Christmas Spirit

Ever the encourager, Kim at mom-musings gifted me with a Christmas award:


Thanks, Kim! Sorry it's taken me so long to post this, but I'm finally feeling a little better tonight so I thought while the boys (all three of them! LOL!) are occupied, since there is no company (I was blessed by visits from both my father and my sister and her children) and since we have nowhere to go, I could visit my much neglected blog and hopefully my bloggy friends.

So, what are the rules?

The rules:
The rules for this meme are very simple. Good manners dictate thanking (and linking to) the person who gave you the award. Then simply list five things you love about Christmas and pay the meme forward by tagging as many people as you'd like to. To keep the Christmas spirit flowing, be a good sport and tag at least one person.


Five things I love about Christmas? This Christmas, I will have to say, did not turn out how I had envisioned in my rose-colored imagination. No one plans on being sick before, let alone on a holiday--especially when that "one" is the Mommy-person. I got a slow start in the first place and then kicked up the pace a little and went on a decorating binge. But (she says with quite a whiny whine) I had soooooooooo much more planned to do, so much more to bake, special menus to make, cards to send, books to read, songs to sing, people to see, places to go, blog friends to visit, posts to post, sigh ...

And I don't think those all where what God had in mind. I'm not saying He made me have pneumonia, but He can use everything for His glory. And a few days ago I had to come to terms with what was essential for this particular Christmas. And that helped narrow down the choices. So five things that I've loved about this very different Christmas? They are:

1. God. Sounds kind of cliché and trite, but it is true. He met me in everything I purposed to Him. Everywhere I made an effort to seek Him, He was there. Whether I was in church, with my family, exhausted and lying in bed--He was there. Christmas is about God and His great love for us. Let the commercialism and retailers and those who would deny Him protest--it won't change the truth: Christmas is about God, YHVH, the Great I AM's love for His wayward children.

2. My family. My guys make it all fun. My husband really took over so much for me this year. My boys just love anything anyone does to make things more festive. Spending time with my father and my sister and her children just blessed me and reminded me that to slow down and enjoy the moments.

3. Church. No matter your denomination, I bet you love to go to church during Christmas to sing and praise the LORD with other believers--other members of Our Father's vast and diverse family. I bet you love to hear the Gospel message of how the Father sent His Only Son to our world as a tiny infant, a child born not it a palace, but a smelly stable. I bet you love to hear the message of LOVE. I know I do.

The one thing I had asked for this year was to go to Midnight Mass again, just like last year (probably not what the doctor ordered--but my heart was crying for it). We went and it was wonderful. I am always amazed at how moved I am to hear the Christmas hymns, to hear the Word, to come to worship the One.

4. Surprises. Christmas is always about surprises. From the first surprise that God would send His Son as an infant, to the surprises of today. Maybe a family member got to come home, maybe you got something you really wanted, maybe it was the surprise of giving a gift to someone and you could tell you had blessed them and they were thrilled.

I had so many surprises this year--really good and sweet surprises. I have to tell you I ended up crying quite a lot--happy tears mind you. But crying leads to coughing, so I coughed a lot too. But the surprises were worth it. Someone gifted my children in an unexpected way. Someone delivered a beautiful dinner on a night I had company and hadn't had the energy to put anything together. Surprises are a wonderful part of Christmas.

5. Lights. I'm trying to imagine Christmas without light. If you didn't notice in my decorating--I like lights. I'm not sure that it always works, but I hope that with the lights we remember the Light of the World.

Now I am supposed to pass this on, and so to everyone who commented on my posts through Advent to Christmas (and if you comment on this one too!), I'd like to share this award with you. I wasn't sure where Christmas this year was going, and your sweet comments, e-mails and encouragement blessed me more than you will know.

Merry Christmas, everyone! I hope your days have been merry and your families blessed with joy.

Julie

Merry Christmas! Welcome LORD Jesus!

Lyrics and music by Chris Rice

Tears are falling, hearts are breaking
How we need to hear from God
You've been promised, we've been waiting

Welcome Holy Child
Welcome Holy Child

Hope that you don't mind our manger
How I wish we would have known
But long-awaited Holy Stranger
Make Yourself at home
Please make Yourself at home
Bring Your peace into our violence
Bid our hungry souls be filled
Word now breaking Heaven's silence

Welcome to our world
Welcome to our world

Fragile finger sent to heal us
Tender brow prepared for thorn
Tiny heart whose blood will save us
Unto us is born
Unto us is born
So wrap our injured flesh around You
Breathe our air and walk our sod
Rob our sin and make us holy

Perfect Son of God
Perfect Son of God
Welcome to our world

Merry Christmas

You Can Say "Merry Christmas" in 12 Languages

You can say "Merry Christmas" in: English Spanish Japanese French German Italian Swedish Portuguese Greek Hawaiian Latin Esperanto

How Many Languages Can You Say "Merry Christmas" In?

