True Love... Jack's Journey

If you're not from the Pacific Northwest or a beach comber, you might not recognize what these are. Any guesses? Agates! Agates are a semi-precious stone and they come in all colors, shapes and sizes. Agates found at the ocean are often unique from God's own stone tumbler - waves. My family has been looking for agates about 100 years now. Some are more obsessed than others (I think I fit in the middle). My Aunt Marilyn and Uncle Doodlebug love to hunt for agates and awhile back Marilyn told Jack that when she went on their next trip, she'd bring him home a gallon bag of agates.

True to her word - ONE GALLON ZIPLOC BAG FULL OF AGATES! Sorry to shout, but my lifetime supply of agate hunting could maybe fit in two gallon ziplocs or maybe even a gallon and a quart... but never on one trip and never did I dream of giving away all those that I found. But Marilyn did.

Love is not self seeking. That's what we read in 1 Corinthians 13. Don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to canonize my Aunt! But what an incredible work of love she gave to bring joy into Jack's life, which at the moment probably seems pretty weary. His goal now is to find that many himself! :-) Or at least a few beauties like the one above.

I think that the whole gift is so amazing because most collectors hoard and do not share, even if they are kind and generous people otherwise. And it struck me how we all have different gifts. We are studying Job right now in Sunday School, so I've been thinking a lot about the things we do and say when someone is suffering. Many people are gifted in ways that allow them to serve and help and some of us aren't sure what to do. Or, I think sometimes we are immobilized by thinking that we don't have the gift we should. We think we should have the gift of nursing and don't even think that giving agates is a gift. Perhaps there were 9 nurses/nurturers/caregivers (all of whom are appreciated!) and only 1 agate giver - would not that one brighten the day?

For me, the lesson learned is that there are many ways we can give and be used by God and that I should not put Him in a box thinking it can only happen in certain ways. Does that make sense? I know what some of my gifts are, but they don't always seem practical or I don't think they are like other people's gifts. They are not. They shouldn't be. God has given me my own gifts and in Ephesians, Paul tells us that He created good works for me to do even before I was born! I don't have agates to give to Jack. Well, I do, but I'm not gonna! :-) LOL And that's okay. Because God isn't asking me to be Marilyn. He's asking me to be me!

So, what's my job now? I think I'm the squeaky wheel... will you grease me? My job is to ask for PRAYER!

Please pray for Jack. Tuesday is his last radiation treatment. When I talked to him today I asked him how he felt and he said, "Like I'm in the middle of a battle." All that poison of the chemo and radiation takes it's toll on a person. And the side effects don't stop with the last treatment. Please pray for relief from dry heaves and other ill side effects. Ask the Father to be restoring his body, healing it, mending it, rejuvenating him. There will be about a month for his body to recuperate before chemo begins again. I will keep you all posted.

Thank you! Jack and Ruth thank you! We love you! Please keep praying!

Ishmael - Chronicle One - The Unseen

My friend Heather, who used to live right down the road and was such an encouragement to me during my infertility treatments, move away from me, the stinker! :-) Besides being an awesome friend, scrapbooker, Sister in the Lord and homeschooling mom of three, Heather is an author. I'm so proud of her I could burst! You see, Heather just won a short story writing contest!

Go check out Ishmael here under the pen name, Eisley Jacobs.

Normally I would turn my head away from a story about angels. Most people write about them like children's fairy tales or extensions of Narnia or Rivendell, but not Heather! She respectfully presents angels in what I would consider a "theologically correct" way and her story keeps you wanting to hear more. The angel combats evil through the Word of God in much the same way that Jesus gave the example to us. So, even though the story was about a NICU emergency (Warning to those who may be sensitive to the experience of infant medical emergencies, this may be difficult to read. For those who have sensitive hearts, break out the kleenex!), I felt there was a subtle lesson to the Believer that we should know the Word of God so that it can be ready on our tongue in times of spiritual battle and so that it can renew our minds and feed our soul.

Way to go Heather! I look forward to hearing and reading more from Eisley Jacobs!

Another Resurrection Day Layout

I love this background paper with the birds from Jean Daugherty's Easter Song Kit from Heritage Scrap. We have a lot of birds here and I thought it was fitting with the kids' green and lavender outfits. I also loved the pussy willows... reminded me of Grandma Hopkins. Auntie Grace used to cut it for her and she would keep it in a cut crystal vase on her desk or on the table in front of the mirror. It's a part of my childhood spring memories.

He Is Risen

We celebrated our first holy day in our new home today. It was so nice to be able to go out in the backyard to take pictures instead of trying to find an uncrowded spot in the house with a plain background. I created this layout using Traci Reed's Promising and He Is Risen Add-On kits from Sweet Shoppe. I apologize that it is a little blurry. It was a huge file and I had to reduce the quality to be able to post here. (The original is clear).


Left to right Sunshine, Boogie and Princess. This is just outside our back door. The Calla lillies are blooming.

I couldn't decide which one Grandma and Grandpa would like to see best so I decided to include several! You non-Grandparents will just have to endure! lol

They do adore their big brother, can you tell!?!

A vertical one so Grandma can see the dresses. I don't usually dress the girls alike and in fact, much of the time they do NOT want to be dressed alike. I follow their lead. Occasionally they insist on everything being EXACTLY alike. We try to embrace both their uniqueness as individuals and the blessing of their twinship. One of the ways recently they have wanted to be different is that Princess wants her bangs cut and Sunshine wants to grow hers out long with the rest of her hair.

Shelley, you would not believe how easy this photo shoot was! The easiest we have ever done. Five minutes and out the door to church! No tears. No screaming. It was a miracle! lol

Sunshine has two bottom teeth missing, Boogie has two top teeth missing and while processing these photos we discovered that Princess lost her first tooth, on the bottom.

It was a nice family day together, first church and then lunch. Nothing fancy as we are still settling. Just being together was a blessing.

I have so much to catch up on here at the blog, but that will take some time as well!

God Is In Control

The last few days, the "you know what" has hit the fan in regards to our new home. I'll spare you all the gory details, but suffice it to say that we have been struggling under the consequences of other peoples' actions and the injustice of some of the situation has felt unbearable. Today everyone is working towards unraveling a big knot. Last night I had a good cry out, which relieved some of the tension and was good. In the car on the way to church last night, I felt God telling me to go find my 1993 Twila Paris CD "Beyond a Dream" and listen to "God Is In Control". I called Tim and had him look for it and have listened to it several times. The words are so encouraging and God reminded me not only that He is in control, but that He also, years ago gave me a vision for our home and ministry. As we have prayed about the situation, we can't help but think that the enemy, who prowls around like a lion seeking whom he can kill and destroy, isn't trying to trip us up and make us focus on ourselves and negative things instead of what God actually is doing in our lives. No matter how it seems... God is in control - Thank you God! And to you be the glory, whether or not we get this house!




