Auld Lang Syne of 2010

Happy New Year's Eve!  I hope everyone is bidding farewell to 2010 and ringing in the new year with lots of safe and fancy fun!!!  (I am cozied up in my pj's ready to watch the ball drop in a few hours.  That might seem boring to most, but it is PERFECT this year for Matt & me!)

And as we snuggle up by the Christmas tree to watch the ball fall and bid 2010 adieu, I can't say goodbye to this year without THANKING GOD for all the SIMPLY AMAZING blessings He has given to us this past year... 

Love, joy, family & friends...including the blessed addition of sweet J!

Protection, provision, forgiveness & freedom in Christ.

The list is amazing, simply amazing.  I was so overwhelmingly blessed these past 365 days.  Thank You, Lord Jesus!!!

"Give thanks to the God of gods.  His love endures forever.

Give thanks to the Lord of lords:  His love endures forever.

Give thanks to the God of heaven.  His love endures forever."

--Psalm 136:2-3,26

"Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!"

--Romans 7:25

And as we enter a new year, may 2011 be the year we bring more glory and praise to His amazing name than ever before!  May the Lord bless us all in the New Year!!!

"The LORD bless you and keep you;

the LORD make His face shine upon you

and be gracious to you;

the LORD turn His face toward you

and give you peace."

--Numbers 6:24-26

P.S.  While doing a spell check on "bid adieu" (not "ado"), I learned that the origin of "adieu" is literally "to God" as in "I bid you to God".  So...as we bid 2010 "adieu", may we literally and in our hearts give every moment as a prayer unto Him!!!  :0) 

Merry Day-After Day-After Christmas!

Ho ho ho, everybody!  Hope you are all having a wonderfully blessed week of Christmas!  Hark the herald angels sing, glory to the newborn King!!!  :0)

Me & my awesome gift giving hubby.  I must have been VERY good this year!  :0)

O Come Let Us Adore Him

Christ the Lord!

Merry Christmas!!!

Joy to the world and a blessed Merry Christmas everyone!!!  Baby Jesus is born!  Glory to the newborn King!!!  :0)

"And there were in the same country shepherds
abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them,
and the glory of the Lord shone round about them:
and they were sore afraid.
And the angel said unto them,
Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy,
which shall be to all people.
For unto you is born this day in the city of David
a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
And this shall be a sign unto you;
Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
And suddenly there was with the angel
a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,
Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace, good will toward men."

--Luke 2:1-14

Joy to the world

the Lord is come

Let Earth receive her King!

Gloria, In Excelsius Deo

Glory to God in the Highest

Breath of heaven,

Hold me together,

Be forever near me,
Breath of heaven.

Breath of heaven,
Lighten my darkness,
Pour over me your holiness,
For you are holy.

Breath of heaven.


The Child, the Child, sleeping in the night
He will bring us goodness and light
He will bring us goodness and light


God rest ye merry, gentlemen,
Let nothing you dismay,
Remember Christ our Savior
Was born on Christmas day,
To save us all from Satan's pow'r
When we were gone astray;
O tidings of comfort and joy, Comfort and joy,
O tidings of comfort and joy.


 
Just before I go to sleep
I hear a church bell ring
Merry Christmas, ev'ryone
Is the song it sings

 
Hark! the herald angels sing,
Glory to the newborn King,
peace on earth, and mercy mild,
God and sinners reconcile.
Joyful, all ye nations, rise,
join the triumph of the skies;
with the angelic host proclaim,
'Christ is born in Bethlehem'
Hark! the herald angels sing,
Glory to the newborn King.

Hail, the heaven-born Prince of peace!
Hail the Son of righteousness!
Light and life to all he brings,
risen with healing in his wings.
Mild he lays his glory by,
born that man no more may die,
born to raise the sons of earth,
born to give them second birth.
Hark! the herald angels sing,
Glory to the newborn King.


   
O Come All Ye Faithful, Joyful and triumphant,
O come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem.
Come and behold Him,
Born the King of Angels;
O come, let us adore Him, O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him, Christ the Lord.


 
O Holy Night
The stars are brightly shining
It is the night of our dear Savior's birth
...Fall on your knees,
O hear the angels' voices!
O night divine,
O night when Christ was born
O night divine, O night divine,
O night divine!

...He knows our need; to our weakness is no stranger.
Behold your King; before Him lowly bend!
Behold your King; before Him lowly bend!

Truly He taught us to love one another;
His law is love and His Gospel is peace.
...Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we,
Let all within us praise His holy Name!
Christ is the Lord! O praise His name forever!
His power and glory evermore proclaim!
His power and glory evermore proclaim!
 
 
Oh little town of Bethlehem, how still we see thee lie
Above thy deep and dreamless sleep the silent stars go by
Yet in the dark streets shineth, the everlasting light
The hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight.


Oh holy Child of Bethlehem, descend to us we pray
Cast out our sin and enter in, be born in us today
We hear the Christmas angels, the great glad tidings tell
O come to us, abide with us, our lord Emmanuel.
 
