looking ahead

I said that my focus was going to be on being Intentional. So here's what I've done to help myself with that. I bought a weekly planner that has the days divided into hours. I'm going to keep it on my desk and plan my time ahead of time. Not a tight schedule, but a schedule at least.

Then I also bought a smaller planner that just has six lines for each day. I am going to write in that what I have done. A type of accountability for myself. I hope these steps help. If you have any advice, I'd like to hear it!

I've realized some more things that I think I'll be focusing on this year. Some are follow through from this year. Humility. Intentionally being humble. I think it takes intent. Humility doesn't just happen.

Learning God's love for me. And learning to love others with God's love. Those things have been very active in my heart lately. I plan to volunteer somewhere. I've sent in an interest form to the Pregnancy Center, so we'll see what comes of that. That takes intention, too, doesn't it. See, my main theme weaves throughout my other themes!

2007

Learn, laugh, stretch, fear, attempt new things, cry, beauty, confession, love, Amazing Grace, forgive, forgiven, confused, tired, peace, refine, redemption, deliverance, hope, fear, scream, pray, question, purify, doubt, trust, swim in grace, Jesus washing my feet, hang on, direction, counsel, support, prayer, friends, rejection, acceptance, accept, disappoint, let go, grow, leave, arrive, change, promise, challenge, open eyes, learn to love, learn God's love, wisdom, new friends, old friends, new life, lonely, content, drown in grace – breath it in until there's nothing else.

speaking of resolutions

I read somewhere that Jonathan Edwards wrote these Resolutions when he was nineteen years old. I am including some of them here, but go to this site to read all seventy of them. They are challenging to say the least. Resolve means "to reach a firm decision about." Surely I can reach a firm decision about some of these same things!

BEING SENSIBLE THAT I AM UNABLE TO DO ANYTHING WITHOUT GOD' S HELP, I DO HUMBLY ENTREAT HIM BY HIS GRACE TO ENABLE ME TO KEEP THESE RESOLUTIONS, SO FAR AS THEY ARE AGREEABLE TO HIS WILL, FOR CHRIST' S SAKE.

Resolved, never to lose one moment of time; but improve it the most profitable way I possibly can.

Resolved, to live with all my might, while I do live.

Resolved, never to do anything, which I should be afraid to do, if it were the last hour of my life.

Resolved, never to do any thing out of revenge.

Resolved, to examine carefully, and constantly, what that one thing in me is, which causes me in the least to doubt of the love of God; and to direct all my forces against it.

Resolved, to inquire every night, before I go to bed, whether I have acted in the best way I possibly could, with respect to eating and drinking.

i didn't take any pictures

Today I went to a wonderful wedding! It was sweet and fun. We laughed; we cried.

My cousin died in 2000 from ovarian cancer. It was her son who got married today. But the fun thing was that I knew the bride, too, before I knew that they knew each other. So I not only got to see family, I also got to visit with friends from the bride's side.

My other cousin put a rose on the Mother of the Groom's chair before the ceremony started. That's when I started crying. The bride looked beautiful and her entrance down the aisle is when the groom started crying. During the vows, the bride started crying, to the point that she could barely repeat her own.

Ah, but there was silliness and laughter, too. Afterward when I told the groom that it was a fun wedding, he looked so relieved and said, "Really? Because I'm not much fun." I don't know about that, but I have a feeling his new wife will more than make up for it!

In a family that's had too many funerals, it was a complete joy to be a part of this celebration.

God bless Annie and Ben!

And prayers for them as they travel to Egypt in the morning!!

unresolved

I don't do resolutions. I barely even do goals. I am not by nature a very goal-oriented person.

I tend to find that each year a theme develops. A focus.

I am sensing that this year my focus will be living more intentionally. I tend to just let life happen. It washes over me and time goes by and nothing has been accomplished. I kinda live by the seat of my pants. I'm finding that's not really workin for me. I mean, I like it. It's easy and all that, but haphazard living isn't getting things done the way I'd like.

So, I am going to have to learn how to have just a little bit of structure in my life. I am going to set up just the tiniest little schedule for myself. If it's too much, I will just rebel, so I have to go easy.

And I'm going to have to set a goal and try to care about whether I reach it or not.

So, I will schedule housework because doing it when I feel like it… well…I don't want to talk about it.

The same goes for writing.

I need to make some plans and follow them. I can't plan my life, obviously. That is outside my control. But I can plan my hours. I'm tired of seeing time slip away unchanged.

So, do you do resolutions? Goals? Anything? What do you want to do differently in 2008?

what was i doing?

There are three posts for today, so keep reading! I also posted on my new blog. Yeh, I need a life. LOL
I was tagged, (I love getting tagged!) by Michelle at Just a Minute. It's the 10-20-30 meme and I have to talk about what I was doing 10, 20, and 30 years ago.

10 years ago , 1997- Oh, that was a rough time. I was pregnant with my son. I had been suffering from depression for a year or so already. My aunt had just died earlier in December from complications from Lupus or the medications she had been on for decades. Who knows. She had aneurysms and a staph infection. Basically, it was just her time. There was too much going on. My grandma died then in February of 98, then my aunt's husband in April. I also got very sick while pregnant and had a health issue that involved frequent encounters with a scalpel.

20 years ago, 1987 - I was in college at Liberty University in VA. A Sophomore, I guess. I had just gone to Mexico City on a missions trip and I was dating a guy from India that I met on the trip. Before that a cute Mexican guy and a Canadian were vying for my attention. I guess I am just Internationally appealing! LOL! Or "was" anyway.

30 years ago, 1977 - Yeh, like I can remember. I was 11. My cat had just been born before my 11th birthday. I had him until I was 26 years old. He was my best buddy. I don't really know what else exciting happened then. I think I may have had my first crush about that time.

Ok, I'm going to tag Angie, Jan, Bet, and Jen.

friday's feast

Appetizer

Name 2 things you would like to accomplish in 2008.

I would like to finish the rough draft of my novel.