God Is In Control
by Twila Paris



This is no time for fear
This is a time for faith and determination
Don't lose the vision here
Carried away by the motion,
Hold on to all that you hide in your heart
There is one thing that has always been true
It holds the world together

(chorus)
God is in control
We believe that His children will not be foresaken
God is in control
We will choose to remember and never be shaken
There is no power above or beside him
We know, ooh, God is in control
Ooh, God is in control

History marches on
There is a bottom line drawn across the ages
Culture can make its plan
Oh but the line never changes
No matter how the deception may fly
There is one thing that has alays been true
It will be true forever

(Repeat chorus)

He has never let you down
Why start to worry now
Why start to worry now
He is still the Lord of all we see
And he is still the loving Father
Watching over you and me

Watching over you
Watching over me
Watching over everything
Watching over you
Watching over me
Every little sparrow, every little king
Ooh, every little king

(repeat chorus)

Blast From The Past - Jack Update

I found this photo when I was looking for high school friends to post on Facebook. It's a pretty bad photo but I had to laugh. This is Jack and I in 1988. I was at the end of my medical assistant training and was learning how to draw blood. I'm practicing with a tourniquet, trying to find Jack's veins for a blood draw! Back in the 80s if you wore glasses you didn't have to have OSHA goggles or shields to draw blood! LOL Look at those things. They could be windshields! These were my FAVORITE glasses! Burgandy and nerdishly cool! :-) It looks like I'm calf roping Jack and neither one of us are thrilled with Mom interrupting with a picture. I'm also wearing my favorite concert tshirt from Steve Camp, not that you can see it, but I wore that thing to threads. It was from the song "He Covers Me" and had a black pen drawing of a huge tree with a person sitting at the base - the idea is the tree is sheltering just as He shelters and protects us. Isn't that great to know?!



Oh Lord, I feel so barren and ashamed of who I am
How I often felt I hid it well, it is a lie I cannot defend
So I lean upon Your mercy as I confess my sin to You
There is no easy way, no saving face, when I finally see the truth
So let my life be filled with only You


Chorus:

I know someday I will be free
The weight of sin shall be released
But for now He covers me
And though the trials never end
I've learned to take them as my friend
For each day He covers me


Sometimes the pressure builds around me and I feel about to break
I suffer painfully from wrongs done to me but vengeance isn't mine to take
So let me glory in my weakness till Your strength's revealed in me
It is Your grace alone that helps me carry on to be the man I long to be
So let Your life be perfected, Lord in me
Until it's You they see.


CHORUS


And though heartache surrounds me
I know Your love is around me
Nothing can separate me from You
And I know it's true


repeat CHORUS and fade

Artist: Steve CampCopyright: 1986 Birdwing Music (ASCAP) / River Oakes Music Co. (Tree Group) / Sparrow Song (BMI>


Not only was Steve Camp a "hot commodity" in the mid to late 80s contemporary Christian music scene, but I related to him on a personal level because as a teenager he lost his Dad to cancer. Having lost my Dad my senior year, just 6 weeks before graduation, I felt very isolated. Even in college I had great friends, but only one of them could understand what that was like. When Steve sang about learning to count his trials as a friend because God covered him during that time, I could believe Him and my faith was strengthened. I knew when Steve sang it, he meant it and it was true!

Okay, that ended up longer than I thought. Both Mom and I have really been comforted during this stressful time by songs of faith that remind us just how much He loves us and how we are not alone and how no matter what God is covering Jack.

Thanks to everyone who was praying for Jack's appointment on Friday. They had a very good visit with an awesome radiation oncologist who took time to answer a lot of questions about things in general as well as the specifics of the radiation therapy. Radiation won't begin for about two months because chemo will be the first round of business.

This coming Wednesday, Jack will be meeting with the medical oncologist who will be overseeing the chemotherapy treatment. Please keep this in prayer too. After Wednesday we will have a clearer picture of what is happening and hopefully a schedule.

Jack is doing quite well with his surgery recovery. Thank you for praying! It is a whole new adventure discovering what he can eat and how they can make it taste better. His sister Kris is a skilled nurse and is pampering him! :-)

If you are local, Jack is up to short visits and phone calls. He does get tired easily, but has a little cabin fever and misses his "faces"!

Please pray that Jack's body will continue to grow strong and that God will prepare him for his upcoming treatments.

We appreciate all of you!

Wonderful, Miraculous News

Our friend Luanne had surgery on Monday to remove a tumor on her kidney and the kidney itself. She was told that over 90% of these tumors are cancerous. Yesterday the pathology report came back NO CANCER!!!! PRAISE GOD!!!! Yes, I am shouting! I am so excited!!!

The reason why there is a picture from my wedding (that's my Mom Ruth) is that Luanne and her husband Ron were two of the many "angels" from our wedding. Luanne did the adjustments and altering on my dress and she and her husband helped us decorate the social hall and donated some of their poinsettias which we used for decorations in the church. Our wedding would not have happened without all our angels, and it was proof that you can have a lovely wedding without spending $20K or more! (counting the dress, tuxes and photographer it was less than $2k and it may not have been the grandest but there were 300+ people and LOTS of LOVE - it cheers me just to think of all those who gave of themselves to make our wedding happen!)

Thank you God for your hand on Luanne's life.

Joy In The Mourning - Songs on Sunday (Long Post)

It has been awhile since I have posted Songs On Sunday, but today I want to share some pieces of my journey and how God met me today. Maybe someone else out there is or has been feeling like I am. Depression is a very touchy topic amongst Christians. Many don't believe it is a valid diagnosis and think that if you are depressed you aren't trusting in God. Their solution is "Read your Bible, say a prayer, get off your bum and get going." Well, sometimes that is not bad advice, but one size does not fit all!



