Christmas Blessings...

One of my favorite Christmases was the year our Ashley was born. This redheaded little baby girl was invited to be baby Jesus in the Christmas pageant at church. I’m sure it wasn’t her acting ability, as she was only about five weeks old, so it was probably the fact that she was the only baby about the right size whose parents would let her participate. So I got to be Mary, and Duane got to be Joseph and I’ll never forget the moment I picked her up out of the manger and they saw that it was a real baby …an audible gasp arose from the congregation. A little hand stuck out of the blanket and wiggled…A real baby…
Or maybe it was the song that followed that brought it home.

That night.

“That night, in all of heaven, there wasn’t a sound

As God and the angels watched the earth.

For there in a stable, the Father’s only Son

Came to give Himself through human birth.

And when the cry of a baby pierced the universe

Once for all man was shown his worth.

And the heavens EXPLODED

with music everywhere

and the angels spilled over heavens edge

And filled the air!

And the Father rejoiced

For He did not lose His Son,

But He gained to Himself forever

Those who’d come.”

A real baby.

Christmas blessings to you and your house, from me and mine!

Christmas thoughts

So this little girl , all of two-and-a-half years old, walks into the preschool area at church the Sunday we put up the Nativity scene, runs up to it, throws her arms into the air and points to the star and screams with all due drama... "the STAR! the STAR!!!"


This is the Nativity scene from last year, with my crazy family doing the biblical role-playing.

Titus and Granny

I don't take good pictures. But here's a keeper.

It's my favorite Titus and Granny picture to date, taken on his first birthday. Yes, he's one, now. My daughter said something profound the other day..."long days, short years." Wish i would have thought of it first!

Thanksgiving

We're decorating for Christmas, but folks are still asking me if i had a good Thanksgiving. Hence, this post. I love Christmas, but Thanksgiving has got to be the very best holiday in the world. Thanksgiving....You can’t even say the word without being grateful.

Very early in our marriage, Duane and I adopted a principle for living on the planet: “Everything I have, I have because God has given me.” Sometimes the “everything” didn’t seem like very much. Sometimes it has seemed bountiful beyond our imaginations. More often than not, tears well up in our eyes because we are so astounded at His Providence. And we’ve always found ourselves with enough….Maybe not as the world counts it, but we’ve always had what we needed. The kids might have not thought so growing up, but we never sent them to bed hungry, we never sent them to school naked, and they’ve never been homeless. Maybe our house wasn’t as fancy as someone else’s, but their friends were always welcome there, and I usually set an extra plate for dinner just in case one of them stopped by. Maybe our yard didn’t get yard of the month one single time, but it was the “gathering place” and the neighborhood kids still hang out on in our porch swing that dangles from the big live oak in the side yard. Maybe having things isn’t what it’s really all about after all. Because it’s not ours to begin with.

“Be ye glad” is an old Acapella song that keeps flickering around in my brain this "Thanksgiving". The words say something like this

Oh be ye glad, Oh, be glad.
Every debt that you ever had
Has been paid up in full
By the grace of the Lord
Be ye glad,
Be ye glad,
Be ye glad.

(I knew there was more to Thanksgiving than just turkey.)

Everything I have, I have because God has given me. (Contentment.) All I have needed Thy hand hath provided. (Providence.) Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me. (Thanksgiving.)