I would like to write a Bible Study

Soup

With which cartoon character do you share personality traits?

Oh, this is easy. Lucy from Peanuts, unfortunately.

I also share a few traits with Daffy Duck.

Salad

What time of day (or night) were you born?

Just after noon.

Main Course

Tell us something special about your hometown.

It is home to most of the state's prisons.

Dessert

If you could receive a letter from anyone in the world, who would you want to get one from?

Someone from college that I've lost touch with. No one in particular, just one of those people that I frequently wonder about.

See more Friday's Feasts!

i love snow!

Same tree, more snow! This is out our front door:

This is out our kitchen window:

new blog

I've started another blog! It's about food! And dieting -- or not. And eating, and cooking and trying to be healthy. Take a look! I've also linked to it on my sidebar.

thursday thirteen

Thirteen good movies I saw in 2007:

1. Meet the Robinsons
2. Amazing Grace
3. Spiderman 3
4. Beyond the Gates
5. Bridge to Terabithia
6. Reign Over Me
7. Ethan Almighty
8. The Painted Veil (both versions)
9. Premonition
10. Freedom Writers
11. The Last Sineater
12. The Astronaut Farmer
13. Pride

white christmas

the sacrifice begins

The moment God the Son left Heaven and became a wee little embryo, the sacrifice began.

Every tear He cried because He was hungry, tired, or had a tummy ache was a sacrifice. Every drop of blood from skinned knees and split lips. Every time a neighbor died, every time He saw a loved one suffer. Wearing shoes, having an itch, being stung by a bee, eating, breathing, sleeping were part of the sacrifice. Every headache, every smashed thumb, every day – a sacrifice.

He was God. He didn't have to be here. He chose to be. He chose to leave Paradise and come to live among men. The sacrifice was in the coming and in the living.

We all know He sacrificed Himself in His death. When He hung upon that cross and bore terrible physical pain. The moment that He took my sin upon Himself and wore it as a covering; that was the greatest sacrifice of all. When God the Father looking down could no longer bear the sight of His own Son because He was wearing my clothes. Jesus looked like me hanging there in that filth and grime, the sins of my soul, and the Father turned away. God the Son forsaken by God the Father. God forsaken by God. Christ the man hanging utterly alone dripping with my wickedness mingled with His atoning blood. Then He could give to me His spotless robe so that when the Father looks at me, He sees Christ's Righteousness and I am accepted. The sacrifice.

But it began the moment He stepped into time. The instant He was conceived in a young woman's womb.

This is Emmanuel. God With Us.

God bless us, every one.

Merry Christmas!

Christmas ramblings

I love Christmas. I love everything about it. It has always been my favorite time of year.

As Monday-Sunday said, I even love the commercialism. I love the music, the decorations, the aluminum trees.

I don't like the commercialism that's all about selling me stuff. I don't like the idea that Christmas is for the saving of our economy. One last boost to our monetary system.

But I love the rest. I love looking at the lights. We are going to drive around and look tonight. I like the simple, elegant light displays. I also like the gaudy ones with everything crammed in that will fit. I like Santa and reindeer. I like goofy Christmas specials. I love the sappy movies. I like the emphasis on family and other loved ones.

I miss the old variety shows that always had their Christmas specials. Donnie and Marie and The Captain and Tennille. I miss Perry Como and Bing Crosby.

I love Cider and popcorn and Christmas cookies. I'd like to try things like a Christmas Goose and a Christmas pudding, but some people around here don't want me to. I love tradition. I love new and creative things. I love Christmas.

Of course the best part is what it represents. The fact that Christ came. Prophecies were fulfilled and God became man. But the truth is, this isn't the only part of Christmas for me. I think about those things all the time. God is the main part of my daily life and I don't need Christmas to remind me of what He did.

As people have pointed out to me; God didn't ask us to celebrate Christ's birth. That's true. But I'm sure He doesn't care that we do. Jesus loved a good celebration. His first miracle was making wine for goodness sake. He was criticized as being a glutton and a drunkard. So I think He's ok with the fact that we make a big deal of Christmas and feast and laugh and love and give good things to one another. He loves it! But I also don't think He would be terribly disappointed if Christmas went away. After all, as mentioned, it's not written in His word anywhere. I'm sure He cares more about how we live the rest of the year.

But anyway, all this to say that lately--the past two or three years—I have been having trouble getting excited about Christmas. I've had a hard time finding that joy and wonder and "Christmas spirit" that used to come so easily. I've been trying to figure out why and asking God to help me figure out how it can be different next year.

Last night while talking with a friend I realized where my Christmas discontentment is coming from. It's from the gift-giving. Now, I love giving gifts. It isn't that. But it is the fact that I am trying to find things for people who already have everything they want and way more than they need. My kids don't have all they want, of course, the want never ends for them. And that is part of my frustration. It is so hard to buy things for them when they have so much and yet they still want and want. I love them to pieces, but can't think of a thing that I really want to give them. That one special thing that would make their eyes light up and fill me with joy to give.

The adults in my life all get what they want whenever they want it. So what do I do?

I'm not sure. But it helps me to realize where the real frustration lies. I know we will do something to decrease the gift-buying next year. We have been telling the kids for several years that Christmas isn't about them and we have been buying fewer gifts each year. We let their birthdays be about them, and try to give the bulk of gifts then. But we still need to cut back more.

We'll figure something out. And I know that the solution is going to involve more giving of ourselves to those outside of our family. People who have real needs. People who know what it means to truly want. That's what my heart is telling me.

what happened to Christmas?