My depression is complicated by my migraine syndrome, insomnia and the same hormonal issues that caused my infertility. I can be having the happiest day of my life, but my body feels physically depressed and I want to cry. My neurologist explained how pain and serotonin use the same pathways in the brain. That's why I almost always have severe depression 24 hours before a bad migraine. This fall the pain from my knee has compounded that. Add to that a few stressful situations and sadness and grief and the combination has been overwhelming! Probably for the same reasons my neurologist explained, I cannot take anti-depressant medications because they cause scary hemiparethic migraines (my face, mouth and lef arm go numb and I have painful headaches!). It's important to say for my family reading, that I am NEVER suicidal. And my focus on God is probably stronger that it ever has. But I have no control over my feelings. It's a continual exercise to tell myself that what I feel is not how things really are. One of the most difficult things with depression is that unless you have experienced it, you DO NOT understand! You might think you do, but trust me, you do not. I'm glad you don't because that means you have not suffered.



Spiritually, I believe that the enemy uses all things to pull us away from God. If a Christian succumbs to depression, what a triumph for our enemy. If depression keeps us from praying and communicating with God, what a triumph for our enemy. If it keeps us from praising God, what a victory for our enemy. I have Victory in Jesus. And in even the depths of intense emotional pain, I know that He is there with me. He did not create my body to respond this way, but it is the result of sin in our world. However, He will not abandon me. He will not forsake me. He walks every step with me. So, even when I cannot smile on the outside, there are moments of JOY when He speaks to me through music, His Word and the books I am reading.



Today our pastor quoted Soren Kirkegaard and it is fitting: "Despair is precesly to have lost the eternal." I do not despair. I have a priceless eternal gift and the Eternal watches over me.



I've shared this Third Day song before, but it is still speaking to me.



Chorus:
Your love, oh Lord
Reaches to the heavens
Your faithfulness stretches to the sky
Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains
Your justice flows like the ocean's tide


I will lift my voice
To worship You, my King
I will find my strength
In the shadow of your wings
Chorus



His love reaches to the heights of the Heavens and also to the depths of depression. I do find my strength in the shadow of his wing - One foot in front of the other.



In December I was chosen to be on the first quarter Creative Team at Faith Sisters for digital scrapbooking. They are beginning a challenge for 2009 - His Holy Name which will focus on the different attributes of God. It is being sponsored by Patter who happens to be the Mom of identical triplets! She is an incredible designer.



Most participants are using 6x6, 8x8 or altered Rolodex cards. Those who have paper scrapped with me, now I have a difficult time being confined! LOL I am doing 12x12 double page spreads and the scrapbook is to be determined. But I'm starting on the layouts now along with the challenge. I didn't need one more thing to do this year. But. Focusing on WHO God is, is a good thing. When you are depressed and sad and facing stressful situations or even if you are happy and everything is going well, it is better to focus on WHO He is and NOT on your circumstances. This will give me the oomph to keep putting that one foot in front of the other!



I didn't feel inspired and wasn't sure where I would start. Then I saw Cheryl's layout featuring a Bible that has been in her family since 1883! It's gorgeous. I was inspired to do my layouts featuring my Grandma Hopkins' Bible. This is the right hand side of the first challenge for the attribute, Holy....

In the church where my Grandma married, the old Methodist Church on Colby in Everett, WA, there was a window with an arch and it said, "Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness." She shared this with me several times and it really touched my heart. She believed, as do I, that making a Covenant of marriage with a Godly man, is an act of worshipping God. I know that sounds strange (NO, I don't worship my husband!), but think about it... God created us to marry and he created marriage as a HOLY COVENANT between a man and woman (that's not shouting, just emphasis). Obedience is a form of worship. Somehow I understood this in my girlish heart and spirit, even when my mind was too young to comprehend all that it would mean. So, when discussing the attribute of holy, this naturally came to mind. And the page features a wedding photo of my Grandparents, Alden and Holly (Tisdale) Hopkins, who were married June 2, 1930. You can see her writing in the margin of the Bible.

This is the left hand side, which is where I will journal my ideas and thoughts about His holiness and what that means to me. (If you want to see the full credits, you can see in the Faith Sisters Gallery. While you are there check out Shelley's layout - it's her first digital layout and I talked her into joining me. I should have convinced you too Dorothy!

Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty!

I picked up this journal in December as it was so beautiful and it was based on the song Amazing Grace, with quotes and Scripture inside. I didn't know what I was going to do with it, but I couldn't leave it in the store.

I decided to write my spiritual life story. It is good to know and remember all that God has done in our lives. As an older in life Mom, one of my dreams is to live long enough to see my children grow up and choose God in their lives. I want to be able to pass on to them the rich spiritual heritage that my Grandma and family gave me. It would give me no greater joy than to see them spiritually mature. Reality is, we don't all have our dreams come true. So, I'm writing this down... for my own good and profit, but also for them. I thought the quote on this page was good. A love of quotes... another thing I got from Grandma! :o)

Today, as Pastor Mike continued through his series on Abraham, he taught about Sarah's death. Some people think that Christians will not have struggle and that because God loves us we don't have to worry about bad things happening to us. This is a false gospel. God never promises we won't suffer, in fact there are many Scriptures that indicate we WILL suffer. But God promises to be with us in these struggles and He gave the Holy Spirit to be with us to comfort us in all our struggles.

Just like Abraham never fully saw the completed promises of his Covenant with God, but still believed He would fulfill them (Abraham purchased a lot in the Promised Land for Sarah's burial, believing that even though it had not happened yet, it would be his land and the land of his descendants.), we know that God will complete His promises to us even if they do not occur here on Earth. All God's promises will be fulfilled.

Others were tortured and refused to be released, so that they might gain a better resurrection. 36Some faced jeers and flogging, while still others were chained and put in prison. 37They were stoned; they were sawed in two; they were put to death by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated— 38the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, and in caves and holes in the ground.
39These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised. 40God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect. Hebrews 11:35b-40

He further shared with us that God's people believe that the promises of God extend beyond this life.

13Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. 14We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. 15According to the Lord's own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. 18Therefore encourage each other with these words. I Thessalonians 4:13-18 (Bible Gateway)

As I sat in the pew, hearing this Scripture, I thought of my brother Danny and Amy's Joshie and thought "Oh Lord, I long to hear your trumpet sound!" and tried to picture them, wondering what they would look like when they were called to meet Him. Then Mike said, what I have felt and known in my heart all along, that it never says NOT to grieve, but when we grieve to grieve in hope. It has long comforted me that Jesus wept when he learned of Lazarus' death and that in the Psalms He says that the death of His saints is precious to Him... He is mindful of what we go through. But we grieve in HOPE! Our hearts may be broken but can be mended through hope and faith in God's promises for the future.

