Last Sharing of 2007....

I will share some random happenings and Christmas pics before the New Year strikes! Can you believe another year has passed (time it is a movin!!) It was a really good but "upside down" kind of week for us...I am thankful for God's help in maintaining a sense of calm and peace in the midst of everything (believe me, I know my own inability to stay calm of my own accord!:) One unexpected "blessing" of the week was somehow losing my license...discovered when trying to buy something in New Orleans...never done anything like that before! Easily solved with $13....now left to worry who's walking around using my old license! And that wasn't nearly as big a deal as my aunt arriving in town with heart attack symptoms!!! Ahh, another memorable Christmas...

My Dad has been away this weekend...he went to be with his brother (very ill) and other family members in TX...the timing just wasn't feasible for Mom and me to leave on a trip after the festivities/company/etc. Actually, it has been really good to just "veg" in the house...I can feel myself returning to a place of balance. We have watched good stuff...including Little Women...I'd been wanting to fit that into the season...such a beautiful movie/soundtrack and can easily bring one (ie yours truly) to tears. Maybe that can be attributed to sentimental feelings of another holiday come and gone...but it is so moving...great loss, great learning, great love. I love the part where Marmee counsels her girls: "If you feel your value lies in being merely decorative, I fear that someday you might find yourself believing that's all you really are...time erodes all such beauty; what it can not diminish is the wonderful workings of your mind, your humor, and your moral courage." Amen to that! Tonight we will watch Sound of Music...it will be really fun to recognize so many of the places! Well....enough movieizing...here are the pics: (but I must add that I have FAR to go to understand the digital camera world..not sure I have nearly enough motivation!)

Aunts, Uncles, Cousins (and even monsters) galore...and of course my sweet parents....

• This was Mom's last day in therapy for awhile (Friday the 28th) with her wonderful therapist and therapy assistant, a godly, encouraging woman...we are thankful for them. This issue has added ALOT of stress to the holidays and there is MUCH to be done in the coming weeks. (I'll be trying to stand up to the "lions of injustice"...another Little Women quote!:) Please keep us in your prayers as well as both my uncle's and aunt's health problems.
  

• This year has been blessed by, of all things, this little world of blogging....I wonder how long this all will last? However long, it has been good so far to share the journey with you all! I heard a commentator say today that Francis of Assisi thought the best few words that could be said to another person was "I wish you the Lord's peace!" I get that. So.... my best wish for myself and for all my friends in the New Year is the Lord's peace!

First Coming
(Madeleine L’Engle)

He did not wait till the world was ready,
till men and nations were at peace.
He came when the Heavens were unsteady,
and prisoners cried out for release.

He did not wait for the perfect time,
He came when the need was deep and great.
He dined with sinners in all their grime,
turned water into wine.

He did not wait till hearts were pure.
In joy He came to a tarnished world of sin and doubt.
To a world like ours, of anguished shame
He came, and His Light would not go out.

He came to a world that did not mesh,
to heal its tangles, shield its scorn.
In the mystery of the Word made Flesh
the Maker of the stars was born.

We cannot wait till the world is sane
to raise our songs with joyful voice,
for to share our grief, to touch our pain,
He came with Love: Rejoice! Rejoice!

I think this is a beautiful poem...and included it last year in our Christmas cards...seems good to meditate on it again this year of L'Engle's passing. It reminds me that even in the "messiness" of Christmas celebrations (mine are far from "perfect") He is present...and is glorified even in our small, sincere sacrifices of praise....what an almost unbelievable Mystery!

I'm also challenged to wonder just how willing I am to "grimy" myself up....so easy to self-congratulate on "holiness"...so empty if we do not by the giving of our lives invite others into the Good News.

The day is done....the programs went off "without a hitch"....but more importantly, I think there was worship and sharing involved and that's what really matters. As we enter this Christmas week, I send many blessings to all my blogging friends (& the lurkers, too:)

Never Completely on the Bandwagon...