I went through I don't know how many radio stations today before I found one that was playing a Christmas song. I've noticed that very few of the stores I've been in are playing Christmas music. And most of all, when I leave the store, all I get is "have a nice day." That's it. Less than a week until Christmas.
Well, I figure the companies have given up since no matter what they do someone complains. I personally didn't mind being wished Happy Holidays. Holiday means Holy day and isn't that what Christmas should be? A day set apart for God? So it was a good reminder to me of what Christmas is supposed to be.
Also, I don't personally feel that the world has the responsibility to keep Christ in Christmas. I think it is the responsibility of we Christians to do so. In our families. In our celebrations. In our priorities and our spending.
It's sad that our world has changed so much that Christmas isn't the cultural thing it used to be. It's very sad.
But, one of my main pet peeves with society today is the way every complains when something isn't exactly the way they want it to be. The way everyone is so offended by every little thing. All this PC stuff. Yes, it bothers me that people are offended by the phrase "Merry Christmas" but for that exact reason, I refuse to be offended by the phrase "Happy Holidays."

thursday thirteen

Christmas Traditions and Legends

1. The Christmas Spider Legend explains why we put tinsel on our tree.
   


2. St. Nicholas Day is December 6^th. I am considering using this day to talk about St. Nick and what it means to live a generous life. Also we could exchange gifts on this day thereby saving Christmas for the celebration of Christ.
   


3. The Legend of the Candy Cane.
   


4. Christmas Stockings. The story goes that a man had squandered his fortune leaving his daughters without dowries. St. Nicholas heard of their plight and anonymously tossed bags of gold down the chimney which happened to land in the stocking that were hanging by the fire to dry.
   


5. St. Lucia is another example of generous living. Celebrate St. Lucia's Day on December 13^th. (Sorry about the popup on that site, but it was the most comprehensive site I could find)
   


6. The gifts of the Magi. Gold -- a gift for a King; Frankincense – a gift for a priest. It was burned as Incense and its fragrance signified the presence of the LORD; Myrrh – a gift for someone who is to die. It was used to prepare bodies for burial.
   


7. The Christmas Nail. Take a very large nail and tie a red ribbon around the head to make a loop for hanging on the tree. It is to be hung on a branch near the trunk where it will not be noticed by others who are admiring the tree. Its presence is known only to the home that hangs it, understood only by the heart that knows it's significance. Put a tag on the nail saying, "The Christmas tree but foreshadows the Christ tree which only He could decorate for us by offering salvation through His crucifixion."
   


8. Gingerbread. Bethlehem is called the "House of bread." Gingerbread houses were first made in Germany to remind people that Jesus was born in Bethlehem and that He is the Bread of Life.
   


9. Christmas colors. In the 1300's, trees were decorated with red apples to represent the fall of man and white wafers to symbolize salvation. The evergreen of the fir tree represented eternal life.
   


10. Advent begins the first Sunday of December. Those who follow the Liturgical Calendar do not decorate until Christmas Eve. Advent is about expectation. Christmas begins December 25 and goes until January 6^th. Those are the Twelve days of Christmas.
    


11. Epiphany is the 6^th of January. This is the day recognized by some traditions as the day the wise men found Jesus and presented their gifts. This used to be the day that gifts were exchanged, so it would be neat to do that instead of exchanging on Christmas day. Plus you could take advantage of the sales!
    


12. "Good King Wenceslas looked out on the Feast of Stephen." St. Stephen's Day or the Feast of Stephen is celebrated on December 26^th. Stephen was the first person martyred for believing in Jesus. His story can be found in the book of Acts in the Bible.
    


13. Boxing Day is also December 26^th. On this day, gifts would be given to the servants and other household staff. Gifts would be given to the poor. We could set aside this day for charitable giving.

Editted to correct the date of Epiphany. Oops. It is in January, not December.

how much to tip?

I always wonder...
If you are travelling over the Holidays, (yes, I have no problem calling them Holidays, we can take that up in another post if you like) and don't know what to tip -- here you go.
If you are just like me and wing it all the time, well -- here you go.
Just visit this site and all your tipping questions will be answered.

joyeux noel

A beautiful movie to watch this season. Watch it first to determine if it is right for your children; it is a war, after all. Most likely they would not be interested in it.
edited to add: For more, go to the website.

New Life

Today I prayed for my friend Mel, her family, and the thousands of others who by faith walked into their church building. By faith, they raised their hands to worship the One Who Gives and Takes Away. And of course the families of those who've lost loved ones in the tragedy.
I'm sure fear has played some part in every person who attends that church at some point during the past week. But they have overcome.
We sang this song in church and my mind was on all of those people. And on our God who is faithful to save. Hosanna means Save, we pray.

Praise is rising, eyes are turning to You, we turn to You
Hope is stirring, hearts are yearning for You, we long for You
'Cause when we see You, we find strength to face the day
In Your Presence all our fears are washed away, washed away

CHORUS
Hosanna, hosanna
You are the God Who saves us, worthy of all our praises
Hosanna, hosanna
Come have Your way among us
We welcome You here, Lord Jesus
Hear the sound of hearts returning to You, we turn to You
In Your Kingdom broken lives are made new, You make us new
'Cause when we see You, we find strength to face the day
In Your Presence all our fears are washed away, washed away


Paul Baloche

Christmas Party

For those of you who know me, I am having an Open House next Saturday. If you have my number, call for details if you want them. If you are part of WFTJ or something and you know me but don't have my number then ask Jan for it. She has it. That is if you want to come. This is an invitation.

not so bad

The bad of my day yesterday wasn't so bad.
My friend Lauri had to take her nine year old son to the hospital and he's still there. Please pray for him. It doesn't sound like it's terribly serious, but it's never good having a kid in the hospital.

the good and the bad of yesterday

I'll let you figure out which is what.

It snowed all day long.

It didn't get warmer than about 20 degrees. Too cold for heavy, deep snow.

The roads were bad and none of my family arrived home at the expected time.

The car shop called.

1/2 in of water, 6 feet down the hallway. Toilet over-flowing.

The dog acted silly.

A fire in the fireplace.

Kids roasting marshmallows.

Watched Pirates of the Caribbean - World's End.

Watched Charlie Brown Christmas Special.

have yourself a merry little christmas

The family is moving to New York and they are all broken hearted about it. Judy Garland's character was just proposed to by her boyfriend, but it won't work because they are so young. Her little sister is worried that Santa won't find them next year in New York. If you have never seen Meet Me in St. Louis, you should. It's a very sweet and fun movie.

thursday thirteen

My friend Mel did her TT on white last week, so I will do red.