This past year Steven Curtis Chapman and his family experienced the incredible tragedy of losing a child they love dearly. Little Maria was killed when she ran out to meet her brother and was hit by his vehicle because he could not see her. They were shoeless at her packed memorial service, because God met them there on Holy Ground. Matt Redman was there to sing this song he wrote. And as Jack faces a battle of Cancer, it is difficult not to weep when I read "You give and take away". I have hope for Jack's healing, but the very fact that he faces this battle brings to the forefront the fact that NONE of us know when we may die or why or how. A few in history have been told by God how and when they would die, but for the rest of us, we are given the responsibility to LIVE our life each day. From the great wisdom of the movie, Wall E, we believe, "We don't want to 'survive', we want to 'live'"! Because we believe in hope and wait in hope, we can praise His Holy Name in all circumstances!

Blessed Be Your Name

by Matt Redman- - -

Blessed Be Your Name

In the land that is plentiful

Where Your streams of abundance flow

Blessed be Your name

Blessed Be Your name

When I'm found in the desert place

Though I walk through the wilderness

Blessed Be Your name

Every blessing You pour out

I'll turn back to praise

When the darkness closes in, Lord

Still I will say

Blessed be the name of the Lord

Blessed be Your name

Blessed be the name of the Lord

Blessed be Your glorious name

Blessed be Your name

When the sun's shining down on me

When the world's 'all as it should be'

Blessed be Your name

Blessed be Your name

On the road marked with suffering

Though there's pain in the offering

Blessed be Your name

Every blessing You pour out

I'll turn back to praise

When the darkness closes in, Lord

Still I will say

Blessed be the name of the Lord

Blessed be Your name

Blessed be the name of the Lord

Blessed be Your glorious name

Blessed be the name of the Lord

Blessed be Your name

Blessed be the name of the Lord

Blessed be Your glorious name

You give and take away

You give and take away

My heart will choose to say

Lord, blessed be Your name

Though the darkness closes in, though there's pain in the offering, STILL, I will say, blessed be the Name of the Lord.

If the darkness closes in on you, do not turn away from the Great Physician. Lean into Him, cleave to Him, be protected in the Shadow of His Wings. Praise Him in the darkness. Remember there is a time for every purpose under Heaven. Perhaps I am in a season of grief, but joy comes in the morning. And if you are looking, Joy can come in the Mourning. And maybe not today, but some day, I know His promise will be fulfilled that He will give me the oil of gladness for my mourning.

So, I leave you with one more picture, Scripture and song...

My Grandma Hopkins lived in the Truth of Isaiah 53. He comforted her in her grief at losing her Husband so early (age 56)... Surely he has bourne our griefs and carried our sorrows. By His stripes we are healed. And I know that promise holds true for me. That promise holds true for Jack. And that promise holds true for YOU if you love the Lord your God with all your heart. Draw near to Him and He will draw near to you. He's always good on His promises!

I don't know if this link will work to You Tube, but if not google "video Spafford It Is Well With My Soul" and you will find it. The story of Horatio Spafford is incredible and his hymn has long comforted me:

When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,

When sorrows like sea billows roll;

Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say,

It is well, it is well, with my soul.

It is well, with my soul,

It is well, with my soul,

It is well, it is well, with my soul.

Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,

Let this blessed assurance control,

That Christ has regarded my helpless estate,

And hath shed His own blood for my soul.

It is well, with my soul,

It is well, with my soul,

It is well, it is well, with my soul.

My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!

My sin, not in part but the whole,

Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,

Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!

It is well, with my soul,

It is well, with my soul,

It is well, it is well, with my soul.

And Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight,

The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;

The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,

Even so, it is well with my soul.

It is well, with my soul,I

t is well, with my soul,

It is well, it is well, with my soul.

And though the darkness descend, it is well with my soul. Though it threatens to draw me in, I can bless and praise His Holy Name. He is the God of all the Universe and He has called me Friend.

Life is deep and simple and what our society gives us is shallow and complicated. (Fred Rogers)

Remember the 80s? CHOOSE LIFE! That's what it all boils down to. Life and Death. The enemy offers us death. He offers a culture of death... look at tv, music, fashion and the fixation we have with violence and crime and our flirting with the occult because of the dead - it's everywhere. God offers Life.

Congratulations if you made it this far. I hope that you have found some nugget of inspiration or encouragement. Thank you for all your comments and prayers! You are important to me!

Catching Up - Boogie's Solo

Sorry I have not been posting lately. There has been a lot going on in our family and I have also been focusing on some projects with digital scrapbooking. I thought I would try to start tonight, to catch up before it was June and I still hadn't gotten December's pictures posted!

First we start with our kitty Abbie and the boxes from Aunt Shelley. They came in the mail a couple weeks ago (and were opened finally tonight!) and Abbie considers herself the official guard!

On Sunday December 21st the kids had a concert at our church. Sunshine and Princess are showing off the new skirts I made them. As you can tell they were intended to be warm weather clothes but I was a little slow getting them cut up. They love them however.

They also love their big brother Boogie. Unfortunately he was feeling pretty rotten the day he was supposed to sing with a sore throat and congestion. You can tell in the pictures he doesn't have his usual charm in his smile. Poor guy.

Here's Boogie in his new church outfit. On the armoire behind him is an ornament he made in church a couple years ago. Instead of getting out the nativity this year, we hung that up on the knob. Then we he came across his Washington State Ferry boat that he got with Grandma and Grandpa this summer, he wanted to hang it on the other knob! I thought Grandma and Grandpa would want to see that.

Here is the group of kids singing during first service. He sang both services. The girls were going to sing. Princess was very excited about it as we practiced. But Sunshine was too shy. When she decided that she didn't want to go up on the stage, Princess just lost heart. She didn't want to go up without her sister! It's a twin thing - no arguing with that. So they sat with us and sang in the pew, which shows up on the video that Hubby took - priceless! They sang What Child is This, The First Noel and Joy To the World.

On the left is Boogie's friend G who along with E had a duet for one stanza of The First Noel.

At first Boogie didn't tell us that he had a solo, so I was surprised. He nonchalantly says, "Yeah, I signed up for a solo." It turns out he had a really hard stanza:

Then entered in, there Wise men three

Full rev'rently on bended knee

And offered there in His presence

Their gold and myrrh and frankincense.

The phrasing is a little peculiar, but he did just fine in spite of the croaky sore throat. I was really amazed. You couldn't pay Hubby or I to do that! LOL Before hand he was a little nervous. Afterwards I asked him if he was nervous or afraid when he was up there singing and he said he wasn't. The picture above is him singing the solo.

