Christmas Corinthians

If I decorate my house perfectly with plaid bows, strands of twinkling lights and shiny balls, but do not show love to my family, I'm just another decorator.

If I slave away in the kitchen, baking dozens of Christmas cookies, preparing gourmet meals and arranging a beautifully adorned table at mealtime, but do not show love to my family, I'm just another cook.

If I work at the soup kitchen, carol in the nursing home, and give all that I have to charity, but do not show love to my family, it profits me nothing.

If I trim the spruce with shimmering angels and crocheted snowflakes, attend a myriad of holiday parties and sing in the choir's cantata, but do not focus on Christ, I have missed the point.

Love stops the cooking to hug the child.

Love sets aside decorating to kiss the husband.

Love is kind, though harried and tired.

Love doesn't envy another's home that has coordinated Christmas china and table linens.

Love doesn't yell at the kids to get out of the way, but is thankful they are there to be in the way.

Love doesn't give only to those who are able to give in return but rejoices in giving to those who can't.

Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Love never fails.

Video games will break, pearl necklaces will be lost, golf clubs will rust.  But giving the gift of love will endure.

Merry CHRISTmas!

-- Author Unknown

Corinthians 13:13: "And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love."

Preparing Ourselves

Christmas is the holiest of times to me.  Preparing to celebrate the birth of Christ.  Preparing the house -- decking the halls, preparing the gifts, baking, sewing, crafting.  Lots of preparations.

But none as essential as preparing my heart to receive Him.  The greatest Gift.  God's gift to me.  To all of us.

"For God so loved the world, He gave His one and only Son.  That whoever believes in Him, shall not perish, but have eternal life."  John 3:16

So, who is this One that we prepare for?  We will delve into that each day as we prepare to welcome Him.  God is vast.  He is deep.  He is rich.  And each day, we'll discuss an attribute of God.

So prepare yourselves, dear ones.  Prepare to meet God here.  Prepare to prepare your heart for the holiest of days.  

I'm prepared. 

Are you?

AF-WHOA!

So I was feeling a bit nostaligic the other day.  Missing my widdle babies.  Missing the sweet widdle curls that my widdle baby had on her widdle head when she was, well, widdle.

In short, I was missing this:

Much to my disdain, as my girl grew, so did her hair --

--without the curls. 

It took me back to my days as a stick-straight haired girl.

 The days when my momma would subject me to hours of hair rolling, stink enduring, and poor-results-having perms.  Yes, I said perms.  In the plural.  Apparently the belief was that if the first perm didn't take, try it again. 

Perms being useless on my pre-puberty locks (as according to a Hollywood stylist), my momma switched to those pink spongy rollers.  ACK!  The bane of my existence:  the pink spongy roller.  Or, more precisely, the bane of my restful night of sleep.  But, it did bring some sorta-curls to my head.

The other night I was looking at CraftyGirl's head and told her that I could make her hair curly.  I was feeling nostalgic and, I guess, CG was feeling adventurous.  And brave.  She agreed.

So we twisted and made (as TheBoy called it) "Worm Hair."  It was very cute. 

CraftyGirl slept soundly that night and was ready to remove the worms come morning.  I don't think I needed to worry about whether or not her hair would curl.

We ended up with an AF-WHOA!

As I was unraveling the worms, CraftyGirl kept saying, "I look ridiculous!  This is awful!"  I couldn't stop giggling.  And, so she giggled.  And then we watched to make sure no birds were coming to make a nest in her Af-whoa.

Don't think we'll be making "Worm Hair" again anytime soon.  But don't be sad that there won't be any subsequent AF-WHOA pictures.

There are others in the vault...

Thankful

It seems only appropriate with Thanksgiving lurking just around the corner that I post about the things I am thankful for.

 However, you don't have the time, and I don't have the patience to type it all out.

Put plainly, I am blessed. 

I am blessed beyond compare.

God has shown me that His timing is always perfect.

And that He can be found in the everyday.

And that, above all else, He reigns.