Always something...

Sorry I've not visited much or posted. Decided the thing that would make my Christmas complete was pneumonia. Yesterday was spent at the doctor's and getting a chest x-ray. I have a few scheduled posts in the queue, had so many more ideas. Hopefully I will be back to "normal" soon.

Many prayers for a peace-filled, joyful holiday.

Love in Christ,

Julie

If I'm Going to Do Something...

I'm going to do it!
I finally did get the decorating done.
Thank goodness my sister is doing the baking because I'm tired!!

Welcome! This is the view from the front door.

At the top of the stairs .

Just to the left.

The window with the ever attractive t.v. tray decorating motif.
(Barbara, can you guess where my three "stray hooks" from previous dwellers are hidden?)

With a little light so you can see the ornaments.

We could not put a tree in the boys room this year. So I have two, yes two, in the living room. The "colorful tree" has a message in the branches. Can you see it above?

Below is the view of both trees and into the kitchen aka classroom.

The "fancy tree."

The nativity with some unusual additions.

The view from the hallway just off the boys room.

Cardinals have been favorites of mine for ages. I started adding them to my decorations about five years ago. They remind me of someone very special.

The snowmen are older than my boys--in fact they've been mine since college.

Two snowmen that were Mom's.

Hope your day is "Merry and Bright" and full of the True Light of the World.

Blessings,

Julie

How to Make a Big Mess...

...and please two boys in the doing.

First haul out as much chaos into the rest of the house as possible.

Next cover everything else in plastic--note the dirty beige walls.

Pile stuff on the bed...

Frustrate the dog. She was very upset about the whole thing!


and paint...




and say a few choice words...




Dump the darkest paint you have on the carpet.




More than once.




Fall into the wet wall...




and question your sanity...




What were you thinking anyway?????




Oooooooooooooohhhh....That's more like it!
We started with one brown bookshelf in the room and took that out and replaced it with two black bookshelves.

We hung the guitars on the wall and did something else I said I would never do.


The light blue wall and the wall that turned out more salmon than sand.

The dog was back in her "cave."
She's always slept in the boys' room.
We replaced the futon with a smaller loveseat.

Went vertical with storage of toys and "stuffies."

Decorated the window for the holidays.

Ambiance!


It's not 100% but they're pretty happy to have their new digs.

I think if you are so inclined you can click on a photo to enlarge.

Fall into Reading 2008 Wrap-Up

I didn't think I was overly ambitions selecting thirteen books for the three months reading of the Fall into Reading Challenge. But I have a bad habit of getting distracted with my reading. No surprise there.

This time around I did finish thirteen books and am in the process of reading two more, sequels to two of the books on my list.

I didn't finish five books on my list. Truly, I think the largest factor for not reading three of the books was that they were library books and I went on a "return everything I am not reading at the moment" binge. I have a bad habit of checking out more books than I can handle at one time and then they go back before I've read them. So I decided to work through the books I had on hand and then never got back to checking out the three on my list again. They are still of interest to me and I will pursue reading them in 2009.

I poked through one and have decided it is more a devotional instead of a "read through book" and will likely use it in 2009 as a devotional. The other, one that is mine, just got moved to the back of the stack since it would be a re-read for me.

Books I didn't read were:
But Who Do You Say I Am? by Bishop John A. Marshall (This is the book that I will be using as a devotional.) This book has pearls of wisdom, but just didn't lend itself to being digested in large sittings. I was already using a couple devotionals, so chose to set this aside for the time being.

The Solution by Laurel Mellin--a weight loss book, I found to be interesting in theory. I took it back to the library before digging in.

Hold On to Your Kids by Gordon Neufeld and Gabor Mate, M.D.--I definitely want to read this book. Again a library book that got set aside temporarily.

The Bias Against Guns by John R. Lott, Jr.--I will be reading this. It is a subject that I have personal interest in.

Sabbath, Finding Rest, Renewal and Delight in our Busy Lives by Wayne Muller (This is the book that I would be re-reading.)

Books I read from my list were:

Category 7 by Bill Evans and Marianna Jameson--This was a pretty good book (a full review is in the link). I think it would make the bones for an excellent movie. Could this have been a motivator for the writers?

A Bride So Fair by Carol Cox--This was a sweet read, a stand alone story in a set of three books by Carol Cox. I highly recommend this book of good morals and finding family.