Afterwards we had a delightful "sermon". As I wrote earlier, we honor and study the significance of Christ's birth (even if it is highly unlikely to have occurred 12/25), but we do not celebrate Christmas per se. So, sometimes we don't feel comfortable with Christmas sermons. I have to say that this, while quite unusual, was one of the more meaningful Christmas sermons I have heard.

Pastor Mike has been doing a series on the life of Abraham and Sunday he acted out Abraham giving Isaac as a sacrifice, correlating this to God giving His own Son as the Ultimate Sacrifice. It is a powerful image and I believe that God allowed this to occur so that we could, in human terms, understand a little, the significance of God's Gift. Without giving His Son, first as a little baby, then sacrificed on the cross as a full grown man, we would be in eternity without Him. His cost was emotionally dramatized before our eyes as we considered Abraham's faith in offering Isaac.

Here Pastor narrates, as Abraham, the events leading up to offering Isaac.

Pastor placing Isaac (our friend L) on the altar. He jokingly said that when he lifted the dagger to sacrifice him, he covered L's eyes, because he didn't want him to have images of his Pastor raising a dagger above him! We all rejoiced as Isaac/L was released! A friend of mine had a blog called Ram In The Thicket, which sadly, she stopped. She chose the name because it reminded her of how God always provided for her. That image has stuck with me. Ram in the thicket. My God always provides for me. Not always what I want, when I want or how I want, but always on time and always the right thing. Thank you Lord that You have provided for so much!

I'll end with a picture of our Sunday School teachers A and C. C will have baby N on 12/29 and he will join big brother M. Our children adore M even though he is several years younger.

Go Sell Crazy Somewhere Else, We've Got Enough Here - Or Songs On Sunday For Jack

I saw that title on a scrapbook page. It seemed fitting. Today Jack, this post is for you. Please print it out to read for your encouragement and as a verbal hug, when we are separated by distance. We love you!

Today I did not go to church because I am at the stage of migraine where being near people is difficult, so I wondered what I would write for Songs On Sunday. While my thoughts are focused on praying for Jack and as he will be receiving prayer and anointing for healing of his cancer by the Elders and Pastor Cameron at church, I was encouraged by these things.

The first is a devotional that my friend Margaret at Heritage Yarns, called The Valley of Vision: A Collection of Puritan Prayers and Devotionals, compiled by Arthur Bennett and published by The Banner of Truth. The following is from page 102, but I am not sure if Blogger will allow the phrasing correctly (Sorry Blogger is not playing nicely, so I can't get it to quit squishing everything together!)

Need of Jesus

Lord Jesus,

I am blind, be thou my light.

ignorant, be though my wisdom,

self-willed, be thou my mind.

Open my ear to grasp quickly thy Spirit's voice,

and delightfully run after his beckoning hand;

Melt my conscience that no hardness remain,

make it alive to evil's slightest touch;

When Satan approaches may I flee to thy wounds,

and there cease to tremble at all alarms.

Be my good shepherd to lead me into the green pastures of thy Word,

and cause me to lie down beside the rivers of its comforts.

Fill me with peace, that no disquieting worldly gales

may ruffle the calm surface of my soul.

Thy cross was upraised to be my refuge,

Thy blood streamed forth to wash me clean.

Thy death occurred to give me a surety,

Thy name is my property to save me,

By thee all heaven is poured into my heart,

but it is too narrow to comprehend thy love.

I was a stranger, an outcast, a slave, a rebel,

but thy cross has brought me near,

has softened my heart,

has made me thy Father's child,

has admitted me to thy family,

has made me joint heir with thyself,

O that I may love thee as thou lovest me,

that I may walk worthy of thee, my Lord,

that I may reflect the image of Heaven's first born.

May I always see thy beauty with the clear eye of faith,

and feel the power of thy Spirit in my heart,

for unless he move mightily in me,

no inward fire will be kindled.

Keep on, Keeping on Brother! :o) No matter the outcome, nor the challenges, keep pressing on toward your upward calling in Christ Jesus!

Jame Owens Collins, a praise, prayer and song warrior, wrote this song, hold on to the Truth!

In heavenly armour we'll enter the land

The battle belongs to the Lord

No weapon that's fashioned against us shall stand

The battle belongs to the Lord

We sing glory and honor

Power and strength to the Lord

(repeat)

The power of darkness comes in like a flood

The battle belongs to the Lord

He's raised up a standard, the power of His blood

The battle belongs to the Lord

When your enemy presses in hard do not fear

The battle belongs to the Lord

Take courage my friend, your redemption is near

The battle belongs to the Lord

Cancer is NOT God's good and perfect will. Cancer is a result of the fall, sin, death, a tool of the enemy. We are reminded not to fear the enemy that hurts or kills our bodies, but to beware of the enemy who steals the soul. We know One who is victorious. Be encouraged by the BRAVE journeys of your sisters, Elaine and Nancy, who have traveled this path before you. Do everything HE calls you to humanly do and leave the rest in His hands. Do not survive - LIVE! Remember Elaine's purple hair! Remember Nancy's "fleas"! Remembered that by His stripes you ARE healed. Live in reality but listen to the TRUTH and His peace, which is beyond measure and comprehension will flood over you and sustain you. Live each moment for Him. We're here to be your cheerleaders, your soggy shoulders, your prayer warriors, your family and your friends. No one has a bigger heart for helping others than you. It's our turn to thank you. We love you!!!! We robustly sing to you:

I heard an old, old story,

How a Savior came from glory,

How He gave His life on Calvary

To save a wretch like me;

I heard about His groaning,

Of His precious blood's atoning,

Then I repented of my sins

And won the victory.

Chorus

O victory in Jesus,

My Savior, forever.

He sought me and bought me

With His redeeming blood;

He loved me ere I knew Him

And all my love is due Him,

He plunged me to victory,

Beneath the cleansing flood.

I heard about His healing,

Of His cleansing pow'r revealing.

How He made the lame to walk again

And caused the blind to see;

And then I cried, "Dear Jesus,Come and heal my broken spirit,"

And somehow Jesus came and bro't

To me the victory.

Chorus

O victory in Jesus,

My Savior, forever.

He sought me and bought me

With His redeeming blood;

He loved me ere I knew Him

And all my love is due Him,

He plunged me to victory,

Beneath the cleansing flood.

I heard about a mansion

He has built for me in glory.

And I heard about the streets of gold

Beyond the crystal sea;

About the angels singing,

And the old redemption story,

And some sweet day I'll sing up there

The song of victory.