I'm sick of politics...already, and the election is still soooo far away....and especially in this beautiful Season. I thought about adding an endnote to our Christmas letter "please do not send me any emails re: the upcoming election!!!" but decided that would not be wise:) but still....I am following them a bit. (can't help myself...it's like a train wreck.) And I had been feeling a little kindly towards Huckabee....but have started feeling less so after this whole Christmas commercial thing (and other things) ....it has just struck me as very manipulative and overdone vs. anything like sincere. So tonight it's late....and we've had a very nice evening with friends....all the shopping has been done and the cards have been sent....and yes, I must be up early for the Christmas practice!! but still....I'm reading Peggy Noonan....she sums it all up much better than anything I can say......check it out here.

Now....to get others to like McCain as much as I do:)

another late-night thought...so enjoying my Chris Botti Christmas CD December! I've never been much of a trumpet fan, but this is fabulous stuff!!

Our Sunday...

Like a Shepherd

Like a Shepherd He leads His flock
And gathers the lambs in His arms
Holding them Carefully Close to his Heart...Leading them home

1) Say to the cities of Judah: Prepare the way of the Lord
Go to the mountaintop, lift up your voice:
Jerusalem, here is your God!

2) I myself will shepherd them,
for others have led them astray
The lost I will rescue and heal their wounds
and pasture them, giving them rest.

3) Come unto me if you are heavily laden
And take my yoke upon your shoulders...I will give you rest.
(Bob Dufford)

I had not thought of this as an "Advent" song before, but so enjoyed doing it in "my Catholic church" today...I am so aware of my need for shepherding, healing, rest. Lifting up our voices in praise is so in order for all that Immanuel is to us!

At "my home church" it was a good music day as well....we were lucky to have a trio from the Hobie Christmas tree to sing "Isn't It Amazing"....thankfully, yesterday I found some music of the arrangement to copy and it was really fun to play...gotta love a challenge! The kids did a great job!
And it's that harried time...just one more week until the "Christmas services"....our little choir numbers are struggling along....I have learned to check my perfectionism at the door when leading these endeavors... and rely on the historical precedent that usually things go beautifully at the actual performance....hopefully that pattern will not be broken this year!!!

To top off the music of the day...I was able to watch a good portion of "The Messiah" tonight...I've been sad about not singing it or going to a performance this year, so it was so good to get to watch it! Even if familiar, that beautiful music never gets old!

We are learning to use the digital camera....here's a view of our day (which also included making fudge and lemon squares...yum!!) Hope your day was great!


(nativity scene on the mantle)

"Pass the Cheer"

I am loving this slogan at Starbucks!! Makes me happy just to see it on my cup as I linger over my coffee....or sip their absolutely fabulous hot chocolate...just discovered how wonderful it is, and sometimes I even skip coffee in order to have it!!!! Shocking! Anyway, love the concept of passing along cheer to one another...in a way, I guess we do that a little in blogdom, right? Even when my cup of cheer is running low....good to remember and purpose to spread good things rather than negative.
Even with careful planning and not the most busy social calendar in the world, I am feeling busy these days....trying to get everything finished up. I guess this just goes with the season. Anyway, I rarely like these "lists" but sorta like this one (seen on another blog.) If you're feeling as unprofound as me, feel free to pass along!:)

