and tragedies. He is skilled in creating inner beauty from all of these. No difficulty that we will ever experience is outside of God’s ability to bring good from it.

In the book, “Family Stories for God’s Glory,” you will find an account of how my husband became a skilled woodworker. It all started with a big childhood disappointment. When Marlin was twelve years old, he found a scroll saw inside his Christmas package when what he really wanted was an electric train.

Now, in his retirement, he is having much more fun than watching a toy train run round and round on a track. He finds satisfaction and fulfillment as he works on his projects, plus, he has the added pleasure of blessing others with his finished pieces. He is not the Master Craftsman as this blog is titled. Only God deserves that title, but Marlin enjoys being the Master’s Craftsman.

We have the biblical account of Bezalel, one who was greatly gifted. “…He has filled him with the Spirit of God, in wisdom and understanding, in knowledge and all manner of workmanship, to design artistic works, to work in gold and silver and bronze, in cutting jewels for setting, in carving wood, and to work in all manner of artistic workmanship.” Exodus 35:30-33 NKJV

The Master Craftsman has gifted you too. Give Him thanks and use your skills for His glory.

Charlotte

Link:godinlifesmoments.com

“Family Stories for God’s Glory” is sold on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Blessings Book Store, Harrisonburg, Va. Books may also be ordered directly from: chburkholder12@gmail.com

How to Have a Perfect Christmas

Charlotte BurkholderLeave a comment

December 22, 2025

I had the perfect Christmas for years–in my mind, that is. As I prepared for this wonderful time when children and grandchildren would arrive, I imagined with pleasure just how it would be. The decorations would be amazing, the food delicious (everything being ready at the appropriate time–hot and tasty) perfect gifts, wrapped and ready, everyone having a fantastic time with lots of love flowing all around at all times. Everything was going to be perfect!

It never worked out quite that way.

“Family Stories for God’s Glory” contains two Christmas stories of how my imperfect Christmases turned into perfect ones. The first thing I needed to do to have a perfect Christmas was to not expect it to be perfect. I needed to realize that as an unrealistic goal. We don’t live in a perfect world, and we are not perfect people. The very first Christmas was the only perfect one. Christ came as a perfect Baby who would grow up to die for us so that someday we can live with Him forever in a perfect world.

The next thing I needed to recognize was that God is in control and I am not. When I quit striving and trying to make things happen on my own, He will gladly take over as I relinquish my plans to His. His idea for a two-toned Christmas tree turned out to be much more unique than what I had planned!

1Thirdly, I needed to relax and believe that it’s quite okay if Christmas isn’t perfect or exactly the way I planned. If God is glorified, if we experience Immanuel (God with us), if hearts are touched with His amazing love, Christmas will be fantastic!

Relax and enjoy a fantastic Christmas,

God Bless you and yours,

Charlotte

Link:godinlifesmoments.com

“Family Stories for God’s Glory” is sold on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Blessings Book Store, Harrisonburg, Va. Books may also be ordered directly from: chburkholder12@gmail.com

Comments are welcome!

Finding Joy Amidst Christmas Mourning

Charlotte BurkholderLeave a comment

December 12, 2025

Christmas joy comes in the morning; Christmas joy also comes in the mourning. Our young grandson found this out one Christmas when he was only eleven-years old. “Family Stories for God’s Glory,” tells the story of how Zach experienced both.

Part of Christmas joy in the morning is waking up with cousins you rarely get to see, excited about the days you will get to spend together. But now that joy was over and sadness had settled in on Zach’s heart as he tried to go to sleep that night after everyone had left for their faraway homes. Zach did what any wise person would do; He went to God’s word for comfort.

He was not disappointed. He opened his Bible to find the exact verse that eased his mourning and gave him the joy he needed.”God blesses those who mourn for they shall be comforted.” (Matt: 5:4 NLT) That joy was lasting and was not diminished by the absence of his beloved cousins.

Christmas can be very sad for various reasons, and joy might feel non-existent. But true, lasting joy can be had when we remember the reason for Christmas in the first place. Immanuel (God with us) came to die so that we now have an open door into God’s presence and can have fellowship with Him.

Are there circumstances making you sad this Christmas season? Do you feel like you are in mourning? Check out the reason for your sadness. Likely you will find it is only temporary, belonging to this world. True, permanent joy for eternity can be yours for the asking.

Joy to the world, The Lord is come!

Joy in Jesus,

Charlotte

Link:godinlifesmoments.com

“Family Stories for God’s Glory” is sold on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Blessings Book Store, Harrisonburg, Va. Books may also be ordered directly from: chburkholder12@gmail.com

Comments are welcome!

LIFE IS NOT PERFECT

Charlotte BurkholderLeave a comment

June 8, 2024

We live in a fallen world so why should we expect life to be perfect. We shouldn’t, yet somehow I grew up with dreams of a perfect life. I wanted to be married, have babies (I love babies), and have a little home of our own. But of course, I found out long before that happened that things did not always turn out the way I had hoped. Yet it seemed that “hope” was always residing in the back of my mind that this event, this circumstance, this important occasion would be just perfect.

I always wanted our Christmas celebrations to be perfect. As our family grew from children to married adults, to grandchildren (twelve of them) there were more and more people I wanted to please. Time after time, in spite of my best laid plans, something would flaw our celebrations.

Then one Christmas I was hit with a brilliant truth. Life is not perfect, so don’t expect it to be. Part of my Christmas preparations included a list of truths that I would commit to following:

  • Life is not perfect.
  • Things do not always work out like we want them to.
  • There will be some things you wish hadn’t happened.
  • God is in control.
  • It doesn’t matter if Christmas isn’t perfect.

Christmas brunch was ready. Eighteen of us gathered around two tables in two separate rooms. Grandchildren were at the kitchen table and adults were seated in the dining room. As I lifted my fork with the first bite of egg casserole, something happened that I wish wouldn’t have. The title for this story in the book is, “My Oxymoron Christmas.”

Anything happen to you that you wish hadn’t?

Maybe you can relate.

God is in control!

Charlotte