Chorus

O victory in Jesus,

My Savior, forever.

He sought me and bought me

With His redeeming blood;

He loved me ere I knew Him

And all my love is due Him,

He plunged me to victory,

Beneath the cleansing flood.

No matter the outcome of your earthly battle (which I hope is also won!), I know the war is already WON. I commit you into His Will with HOPE. I love you Jack.

Faith on Friday - Handling Stress

My friend Christine sent this to me via email. I don't know who else to credit for this list of good ideas. This is historically the most stressful time of year for people and I thought this had some good ideas for dealing with the stress from a Godly perspective.

Personally, I know that if I am overwhelmed (and there isn't a legitimate reason - looming deadline, life tragedy etc), it is a cue for me to spiritually evaluate. Stress doesn't come from God. Stress comes from me and/or the way I interact with other people. 9 times out of 10 when I feel this way, my time alone with God reading and talking to Him has diminished or vanished. I think this is the cause in the Holiday season too. Yes, there is a looming "deadline", but we also fill our time with plans, shopping, events and a list of "have tos" that most of us could at least cut in half. We're doing this for a "good cause", but if we are that overwhelmed, we may need to ask ourselves if we truly are. Anything that causes us to cut our time with God should be evaluated for removal purposes!

Hopefully you will find something on this list that will help you. And if anyone knows the source, please let me know so I can credit them! Thanks.

Read number 35 so that you can accomplish numbers 27 and 28! It worked for me! :o)



A CHRISTIAN'S WAY TO REDUCE STRESS
Author Unknown Dec 4 2008

1. Pray
2. Go to bed on time.
3. Get up on time so you can start the day unrushed.
4. Say No to projects that won't fit into your time schedule, or thatwill compromise your mental health.
5. Delegate tasks to capable others.
6. Simplify and unclutter your life.
7. Less is more.. (Although one is often not enough, two are often toomany.)
8. Allow extra time to do things and to get to places.
9. Pace yourself. Spread out big changes and difficult projects overtime; don't lump the hard things all together.
10. Take one day at a time.
11. Separate worries from concerns. If a situation is a concern, findout what God would have you do and let go of the anxiety. If you can'tdo anything about a situation, forget it.
12. Live within your budget; don't use credit cards for ordinarypurchases.
13 . Have backups; an extra car key in your wallet, an extra house keyburied in the garden, extra stamps, etc.
14. K.M.S. (Keep Mouth Shut). This single piece of advice can preventan enormous amount of trouble.
15. Do something for the Kid in You everyday.
16. Carry a Bible with you to read while waiting in line.
17. Get enough rest.
18. Eat right.
19. Get organized so everything has its place.
20. Listen to a tape while driving that can help improve your qualityof life.
21. Write down thoughts and inspirations.
22. Every day, find time to be alone.
23. Having problems? Talk to God on the spot.. Try to nip smallproblems in the bud. Don't wait until it's time to go to bed to tryand pray.
24. Make friends with Godly people.
25. Keep a folder of favorite scriptures on hand.
26. Remember that the shortest bridge between despair and hope is often a good "Thank you Jesus."
27. Laugh.
28. Laugh some more!
29. Take your work seriously, but not yourself at all.
30. Develop a forgiving attitude (most people are doing the best they can).
31. Be kind to unkind people (they probably need it the most).
32. Sit on your ego.
33. Talk less; listen more.
34. Slow down.
35. Remind yourself that you are not the general manager of the universe.
36 . Every night before bed, think of one thing you're grateful for that you've never been grateful for before.


-- The church is not where we go or what we do - It is who we are!

Forget-Me-Nots On Thankful Thursday

Daniel "Danny" Albin Johnson (1967-1973) and Dorothy "Dot" Larimore Johnson (1920-1987) photo taken December 1969.


One of the projects I am looking forward to working on in the coming year, with my newly acquired digital scrapbooking skills, is a book honoring my little brother Danny. He was a delightful little soul with a smile and twinkling eyes that warmed any room.

The hardest part of losing someone young is that eventually your whole life goes on without them and the portion of your life that you shared with them becomes incredibly small. Just as skyscrapers seem impossibly small in the distance, someone who was once a HUGE part of your life seems nearly completely gone. I loathe this process, at the same time my rational brain knows that it is "normal". Somewhere along the line, I promised myself I would NOT forget him. I want my Hubby and children to know who he was so that they too will rejoice in our Heavenly reunion.

Forget-Me-Nots are precious to me, because they remind me of the times that Danny and I picked blue, white and pink forget-me-nots in my Grandma Hopkins' garden. They remind me to remember. Twice yearly, on Danny's birthday and death date, these little posts are my forget-me-nots. They are not to wallow or dwell on my grief. They are tributes to remember. Yes, I do still carry some sadness because losing someone you love is not something you "get over".

So here is my Thankful Thursday list:

1. I am thankful for my brother Danny and the joy we packed into a short period of time.

2. I am thankful for photographs to cherish when the visual memories otherwise fade.

3. I am thankful for my children once again, who just passed the exact ages my brother and I were at the time of his death. I delight to hear them wake up each and every morning, even on days like today when they wake up with, "Daddy! I wet the bed!" LOL

4. I am thankful for our gentle dental hygienist Melissa who gave Boogie another positive dental experience today.

5. I am thankful for my SIL, also on her own journey of grief after losing a child, who willingly drove an hour to watch the girls while I took Boogie to the dentist.

6. I am thankful for having learned how to make bread this past year because my family loves it!

7. I am thankful for blogging, which has helped me in both my grieving and personal journeys.



Go HUG someone you LOVE!!! None of us know how long or short of time we have. LIVE every minute. Like Steven Curtis Chapman sings... la, la, la, la, la, la, LIVE OUT LOUD!



I'll leave you now with one of my favorite Amy Grant songs...


Up in the attic,
Down on my knees.
Lifetimes of boxes,
Timeless to me.
Letters and photographs,
Yellowed with years,
Some bringing laughter,
Some bringing tears.



Time never changes,
The memories, the faces
Of loved ones, who bring to me,
All that I come from,
And all that I live for,
And all that I'm going to be.
My precious family
Is more than an heirloom to me.



Wise men and shepherds,
Down on their knees,
Bringing their treasures
To lay at his feet.
Who was this wonder,
Baby yet king?
Living and dying;
He gave life to me.



