Blessed

We have been so blessed this year! Patrick's new job is working out very well. He is so much happier than he used to be. He doesn't carry the weight of the world with him anymore. It's such a nice change.

Christmas this year, financially, has also been a blessing. We were able to pay all our bills and buy all our Christmas gifts without going over budget. Almost every item we bought was on sale, even the planned purchases! It was perfect. God has been very good to us. He is a good God.

And then there's the reason for the season. I have really been preaching this year about keeping Jesus the center of Christmas. It's not about gifts to each other, but about a deity in heaven choosing to come to earth as a child and ultimately dying on a cross. And He did all that for us! I am indeed loved!

The first snow...

We had our first snow for our area. The kids have been out of school for three days now!! If you live up north it probably seems a little weird to close down just for a little bit of snow, but that how it works in the south. I have always imagined that we just don't get enough bad weather to justify having the equipment to clear the roads. I don't really know though, it's just what I have conjured up to justify their actions. :)

In the midst of all this I didn't realize we were getting so close to Christmas vacation. My kids get out Friday. Our Christmas activities will begin on Sunday and before you know it we'll be headed to Branson, MO for our own vacation. We enjoy spending time in Branson, we haven't been there in three years so we're all looking forward to it.

Merry Christmas to each of you!

Junk

In preparation for decorating for Christmas we needed to get some junk out of the way. So yesterday was spent reorganizing and getting rid of junk.

I have discovered that I have become way to forgiving when it comes to stuff in my house. I pretty well let the entire family do what they want with whatever they want. They never put their junk in their rooms. I decided this past week, that I have had enough. I personally declared war. Of course this means everyone thinks I'm being a hag, which is ultimately my fault, but they're just going to have to get over it. :-) Their stuff is going to their room.

I'm sooooooo tired of my house being junked up. Of course, we can make the same application for our spiritual lives. When we finally get sick of our lives being junked up, we declare war and do some serious cleaning out. Maybe you need to declare war with me!!

Decorations Everywhere!!!

Yeah!!! I'm so excited!!! We get to decorate for Christmas. It's soooo much fun. Today we'll be dragging out all the Christmas decorations and putting them in place. I've been working on the church decor since Monday and we're almost finished there. Pastor John always has to put up with my brilliant ideas. I come up with something and he gets to figure out how to make it happen. Poor Pastor John.....

So on with the show....lucky for Pastor John he's off today, too bad for husband cause that means he gets to figure out how to make all my bright ideas look great. It's sooooo much fun decorating for Christmas......

It's Thanksgiving!!

You know what that means? It means Christmas is just around the corner!!! Yea!!!! I'm so excited.

Now, far be it for me to downsize the Thanksgiving Holiday. And it's not that I'm not thankful. I am. I have lots and lots to be thankful for. It's just that Christmas thrills me. Like way down deep inside. I love the Christmas spirit.

Christmas is the one season of the year that is focused on Jesus. I know, there are many out there who would argue that "they're trying to take Christ out of Christmas". But whatever with their negative outlook. So what if "they" are? Whoever "they" is!!

"They" cannot take away the Christmas spirit. You know, that feeling you get when you watch a family who is down and out get blessed. That feeling when you walk in a room decked out with Christmas decorations. That feeling when the family sits down to read the Christmas story. And what about the feeling when you think about Santa and what he represents? (no, we don't believe Santa is real, but in my opinion Santa is a real part of Christmas!!) And of course there's the feelings that come with having the family home, together in one place. There are so many things to be thankful for during the Christmas season.

So, for me, Christ will never be taken out of Christmas. He is Christmas. Without Jesus, it's just another day, just another gift.

What's one of your favorite "feelings" at Christmas?

Here's another one of mine. I love to spend Christmas at the lake. I always hope to be snowed in the day after we arrive and then let it be melted off by the time we leave!! :-) All the Christmas lights sparkling off the water. The snow glistening. Fireplace glowing. Ahhhhh...what a lovely time of year....

Too much fun...

What an incredibly exciting day. I just don't know how much more exciting it could get. I just found out that we have three choices to provide heat to our house this year.


Repairs to our more than 20 year old unit--$1200


Brand new unit--$4750



Space heaters--$400


Needless to say, my husband is totally stressed out about this whole situation. But hey it could be worse. We could not have options at all. We could be going without heat all together right?

So what would you do?

Amazing

Some time ago, I suggested a blog to my readers, In The Throne Room. Today I just wanted to say how this woman, Gigi, amazes me. She has such a sweet spirit, it just emanates from her blog. I don't know how she accomplishes this, but she does!

She recently lost her husband to cancer (just over a week ago). And although she is not saying much in her blogs, that same sweet spirit is still there. My spouse is still living, so I have no idea what she must be experiencing, but I can try to imagine the heartache she must feel. And yet even in the midst of what I assume must be very painful she continues to exude peace.

Of course I know she finds her peace by looking to God and believing his word. I also know not everyone in this world does that. I was looking at some of the atheist blogs yesterday and happen to read about someone dying and the post/comments were so bitter and bland. Even though an atheist wouldn't even consider looking to what they call our imaginary friend. I am so thankful I choose to believe in the One True God. There is nothing in all the world that could convince me He doesn't exist and He doesn't love me. I believe my friend Gigi, even in her time of sorrow, would say the same thing.

Have a great day!

Gigi--we are praying for you!!