Merry Eve of Christmas Eve

Holy cow, where did 2015 go? This last month especially! Today is it for shopping and running like crazy. My family celebrates with a feast on Christmas Eve so all presents must be wrapped up today. So of course, I wake up with a sore throat. Argh!

I noticed when life gets a bit crazy, I put God on the back burner. How crazy is that? I know, it makes no sense. But I've put down the Advent book and gotten behind. And I really enjoy it! It seems when the days go bonkers I crash into bed and the thoughts of reading or writing just seem like more than I can handle. Like it's stressing me out. When in reality, it would calm my stress and soothe my frayed nerves. And even knowing that, I still roll over and ignore. So that must change today. 

Let's talk about what's going right. Both twins are HOME and snuggling with mommy and daddy. One is on oxygen but both are doing well. This makes me SO HAPPY. I'm not able to see them right now (super sad face) because I can't seem to stay well enough, but I'd rather just see pictures than put them in danger. They are so handsome!! Love being an aunt!! 

Speaking of being an aunt, the two sweet nieces are home. I'm so thankful for the time off this week. Even though I'd missed work with my and family's doctor appointments, I decided to go ahead an take this week off. Best decision ever. 

Macy and her mommy and I visited with Santa. No crowds on a Monday - hooray! The mall has these critters to ride an Macy loved it. Especially loved the fact she got a puppy instead of angry bird. These things are really hilarious. 

We came home and rested, then went on a search for Chtistmas lights!  Picked up her sister on the way and life was good. 

Yesterday Katie helped wrap up my shopping while I kept the girls. We really lived it up with painting projects (gifts), decorated Christmas cookies and read pop-up Chritmas books in bed. And Katie knocked out several hard-to-find gifts for me. Hip Hip Hooray!! 

Macy is really getting into Christmas and I'm soooo glad I'm able to see her excitement firsthand.  This is the first year I've felt excitement about Christmas in a while. We've had a rough three years and this one is tough, too. So make it four. Her sparkle is rubbing off on all of us. :)

So this year, mom is totally down with a very painful tear in her knee. Totally. Down. Dad is pretty much staying close to her but he's got some issues, too. So I'm trying to wrap up their shopping and plan for the Christmas Eve feast. Those parts aren't terribly stressful but point back to the health troubles my parents are seeing. Katie went to the eye doctor in hopes of finding something to help her migraines. She can't keep on like this. And her husband is in immense pain from the multiple surgeries that didn't work. Of course the new parents won't make it this year and I really miss them. So there are some prayer requests in there. 

But we always have blessings, too. Like Dad being able to help mom. And me being able to take off from work. Katie being out of school right now. Those sweet baby boys and their successes. Their mama is also a teacher so she's able to extend her leave time. The great reviews of the classes I taught. It's hot here but at least we aren't buried under snow!! Aaaannnndddd...

We have 7 completed NICU isolette covers for our children's hospital from my church!! So excited! So thankful! We have another sew day in Januaury. And I'm excited to see how it goes. Here are some pics. 

I had a pic of another one but must have deleted it trying to get pics of Macy and Santa. Oops. Those flaps sticking out cover the ends of the isolette. I know it looks weird :) 

Ok this is top secret so do not tell a soul BUT this is what the girls made for their daddy. He's from West Virginia and this is the lyrics from a John Denver that all WV people worship. :) the white states are WV and SC, where home is now. Macy painted the background with three shades of yellow and Aliah did the states and letters. Pretty good, eh? He'll love it. He is going to be so surprised!! 

I suppose I should get moving for the day. Things to do and people to see. Y'all have a very blessed Christmas. Tell Jesus Happy Birthday and thank The Lord for sending His Son to us for our sins. That's Christmas. All this other stuff is fluff. 

Hugs to you all!  

Happy Christmas & Such!

The holidays are here and gone! And for a person who absolutely LOOOOOOVES Christmas, I can't tell you how happy I am it's OVER.  I was actually excited to come back to work today because it gave me a break from my disaster of a house.  Sheesh.

I'm so disappointed in myself this Christmas because I allowed myself to completely lose sight of the true and only meaning to Christmas - the birth of Jesus Christ, my Savior and Lord.