How Do You Holiday?
1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Definitely bags...craft challenged at any level!!
2. Real or artificial Tree? Definitely fake....but miss the real smell.
3. When do you put Christmas tree up? Whenever I can get it accomplished.
4. When do you take the tree down? Whenever....
5. Like egg nog? Sure....but would probably enjoy the spiked version more:)
6. Do you have a nativity scene? I love small, all in one nativity scenes. Have several...just got one in Germany...authentically "European" but not expensive.
7. Favorite gift received as a child? At the height of my "Little House on the Prairie" readings, my Mom had an old trunk that had belonged to my great-grandfather redone and it was sitting by the tree Christmas morning....very special....and I still use and love it!
8. Hardest person to buy for? People who have alot of $ or who love "things" more than "gifts".
9. Easiest person to buy for? I love buying gifts...I think it's easy to buy gifts for people you know well and I have to restrain myself from picking things up more than needed (and of course there's the $ factor!:)
10. Mail or email a Christmas Card? MAIL!! This is an evil subject....the total this year is over 100 (after making drastic cuts in what my Mom sent!!) All grumbling aside, I do love giving/getting the cards AND the letters (but NOT the braggy kind!!!)....but at some point, enough is enough! If you read this blog but do not get a card, please do not be offended!!! I am in over my head!
11. Favorite Christmas CD? So many. Right now I am listening to the very 1st Amy Grant Christmas project which I had never owned and ordered on CD...awesome! (although I always feel sad about the dissolution of her 1st marriage, but that's another subject.) This year I've really enjoyed the Selah Christmas project. Always love hearing Vison's Cmas CD....have to play the Carpenter's and the Cathedral's every year (strange combo!)....like I said so many!
12. Favorite Christmas movie? Not sure..."Wonderful Life" and "Little Women" are great....(& a couple chickflicks that I will not dare to actually list!!)....and have to admit it, love the Gaither Christmas ones!:) And Michael Card in Ireland.
13. Favorite food to eat at Christmas? I'm into it all....cornbread dressing, cookies, pumpkin pie....
14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Absolutely!!
16. Favorite lights? White....but also really like the big old-fashioned multicolored. Would use this kind if I had kids!
17. Favorite Christmas Song? O Holy Night "Truly He taught us to love one another....His law is love and His Gospel is Peace.....Chains shall He break for the slave is our brother and in His name all oppression shall cease!"
18. Travel during Christmas or Stay Home? We used to travel South alot for the holidays....there's excitement in that, but much prefer getting to stay at home and only travel the mile to my cousin's for the very great meal!
19. Can you name Santa's reindeer? No....why bother with the details?
20. Angel or Star on tree top? Definitely Star....love how it glitters...
21. Least favorite thing about this time of year? Missing people.
22. Which one person do you really want to see blessed this Christmas and why? My parents....they need blessing.

Finally...check out "The 12 Yats of Christmas" on Youtube. (This is mostly for Kayla and Liz...you probably have to be from this part of the world to get it...but very, very funny!) Merry Christmas Ya'll!

With Us...

"Our God is With Us"

One of us is cryin' as our hopes and dreams
are led away in chains
And we're left all alone
One of us is dyin' as our love is slowly
lowered in the grave
Oh, and we're left on our own
But for all of us who journey
through the dark abyss of loneliness
There comes a great announcement,
we are never alone
For the maker of each heart that breaks,
the giver of each breath we take
Has come to earth and given hope its birth

And our God is with us...Emmanuel
He's come to save us...Emmanuel
And we will never face life alone
Now that God has made Himself known
As Father and Friend, with us through the end...Emmanuel
(Steven Curtis Chapman and Michael W. Smith from Chapman's "The Music of the Heart"...old tape, there are more verses)

I love these lyrics...I could listen to them over and over...and have been this season! I thought of them again this last week as I heard a psychologist applying the phrase "trading irrelevance for catastrophe" to the teenage shooter in Omaha. (Aren't we all mostly irrelevant if left to ourselves?) And now the violence yesterday in Colorado. It's heartbreaking to see and sense the pain and dysfunction people experience...and so obviously in need of the healing balm promised in the Redeemer. Knowing that He is with us is the only thing that holds our broken spirits together. "Rejoice, Rejoice....Emmanuel has come!"

Humor Me...

I am not a fan of posting home-decor pics....(and I hear peals of laughter wafting up the miles that I have fallen into this trap:)....but I always enjoy getting the Christmas decorations up and decided to share a couple! As I said before, I actually put up less this year and like it more (there's also the factor of having to put away whatever goes up!!) So anyway....I really like my little tree....it fits perfectly where I need it to and was a bargain from Target a few yrs. ago. The framed song you can see on the desk is "Joy to the World!" And my mantle looks really pretty, I think, with the candles and berries (and I didn't have to move my pottery) and I love the ornament swag I made from Pottery Barn clearance ornaments I got in Chicago with Jen...fun memory!

Here are some of the beautiful Italian fig cookies we made ("Cuccidatis")...

(here's the recipe (not ours but one I found online) if you're really ambitious...)

...and the sweet ladies who were leaders of that fun. Mrs. Lois will turn 86 on Christmas Day and I want to be just like her if I make it to that age!!!

Thanks for humoring me with these photos!:)