Happy Birthday Jesus!

We had a wonderful Christmas - as I'm sure the rest of you had! It's so much fun to see Christmas through the eyes of a child, isn't it? It just brings the magic and 'wonderment' back to life in your own hearts once again!

We started a new tradition last year of singing "Happy Birthday" to Jesus and saying a brief prayer of thanksgiving to God for sending His Son to save us! It's such a simple thing to do, but it allowed us to put the focus where it truly belongs - on Jesus!

It was fun watching the kids open their presents - and even more fun watch them give presents to others. It's nice to know that they have almost as much fun giving presents as they do getting them.

Faith received the Target version of an American Girl doll - and is referring to her as such . . . I don't have the heart to tell her it's a knock-off . . .

Bella had fun opening every present she received, and was just as awed and excited by each one she received.

One thing we do have to work on a bit is teaching Faith to conceal her feelings toward presents "she already has" or "doesn't particularly like". It's so hard to say "THANK YOU" when you want to yell out that you "ALREADY have 5 containers of sidewalk chalk . . ."

Hopefully she learned to show a bit of grace this season!

Merry Chrismtas everyone!

My Big Girl!

Here is my sweet little Bella on the potty! I know that this is only a picture a mother can truly appreciate! But this is really exciting stuff.

Bella is only 21 months, and has been pretending to go potty for a couple of months now, but the other day, she told me she had to go . . . she grabbed the Blue's Clues potty seat . . . climbed on up . . . and actually peed on the potty! Wow! I didn't even have to initiate potty training . . . she just did it on her own (thanks in large part to her older sister, and her friends at daycare).

She certainly hasn't mastered the art of going on the potty yet . . . but she's starting to get it! Could it be that soon and very soon there will be no diapers in our house? Here's hoping!

My Baby Sister's Engaged!

Would you look at that rock? Isn't it beautiful?

It's hard to believe that my little sister is soon going to be someone's wife!

Shelly was born when I was 10 years old. I remember feeding her bottles, changing her diapers, giving her baths . . . When she was 10 years old, she stood up in my wedding as a Junior Bridesmaid . . . and now I have the privilege of standing up in her wedding this comming Spring!

My how time flies!

Congrats Shelly and Kent!

Santa vs. Jesus

OK - I need some opinions from my fellow Christian bloggers. I'd like to debate a bit about the Christmas conundrum.

What are your thoughts on Santa Claus? Do you tell your child that their presents are from Santa? Do you tell them he is real?

I want to be careful to not judge anyone else on the decision they make for their own families. I just want some honest feedback from my peeps.

Here are my arguments against Santa:

1. First of all, those of us who are Christians, believe that CHRISTmas is a celebration of God coming to earth as a man - the manifestation of God's grace and love. He gave us His precious son as a GIFT . . . and we, in turn, give gifts to those we love as a reminder of God's great gift to us! It's not about receiving, it's about giving - it's about forgiveness - it's about salvation!


2. We tell Bible stories so our children can learn about their history, their roots, and how they fit in God's master plan. We hope and pray that our children will believe in the redemption that Jesus Christ has brought us - we want him to know He is REAL!


3. What happens if we tell our kids Santa is REAL . . . and later they find out he's not? Will they begin to question the other things that we tell them are real - like Jesus?

I have to chuckle when people ask Faith about Santa . . . "Have you been a good little girl? Then I bet Santa will bring you lots of presents! She looks at them like they're nuts! Her look says, "Are you serious? Santa is just pretend . . . and your talking to me like he's real!"

I'm proud of that. I'm proud that she knows that the Santa business is all pretend. Don't get me wrong, I have no problem with her watching The Polar Express or other Santa-based movies or shows, because I know that she knows it's just pretend - just like Dora and Curious George are pretend.

What do you think? Am I depriving my precious girls of childhood mystery? Or are those who teach their kids that Santa is real depriving their kids of the truth?

Grace and Faith

It's time again for me to wax philisophical . . . I don't do it often, so bear with me.

I've been thinking an awful lot about the words GRACE and FAITH lately.

Like so many others in our small community, my world has been rocked by the passing of sweet little Sam. My mind has been flooded with questions . . . did God allow Sam to get sick and die? Did he ordain it? Why did Sam have to die? Why didn't God answer the thousands of prayers uttered on his behalf? How does a mother find the strength to say, "If you need to go and be with Jesus, Mommy will understand."? How does a Mom handle holding her child while the heart monitor goes flat? How can God be good and allow something like this to happen? How does a mom go on without her little one to hold and hug and love?

The Bible says, "Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."

I've watched Theresa, Sam's mom, from a distance, and somehow she is living out this verse. This raises another question in my mind - how is that possible? How can she praise God, be joyful, and give thanks in the midst of the storm she's facing? Two words come to mind: GRACE and FAITH.

Through Theresa's example, God is teaching me in a very profound way what GRACE and FAITH really are.

The next question I ask myself is - would I be responding the same way as Theresa, or would I be filled with bitterness, questions, anger - or worse - lack of faith?

I've felt so weak in my faith in the last weeks. I've faced much less devistating things in my lifetime, and responded with much less faith. I've questioned God. I've allowed bitterness and anger to enter in. "You of little faith . . . why did you doubt?"

Theresa is inspiring. She's a woman of strong faith and character. She's not doubting . . . she's staying strong by God's GRACE. She is an amazing example to me of GRACE and FAITH. She has inspired me to extend my trust in God.

"Therefore, since we have been justified through FAITH, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by FAITH into this GRACE n which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hop of the Glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us." Romans 5:1-5

Cutie Patooties

Bella Grace


Faith Ellen

Returing to the Land of the Bloggers!

Hello All!

I am so sorry that I haven't entered a post in over a month!

Yikes!

I've had many a computer problem over the last several weeks, including errors, memory loss, non-responsive programming! It still isn't remedied yet . . . but I'm able to at least enter a blog entry.

So much has happened since the end of October:

1. Halloween - Faith as Tinkerbell and Bella as a bunny rabbit.
2. The big "Mission Impossible" kick off to our Sunday school program.
3. The dedication of our new church building.
4. Thankgiving - Oh so thankful for my precious family and friends!
5. The passing of one of my Kindergarteners - Sweet little Sam - only 5, but now living with Jesus.

Thanks for showing me grace despite my neglegent blogging!

Love you all!