1. Red is one of my favorite colors
   


2. My grandma's favorite color was red. She would be 105 if she were still alive.
   


3. My adopted grandma's favorite color is red. She will be 91 this month.
   


4. Pomegranates. The kids and I love them. My mom used to get them for us and it was always a treat. So I get them for my kids this time of year.
   


5. Roses. Especially the wild, rambling kind.
   


6. Hens. We used to have chickens, but none of them were red. I like the red ones, though.
   


7. My pony, Creampuff. She was actually more pink, but she was a red roan.
   


8. My dog, Skittles.
   


9. Lipstick.
   


10. Blood. I'm not a freak. I just think it's a gorgeous color and it is the stuff of life. We need it. Physically and spiritually speaking.
    


11. Watermelon. Not the season for it, but I love it.
    


12. Strawberries, fresh picked and still warm from the sun. Wow. That literally made my mouth water.
    


13. Cherry pie!
    

Loving Father, help us remember the birth of Jesus, that we may share in the song of the angels, the gladness of the shepherds, and worship of the wise men.

Close the door of hate and open the door of love all over the world.

Let kindness come with every gift and good desires with every greeting.

Deliver us from evil by the blessing which Christ brings, and teach us to be merry with clean hearts.

May the Christmas morning make us happy to be Thy children, and Christmas evening bring us to our beds with grateful thoughts, forgiving and forgiven, for Jesus’ sake. Amen!

--Robert Louis Stevenson

wonderful things

A hundred geese, sounding like they need a dose of WD40, flying across the sky in single file.

Tracks in the snow attesting to the variety of critters that come our way during the night and wee hours. Some of which have me puzzled. Something with very short legs, I guess, made tracks that, from here, look like a toy truck drove through our front yard.

God with us.

The many shades of blue in a Colorado sky.

Evergreens

Snow

Cloudy days

Cloudless days

Old friends

New friends

Hugging friends

Never met friends

Comments on my blog

My kids' hugs

My husband's kisses

Christmas trees

Wood burning fireplaces

Laughter

You, taking the time to come here, to my blog, and visit me!

God understands

Nod to Angela Hunt for this sweet video. This boy was 12 at the time of the call.

miracle monday

After Tragic Sunday, we are having Miracle Monday. If you haven't yet visited Kristy Dyke's blog, do so right now. She is beginning a course of radiation today for brain cancer. The doctors have given a bleak prognosis, but nothing is too hard for God. So go look at the blog and say a prayer today for the Lord's healing on her. He does all things well.

Continue to pray for the Colorado communities affected by the shootings yesterday. Two people announced dead since I blogged about it. A total of five dead including a shooter. Five wounded.

Thank you.

Sometimes the materials God provides are things of beauty, . . . and sometimes they are things which break our hearts — not gifts in the sense that Almighty God decrees the evil and suffering of the world (we only know that He allowed it, we do not know why), but gifts in that He gives to us Himself — His presence, His never-failing love in the midst of our pain.
--Elisabeth Elliot

Last night I was stuck in Colorado Springs due to weather and was able to go to our old church. They made an announcement about the shooting at a YWAM office last night up in Denver. Two people killed and two injured. My dear friend who reads and interacts on this blog knew the two people who were killed. I know several people who are involved with YWAM. It was heart-breaking to hear that news.

Then, on the way home this morning, several police passed me in a big hurry and my heart clutched. Something stirred me to pray. My route home just happens to take me past New Life Church and as I approached, fire trucks were positioning themselves to block the roads. No one was even directing traffic yet. Police were still arriving. So I called the above mentioned dear friend because her family attends New Life and she told me the news that at least four people had been shot. Her family had already left the church, so they are ok.

I know many people who attend New Life. And also, you may recall this church has been through a lot already as their former Pastor, Ted Haggard, was involved in a sex scandal earlier this year.

Please, keep in prayer this church, the YWAM staff and missionaries and everyone affected by these horrible events.

As far as is known, the man who shot the YWAM people is still at large. The shooter at New Life killed himself. No other people were killed at New Life, just wounded, as far as I know right now.

God is still God. God is still on His throne and He is always good.

friday's feast

Appetizer

What was the last game you purchased?

You've Got to be Kidding. No, that's the name of the game. It's a "would you rather..." game. very fun. It asks questions like would you rather have itchy scabs all over your body for the rest of your life or always have popcorn stuck in your teeth? Would you rather run across a hungry alligator's back or under an angry elephant's feet?

I bought it for Christmas last year. Since then the kids have gotten some video games and a Wii, even, but I didn't buy any of it.

Soup

Name something in which you don’t believe.

I don't believe most of what the scientific community comes out with regarding health. I love science, it was my best subject, but they come up with these conclusions only to contradict them two years later. They don't know what they're talking about.

Salad

If you could choose a celebrity to be your boss, who would you pick?

I don't know much about celebrities. I know there are some decent, kind ones. That's who I would want. Also, someone very creative and easy going. Someone who shares my values. No idea who that would be.

Main Course

What was a lesson you had to learn the hard way?

How to recognize an electric fence

Dessert

Describe your idea of the perfect relaxation room.

An old fashioned library type room. Walls lined with books. A big fireplace. Some tall windows overlooking a scenic view and letting in plenty of light. Deep colors and luscious fabrics. Big, soft overstuffed chairs with cashmere throws and plenty of ottomans. Window seats lined with pillows. Maybe a small fountain in the room or a stream outside that can be heard. Ahhhhhh.

more fun

If you liked the elf dancy thing, be sure to look at this, too. Especially if you are new to the blog. I posted it in July.

3rd post for today

This was too much fun to wait. Please, click here and watch my daughter and I bust a move! If you make one, let me know so I can see it.

why eat your veggies...

when you can play with them?
Watch this video that my daughter has called "Strange and disturbing."

what to watch

I know you've been wondering, so I'm going to tell you what my favorite Christmas movies are.

