Archives for 2010

Season of Anticipation

December 5, 2010 by 4 Comments

5387409984_a2e741f923_z

Ah, the days leading up to Christmas… Such a season of anticipation. We find ourselves looking forward to many things with excitement — visits with family and friends, giving our loved ones special gifts, indulging in our favorite holiday treats, helping make Christmas a little merrier for a hurting soul, or carrying out our well-loved traditions. We each could add our own personally anticipated events to the list, couldn’t we?

I pray that reflecting on the coming of our Savior and time spent worshiping Him will be at the very center of our season of anticipation this year. Let’s take time each day to celebrate the fact that our Savior indeed was born so many years ago. Let’s not wait until Christmas Eve to begin our Christmas worship. Let’s let our season of anticipation become a holy one and fill our hearts with joy each day.

One good way to do this is with music. As you sing the carols of Christmas this holiday season, truly think about the message of each verse. With songs that have become so familiar, it’s easy to sing along happily but fail to really hear the messages of the carols with our hearts. Let’s not miss those messages this year. Let’s sing with our hearts.

There’s no better time to start than now. Join me in hearing afresh the message of “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel” (Latin hymn, author unknown) as we sing our worship today!

“O come, O come, Emmanuel
And ransom captive Israel
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, Thou Day-Spring, come and cheer
Our spirits by Thine advent here
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night
And death’s dark shadows put to flight.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.

Oh, come, our Wisdom from on high,
Who ordered all things mightily;
To us the path of knowledge show,
And teach us in her ways to go.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to you, O Israel!

Oh, come, Desire of nations, bind
In one the hearts of all mankind;
Oh, bid our sad divisions cease,
And be yourself our King of Peace.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to you, O Israel!”

“Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.” Matthew 1:23 KJV

*Flickr photo by johanneschnelldorfer, Creative Commons License

**Don’t forget to sign up for the Stocking Stuffer Giveaway!

Filed Under: holidays, music, worship

Stocking Stuffer Giveaway!

December 1, 2010 by 23 Comments

December’s here! That means it’s time for me to shift into my “Ho, Ho, Ho” persona :) So to start getting into Santa mode, how about if I help stuff someone’s stocking a little early?

You’ve probably already guessed that the winner of my Stocking Stuffer Giveaway will be treated to some yumminess of his or her choosing at America’s favorite coffee shop.

Leave a comment on this blog post by noon Dec. 12, and you’ll be entered for a chance to win a $15 gift card to Starbucks. To make it fun, tell me about a favorite stocking stuffer — either one you like to give or one you like to receive. If I don’t know you personally or can’t contact you via your own blog, be sure to leave your email address in your comment or you won’t be included in the drawing.

I’ll kick off our stocking stuffer sharing. When my girls were little, I used to put Hershey’s Kisses, Miniature Reese’s Cups, and Snickers minis in their stockings — all in holiday wrappers, of course. Now that they’re grown, I go straight for the big bags of whatever their (and their husbands!) current favorite candy might be. I put a variety of other gifts in their stockings as well, but they can always count on some candy of some sort. If I love chocolate, I guess I figure they will, too :)

This holiday season as we’re busy stuffing stockings and placing presents under the tree for our loved ones, let’s also try to make Christmas a little merrier for someone less fortunate.

There are lots of organizations we can contribute time or money to who carry out wonderful ministries during Christmas, but let’s also be ready to act on unexpected opportunities that come our way. Let’s be ready to reach out with love and kindness and the hope that comes with the good news of our Savior’s birth. Let’s be ready to stuff a few stockings!

“She opens her arms to the poor and extends her hands to the needy.” Proverbs 31:20

*Flickr photo by stephenccwu
Filed Under: fun, giveaway, holidays

Newlywed Christmas

November 28, 2010 by 8 Comments

Anyone else know someone enjoying a newlywed Christmas this year? Don and I were lucky enough this Thanksgiving weekend to spend a few hours with our daughter Kelli and new son-in-law Jake, sharing in their joy as they showed off their first-ever cozy little home all decked out for the holidays. What fun! What newlywed Christmas fun! :)

On this their first Christmas together as a married couple, Kelli and Jake are seeing Christmas with new eyes, experiencing all kinds of holiday firsts together and creating what may become new traditions they observe for years to come. They’ll hang on to certain special traditions from their growing-up years to be sure, but many will have a new twist now. A two-become-one twist.