For that I am thankful.  During a season of thanks and everyday, I am thankful.

"Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good."  Psalm 118:1

Homeland Security

The few.

The proud.

The protector of the trampoline.

And of the pioneer woman who resides there upon.  

 With her binoculars.

Here fishy, fishy

During our Japan study in Geography, we made Koi fish.

Using a fish template I found online, we cut (and by "we", I mean "me") out a bunch of circles from origami paper.  (Does that make it a DOUBLE Japanese craft?  Yay, Mom!  Two points!)

Then we pasted to our heart's content.  We also added a little bling, using aluminum foil, and added some ribbon streamers.  Fun, pretty, and educational.  Three more points for Mom!

Sometimes I Thank God...

(Sung to "Unanswered Prayers" by Garth Brooks.)

Just the other day

in my yard of browning grass,

my son, he was a-rakin'

without being asked.

And as I heard him whistling

and saw the pile build,

I couldn't help but smile --

my joyful heart was filled.

Sometimes I thank God

for unassigned chores.

Remember when you're fussin'

'bout stuff on the floors.

Just because you didn't ask him

doesn't mean he won't rake.

Some of God's greatest gifts

are these kids He did make.

"Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain."  1 Corinthians 15:58

Slumber Party

Sibling Style...

zzzzzz..............

Bird Watchers

In order to see birds it is necessary to become part of the silence - Robert Lynd

We Come In Peace...

...bringing kegs???

Thanks

Bless Them Abundantly:
A Veteran’s Day Prayer Dear Lord,
Today we honor our veterans,
worthy men and women
who gave their best
when they were called upon
to serve and protect their country.
We pray that you will bless them, Lord,
for their unselfish service
in the continual struggle
to preserve our freedoms, our safety,
and our country’s heritage, for all of us.
Bless them abundantly
for the hardships they faced,
for the sacrifices they made,
for their many different contributions
to America’s victories
over tyranny and oppression.
We respect them, we thank them,
we honor them, we are proud of them,
and we pray that you will watch over
these special people
and bless them with peace and happiness.
In Jesus’ name we pray; Amen.  By Joanna Fuchs

Freak Out!

Wanna totally freak your own brain out? 

Yeah, I knew you did.

Here's how:

Live in one location for a few years.
Visit that location's WalMart.  A lot.

Then, move to a new location.
Visit the new location's WalMart.  A lot.

Now, here's the freak out:

Go back to the ORIGINAL WalMart.
Things are similar.  But different.
You're lost.  But you're not. 
You know where things are.  But you don't.
Departments are in the "sorta-same" location.  But not.
And no matter how hard you try, your brain will not be able to make the situation understandable.
Aisles that you SWORE held coffee, tea, and creamers ACTUALLY have crackers, chips, and pretzels.

And I don't care who you are.  Brewed pretzels for breakfast just aren't any good.  I'd argue that, brewed, they are NEVER any good.  No matter who you are. 

This freak out has been brought to you courtesy of our fly-by-the-seat-of-our-pants trip back to that beautiful, beautiful, place by the sea we recently moved from.  You're welcome.  Now go to Walmart!

Soccer Mom

 
Fall has brought a new sport into our home.  

(What he did say, "Mom?  Can you add soccer shoes on the picture?  Yeah, like those."  What he didn't say but I'm sure he was thinking, "Because you're too cheap to buy me some real ones!)

Yep, I'm a soccer mom.  And as a good friend once told me, "Soccer Moms Kick Grass."  

If you'd like something less crude, you'll have to get it from someone else.  I just don't have any creativity left tonight.

"The rules of soccer are very simple, basically it is this: if it moves, kick it. If it doesn't move, kick it until it does." ~Phil Woosnam, 1974

And, if kicking the ball isn't exciting enough, then there are other pursuits which will provide entertainment.  Like stopping, mid-stride, throwing back your head, and pointing upwards each time a plane goes overhead.  And making sure to point it out to your teammates. 

Each.

And Every.

Time.