First Sunday of Advent

"Look!  The virgin will conceive a child! 

She will give birth to a son,

and he will be called Immanuel (meaning, God is with us)." 

Matthew 1:23

Emmanuel, Emmanuel

His Name is called Emmanuel

God with us

Revealed in us

His Name is called Emmanuel

(lyrics by Bob McGee)

How glorious this is! 

Because He is with us, we do not have to be afraid.
Because He is with us, He will aways protect us.

Because He is with us, we can rest securely.

Because He is with us, we are never alone.

Because He is with us, His help is always available.

Because He is with us, we always have Someone Who will listen.

Downtown Lighting

Tonight as darkness fell, the community gathered to light up our city park and acknowledge the beginning of the Christmas season.

I love living in small town America where we don't have a problem gathering together and singing the whole songbook of Christmas carols and songs.  Seriously, we sang 14 (!) of them by candlelight.

  

By the end I felt a bit frozen, but happy.

Giving Thanks, Day Twenty-Five

Thanksgiving Day, Itself.

What better reason to feast -- gratitude!

"Being enriched in every thing to all bountifulness,

which causeth through us thanksgiving to God." 

2 Corinthians 9:11 (King James Version)

Giving Thanks, Day Twenty-Four

Evenings at home.

I love the end of the day.

I love putting my jammies on early.

  I love spending the evening just relaxing and winding down. 

I love evenings spent sequestered away in the comfort of my home

and in the company of my family. 

Giving Thanks, Day Twenty-Three

My dishwasher!

 Though this isn't my kitchen, my dishwasher looks just like this one. 

I know that there are those who just love washing dishes by hand.  I know that there are those who don't believe that dishwashers are good for the environment because of their water usage (depends on how you hand wash, of course) and the detergent used.  However, I feel that having a dishwasher is one of my most bountiful blessings!

I do not like dishes sitting in the sink.  With a dishwasher, they can hide until time to be washed. 

I like knowing when I'm cooking that it is okay if I use an extra utensil or bowl because it isn't making "extra" work. 

I really dislike paper plates even for larger parties, so I am so glad I don't have to wash ALL those dishes. 

I like the idea of my dishes being sanitized.

I love the sparkle of cut glass and crystal straight from the dishwasher.

One last reason.  Because as much as my husband loves me and is such a fantastic man and does so many things for me, this has never happened:

Edited to add:  He most definitely has helped with the dishes.  I just cannot imagine the above scenario!

 

Giving Thanks, Day Twenty-Two

Haircuts!

 August 2009

November 2010

Giving Thanks, Day Twenty-One

Dedicating Our Children to God

What a privilege!  Yesterday, Joel and Sarah-Kate dedicated their newest children to the Lord.  It is something that we take seriously and is not just a routine, ritual, or formality.  Joel and Sarah read vows to their children and Pastor/Papa blessed them.  Pastor/Papa charged their parents, their brothers, the godparents, the grandparents, and the congregation.  He gave Deonte and Rhema a little Bible and charged Joel with reading and teaching the Word to them. 

"Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward." 

Psalm 127:3

Of course, we also had a great reception/celebration/party afterwards.  We are so thrilled to have Deonte and Rhema in our family! 

Giving Thanks, Day Twenty

School Thanksgiving Programs

I haven't been to one in a few years.  If this photographer had held the camera a bit more secure, she would have cute videos to bore you with share, too, but she doesn't think you want to see the camera zoom in and out of focus.  So much so that it would make you dizzy.  But, they did sing the cutest songs about obedience and gratefulness.  I'm sure most of you have been to such programs and so know just what you're missing.  :-)

Giving Thanks, Day Nineteen

YOU!

What would I do without you?  You, my friends, my family, my inspiration, my motivation, my buddies!

I wish I could invite you all over for a big ol' piece of gingerbread cake that just came out of the oven.  We could laugh and talk and just get to know each other a bit more than we might already.  If you live far away, I wish you didn't.  If I've never met you, I wish we would.  If you live close, let's find a way to get together.  If I know you well and we haven't seen each other in awhile, then I expect we'd better see each other soon! 

Whoever you are, thank you for coming by and reading.  You bless me.

Giving Thanks, Day Eighteen

CUTENESS.

I was perusing pictures on my laptop and thought of two wonderful things to be thankful for today: 

1) that we can actually have all these wonderful pictures stored and able to be viewed at just a push of a button, and

2) that so much cuteness abides in my family!  To make my point, here are just a few pieces of evidence from my 2005 folder:

See, I told you! 

Giving Thanks, Day Seventeen

Isaiah 53:2-6

(The Message)

The servant grew up before God—a scrawny seedling,

a scrubby plant in a parched field.

There was nothing attractive about him,

nothing to cause us to take a second look.

He was looked down on and passed over,

a man who suffered, who knew pain firsthand.

One look at him and people turned away.

We looked down on him, thought he was scum.

But the fact is, it was our pains he carried—

our disfigurements, all the things wrong with us.

We thought he brought it on himself,

that God was punishing him for his own failures.

But it was our sins that did that to him,

that ripped and tore and crushed him—our sins!

He took the punishment, and that made us whole.

Through his bruises we get healed.

We're all like sheep who've wandered off and gotten lost.

We've all done our own thing, gone our own way.

And God has piled all our sins, everything we've done wrong,

on him, on him.

Giving Thanks, Day Sixteen

Does this ever happen to you?

If so, you need

Static Guard!

Do you know about this wonderful stuff?  This spray has saved the day for me many, many times.  Especially in colder weather.  I don't know the why's of that, but I can leave the house looking fine, but by the time I've scooted in and out of the car, I'm walking into church with my clothes sticking to themselves and to me.  So, I keep Static Guard on hand.  I even keep a can in the church office!  (So TRC ladies, if you ever need it, just holler!)
 
You can use it preventatively, too.  Spray your pantihose, your slip, and your clothes.  Works instantly. 

Good stuff.

 



Giving Thanks, Day Fifteen

Our down comforter.

(overstock.com)

This isn't our bed, nor the exact comforter.  We did buy our from Overstock.com,

but I do not know which one it was from the myriad of comforters they offer.

We stayed at the SeaVenture Hotel in Pismo Beach as part of my 50th birthday bash six years ago.  It instantly became one of my favorite hotels.  Fireplaces in each room and your own private hot tub on the deck.  Breakfast in bed.  But what really made it my favorite favorite was the bed.  I had never slept in a bed so cozy!  Our bed at home was comfortable, but not this comfy!  I determined to go home and make our bed just as cozy! 

I think I accomplished it.  I bought a memory foam mattress topper which I encased in a zippered pillow case-type cover of which the top was a feather bed.  Then came the sheets, of course, and then covering it all, a down comforter with a wonderful feeling cotton duvet.  (I can't remember fill power or thread counts.  Not too high, not too low, but just right.) 

I love being all cuddled up and snuggled down in our bed now. Which, it so happens, is where I am writing this!

Giving Thanks, Day Fourteen

Little Things.

Did you realize that if you stop to pick up a penny, you've just made the equivalent of $36 per hour?  [It takes about a second.  60 (seconds in one minute) x 60 (minutes in one hour) = $36.00]  That's a decent wage! 

It's all the little things in life that add up.  So often we wait for the big things in life to show up that we totally miss the little things.  But, it's the little smile, the kiss on the cheek, the early morning sun, brand new fuzzy socks, sitting next to a cozy fire, yes, the little things that add up to a happy contented life.  And when we realize that, we realize that we have the important things.

And if you pay attention to the pennies, you'll find you have the dollars!

Giving Thanks, Day Thirteen

Chocolate.

No words needed.