I'm already looking ahead to next year and ways to put this first and foremost in the Christmas celebrations because I never want this to happen again - or to have this completely empty and lonely feeling.  I'm exhausted and ready to pack up 2014 and start fresh with 2015.

 
This said, of course we had a good time with family and watching a 2-year-old find such joy in every single gift she opened.  She loved every one of them. But was totally overwhelmed and didn't even open all her presents.  At one point I asked her if she wanted another present and she said, "No thank you, I'm fine."  And went back to playing with her old toys. :)  The 12-year-old was so gracious for every gift she opened and showed appreciation for them all.  It does make you feel pretty good about it.

I'm truly looking for ideas to bring the focus back on Jesus next Christmas and would love to hear your ideas.  Seriously.  Share.

Part of our problem was sickness kept us from many events - our family get-together, our church services and church program - we have quite a bit hitting the family right now. I'm asking for prayers for every single immediate family member because each one of us are battling with issues right now. I won't get into the details, but do ask for prayers.

I had to add this picture of my Dad.  My sister-in-law gave him this squirrel that fires foam "nuts" from its nose or mouth.  He was attacking us throughout the day with that thing! And he figured out to load it so the ammo would really travel! It was quite hilarious.

My mom's beautiful tree.  Loved the gold beads she added this year. And tucked in the branches are stuffed animals! It was really neat!  

My vet cousin and princess Macy.  These two (and one other vet) were so cute dressed up in one of their Christmas Eve presents.  So stinkin' cute!  We managed to stuff about 20+ people or so into my mom's house for Christmas Eve.  I'm so tired of cooking - I think everyone is because no one really ate all that food we made.  I don't want to think about how much of it is going to be tossed out.  

I have to tell you I'm excited about my Christmas present - a Brother SE400 Embroidery/Sewing machine.  Holy cow, I don't even know what I'm going to do with this beast of a machine. Put monograms on everything Macy owns! hahaha!  If you know anything about it, give me some pointers! I need help! But I'm so excited to have a good sewing machine so I can attempt some quilting and monogramming.  I'll never see my dining room table again. 

Ya'll, I hope your Christmas was blessed and beautiful, I hope your 2015 is filled with happy memories.  Thanks for joining me on this adventure called life via my blog and thank you for each and every comment you leave or prayer you send up or just happy thought/smile you give as you read.  It's appreciated!!! 

*hugs* to you!

Beth

PS - My kitten is still visiting me, although she's still a little skittish. She's my bright spot, I'm so happy to have her! :) 

Musings

I have had so much on my mind I wanted to share.  Then so much more happened and the random thoughts were dramatically pushed aside to process major concerns and "front burner" things. 

One of the things that I've been processing, one of those WOW moments, was this verse of scripture:

Romans 8:26
"Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words."

I can think of times where I'm just at a loss as to what to pray for or what I should ask or tell to God. Know what I mean? I just don't know where to start.  And the Holy Spirit will intercede for me and speak to God  on my behalf - He has me covered.  When I thought about that, it's proof that when we become Christians and accept Jesus Christ into our lives, the Holy Spirit does indeed come and dwell within us.  The Spirit is part of us and understands what it is we should ask the Lord our Father for and the Spirit will step in on our behalf when it's needed.

1 Corinthians 3:16
"Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?"

WHOA.  Can you full grasp that concept? I know I can't.  That's way far out of my league.  But the power in that, the love that God the Father has given to us, to give us the Spirit to convey what we need for us when we aren't able to see for ourselves. I just... I don't know what to say about that. It's powerful.

As we had a major crisis this weekend, where I thought it was predetermined that I was going to lose a cousin.  A mom to two boys (one 3 year old and one a few days old).  A sister to two brothers.  A daughter to my aunt and uncle.  Cousin to all million of us - we have a huge family.  I thought she was gone.  Oh my gosh, it shook me.  Just in that instant, I had prepared myself for the absolute worst. I asked so many people to please pray - please pray.  But I  myself, I just couldn't pray.  It was almost like if I asked God for it, I was admitting she would probably die. I just feel like in that moment the Spirit felt my breaking heart and spoke in groanings beyond my understanding, telling God my fears and needs.  Stepped in on my behalf.  Because the Spirit dwells within me, He knew what I wanted to ask for and what I needed and spoke for me.

