I love Christmas #2

Claude didn't really see much need to put up a Christmas tree and decorate the house up since we won't be here for Christmas. But, somehow he understood just how much it meant to me so he pulled all the stuff out of the attic space and hauled it downstairs for me! I just adore that Man!

I love having a fake tree...I loved having a real tree. But, all in all, I love my fake tree better. It's just so convenient! When I'm ready to put it up, I don't have to go pick one out from Home Depot (NEVER LOWES!!! Got one with worms in it one year...NEVER AGAIN!). It's me, whatever works the most efficient. Besides, I got the tree 6 years ago from Walmart for $25!!! How can u beat that?!? A 7 1/2ft tree for $25 that I can use again and again!!!!!!

Anyway, I think it looks pretty real! And, I have a Yankee Candle that is evergreen/spruce scented so the house still smells like a tree is inside!

What do you think?!?

We love it!

Friends from Discovery Church gave this to us last year! Isn't it beautiful!?!

Thank U, Gar & Stacy!

"My" nativity scene! I know, I know...it looks like a child's toy. I just thought it looked so simple and yet it tells the story so beautifully!

OK, now for the ornament of the day:

This ornament is a door...the door to our new home in North Carolina, the door to a new life, the door to a new church, and the door to the new path that God gave us 4 years ago.

It symbolized so much for me that first year. I was excited, anxious, sad, happy, lonely...there were so many things happening and I just missed my family (especially during the holidays!).

God was faithful! He is still faithful! He will always be faithful!

So, the ornament means alot to me because of the MANY new doors that were opened that first year here!

I love Christmas time!

One of my favorite things to do is decorate for Christmas! It was always something we did as a family when I was growing up! Mom and Dad would get the tree up, then we'd each put ornaments all over the tree. We had lights, tinsel, ornaments, and sometimes garland!

I loved it!

Well, even though we don't have any children to pass this holiday tradition to, I want to keep doing that with my family (Claude!). So, I put the tree up and he helped with the lights. Then, I put all the ornaments that I've collected in our 15 years of marriage all over the tree!

I decided to blog ones that are special to me over the next couple of weeks.

I hope you enjoy it!

This was our very first ornament! "Our First Christmas Together - 1994".

A dear sweet lady at the job I had when I met Claude gave this to me right after we were married! A tradition I've started for myself is that THIS ormanent ALWAYS goes on the tree first!

I can't believe that throughout fifteen years of packing and unpacking, this porcelain ornament hasn't broken! It's sentimental to me because the lady who gave it to me was like a grandmother to me at work! She gave good advice, Godly counsel, and was always willing to lend an ear when I needed it! When I lost that job, she called me at home to make sure I was alright! Thank you, Clarice Harvey, for making an difference in my life!

Just another manic (poopy) Monday!

Ya ever have one of those days when you think it would've been smarter to just stay in bed?!?

So, I woke up this morning with church stuff going around in my head.  We have ALOT of things we are hoping to accomplish by the end of the year (mostly techno/financial stuff). 

I got my Bible and started reading Philippians.  I love Philippians!  It's such an enouraging book!  So, I read Philippians 4 and it talks about rejoicing in the Lord always.  Little did I know that God was gonna echo that back in my head the whole day!

So, I woke Claude up to go to the gym.  While waiting on him to get ready, I decided to put away the clean dishes out of the dishwasher.  I dropped a bowl from a top shelf and broke it all over the kitchen counter.  I didn't realize til later, but pieces of the bowl fell into the garbage disposal.  Yea, that was fun!  Apparently a piece was lodged in the disposal.  It was not pretty.  

Went to the gym and wasn't feeling well.  I think I'm trying to get sick.

Came home and realized we didn't have any milk or cereal to eat.  Made a sandwich with the last of the bread.  (Waiting for payday stinks!)

Went to work on several projects for church.  Just had a hard time focusing.  Another reason I think I'm getting sick.  

Got alot done (at least I think I did!).  Stopped around 3pm and vegged out for an hour then Claude went outside to put up my Christmas lights so I went out to help him.  

All day long, little things kept challenging me.  Things that would normally be nothing were enough to bring me to tears.  What's up with that?!?

With each thing that happened today, I kept seeing Philippians 4's words...Rejoice in the Lord ALWAYS.  

Thank you Lord for the good and the not so good things that come my way.  Each one of them are opportunities to rejoice in You.  So "...again, I say REJOICE"!

Blessed!

Just wanted to say Happy Thanksgiving to all the family and friends that we have across the country!  

