Just 3 Days

Only three days until Christmas.

Hopefully, I made my last trip to Walmart until after next weekend.

I have gone to shopping twice a week because of all of the fresh veggies,

but not this week ...

We are stocked up and ready for a warm and rainy celebration.

It will be a quiet day here in NC.

We will have a guest for dinner and whatever portion of the day he wishes to stay.

I picked up a puzzle for a quiet afternoon

and the ingredients for homemade pizza at night.

Quiet or busy for you?

The Lamb of God

Revelation 5:13

Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power,
be unto him that sitteth upon the throne,
and unto the Lamb for ever and ever.

May I not forget in the busyness of the season

to honor the Savior whom we celebrate.

An Open Letter of Thanks

Dear dad and mom,

It is true that the older I get the more I appreciate all that you have done for me.

I was blessed to be raised in a home without want.

Thank you for not giving us everything we wanted.

Thank you for teaching me to squeeze out every drop of toothpaste

and for teaching me to drain the old ketchup into the new bottle.
Thank you for teaching me to take care of my clothes and my toys and belongings.

Thank you for teaching me that debt is bad

and the value of saving for large purchases.
Thank you for making me pay and work for my advanced education.

Thank you for investing much time and money into music lessons: piano, organ, flute.

Those lessons are a help in my ministry and will hopefully be a blessing in churches 

around the nation and maybe even the world through my students.

Thank you for your faithfulness in caring for my grandparents.

The work is hard, discouraging, and often thankless,

but you do it graciously and are a positive example.

Thank you for encouraging my marriage and home.

From the beginning, you recognized my hubby as my new leader.

Thank you for understanding the difficult balance between family visits in the east and in the west.

Thank you for your example of hospitality.

From college groups, missionaries, and church families ...

thank you for making entertaining common place and low stress.

Thank you for not running to doctor with each sniffle and fever.
Thank you for making "sick days" undesirable and rare.
Thank you for doing your best to understand food allergies

without making us feel like a burden or an additional struggle.

Thank you for encouraging me to think for myself,

to be independent, to push myself.

From leaving me in FL, to pushing me to meet state standards in High School,

to insisting that I stick with music lessons and stressful performances.

The character you taught is a benefit to me today.

Thank you for your involvement in the local church.

Your involvement showed me many "behind the scenes" ministries

that need attention or additional workers.

Thank you for a slightly more than basic education in cars and their workings.
Thank you for teaching me to drive standard.
Thank you for teaching me to listen for the different noises that might save a big repair bill.

I know that I do not thank you enough,

but I definitely think it much.

I hope that my note will encourage other parents

to stay the course,

to teach by example,

to demand more.

I love you both.

Merry Christmas!

Thank you!

I Am Blessed

It has been a week to remember how blessed I really am.

As I shared my devotion finding with my hubby last week,

his excitement at my growth reminded me how blessed I am.

As hubby helped another student with her car,

I was reminded how blessed I was to always have faithful cars to drive

and how much my dad taught me about caring for a car (even if that involved a long distance call).

As we revamp in the house,

I am reminded of God's physical blessing each day.

As we mail off cards and gifts,

I am reminded of the blessing of family and friends who share our faith and life

and of all of those who pray for me often.

As I look at the Christmas tree each morning,

I focus on a name of Christ

and I am reminded of His comfort, His power, His healing, His care, His salvation.

God is good!  His blessings are different in each person's life.

I am thankful for those blessings He has bestowed on me.

Better Off Without It

The inside transformation continues:

The sofa-sleeper has been ordered.
The former sofa taken to its new home.

More furniture slated for sale or Goodwill.

I have spent some time today listing furniture for sale ...

Craigslist, One Man's Junk, ...

I spent some time searching for some places to list on Facebook,

but I had to get off.

Why?

It was too depressing.

It seems that many of those in my past have undergone transformations as well.

Friends who have changed immensely,

standards that have changed,

children who have grown and are making poor choices,

immodesty, ...

Maybe Facebook is of benefit to you and in keeping up with friends and family;

but for me, I am better off without it.

Easy Appetizer

We had a church "Crunch and Munch" last night.
Always the dilemma - what do I make?

Last night, I went with easy.

7 Layer Dip

1 bean layer (mine was mashed black beans with some salsa and cilantro)

sour cream or greek yogurt layer

salsa layer

guacomole layer (avocados, cilantro, jalapeno, garlic blended smooth)

shredded lettuce

shredded cheese

sliced olives

-Served with tortilla chips

YUMMY! and Easy!

Another Proof Copy

This week, I am thankful to have finished a fourth book.

Last weekend, we finished editing for a study on Philippians.

On Tuesday, the cover arrived and I requested the proof copy.

So we are about a week away from receiving the proof

and then we will have a 2016 release!

So thankful.

Need Some Encouragement?

Do you need some encouragement?

It is easy to find. 

Just read the first few verses of any epistle ...

it will give you a reason to be thankful, 

a reminder of how blessed you are or could be if trusting in Christ.

For example,

Galataians 1:3-5
Grace be to you and peace from God the Father,
and from our Lord Jesus Christ,

 Who gave himself for our sins,
that he might deliver us from this present evil world,
according to the will of God and our Father:

 To whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Updating

The latest transformation is a work in progress.

With the outside work finished, 

we are looking inside again.

I recently lamented that I made so many choices for decorating as a "kid."

My tastes and styles have changed as well as my "practicality."

So we are assessing the living room - AKA all purpose room.

It must be a gym (large open area),

sitting room for company,

office (2 computers),

and my practice studio.

Oh - and  the reason to look for a change ...

optional guest room.

We have given away our sofa and are looking for a sofa bed.

And so we rework the whole room.

To recover the LazyBoy recliner or not ...

To add a chair or not ...

Colors?

Sizes?

Stay tuned ... we should have some changes soon.

The Sense of Hearing

It may sound silly ...

but I am thankful for the noisy trash truck,

and the ability to hear it.

I almost missed it this morning.

The loud truck and the amazing gift of hearing

gave me the time to get the trash to the curb on time.

(Actually, I met the trash man crossing the lawn,

and he took the trash to the curb for me.)

Warm and Cozy

Twinkling lights,

scent of pine,

messages of joy,

Nativities pointing to a great Redeemer and Savior.

The house is decorated,

the lights are shining,

...

This homemaker is happy.

Praise

Psalm 40:3 

And he hath put a new song in my mouth,
even praise unto our God:
many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the LORD.

An answer to the "Why me's?" of life ...

So I can praise in the hard time ...

so others can be drawn to God ...