Hostess

We hosted our first family Holiday at our house yesterday. We had Christmas Eve with mimi, pop pop, grandma, auntie niece, uncle andy, auntie Angela, uncle John, uncle mike, auntie J, uncle J, auntie B, uncle E, parker, kent, uncle rich, erika, nico, gigi, and of course mommy, daddy, and you. We had beef, mostacholi, homemade cavetell, veggie casserole, chicke parm, and many appitizers and dessert including a candy buffet.

First we met with just my immediate family. Pop pop read the Christmas story as you, Parker, and Kent (well at times kent was eating chips at the table) sat on his lap. A great memory for me!

We had a great time and mommy did't want it to end. We tried to put on the Christmas play and pop pop played Joseph. It was so funny...pop pop was a great sport about it.

You little one love to play with your cousins. You don't actually play with them...you tackle them instead. You love it though.

I love how now that you are here and almost 2...what was our family traditions you are able to experience yourself.

Needed to read

With change and transition most likely in our future, it was fitting for me to read this today....from crosswalk.com

The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month. For nothing is impossible with God." "I am the Lord's servant," Mary answered. "May it be to me as you have said." Then the angel left her.

As believers, we must learn the meaning of surrender. When God places a call on your life, there is no room for questions or hesitation. Is God calling you to some specific task? Are you willing to surrender all to obey Him? You must simply say, "I am the Lord's servant. May it be to me as you have said." Take with you the very valuable lessons of surrender, compassion, obedience, and love displayed in the Christmas story.

I want to be like Mary the mother of Jesus. Have the Lord ask me to do something and me be more than willing to do it.

Overload

Too much on my mind and too much going on right now to be able to sort through and write any thoughts down.

Blurb

My cup runneth over with blessings!

lower part of my body

my feet always hurt...I wish I could hire someone to rub them for 1/2 right before bed. For sure then I would have a great night of sleep!

_________________ CHRISTMAS

I received this email from a friend today. I thought I would post it on here. It made me sad to think how life is as a Christian now in today's world, and how much harder it will be for Blake to be a Christian in his schools as he gets older. I will for sure be saying Merry Christmas this season!

Twas the month before Christmas*
*When all through our land,*
*Not a Christian was praying*
*Nor taking a stand.*
*See the PC Police had taken away,*
*The reason for Christmas - no one could say.*
*The children were told by their schools not to sing,*
*About Shepherds and Wise Men and Angels and things.*
*It might hurt people's feelings, the teachers would say*
* December 25th is just a ' Holiday '.*
*Yet the shoppers were ready with cash, checks and credit*
*Pushing folks down to the floor just to get it!*
*CDs from Madonna, an X BOX, an I-pod*
*Something was changing, something quite odd! *
*Retailers promoted Ramadan and Kwanzaa*
*In hopes to sell books by Franken & Fonda.*
*As Targets were hanging their trees upside down*
* At Lowe's the word Christmas - was no where to be found.*
*At K-Mart and Staples and Penny's and Sears*
*You won't hear the word Christmas; it won't touch your ears.*
*Inclusive, sensitive, Di-ver-si-ty*
*Are words that were used to intimidate me.*
*Now Daschle, Now Darden, Now Sharpton, Wolf Blitzen*
*On Boxer, on Rather, on Kerry, on Clinton !*
*At the top of the Senate, there arose such a clatter*
*To eliminate Jesus, in all public matter.*
*And we spoke not a word, as they took away our faith*
* Forbidden to speak of salvation and grace*
*The true Gift of Christmas was exchanged and discarded*
*The reason for the season, stopped before it started.*
*So as you celebrate 'Winter Break' under your 'Dream Tree'*
*Sipping your Starbucks, listen to me.*
*Choose your words carefully, choose what you say*
*Shout MERRY CHRISTMAS , not Happy Holiday !*

Duhhhhhhhh it's all about knowing Christ

I try and workout weekly. It's more of a hassle when I am expecting my monthly visitor. I dreaded working out this past week, but in doing so would release some stress. I decided this past week when I was working out I would take along my Parent Magazine to help bypass the time. As I began to go on the PreCore, I took out the Parent Magazine and started to read it. I came across an article about Mothers and how to reduce their stress. I had a pretty tough week last week, so I was eager to read what they had suggested in this article. They listed two things in there that totally hit home to me and I realized, did I really need a secular magazine article to tell me how to reduce stress? The two things they listed were:
1) Go in your car and meditate by yourself = hmmmm might that be praying?
2) Always be thankful it helps take your mind off of what is going on
around you = isn't that scriptural ( 1 Thessalonians 5)

I was put into my place by realizing that when I am stressed to remember to still have my quiet time with the Lord to rejuvenate and refresh me and to have the mindset that there are so many things I have been blessed with and need to be thankful for. But then I also realize that a secular magazine was talking about the Lord and the Bible and they didn't even realize it. It saddened me but also gave me hope that maybe those who are wayward and reading this article maybe able to be turned back to the Lord and be reminded what they learned in the past and go back to that relationship with him.