To our friends in Florida, we miss you.  We love ya'll and feel so blessed by God for each one of you!  

To our families in Florida, we can't wait to see ya'll over the Christmas holiday!  We love you!

To our friends in Kansas, we are rich to call you our friends!  We miss you all so much!  We love you!

To our friends in North Carolina, thank you for making 2009 a truly fantastic year!  We love you!

To our Discovery Church family... words aren't enough to tell you just how much we love and appreciate you!  We praise and thank God daily for each of you and for the blessings you bring to our lives regularly!  DC ROCKS!!!!!!

We hope that you have and your families have a safe and happy day today!  Take some time out from eating turkey to reflect on all of the wonderful things in your life to be thankful for!

It's Weird

It's weird how the older I get, the more nostalgic I become! It's also weird how the older I get, the more I realize just how precious family is. We are never guaranteed the next day with our loved ones. We are not given a promise that everyone will be together the next holiday. I am realizing how precious those moments with family are.

I talked with my Mom this evening. For those who didn't know, my grandmother (the same one who was in the hospital while Claude's brother was in a coma) broke her hip last week. She's 93 years old. She went to the hospital, they told her nothing was wrong. She went to a different hospital a couple days later and the x-rays showed she broke her hip. So, they did surgery and she's out doing well in her recovery. However, she's getting worse with her dementia; so being in a place that is NOT her home is very disturbing for her. My parents and my aunt & uncle are taking turns going up to the hospital and sitting with her so that she is not alone for too long.

It's times like this that I feel how quickly time flies by. My grandmother...

She's always been feisty and stubborn (probably where I get it from!). She's always been a very determined woman who alway knew her own mind. She raised 5 kids and has countless grandkids, great-grandkids, and great great-grandkids! (WOW! What a legacy!!!) I have distinct memories of sitting with her every Sunday morning in the back row of our church! My mom was always in the nursery on Sunday mornings so we always sat with grandma! I have such wonderful memories of her and our families getting together for holidays and bbques! It's an awesome blessing to have that!

Pray for her and her recovery. Pray that she heals enough to get moved to the rehab facility. Pray for my parents and my aunt & uncle as they share this honored burden of caring for her.

I told my Mom that I would be able to help if I didnt live so far away.

OK, I hear u Mom..."Be still and know that I am God".

Prayer changes things!

I've never been a "Prayer Warrior". I know several folks who are, but I can honestly say that it's not my strength.

However, I'm constantly learning how much I rely on God's grace and His mercy when I pray! He's always constant in His love for me. He has never let me go thru anything unnecessarily! Now, don't misunderstand me, I've gone thru things. But, in everything I've gone thru, I've come across someone who's going/gone thru it too and they needed someone who could understand and sympathize! Most of the time, I learn a great deal more from those folks than they learn from my experience! Isn't it amazing how God works?!?

So, I totally believe in prayer and the power behind it! I know that people pray for me and it's obvious by how God moves and works in my life! So, I'll say...let me pray for others the way that I know others pray for me!

God's blessings!

I've been reminded, yet again, by my wonderful friends how gracious and wonderful my Lord is!

He's blessed Claude & I with so much. The friends He's given us here in NC are AWESOME! I never thought I'd have such warm wonderful ladies here like I had in FL! Thank u Lord for your beautiful way of showing ur love through my Godly Christian ladies!

Lora, Laci, Kim, Chris, Hazel, Terry, Lisa, Diane, Amy C, Amy W, Laura, Suzanne...

So many wonderful ladies of Discovery Church! Too many to mention!

My fantastic FL friends who encourage me on a regular basis!

Mary, Cindy, Diona

My sweet KS friend who is the epitome of a Godly wife & mother!

Kathy!

The wonderful family that I have here in NC and back in FL! I'm blessed to get along and actually love my mother-in-law! I have a FABULOUS mother who LIVES OUT Proverbs 31's virtuous woman! I have a wonderfully sweet sister-in-law that I couldn't have chosen better if I'd been given the chance! BTW...congrats to Phil & Sarah on the news of baby #6!!!!! I am so excited for you! I love you both! I have a Wonderful father who has ALWAYS done his very best to love and provide for his family! He gave me the solid Godly foundation that I grew up on! There is no price and no words for how much that means to me! I have a terrific older brother that I adore. I wish he and his wife would move back to the US!!!

Thank you so much Lord, for the beautiful life you've given me. Help me to remember how much I love it when things go crazy!!!