Fa La La La - Ah CHOO!

Well, I am sick with a cold. Got all the symptoms: constant runny nose, watery, itchy eyes, stuffed head, wee bit o achiness, sore throat.......yay. Oh well, at least I got a great hubby and teenager to take care of me.

I was fine Monday -- even ran 2.5 miles. Tuesday it hit me so fast and I am trying to not let it get worse as we are headed to my mom's Christmas afternoon. Plus I really want to go to the Christmas Eve Service at church tonight. I always love church on Christmas Eve and have had pangs of missing my old church Immanuel in VA.

I wanted to blog earlier but I've been busy with Christmas! This past Saturday we went to Danny's family for their annual Christmas get together. Then we dropped off Michael with his mom. We won't get to see him until 1/04 which is a bummer he won't be spending our first Christmas as a family together.

I can't believe Christmas is HERE. I guess we all say it every year. I swear next year I'm getting started BEFORE Turkey Day. Speaking of turkey, I'm attempting to cook my 2nd turkey ever for dinner tonight. I LOVE turkey and since we spent our Thanksgiving with the Scudders, we didn't really get leftovers. Anyway, my plan is to make turkey, stuffing, sweet potato casserole, green beans, cranberry sauce, and mashed potatoes. We will be bringing all the leftovers to my mom's to have again for Christmas dinner. This is to ensure a safe edible dinner. Plus she will have ham. There just better not be a Christmas Peking Duck.

RANDOM THOUGHTS

Top 3 Most Annoying Christmas Songs EVER:
1. Christmas Eve in Washington
I'm sorry, but is Washington, DC really "America's hometown"????

2. Christmas to Remember
Hooking up with a stranger in a ski chalet makes this a "Christmas to remember"??

3. Christmas Shoes
Such a blatant manipulative emotional use of a dying mother.

Cake Decorating Class Status:
Its over. I have learned my suedo dream of becoming a professional cake decorator was unrealistic. Too much prep work and my eye hand coordination thing isn't as good as it use to be. My teacher said I have talent, but seriously when your rose looks more like a head of cabbage than a rose, one ought stick with decorating cookies.

What I Want For Christmas:
I want everything and nothing. I had the wedding of my dreams, WHAT really could possibly top that for Christmas?
Its been a great to see Lauren exhibit the same gift giving qualities as me. Gift giving is a love language and is not always synonymous with generosity, but she has had a very sweet generous heart this season.

Christmas Cards:
We are obviously not doing Christmas cards this year. I usually do an online Christmas card, but with a blog, there doesn't seem to be a reason to "update" people. Anyway, we had one friend call us with a "Christmas Call" instead of a card. It was a financial decision to save on 100 plus stamps. Smart move! Its a sign of the times. We have only received 4 Xmas cards anyway. I'm feeling the love :)

So Merry Christmas to all of you out there who love and pray and keep up with us. Merry Christmas to all of you who have known us for years or just a couple. You know who you are, you know you're special to us and you're important in our lives. You know that our lives are richer and fuller because you are in our lives.

Philippians 1:7-11

It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart; for whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God's grace with me. God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus.

And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God.

Say It Ain't So Joel

"Evangelical megachurch pastor Rick Warren, author of The Purpose-Driven Life, will deliver the invocation at Barack Obama's inauguration next month, the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies announced today."

Well, yay.

I just don't understand. I thought Joel Osteen would have been a much better choice. Or why not even Victoria Osteen? Dr. Phil? What about Oprah?

Repeat after to me: "Moving to Canada is not an option. Moving to Canada is not an option."

My Wise Friend

Proverbs 14:1
"Every wise woman builds her house, but the foolish one tears it down with her own hands."

One of the things God has always blessed me with is good and godly female friendships. My female friends are indeed the jewels and treasures in my life.

Today I was mulling in my head the various struggles and issues that I am facing as a mother and a step-mother. I called my high school friend Catrina. She home schools 3 boys and has taken in a friend's teenage daughter as a 4th child. I knew she could give me a little perspective.

But it wasn't a little perspective, it was a deep well of wisdom. And I drank with much thirst. I so appreciate a wise woman. A woman humble enough to share her faults and brag about the grace and mercy and intention of God in conforming her to Christ. Catrina had a spiritual and practical answer for every one of my issues --- it was such an encouragement to me.

I will credit her husband Nate too who I know also encourages in her daily efforts to nuture, train, and grow her family. She also has to be reminded of the big picture regularly because like me, and many moms, we get distracted by the daily little "dramas" or mishaps or unscheduled happenings.

Is the life I am providing this child the best for this child regardless of seeing or not seeing "results" from this child? Am I remembering to submit to God's authority to serve and love and pour out grace regardless of this child's appreciation or lack of appreciation?

Are my eyes on the seeds I can plant and NOT looking at the soil impatiently for the seeds to finally sprout?

It came down to this: I am a farmer. I am here to plant seeds of Christ in my children. I am not here to force those seeds to grow. If they start to grow, I am here to provide the environment and relationship to nuture it. But plant, plant, plant. Its a good thing I look so cute in overalls.

Plant honesty. Plant service. Plant grace. Plant selflessness. Plant sacrifice. Plant joy. Plant patience. Plant mercy. Plant compassion. Plant dependability. Plant peace. Plant kindness. Plant wisdom. Plant gentleness. Plant forgiveness. Plant, plant, plant.

Yes, I am to plant the seeds of Christ. But I am also to grow the seeds that are already in me too. No point in planting if the seeds in me aren't growing and blooming and bearing fruit.

Thanks Cat.