Time never changes,
The memory, the moment
His love first pierced through me,
Telling all that I came from,
And all that I live for,
And all that I'm going to be.
My precious savior
Is more than an heirloom to me.
My precious Jesus
Is more than an heirloom to me.

Family Time and Thank You Commenters

This is my crew on Thanksgiving night. We planned our big meal mid day, then Hubby popped a big bowl of popcorn and we had that and apple pie for dinner! Don't tell your kids we have pie and popcorn for dinner - we live in a small place (as evidenced by how close the couch is to the tv armoire) - there just wouldn't be room for everyone who would love to have pie and popcorn for dinner! LOL

Here's Boogie, Princess and Hubby enthralled by Wall E! It has a good clean story line (no pun intended!) that is interesting to both adults and children and as usual with Pixar, if you were a young person in the 80s you'll find lots to laugh at! And if that movie doesn't convince you that recycling is important, NOTHING will! :o)

Here's Hubby and Sunshine engrossed in the plot. The dress of the evening was PJs!

This fall Hubby has been working one full time job and three part time jobs so we have enjoyed every possible moment we can with him. One of his part time jobs is on break and one will end in December due to budget cuts. That will be hard on the budget, but it will be good for Hubby's health and our family health. I don't know how families with two working parents can manage to have any sane family time during the week. When we don't have it, we feel like we are going through the motions, the proverbial "ships passing in the night". How do marriages survive that on an ongoing basis? I know some people say they survive because they don't see each other, which is laughable on the surface, but sad when you let the truth sink in.

Hubby and I both came from "broken" homes. Our experiences in childhood have made us more protective and cautious of our behaviors as parents. We know exactly what children can absorb from their parents' behavior and how young, much younger than most adults realize. God designed families as a way to bless us, to share His love with us and to pass on His Ways (see Deuteronomy 6, some of which is quoted in my side bar). No wonder families are so attacked today. The enemy knows that it is an effective way to teach the next generation about God and to enjoy deep satisfaction and peace in the midst of a chaotic and sinful world. Families are especially attacked in my state.

Even when we come from our background and love God with all our hearts, this is not an easy task. We are human, we get exhausted, both Hubby and I have autoimmune disorders that effect our energy levels and our children's energy levels never drop until they pass out at some point in their beds at night! No sweet, dainty little home schooled girls in our home. I'm beginning to see God's wisdom in giving us three children and not more - the three we have keep us running!

So, this year we have been convicted to be more proactive in our family. We have begun eating together for dinner as much as possible. This may sound like a given, but until recently we had been having a kid meal and an adult meal. Our girls now eat most of what we do. Boogie is another story, as you can see by the banana he *chose* to have in lieu of Thanksgiving dinner! We didn't make a big production, we just started doing it. Our children are delighted and tell us repeatedly each time we eat together, how much they enjoy it. We are trying to establish a pattern of communication now so that when they are teenagers or go through other difficulties, talking together as a family won't be a foreign idea. Since I am home with the kids all day, it is interesting for me to hear what they tell Daddy about their day. It's a good barometer for the effectiveness of my educating skills and ideas. Usually there is at least one chuckle.

Like this one...

Boogie was whining. I asked him if he thought he would "survive" (sarcastically). Sunshine pops up and says, "We don't want to 'survive', we want to 'live'!" (The captain says this in Wall E) :o)

In several places online lately, I have read about how having a family devotional and/or worship time together in the evening is beneficial, not only in the obvious kinds of ways, but also in establishing the father as the head of the home.

I read cautiously some of these teachings because I feel that sometimes it goes overboard where the father becomes a kind of idol or the mother becomes a total door mat. Neither of these scenarios are God given, but He did establish an hierarchy whether modern women choose to accept that or not. Ephesians clearly states that the father is the head of the home. Because I am a strong, independent and, yes, stubborn woman, this is the one area of my marriage where I am constantly praying to the Father, asking Him to transform in me. It's not that I consciously usurp my Husband's authority, but the experiences of my childhood accompanied by the length of my singleness and facets of my personality, mix together in a "take charge" persona if things need to get done. My Hubby is incredibly wonderful and when I usurp his authority, I cheat myself of the blessings that come when he fulfills his role of loving me as Christ loves the church.

But that's a whole other blog post!

When I read about how family worship time lead by the husband re-establishes a healthy headship of the man it made sense. My children are with me all day, looking to me for direction in all things. Then Daddy comes home - if I continue to lead the family throughout the evening they will naturally assume that I "control" our family. That will not only effect our children now, but in their own families in the future! How will my son know how to be a strong and gentle leader in his own family? How will my girls learn how to lovingly and humbly serve their husbands and families if I don't show them? Family worship is a time of bringing us all back together, "resetting" our rhythm as a family, if you will.

This is a great time, with Advent and Jesse devotions daily, to establish this pattern and we hope to continue after the celebration of Christ's birth with a neat book we found that was written by one of Billy Graham's daughters for family devotions. (Sorry, I can't think of the title right now!) At this point, our children are excited to be together. We rarely, if ever, watch tv, so our evenings are mostly free. We will have to work out a schedule when Hubby has to teach evenings again, but this shouldn't be too hard. I expect that now we will be challenged some way in setting aside this time for family because that's usually what happens when the enemy finds you doing something that strengthens your faith!

I know most of my readers are experienced Moms and I would love to hear from you any advice on establishing family devotions and worship, meal time communication and the things you have found helpful in walking in your God given roles as wives and mothers. And I should add that I love your comments even if you aren't "experienced Moms". :o)

And that leads me to a BIG THANK YOU to everyone who commented on my controversial Christmas post. You were all so gracious, both on the blog and off. I especially appreciated my Mom's comment because she grew up in what I would consider a legalistic home and has celebrated nothing, celebrated full blown with Santa and all and now come full circle to a "hybrid" so to speak. What I may not have fully expressed is that we have chosen not to totally cut off and do NOTHING. We aren't blind to the world and the culture around us. And like my Mom pointed out, Christmas is a time of incredible opportunity to touch others, both personally and in service opportunities. We are choosing to celebrate Christ's birth (since the world already is), we are just not choosing to celebrate Christmas or perpetuate the lie that he was actually born 12/25. Does that make sense? I don't like to post controversial posts and hate conflict. I would like my blog to be a welcome and restful spot on the web, but I'm extremely concerned about being genuine, truthful and faithful to God. What He thinks about me is more important than what anyone else thinks about me! Christmas was exploding all around me and I felt I needed to say how I feel and believe. Please don't feel that I am here to judge you. Some of you, I know in real life, but most of you I don't. Each and every one of you is a blessing, regardless. So, from the bottom of my heart, THANK YOU for your kindness. I am supposed to be doing a "white tornado" clean up right now, so I can't answer all the great comments probably until Thursday or Friday, but I will! I appreciate you!