What do you think, am I way off base here? Or am I understanding things right? 

To wrap up my weekend, so far my cousin is on the mend.  They got her back, are continuing to work with her to build up her strength so she can go home.  I'm very grateful to one doctor in particular, who did emergency surgery on my sister this summer and now on my cousin, both times with success. God heard the cries and prayers, and kept her here for another day. So thankful. So so thankful.

On a side note, it puts life in perspective for a few moments, at least.  I've had a little more patience than I normally would today.  When I felt myself getting frustrated with people, I just remembered - you don't know what they are struggling with today.  Their heart may be crushed and they need a smile.  One more negative thing may be their breaking point.  So be patient and, as my friend Paulene says, Do All Things With Love.

Thanks for listening, folks.  My randomness for the day ... :)

Perfect Timing

I went home from work yesterday and made the mistake of crawling into bed while talking on the phone.  2.5 hours later, I woke up, 8:30 p.m., and realized I hadn't done anything but sleep and I was starving.

Once I went back to bed, I didn't read my Bible devotion... thought about it, but instead just passed out.  I knew I needed to. I knew I had made time in life for Facebook, Twitter, and email. But, nah, I decided to roll over and not do my Bible devotion.

This morning, I opened my Girlfriends in God, and once again, the timing was perfect.

The reality for each one of us is that every moment of every day is focused on someone or something. We either set the focus through which we live and view life or we allow it to be set for us. A balanced life is focused on God as a result of sitting at His feet.

What does it mean to “sit at the feet of Jesus”? First of all, we have to stop. Now that is a novel idea for many of us. Mary stopped what she was doing—helping Martha in the kitchen—to come and sit at the feet of Jesus. Of course, Martha immediately began complaining that she had been left to do all of the work while her sister was wasting time. Listen, my friend, there will always be someone who will misunderstand or complain when you choose to do what Jesus told Martha was “the better part” (Luke 10:42).

But Martha was distracted by her many tasks; so she came to him and asked, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her then to help me.” But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; there is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her” (Luke 10:40-42).

Notice the word “chosen” used in this passage. Mary made a choice, and so must we. Making a choice to sit at the feet of Jesus requires decisive planning, purposeful scheduling, and willful determination. God wants relationship-building time with us every day, which means time at His feet, in His presence, must be our highest priority. It is absolutely amazing to me how I can squander away the best part of my day, leaving Him with the leftovers and scraps of time, and then have the audacity to complain that my life is void of power and purpose. Distractions come from every side. Some of those distractions are good and wonderful things, but they are all still wrong things if they keep us from spending time with God.

Jesus gently rebuked Martha because she had forgotten what was really important. Oswald Chambers writes, “We can choke God’s Word with a yawn; we can hinder the time that should be spent with God by remembering we have other things to do. ‘I haven’t time!’ Of course you have time! Take time, strangle some other interests, and make time to realize that the center of power in your life is the Lord Jesus Christ.”

Every day you and I choose where we will invest our time. We plan and schedule everything from hair appointments to lunch with friends, but we sometimes fail to schedule the most eternal activity in this life, spending time with God. Do you need the power to live your life above your circumstances? Are you desperate for the peace and balance only He can bring? Do you long for a relationship that will energize you to carry the burdens and passions of this life? Then it is time to take inventory of the demands upon your time and begin sitting at His feet.

This is just the first part, but it really convicted me. Wow, I need to refocus my priorities, do I not?    So here is the prayer that they published... and I'm also using it today.  

Father, help me learn to cherish and make time to simply sit at Your feet and be in Your presence. At the same time, Lord, show me how to live a life of integrity in which I am a woman of my word. Teach me how to discipline my steps and invest my time in a way that pleases You and honors the plan You have for my life. Only You can bring a holy balance to my life as I surrender my agenda and every priority to Your perfect plan. I do that right now.

In Jesus’s name,

Amen

Smack me in the face, why don't you?

Imaginary Friends, let me just share this with you.  As you all know by now, I have chosen the word, "Simplify" as my one little word for the year.  I'll be honest, I haven't done much with it.  I really want to go through my house and clean out so much stuff that is caving in around me.