They are probably the same as most people, actually, because they are just downright good.

I really love Charlie Brown's Christmas. I don't know if that really qualifies as a movie or not, but I'm including it. It is my favorite of the Peanuts' specials. I love the dancing and Snoopy's attempts to win the house decorating contest. I love most of all that they get the real meaning of Christmas in there. And who doesn't love that tree?

A Wonderful Life is one I watch every year. I have it mostly memorized, I bet. I love it because it is about Hope. And it is about the beauty of life. I wish we all had the opportunity George had to see what life would be like if we didn't exist. And the beauty of friendship. People really caring for each other. I love that old show.

A Christmas Story is my favorite for a good laugh. It cracks me up every single time I watch it. When he imagines that the soap in his mouth will make him blind… and then… They'll Be Sorry. What kid hasn't had a similar thought? And I don't know how many times my mom has warned me that I would poke an eye out. How come we don't see one-eyed people running around everywhere if it's such a dangerous possibility? Tell me that.

As much as I love old movies, I could get through Miracle on 31^st Street. I'm not sure why.

I like the Santa Claus movies with Tim Allen. I like Elf. The Christmas Vacation movie is funny, but not as funny to me as A Christmas Story. I like to watch A Christmas Carol. But none of them top my three picks.

What are your very favorite Christmas movies/shows?

happy hanukkah

I hope I have this right. Feel free to correct me if I don't. This is not information I grew up knowing in my Gentile, Christian, non-Catholic home.

But the history of Hanukkah as I understand it is:

After Alexander the Great died, the Greek empire split into three dynasties; one of which was the Seleucid Dynasty. One of the rulers in this dynasty was called Antiochus IV Ephiphanes. He was so evil that the Bible, in the book of Daniel, uses him as an example of what the Anti-Christ will be like.

He desecrated the Temple of God. The Bible calls it the Abomination of Desolation. He made the Israelites stop their daily sacrifices and sacrifice to other god's instead.

One day when an Israelite made one of these sacrifices a godly man named Matthias killed him. He started a revolt in which the God-fearing Jews went throughout the land tearing down false idols and killing those who worshipped them. It was a time of purging for the land of Israel.

When Matthias died his son Judah took over. He is known as Judah Macabee. These Macabees went into the Temple to purify it after Antiochus had profaned it. They cleansed it and re-dedicated it to God.

The lamps in the Temple were to burn continually. But when they rededicated the Temple, there wasn't enough oil to last for more than a day. They miraculously continued to burn for eight days until more holy oil could be obtained.

There. I find some very significant stuff for all of us to think about. Purification. Rededication. We can't go wrong spending some time dwelling on that this Season.

And the Light will never go out.

mr. bean

A little British Christmas humour for your weekend.

merry christmas?

Whatever happened to peace on earth, joy to the world, goodwill toward men, fa-la-la-la-la, and all that? Have you noticed? Lately I have been very aware of just how cranky people are this time of year. Snarls and glares and shoves and huffs seem to be the heralds of Christmas these days.

I get it. I mean people are so stressed out year round and then at Christmas they pull the strand a little harder and some of them just snap! They dump more stuff in their stress bucket until it overflows and we have stress all over the place, ruining our shoes.

"Have to decorate the house inside and out. Bake 40 dozen cookies. Make, write, and mail 200 Christmas cards. Make candy. Make pies. Cook your goose and mine. Shop, shop, shop, buy, buy, buy. Fail to find one "perfect" gift. Try to outdo what the kids already have, so they will smile. Diet. Help with the Christmas pageant by making costumes, baking a cake and selling tickets. Etc, etc, etc."

No wonder people are grumpy.

And the store clerks, who can blame them. They have to put up with hundreds of these people every day, standing on their feet. They're exhausted. They have their own list of things to do.

So, I have a two-fold challenge for you, my dear blog friends. Let us each find one thing this year that we can drop. Just let it go. I have already stopped sending Christmas cards; stopped baking,(unless I really want to – for fun); stopped decorating every room of the house; and we are seriously cutting back on spending, since we do it on a cash basis. My big meal is Thanksgiving. Christmas will be more relaxed and casual. One year we had sandwiches! Everyone loved it. So, think of just one thing. You're Christmas will not fall apart. In fact, it will be better because you will be better. I learned that my kids appreciate a happy mom, more that a postcard Christmas with the Grinch!

The second thing is for us to do the random acts of kindness thing. The season is seriously lacking in cheer. Let's do our part to restore it! Yes, some people want to be unhappy. They like being grouchy. But many will appreciate some kindness. They are just tired, over-worked, over-spent, disillusioned folk trying to be happy and missing it. Next time you are at Starbucks hand the barista an extra $5 to pay for the guy behind you. Or just give it to the barista. Especially be on the lookout for people who seem to be having a particularly bad day. People who are extra crabby. Give your favorite checkout girl a flower. Help the harried lady with her groceries. Or… well, you get the picture. It can be large or small; expensive or free.

Now, I know it's weird to feel like you are tooting your own horn. But I really want each of you to share the things that you do. It will not be a bragfest, it will be inspiring for the rest of us. It will give us ideas, too. So let's get out there and practice some goodwill toward men!

give me your opinions, please

What do you think of The Message?

See, I grew up under some legalistic preaching and remember well how evil The Living Bible was. It was as if a person reading that were doomed to eternal damnation because surely all good things had been removed.

Now, I don't have a problem with The Living Bible as a paraphrase. Use it to get someones personal interpretation of the Scriptures, or as a supplement to a real translation, no problem.

I feel the same way about The Message. It is Mr. Peterson's unique interpretation and paraphrase of God's Word. What I have trouble with is people referring to it as a translation. People also refer to Eugene Peterson as the author of The Message. How can it be the Bible if Eugene Peterson wrote it? If it's the Bible then God is the author. If Mr. Peterson is the author, then it isn't the Bible, right?