Advent, Christmas and the Whole Holiday Enchilada

It will not surprise you that I consider myself to be in love with Jesus. Don't worry, my Hubby's okay with this! :o) He is too. But, it may surprise, shock or even anger you to know that my family does not celebrate Christmas. Phew! There, I said it. Even if there weren't so many pagan connections to Christmas (do a web search if you are unaware of this), I don't see much that glorifies God during this time. A lot of people consider my ideas legalistic, but truly I am not. I am saved by grace alone and I don't own the corner market on the truth. I get things wrong all the time. Daily. However, I feel I have a responsibility to act wisely when confronted by the Truth.

Mind you, I'm not a Grinch. There are many beautiful things about the season. When I was in the grocery store our city's opera was caroling - it was like being in Heaven. I treasure memories of decorating the tree with my Mom, watching for Santa while my Grandma Johnson held me to the window and opening presents with several family members that are now in Heaven. In spite of nativities, church services, giving for special needs and so on, there really is not much focus on Jesus. We find this sad. And why do people choose to think of the needy, homeless, poor and ill during one month when there are twelve on the calendar? I don't understand this.

In our lives...

Children happened.

The Holy Spirit happened.

We started listening and thinking and growing and changing.

As a new family we wanted to make traditions of our own while leaving a heritage of Truth to our children. It was unthinkable to lie to them, so we have always told them the truth about Jesus, about Christmas, about Santa, about God's plan for our lives.

Since the World encroaches around us and even in the Church (universal, not just mine specifically), we have chosen this time to explain the real reason that Christ was born. Without His miraculous birth (which was not likely December 25th), which fulfilled many Messianic prophesies and qualified Him to be the Lamb, unblemished and without spot, He could not have been the sacrifice to pay for our sins. Without His miraculous birth He could not have been resurrected to bring us new Life! (We don't celebrate Easter either, but that's another blog post.) The birth of Jesus was so Extraordinary, Magnificent, Spectacular and Miraculous that God created a star display that was so incredible, wise men could follow it on a long journey to find Him. Angelic choirs could not contain the bursting glory in their hearts as their proclamations rang out to Shepherds - the every day men that this Baby came to save.

So, this is the Good News we want to share with our children. We have chosen activities to make the season fun, but meaningful. Each year we are adding and changing things to find the right fit for our family. Some of our activities have nothing to do with His birth directly - like we go to our local zoo every Christmas Eve because they have a free day for families. We enjoy His Creation together. We still join family who celebrate Christmas and we don't thump them over the head with our Bibles! LOL Family is one of the nicest (though sometimes complicated) gifts God gave us. As the children grow older we hope to involve our whole family in serving others on Christmas Day. What better way to show that we love Him than to "do it for the least of these"? Already they are excited each year to do Operation Christmas Child boxes and deliver home baked goodies to the neighbors, none of whom know Him.

If you visit our home, you won't find a tree, but you may hear some music. There won't be mistletoe, but we'll give you a hug and a kiss (only if appropriate!). We're not excited for the arrival of Santa Claus, but we expectantly await Jesus' birth. There is great Joy in our hearts and we will share it, along with the cookies that most people would leave for Santa! :o)

Do our children miss Christmas? No, not really because they have never celebrated it. Initially it was difficult for me because building family is VERY important to me, but now I rarely look back. I have FREEDOM! I do not need to be Martha. My house doesn't have to be upturned and rearranged. I only shop if I *want* to. We don't have to worry about going into debt to buy presents. We can choose the invitations and activities that are meaningful and eliminate much of the unnecessary stress of the holidays. Wow, I can exhale.

I know 99.9% of you do not agree with me and that's okay. Only the Holy Spirit can convict you of the Truth and it's His voice you must follow, NOT mine. I'm not going to be ranting and raving about this all month, so don't worry! LOL But, as I looked around at all the seasonal lovelies in the blogosphere, I felt it would seem strange that mine would be comparatively empty. So, I'm trying to fill my emptiness with His Light. I always welcome comments even if they differ from mine, please just remember to be KIND! Thank you.

So, that brings me to Advent, which is not new to me but new to us as a family. We are also doing a Jesse Tree this year (minus the tree) using Ann Voskamp's ebook, also found here. There is a devotion for every day November 30-December 25, taking the story of Jesus from Creation all the way through. I really like how this teaches a continuity in God's plan, not just that Jesus was dropped into the middle of history without purpose or reason. I have always loved the story of Anna, the Prophetess in Luke, who was promised to see the Messiah before she died. Wow, she must have been an amazing woman, and think how excited she was when she discovered His birth! So, we are looking forward excitedly!

If you haven't found Ann's blog, A Holy Experience, please visit for a quiet respite during this busy time! Her post, Finding Christmas, really touched my heart and served as a great reminder about slowing down for the important things. I think that this post carried great reminders for Mommies who are often exhausted and weary because of all the things we think are important - but the little ones and little things often have eternal consequences. It always helps to gently be placed back into perspective. The photography on Ann's blog drew me in, but the writing kept me coming back. And if you are an educator, check out her book/ebook, A Child's Geography. It's great!

Thank you for joining me as I sort out my thoughts!

Church And Starbucks?

What If Starbucks Marketed Like The Church?

(hat tip to Miss Jocelyn)

I read a little bit on the website of the video producer and don't know much about them. The word "marketing" leaves a bad taste in my mouth. LOL Probably I'll step on some toes here, but I've never been for all the different "programs" and "goals" etc that various churches have to draw others in. Instead I would rather have the pastor and leaders in the congregation disciple me in how to live a REAL life so that others see Jesus in me.

Programs come and go but the Gospel is forever. I haven't arrived their yet, but one of the things that has been on my mind is that old phrase, "If you were accused of being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you?" Honestly, I think I could be convicted of being a Christian, but it's the condition of my fruit that concerns me! Because of that, I have decided to study in the New Testament all the ways that Paul, James, Peter, John and others described that we should be living as Believers and evaluate whether I am applying those in my own life. Last night I started with Galatians after thinking about the Fruits of the Spirit. I'm looking forward to seeing what He has to say to me, even if some of it makes me cringe and say "OUCH!"



16I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. 17For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: "The righteous will live by faith." Romans 1 NIV Biblegateway.com