Keys to the Kingdom by Garth Nix--One of a series of seven, based on the seven deadly sins, I found this to be unusual, but somewhat "lacking" something to grab me. My oldest wanted to read this. I found it to be acceptable for his age, reading level and maturity. I'll see what he says.

Little Britches/Wild Country by Ralph Moody--What a great book!! This has been added to my all time favorite list. I would recommend this book for all ages, either as a read aloud or an individual read. Set in the early 1900s it is the account of the authors childhood years. I laughed loudly and shed many tears with this book.

A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula Le Guin--Well done treasure, in very small packaging. This was well worth the read. Le Guin offers a lot of story in very few pages. I'm off reading the sequel, The Tombs of Atuan.

The Andromeda Strain by Michael Crichton--A techno-thriller from 1969, but still very relevant for today. Crichton is the master of detail in this story of bio-threat from an unknown source. Not a story for every reader, but certainly well done.

At Home in Mitford by Jan Karon--I'm such a goober! This book has been around forever and I am just now reading it! A true delight and much needed read. If you've not read the Mitford series, what are you waiting for? I am reading the second Mitford story--A Light in the Window.

Preparing for Jesus by Walter Wangerin, Jr.--a wonderful way to prepare our hearts for the coming of the Christ-child. Wangerin offers a fresh look at those who we assume we know all about--those who were at that first Christmas. I highly recommend this book.

The two books I am reading that are sequels are:

A Light in the Window by Jan Karon--the fun and adventure of Father Tim in Mitford continues. I love this series. It is really like family.

The Tombs of Atuan by Ursula Le Guin--I wanted to continue with Ged, but I am finding myself attached to Tenar/Arha. I am looking forward to Ged's entrance.


Books I read not on the original list included:

Beloved Madeleine L'Engle book A Wrinkle in Time--Oh this was a great read. I should have read it years ago. I read it while Roo was reading it. We both loved it. Looking forward to reading the books that L'Engle wrote to follow up "Wrinkle."

Christmas Out of the Advent Box by Benjamin R. Husted--Somehow I got it in my head that this book was on my FIR list. It wasn't, but I am glad I read through this. I don't agree with all of Husted's theology, but he didn't write it as a book to change someone's denomination. It was written as a help to make Christmas more meaningful. And I think it was well done. I will be incorporating some of his and his family's ideas next year.

Twilight series: Twilight, Eclipse, New Moon, Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer--I read, no flew, through these books with some fascination. These are seductive, well targeted books. I gave a long review of these. I will just say again, here, I do not recommend these books for the under fifteen age group, I would say seventeen would be a good age for these. And I highly, highly recommend parental involvement for young readers.


Full reviews can be found for most books I read via the links at my Joyful Days Reviews and Recipes blog.

Fall Into Reading was courtesy of Katrina at Callapidder Days. Fall Into Reading Participants, Fall Into Reading Reviews, Fall Into Reading Final Particiapants' Posts.

Christ Be Our Light

Christ Be Our Light

Longing for light, we wait in darkness.
Longing for truth, we turn to you.
Make us your own, your holy people,
light for the world to see.

Refrain
Christ, be our light! Shine in our hearts.
Shine through the darkness.
Christ, be our light!
Shine in your church gathered today.

Longing for peace, our world is troubled.
Longing for hope, many despair.
Your word alone has pow’r to save us.
Make us your living voice.

Refrain

Longing for food, many are hungry.
Longing for water, many still thirst.
Make us your bread, broken for others,
shared until all are fed.

Refrain

Longing for shelter, many are homeless.
Longing for warmth, many are cold.
Make us your building, sheltering others,
walls made of living stone.

Refrain

Many the gifts, many the people,
many the hearts that yearn to belong.
Let us be servants to one another,
making your kingdom come.

Refrain

Russian Trepak

by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

Gift of Hope

Child of wonder, close Your eyes
Rest here in my arms tonight
Someday You will save the world
But tonight I'll hold You, right here in my arms

Precious miracle of life, child of love
Gift of hope, the gift of light
From the Father above
And You were made for all mankind
But You will always be mine, child of love

Gabriel's promise has come true
God has blessed this world with You
And as I humbly hold You now
In my heart I know I'm holding heaven's child

Precious miracle of life, child of love
Gift of hope, the gift of light
From the Father above
And You were made for all mankind
But You will always be mine, child of love

Precious miracle of life, child of love
Gift of hope, the gift of light
From the Father above
And You were made for all mankind
But You will always be mine, child of love

Child of wonder, close Your eyes...