December

It is hard to believe that it is December!  December is such a busy, yet wonderful month!  I am going to try hard this year to slow down this month.  That will mean less time out in the hustle and bustle, maybe more Internet shopping rather than store shopping, more Christmas movie nights and family time, more driving around neighborhoods looking at lights, and most importantly more focus on Christ.  I am really challenging myself to spend more time in God's Word this month as I spend more time at home.

I have posted this poem in years past and dug it up because I just love it!  I have no clue where I found it or who wrote it, but I think I might just read it everyday!  Happy December!

CORINTHIANS 13 CHRISTMAS VERSION


If I decorate my house perfectly with plaid bows, strands of twinkling lights and shiny balls, but do not show love to my family, I'm just another decorator.

If I slave away in the kitchen, baking dozens of Christmas cookies, preparing gourmet meals and arranging a beautifully adorned table at mealtime, but do not show love to my family, I'm just another cook.

If I work at the soup kitchen, carol in the nursing home, and give all that I have to charity, but do not show love to my family, it profits me nothing.

If I trim the spruce with shimmering angels and crocheted snowflakes, attend a myriad of holiday parties and sing in the choir's cantata, but do not focus on Christ, I have missed the point.

Love stops the cooking to hug the child.

Love sets aside decorating to kiss the husband.

Love is kind, though harried and tired.

Love doesn't envy another's home that has coordinated Christmas china and table linens.

Love doesn't yell at the kids to get out of the way, but is thankful they are there to be in the way.

Love doesn't give only to those who are able to give in return but rejoices in giving to those who can't.

Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.Love never fails.

Catching Up

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving full of family and yummy food.  We always do Thanksgiving with Kev's family around lunch and my family around dinner.  We spaced it out a little more this year and we all got a good nap, and were ready for round 2.  I always think of how blessed we are that we have the problem of getting to eat so much good food in one day.  What some might give to walk a day in my shoes. 

Kev has had 5 days off and it has been wonderful.  It seems like we are constantly in a go-go-go pace that we rarely have much down time.  We actually sat on our couches for a little bit and watched some TV.  I enjoy and appreciate his time at home more and more as the years go by. 

I shopped the crazy Black Friday sales at a time my of day that I only meet once a year, 4:15am.  My alarm was set to for 3:00am to be ready to meet my mom at 3:45.  Kev said he told me to get up, but obviously I didn't hear him because my mom called my cell phone at 3:45 and woke me up!  I did manage to get a few really good deals...but it is more of a tradition than anything.  It is part of our Thanksgiving and I look forward to it every year.

Friday night and Saturday we spent decorating our house for Christmas.  I love decorating for Christmas!!! I remember as a little girl, I always wanted to grow-up, live in a log cabin in the mountains and decorate my whole house for Christmas!  I do love the decorating but goodness gracious it is a lot of work and makes such a mess in the process.  I do love the outcome though! 

Hopefully I can get back to blogging and life can take a slower pace through December...at least I am hoping so!

A sacrifice of praise

Almost a year ago, a very well meaning Sunday School member made a comment during our Sunday School class that I have struggled with. This person was very well-meaning in what was said, but when it was said I just didn't agree. I have mulled over this thought often throughout the past year as we have encountered so many hurting people. The comment was something to the affect that from the stage or a praise team's perspective so many people look so....out of it, not happy, smiling, or like they are essentially praising God. I totally get what was meant being that we have a great, powerful, almighty God that is worthy of all our praise! The comment was meant to encourage others to realize who we are there for.

As I have thought about this comment it bothered me for a few reasons. One because I realize more and more as I get older and more involved in ministry, that the church is filled with broken and hurting people. People who are lost, people going through hard times, and people who are in need. It also bothered me because as I think upon my own life, the season in my life when I feel that my praise was the most authentic, most real, most honorable to God was at the times that I was completely broken.

I clearly remember my first Sunday back at church after having our Samuel and lying his precious little body deep down into the earth. I had empty hands, empty arms, and an empty heart. I couldn't even sing the songs with my mouth, but as I stood in the back of the church, with tears streaming down my face, I knew that my Saviour was honored with the song of my heart. I had nothing to bring other than the fact that I was completely in need and relying of Christ. That is what a sacrifice of praise really is, praising God despite the circumstances that are surrounding you.  This kind of praise not only strengthens your own faith, but honors God and blesses others. 

I think what churches need more of...rather than happy, smiling faces are genuine honest people who share in and walk together through the rough spots in life. 

I love the way this song by Amy Grant says it...."Better than a Hallelujah Sometimes."

Fair Fun!

 For the past few years my mom and dad have taken their local grand kids to the fair. This year my dad couldn't go due to having to conduct three funerals in one week (one of the hard parts of being a pastor) and so my sister and I tagged along. The traffic was crazy! It took us two hours to get there, which it normally only takes about 30 minutes. Thankfully, I had our tiny potty in the car because Ella would have never made it! We had a fun time and made some great memories. Thanks Mimi and Papa for being so sweet!

 

Catching up...a post of pictures!

Jessie from Toy Story

Eliza the cow!

Our tradition of making homemade doughnuts
and carving pumpkins!  I think she liked it!

Pumpkin Painting

Daddy the master pumpkin carver!

Yum!

Pooh!

CBC Fall festival

Trunk or Treating

My girls!

Hee!  Haw!

Thursday's Thoughts

It's Thursday, which means it is the day that I normally try to muster up my motivation and clean up this messy house.  It is really bad this week.  I'm not sure I have it in me to face the disaster.  In light of this mess, I can be thankful that a messy house which was created by my loving family.  I am sure I added to it too.  I usually give up somewhere around Tuesday. 

Ella is going to be Jessie from Toy Story for our church's Fall Festival.  I had bought her a cute cowgirl outfit with the cutest red cow girl boots form a local consignment store for her to wear.  Secretly, I knew she would make the cutest little Jessie ever!  Her Daddy knew it too and he ordered it for her off of e-bay!  Now we just need to rent Toy Story so she will know who Jessie is!!!  Those red boots are too cute!
I really enjoy scrapbooking.  I know some people loathe it, but for me I enjoy the creative outlet it allows me!  The only thing is that it is one more thing TO DO!  I am scared to get too far behind in fear that I will never again get caught up.  I have made the decison that after this year, I will only scrapbook a baby book for any remainding children the Lord blesses us with.  I will do our yearly family scrapbook on-line.  It will be cheaper, easier and smaller.  Ella and I are the only ones who really enjoy looking at them anyways.  Whew...I feel better already.

Okay, I have a confession.  We just moved Eliza into her room last week at 13 months.  I know!  I know!!  She has napped in there every single day during the day so it was not a new space for her.  I have this thing about my girls being in their rooms.  Fear seems to grip me most at night and I struggle with the what if's.  Eliza's room is even a bit further than ella's and this made it even harder.  I have a large walk-in closet and she has slept in there once she got old enough to call my name if she woke up!  It was dark, furnished with a small crib and close to mommy.  She slept well, we slept well....but it was time (actually past time)!  Thankfully, she is doing great and mommy is too! I have learned to do what works for us as parents!

And last but not least....

What a difference a year makes!!

 I love looking back at pictures of my girls and seeing how much they have grown and changed since the previous year.  Last weekend at the pumpkin patch I kept thinking about how Eliza was just a little bitty newborn in a sling last Oct.  It made me a wee bit sad, but this year was much easier (now that Ella is 3 and Eliza is not just 3 weeks old) I must say!  You can also tell that I now have a much better camera since last year!!  It is amazing the difference a year can make!  Wonder what next year will look like for us??