Ok, moving along, I once used this email devotional each morning, until I switched over to #shereadstruth.  Well, I never cancelled the email devotional but I rarely read it. (Girlfriends in God - it really is great).  I have been SO SLACK about #shereadstruth, so I decided to read my Girlfriends in God this morning and I had to share this with you:

February 6, 2013
He is Waiting for You
Mary Southerland

Today’s Truth

“Now as they went on their way, He entered a certain village, where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home” (Luke 10:38, NIV).

Friend to Friend

Balance always requires a fierce and ruthless examination of priorities. Our true priorities are not mere lists of activities completed or goals set but candid reflections of our heart desires.  What we deem important receives the most time, energy, attention and resources. The importance of right and balanced priorities is illustrated by the life of Martha.

Jesus knew that He was always welcome in the home of Martha. Scripture tells us that Jesus “had no place to lay His head,” but He often came to this home when He needed to rest or get away from the demanding crowds. At the age of thirty, the Son of God left His natural home and there is no record of His ever returning to live there. He often went to Bethany, to the house of Martha, Mary and Lazarus, and even spent His final week on earth there. Jesus didn’t have to wonder if He was welcome in this home or if Martha was “ready” for His presence. He knew she was. Can He say the same about us? Do we have the heart of a seeker, one who lives each day aware of God’s presence, His plan and His priorities?

Seeking God begins with recognizing who He is and then inviting Him into our lives as Lord and Savior. If He is not Lord of all, then He is not Lord at all. For some of us, the problem is not that we lack a personal relationship with God. Our problem is that we are not “making room” for that relationship. Balance comes when we yield to His plan in the everyday moments of life.

One summer, our family went to Pennsylvania where we visited Amish country. I have always been fascinated by the Amish people and enjoyed every minute spent in their beautiful and carefully ordered world. As our visit came to an end, I wanted to buy a souvenir to remind me of the peaceful days we had spent there, but everything I picked up was too expensive. Being a committed shopper, I was not about to let that stop me. We travelled up and down the small hidden back roads of each community, looking for the Amish products known only to a few and to those relentless shoppers who were willing to persevere. I was beginning to lose hope when I spotted the small, white sign posted on the fence of a quaint and absolutely perfect house. “Amish Crafts” it said. This was it!

As we climbed out of the car, a sense of peace settled around us like an old familiar blanket. Our voices immediately dropped to a whisper as we tiptoed up the narrow stone path and gently opened the screen door. When we stepped onto the porch filled with beautiful Amish crafts, a woman came out of the house, welcomed us with a beautiful smile and introduced herself as Mary. She invited us to browse and to let her know if we needed any help. I have to admit that I was almost rude in my pathetic attempts to catch a glimpse of her home through the porch windows. Reading my mind, she graciously offered, “Would you like to come in and look around?” I thought she’d never ask!     

     

Mary’s home revealed a world very different from mine and an uncommonly simplistic lifestyle I desperately longed to experience. The house was sparsely furnished with only the necessities, but Mary described her life and daily routine with words like “calm, uncomplicated, peaceful and serene.” When I asked why she had chosen such a lifestyle she sweetly responded with words of wisdom I will never forget, “I have discovered that when my life and my heart get too crowded there is not enough room for God.” Exactly! (sorry, I'm highlighting this because this is the key!)

An unbalanced life is too crowded for God. It is so easy to relegate our spirituality to religious activity when all He really wants is to spend time with us. When the tears fall, He wants to wipe them away, collecting each one so that He can pour them back into our lives as a refreshing rain of restoration. God longs for us to forever run into His arms, sharing every hurt and rejoicing in every victory. The Father yearns to wrap His strong arms around us, bringing the peace and balance we so desperately need.

Instead, we often relinquish control of our life to unworthy demands dictated by a world that operates in “urgent” gear. We forget what is really important. The important rarely barges in while the urgent is always an offensive intruder. The important waits patiently while the urgent demands its own way, creating bedlam and imbalance. Certainly, there are times when the important is also urgent – but we must learn to discern between the two. We wrongly conclude that a busy life is automatically a productive life and think that a full schedule will surely produce a full heart.