So, I am not against reading it or using it for study or reference. But I don't like the idea of it being used as one's sole "Bible." I also don't think doctrine should be determined by it.

But I believe that a person can still come to know God and accept Christ through reading this. God can use His truth and His words, even if they are re-interpreted.

But I would never give this book the standing of being infallible, inerrant, God-breathed Scripture.

I'm wanting to avoid that old legalism stance, but maintain foundational integrity at the same time. Does that make sense?

And what do you think?

things are not as the should be

My dad bought for me a mantle clock that I really like. I had wanted one for a long time, so a few years ago he found one for me at a used clock shop. The thing is that it may be 9:00 according to every other clock in the house, but that clock will chime 3 and read 12:00. An hour later, it might chime 6 and read 4:00.

This summer I discovered that we have a one-eyed squirrel. Something not quite right about that, either. I named it Jack, until I realized it was a girl, then I named it Jill.

On Thanksgiving, our guests were admiring the view and a young buck that was coming into our yard. As he approached, it became obvious that the silly thing had only one antler. The other side had just a wee nubby thing.

Something is going on around here. Things are not as they should be. And I LIKE it!

mr. magorium

I really liked Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium. Reading the reviews, I find that I am in the minority. But what's new?

It had not one foul word or naughty euphemism. I thought it was fun and I laughed out loud more than once.

It is also touching and opens doors for some discussion about death and Heaven, (as opposed to Elysium and Nirvana).

I am a longtime lover of magical stories along the lines of Mary Poppins; Chitty, Chitty, Bang, Bang; Willy Wonka; and such. This one fits right in there.

I think God has given us all a longing for this kind of magic. He is magical beyond all imagination. The devil does not have the capability to come up with anything on his own. Every idea he has, he got from God. He takes something pure and beautiful and warps it to his purposes. So must be the case with magic. His wicked sorcery is an evil adaptation of God's Wonder Working. What is turning water into wine? Multiplying the loaves and fishes? Miracles! Magic!

So, I hope I'm making sense. I just think this thing in us that likes wonders, is a God-given thing. We must guard it, though, because the devil certainly likes to mess with us if we let him. And take this desire and turn it to things God never intended.

Anyway, if you are looking for a fun movie, go see Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium. I can't say if your kids will like it. We didn't take ours.

drum roll, please…

I tossed the names in a hat and the winner of the creativity challenge book give-away is…

Monday through Sunday!

Thank you all for entering and I really enjoyed reading your entries!

Congratulations, Mel!

Thanksgiving

O Lord, that lends me life, lend me a heart replete with thankfulness.

--Shakespeare, Henry VI, part 2

Well the ten guests we had today have just left. Oh, only nine of them. My mom is still here. She is staying tonight so that hubby and I can go out to celebrate our anniversary. Which is actually Monday, but we have a babysitter today. We had a lovely, wild, goofy, smart-alecy time, as usual. And I am stuffed to the gills.

Thanksgiving is about abundance, I guess, and we had an abundance of everything. Food, laughter, and food.

I hope you had a wonderful time today, too.

wednesday thanksgiving

praying people, praying mantises, frogs, lily pads,

weeping willows, cottonwood trees, the little curly tendrils on vines,

grapes, purple, mountains, pine trees, pine cones, ice cream, chocolate,

silk, red, watermelon, green, grass, blankets, grandmas,

squirrels, pecans, pie, apples, caramel, fall,

Thanksgiving, Praying People

tuesday tidbits and introduction #6

(edited to add the link for the book give-away. Sorry about that.)
~Be sure to go here and try for a free book! If I made the book sound too rough, I didn't mean to. It is just that it is unpredictable and I like that. But it has a great ending, so don't be afraid. If you haven't entered the give-away, I hope it's because you already have the book.

~Try a turkey bag for your turkey this year! I always use one. The turkey retains it's moisture and flavor. No basting. And it cuts the cooking time almost in half!

~My doggy and I are being introduced on Kathy Mackel's blog today.

And now, I'd like to introduce Jan. I've only known her a little while, but she is fun and has a great heart for others! I'm so happy to finally be making some friends in this strange land! Be sure to check out her blog because she is doing a blanket drive for the homeless. If you live far away, consider sending her some MCD's gift certificates instead. I know there are lots of opportunities to give this time of year, and you can't give to them all, but this is another option for you.

What is your name? Jan Parrish

If I ask "Who are you?" what first comes to mind, other than your name?
Bold and Free, fun- I’m loads of fun, and writer

How did you find my blog?
Through Megan’s Blog www.megandimaria.blogspot.com

Tell us about your blog, if you have one. Bold and Free is about boldly embracing the freedom we have in Christ and moving forward in our purpose.

Where do you live? (be as general or specific as you like)
On earth. LOL. But more specifically, Parker, Co.

What movie has touched you most, (made you cry)? And why.
I will have to say Amazing Grace because I can’t even imagine a world in which anyone thought it was acceptable to own a slave. (Available now on DVD) Unfortunately, there are still slaves all around the world and even here in the US. Yes, physical slaves here in the US illegally. It astounds me.

What movie has made you laugh hardest? And why. I’m a movie buff so I see so many of them. The most significant one was when we saw Meet the Faulker’s with our daughter and her fiancé and his family several years ago after they got engaged (they are married now). A little bit awkward. I kept wondering if we were the Faulkers or the other family. Hopefully we are somewhere in the middle.

Name three books that you will never forget. And why.
Little Woman by Louisa May Alcott. My mom gave me “Beth” as a middle name but I am not her personality. I am most like Jo, though I am the middle child. Go figure.
Wind in the Willows – I loved frog. I still like frogs. My sibs and I would visit my grandparents in a little town in Nebraska and we loved to swim in the river and catch frogs. I used to imagine I was frog and my Grampa was Toad. He sorta looked like one in an endearing way.
Diary of Anne Frank – for the same reasons as listed in Amazing Grace.

What is your greatest strength?
Protector and defender for those who have no voice or are powerless.