New twists can be a good thing, can’t they? It’s good to do new things. New experiences and new traditions can add a freshness and excitement to life — and to the holidays. When we do new things, we stretch ourselves. We grow.

Our little newlyweds will be doing plenty of new things this holiday season, but we don’t have to be newlyweds to add a twist to our traditions or to start something new. What will you do to add freshness and excitement to your season? What will you do to grow?

“He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God.” Psalm 40:3a

*Christmas Giveaway coming soon! Check back later this week!

Filed Under: family, holidays, new thing, tradition

Proclaiming Thanksgiving

November 21, 2010 by 7 Comments

I’m so thankful that America’s founding fathers were people who worshiped and served our heavenly Father. The following announcement was made 387 years ago by William Bradford, the Governor of Plymouth Colony (1623):

“TO ALL YE PILGRIMS: Inasmuch as the great Father has given us this year an abundant harvest of Indian corn, wheat, beans, squashes, and garden vegetables, and has made the forests to abound with game and the sea with fish and clams, and inasmuch as He has protected us from the ravages of the savages, has spared us from pestilence and disease, has granted us freedom to worship God according to the dictates of our own conscience; now, I, your magistrate, do proclaim that all ye Pilgrims, with your wives and little ones, do gather at ye meeting house, on ye hill, between the hours of 9 and 12 in the day time, on Thursday, November ye 29th of the year of our Lord one thousand six hundred and twenty-three, and the third year since ye Pilgrims landed on ye Pilgrim Rock, there to listen to ye pastor, and render thanksgiving to ye Almighty God for all His blessings.”

Let us, too, be busy proclaiming Thanksgiving this week. Let’s thank God for His provision, His protection, and His many blessings. They are abundant indeed!

A blessed Thanksgiving to all!

“Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for men, for he satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things.” Psalm 107:8-9

*Flickr photo by John-Morgan, Creative Commons License

*I’ll be skipping my mid-week post since we’ll all be busy preparing for Thanksgiving. What yummy dish are you most looking forward to? I can’t wait to wolf down a few of Grandma’s Rolls again! :)

Filed Under: America, holidays, thanks

Gotta Share More Wedding Photos!

November 17, 2010 by 10 Comments

Bet you thought I was done talking about Kelli’s wedding, huh? Don’t worry, I’m not going to talk much. Just wanted to finally share some of the photographer’s photos with you. Took awhile before they were posted online, even longer for us to get the discs, and then even longer for me to get them downloaded to my computer to share with others.

The shot above was taken as Kelli and Jake traveled from the church to the reception site. They did so well at the kissing shots that Will wanted to take every other minute :) Hope you enjoy a brief look at the events of the day!

The Mother of the Bride, all smiles, arriving with the bridal gown in hand :)

Kelli getting ready, and her big sissy — and matron of honor — helping her every step of the way.

The Father of the Bride — otherwise known as Paint Man, Roof Man, and various other personas — cleans up pretty good, huh?

A carefully executed “Corner Shot”, taken before the wedding, holding hands without seeing each other and excited for all the day would hold.

First shot outside the chapel after the ceremony. A very happy Mr. & Mrs.!

The bridesmaids blowing the groom kisses. After all, he’s a married man now! :)

The gorgeous and delicious wedding cake. So beautiful!

Yes, this is the groom’s cake! An amazing job! Many people thought they were real books!

Time out during the reception for some fun shots. Love this one :)

Kelli always has enjoyed a good Charlie’s Angels pose :)

Boys will be boys! :)

Jumping for joy — and for a good photo :)

Sad, but true — the FOB entertained with his magic tricks when he was supposed to be giving a toast! :)

Their first dance. Such a sweet couple. But I’m not prejudiced at all :)

And let’s finish it out with this shot of one tired momma at the end of the party. Tired, but happy. So happy that we were able to give our precious Kelli and her loving Jake a wonderful wedding celebration they can treasure forever… And happy to share with you! “…we loved you so much, we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well.” 1 Thessalonians 2:8b

*I posted lots more wedding photos on my Facebook page the other day. If you’re not one of my FB friends yet, come over and friend me and then see the rest of the photos!
Filed Under: family, fun, joy, memories
« Previous Page
Next Page »