I have great news! He loves who you are more than He loves what you do. Seek Him today. Make room for Him. He is waiting.

Let’s Pray

Father, I am too busy and sometimes I feel like my life is spinning out of control. I’m tired of the imbalance I see in the way I live. Help me learn how to establish priorities that please You and reflect Your plan for me. I commit to spending time with You each day, seeking Your wisdom and direction. I love You, Lord.

In Jesus’ name,

Amen.

Now It’s Your Turn

Are you ready to evaluate your life according to God’s priorities? Set aside time today to spend with Him. Grab your journal and record the truths He gives you about how to balance your life.

Ask God to let you see your life through His eyes. Be willing to change what needs to be changed in order to invest your time wisely.    
 
Determine the top five life priorities of your life - right now. Take a deep breath and brutally examine your calendar and checkbook to see where you spend most of your time and resources. We can give lip service to what we think our priorities should be but until our daily schedule reflects those priorities, we are only "playing at life."  
  
More from the Girlfriends

Choose to keep the commitments you have made today for one month. So much of the Christian walk is wrapped up in the word "choice." A choice is a deliberate action and purposeful decision. We can choose where and how we spend our time. A daily time alone with God in prayer and Bible study will strengthen you to face whatever life throws at you this year. Check out Mary’s weekly online Bible study, Light for the Journey, for practical ways to tap into the power of God’s Word. The first study of 2013 is Power Up With Proverbs, and it’s not too late to join!

I'm very much wanting to simplify and so far I haven't done anything to reflect this passion in my life.  Sounds like I need to take a weekend out of the craft room and spend it cleaning up and cleaning out my life. :)  

Decisions Decisions...

Vs.



I am so distressed. How could they possibly put the Superbowl vs. Downton Abbey tonight! Couldn't we move the Superbowl to Saturday for just this once? Less people would skip work with the "can flu!"

*sigh* It really does suck. I'm hopelessly addicted to Downton Abbey but family tradition calls for an abundance if tasty treats as we gather around the commercial breaks to analyze their creativity and entertainment value.

It's a tough choice, but I must put my own family before that of Lord Grantham's. Yes, I'll be watching the Superbowl tonight and cheering for the team with the cutest uniforms. Heck, we had to look up where the Ravens were from! And I just realized this morning they are playing in Louisiana!

Can you tell we aren't sports fans? My brother-in-law won't watch it with us because we use the game as a chance to hit the potty and eat between commercial breaks. Drives him batty, so he stays home. We send him nibbles before it starts. :)

Do you have a situation similar to this? Am I the only one suffering?

Simplify. My One Little Word for 2013.

Love this bracelet... check it out here!

As I mentioned in my Friday's Letter post earlier today, I'm choosing one word to apply to my life for 2013.  This is the third year I've done it and I LOVE this concept.

A bit of history,  I chose "Appreciation" in 2011 and this really impacted my life. I began a Thankful Journal, that I still keep up-to-date today. I showed friends and strangers alike that I valued them and appreciated them through small acts - a smile, a positive comment, a note. I really loved this word and what it did for me.

In 2012, I wanted to choose "Create" but felt I wouldn't have time to apply this in a very busy year. So I chose "Breathe," which I didn't do at all.  2012 was a rough one. And yet, I should have stuck with "Create" because I started my online Etsy store in the midst of the craziness!

This year, I feel really good about my word.  Simplify.  This has been lying heavily on me - the excess and waste, the drama and out-of-whack priorities. I'm disappointed in where my life is and where we are as a society. I can't change but one of those - so it starts with me.  :)  I'm already wanting to clean out my house, have a huge yard sale and find something positive to do with the money raised. I'm tired of buying buying buying all this crap that is so disposable. I want quality, necessary, long-lasting things that are what I NEED, not just what I want.

Simplify, my friends. Focus on the people I love and the time I have with them today. Focus on my needs, my health, my talents and hobbies.  Pray. Lots of praying and asking God to show me what this one little word can do for my life.  I'm ready to push back from materialism and open my heart to things money can't buy.

So this is my one little word for 2013.  If you get into this, I hope you'll share yours and the reason behind it. I love hearing things like that. :)  And hopefully you'll keep me accountable on how my word is going!