What do you like best about me? No-- really. (ok, not really)
I like your quirkiness. Yes, really. You are not a cookie cutter person who has to be like everyone else and I love that. All my friends are unique. Not a desperate housewife in the lot (by desperate housewife I mean someone who is phony - without any real depth).

What computer game are you addicted to?
Who needs computer games when you have the blogisphere? Seriously.

Share any other tidbit about you that we might like to know.
I am doing a blanket drive for the homeless. Please visit my blog www.janparrish.blogspot.com for details.
Thanks for introducing me. J

monday thanksgiving

I actually wrote this a couple of years ago, but it is still true!

I am thankful:
That God loves me, deeply, faithfully, unconditionally, eternally.
That Jesus provided a way for me to be reconciled to God.
That God is always in control of all things.
That God allows circumstances in my life to test me, strengthen me, prove me, and purify me. It means I am worthwhile to Him!
That I have been married for 14 years to the man God created me for.
That I have a brilliant daughter who loves the Lord and is wise beyond her years.
That I have a son who is quick as a whip and so sweet and kind and giving!
That my parents are still alive and married to each other 44 years. That they raised me to know Jesus. That they trusted me and were strict at the same time. That they are still there for me if I should ever need them.
For my sister and her family. For my nieces and nephew.
That things don't always go my way.
That God doesn't say yes to all my prayers.
For blue skies that take my breath away.
For mountains to look at everyday that reminds me of the Might and Power and Steadfastness of my King.
For wind that almost always reminds me of the Sweet presence of the Holy Spirit.
For clouds that remind me that some day my Jesus will be riding on one of them to come and get me!
For brooks and streams that remind me of the Water that quenches all thirsts!
For rain that reminds me of the mercies of God.
For thunder that reminds me of the voice of God.
For the word Grace. What a beautiful word.
For my grain mill and mixer that I use to make bread. Wholesome, life-giving bread that reminds me of the Bread of Life.
For each breath I take. I can't be conscious of them all, but am thankful for each one and want God to receive each one as a Praise offering to Him.
For the moon and the stars that remind me of how small I am.
For the steam on my tea that reminds me of how short my time here on earth really is.
For the wonderful, amazing privilege of Prayer.
For my wonderful friends!! God has blessed me with so many who meet so many different needs in my life!
For God's Word. The sharp sword that wounds my flesh and heals my spirit. The WORD of God. The WORD who was in the beginning with God. The WORD who became flesh.
For my health, my sanity, my intelligence, my personality, my failures, my desires and dreams. They are what make me who I am.
For my house and car and the clothes in my closet. For all of the material blessings that God has shared with me.

from my back yard

And be sure you scroll down and try for a FREE BOOK!

others

We believers have brothers and sisters all over the world. And I admit that I can be far to egocentric and not be moved by the suffering that takes place beyond our borders.


But God is pulling me out of that. He is softening my heart and teaching me to love globally.


Last night we watched a movie called Beyond the Gates. There is one by the same name about Jim Elliot and the other missionaries who were killed in South America 50 years ago and I recommend it.


But this one is about the Rwandan genocide that took place in the nineties. It is harsh. Not good bedtime fare, I tell ya. Horrible and excruciating. I am trying to break out of my normal pattern of avoidance, though, and to let my heart break over the things that break God's heart. So I do recommend this movie, but if you watch it, be forewarned of bad language, which honestly pales in comparison to the violence. But it's real, as in it really happened, and I think sometimes we need to be shocked out of our comas of indifference. Also, if you watch it, then go read this for some positive closure on the topic. It's a post I did in April about Rwanda.


But what I really wanted to write this post about -- I got a little off track-- is the devastation in Bangladesh. More than 2,000 people dead. In places 95% of the rice crop was destroyed. Please, go to this site and see what you can do. At least pray, which is the most powerful thing you can do.


There is a scene in the movie we watched where a white woman with BBC is talking to another British guy and this is what she says, (loosely): "When I was in Bosnia, I wept every day. But here, not a tear." He suggested she had hardened herself. She said, "No, it is much worse. There, every time I saw a dead white woman, I thought about how it could be my mother. Here, all I see are dead Africans."


That's harsh. But look deep. It rings too true for me. And not just Africans. All I saw was dead Bosnians. I don't want to just see dead Bengalis. God help me.

photos

ain't she purty?

Skittles after her bath. She's not really a ribbon and bow kind of girl. I think we'll be taking those out in a bit.

introduction #5

Jen is another friend from my e-mail group. I haven't ever met her, but she is still one of my closest friends!

What is your name?
Jenny (I like to go by Jen)

If I ask "Who are you?" what first comes to mind, other than your name?
I am a wife and mother, a friend, a sister, a daughter, a follower of Christ

How did you find my blog?
From meeting you on our yahoo group for moms!

Tell us about your blog, if you have one.
It is Joyful Notes, a name I chose because I love music, and I love the topic of having joy despite your circumstances. My blog is mostly about me, my daily happenings, my daughter's life, little things to keep me occupied! :-)

Where do you live?
I live in Anderson, Indiana, just northeast of Indianapolis.

What movie has touched you most, (made you cry)? And why.
That's hard, I cry at movies a lot.... Hmmmmm... I've watched Sleepless in Seattle a ton of times, and I still cry at it. But like I said, I cry at movies all the time, because my mind puts ME in the stories, and I feel the emotions of the people in them.

What movie has made you laugh hardest? And why.
I like to laugh at movies too... I mostly love the old movies, like the ones with Carey Grant, Audrey Hepburn, Jimmy Stewart, and Doris Day... Some of those funny ones still make me laugh!

Name three books that you will never forget. And why.
The Bible ~ I couldn't live without it!
Piggy Wiglet ~ This was the book my mom read to me as a child, so many times that I think we BOTH had it memorized. I could probably still quote it to this day!
Ivanhoe ~ not that I like it, but my junior high teacher made us read it and gave us really hard quizzes over it. I was an A student, but I about flunked that class over that dumb book!
I love to read books a lot, especially Karen Kingsbury, I love all kinds of books!

What is your greatest strength?
I am a giving person. I will give money, food, time, etc. and not expect anything in return. Sometimes that's not such a good thing! :-0

What do you like best about me? No-- really. (ok, not really)
Seriously...I think you have a very wise and patient spirit. I enjoy corresponding with you on our yahoo group!

What computer game are you addicted to?
I love to play canasta, I was even in a league at one time, but I don't have as much free time as I used to.

Share any other tidbit about you that we might like to know.
I LOVE to sing, at home, at church, with my family, and in my chorus! I also love to blog and talk to friends on Facebook. I love my family with all my heart, and I am so thankful for the great friends I have!!!! That's about it! ;-)

evening from my window

creative challenge book give-away

I have been visiting Athol Dickson's blog for a while now, but I had not read any of his books. So I decided I should, and boy howdy, you don't just read them, you experience them.

I want to give away a copy of River Rising. It is one of the best books I have read, ever.

You've heard the term "weaving a story"? Well, that's exactly what this author does. You see little threads come and go. Little pieces that give you just a bit of information, but leave you with more questions than answers. Until the end where it all ties up beautifully and every piece makes perfect sense.

This story is history, mystery and spec fic; three of my favorite genres. Set in 1927 in the deepest of the deep south, the mouth of the Mighty Mississippi. Blacks and whites hang out together at the general store, work together, eat together and shake hands like equals; but the most important thing they can't seem to do together.

This is a Christmas story, yet it isn't set at Christmas and never even mentions it. But it is Emanuel -- God With Us.

For me, reading this book was a bit like being caught up in a river. There were times that it was calm and beautiful and made me smile and then I went under and thought "no, I don't want to go there!" and I was bounced around a bit and finally deposited on the shore at the feet of the one I love most. A bit battered and breathless, but weeping for joy.

Ok, so if you are interested, here's what you do -- you have to earn the chance here, man-- go to this site, pick any of the prompts you like and leave your creative effort in the comments. I won't be judging your entry, nobody will. I will take you and put you in a hat and draw one of you out. But I think we all could use a creative challenge now and then, even those of us who write, paint, whatever. We need to do a little something different now and then. Plus, I love reading what you come up with!

Edited to add: I guess I need to give you a dealine. One week from today-- the day after Thanksgiving-- I will draw a winner!

morning from my window

thursday thirteen

Thirteen things I have eaten that maybe you haven't:

1. alligator - greasy and swampy tasting

2. squirrel - tastes like chicken -- really.

3. caribou - like venison

4. kangaroo - very gamey. Reminded me of liver. Yuck.

5. shark - one of my favorite fish. Delicious. Mild and hearty, like a steak

6. octopus - like big squid, so pretty good.

7. deer - delicious if processed and prepared correctly.

8. elk - same as above with a slightly stronger flavor

9. rabbit - didn't care for it. It was fatty and I don't remember much about the flavor.

10. goat - not bad, really. We ate this in Haiti.

11. buffalo - I use it more than beef. lean and very tasty.

12. breadfruit - flavorless. You would eat it if you had nothing else to eat, but not for any other reason.

13. goat's milk - strong and a taste you have to acquire. I haven't acquired it.

my hippy side

I like what my son calls Hippie clothes. Gypsy type skirts, beads and bangles, that kind of thing. I have some Indian outfits that aren't exactly mainstream, you know, for my British type nationality.

I think if I had been born a decade earlier to a non-Christian family I probably would have embraced the hippie lifestyle. Free-living, free-loving, barefoot with kids named Buttercup and Moonbeam. And I'd have a VW van, for sure. A psychedelic one, man. Far out!

But, thank God I was spared that life, because all that free-livin and lovin can lead to some brain damage and certain diseases you'd rather not mention. As well as calloused feet, and stinky clothes.

So I have a tie dye debit card and I wear some funky clothes from time to time, but that's about the extent of it. Oh, sometimes I grind my own flour - that's a little hippie-ish I guess. But I use a machine, not a rock.

And I dressed up like a hippie for my husband's halloween Birthday last year.

There you go.

golden compass

There has been a lot of talk about the new movie, The Golden Compass. Maybe you've noticed. Maybe you haven't. But here is a great post about it, so I am going to direct you there, instead of talking about it myself. The post is call Living Victoriously with Diabetes, but the second half of the post is an interview with author Jeffrey Overstreet about the movie. It is a gentle reminder that we as Christian need to be as wise as serpants, but also as harmless as doves. Go check it out on Cindy Swanson's Blog.

introduction #4

Will and his wife Karen have been good friends to my husband and I. They have been there for us in some very trying times; praying for us, encouraging us, holding us accountable. I so appreciate their friendship. Will is my hubby's best bud and coffee shop comrade and my IM chat pal. Now with no further ado...

What is your name? William

If I ask "Who are you?" what first comes to mind, other than your name?
A JACK-OF-ALL-TRADES, MASTER OF NONE.

How did you find my blog? You and I start out blogging, I just stopped doing it and now you are famous!!

Tell us about your blog, if you have one. I dropped mine due to trust issues with the U.S. Government.

Where do you live? Colorado

What movie has touched you most, (made you cry)? And why. I really was touched by Searching for Private Ryan. I am always impressed by the tremendous sacrifices the “Greatest Generation” gave so we can be truly free from a real enemy (Nazism).

What movie has made you laugh hardest? And why.

Name three books that you will never forget. And why. 1) The Holy Bible (it holds all things necessary for salvation), 2) A Christmas Carol (I used to really, really enjoy Victorian history/nostalgia, and 3) Lord of the Rings because it allowed me to escape my then very boring life.

What is your greatest strength? My ability to put people at ease.

What do you like best about me? No-- really. (ok, not really) I like the “hippy” side of you. No, really, I do!

What computer game are you addicted to? None, but used to be seriously addicted to “Quake” and “Halo.”

Share any other tidbit about you that we might like to know. I love American football and really love Rugby Union.