 
And all the world rejoiced because the King was born at last
A savior had been promised now it had come to pass
And the joyful news that He was born spread quickly far and wide
Once upon a Christmas was the birth of Jesus Christ


   
This, this is Christ the King,
Whom shepherds guard and angels sing:
Haste, haste to bring him laud,
The Babe, the Son of Mary!
...Raise, raise the song on high,
The Virgin sings her lullaby:
Joy, joy, for Christ is born,
The Babe, the Son of Mary!


   
And they sang, glory to God in the highest
Dawning that first Christmas morn
Peace on earth and tidings of great joy
For unto you this night a child is born.



Silent night, holy night

All is calm, all is bright
Round yon Virgin Mother and Child
Holy Infant so tender and mild
Sleep in heavenly peace
Sleep in heavenly peace

Silent night, holy night!
Shepherds quake at the sight
Glories stream from heaven afar
Heavenly hosts sing Alleluia!
Christ, the Saviour is born
Christ, the Saviour is born

Silent night, holy night
Son of God, love's pure light
Radiant beams from Thy holy face
With the dawn of redeeming grace
Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth
Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth


These are some of my favorite Christmas songs that bring a tear to my eye and joy to my heart.  Hallelujah, Praise the newborn King!  To close, here are some "little children" from many years ago.  May this Christmas and always we, like children, hasten to the manger to see God's gift for us... His Son.  He is our Redeemer, our Savior, our Lord & King.  He is our joy, our delight, our Emmanuel..."God with us".  Thank You, Father, for...

Jesus, the greatest gift of all!!!

O come, little children, O come one and all,
To Bethlehem haste, to the manger so small,
God's Son for a gift has been sent you this night
To be your redeemer, your joy and delight.

Christmas 1985

Merry Christmas everyone!

Glory to God in the highest!!!

Jesus is the greatest gift of all!

Merry Christmas Eve!

Merry Christmas Eve everyone!  As we celebrate this Christmas Eve, the world is so full of anticipation...for Santa to come...for parties tomorrow...for hugs from family...for yummy cornbread dressing and pies...etc, etc, etc. 

But most importantly, we wait with joyful anticipation to celebrate the coming of our Lord…first in the manger in Bethlehem...and also to come in His triumphant Second Coming.  His Second Coming is as certain as His first and is stated many times in the Bible, including by Jesus Himself...

“For the Lord Himself will come down from heaven,

with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel

and with the trumpet call of God, and…[we]

will be caught up together with them in the clouds

to meet the Lord in the air.

And so we will BE WITH THE LORD FOREVER.”

--1 Thessalonians 4:16-17

"When everything is ready, I WILL COME AND GET YOU,

so that you will always be with me where I am."

--Jesus in John 4:3-4

Jesus states in Revelation 3:11, 22:12, and 22:20 the exact same phrase...

“I AM COMING SOON”

Jesus is coming.  He has promised and He is ALWAYS true to His Word.

It makes me think of the Island of Misfit Toys in Rudolph (which I watched yesterday!).  Some days I feel like a brand-new, sparkly and lovable toy, but that’s rare.  Many days start out like that but have little bumps here and little tweaks there, and before I know it, I’m dragging home feeling like a “Charlie in the Box” or a caboose with square wheels.  But the really cool thing is that just as Santa came to take all those toys, quirks and all, to their home, Jesus is coming someday to take us, quirks and all, to our Heavenly Home.  We even get to ride through the air. (See Thessalonians above)  :0) 

And here's the immeasurably amazing part of it all.  Whereas I LOVE the big red guy and have always been one of his BIGGEST fans, I found an article last year that pointed out that even though he is super jolly and giving and wonderful, Santa can’t even BEGIN to compare to how wonderful JESUS is!!! Read below…

It seems odd that Santa, a legalistic, works-oriented, earn-your-keep type of guy, is able to steal the spotlight from a Savior who offers full and free forgiveness to all sinners, not just the boys and girls.  “Our children are really trying to be good,” says Hoh. “And if they feel they are failing, they either become guilt-ridden or they act up even more.”...Remember the true meaning of Christmas:  “For God so loved the world in this way: He gave His One and Only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).  The core of the Christmas message is that you received what you could never earn and what you did not deserve. “For by grace you are saved through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift” (Ephesians 2:8). It is the best gift of Christmas.

Written by Rebecca Powell
This article provided courtesy of ParentLife.
http://www.lifeway.com/article/?id=164392

I love, love, love this message. Santa is cheerful and jolly and has a generous spirit…but only in a "what you deserve" type of way. PRAISE BE TO GOD that this is NOT how HE works!!!

We sin. He forgives.

We worry. He comforts.

We fail. He gives us strength.

We cry. He gives us comfort.

We turn away. He calls us back.

We “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”. Yet He “justified freely by His grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus…as a sacrifice of atonement through faith in His blood” (Romans 3:23-24).

Jesus' sacrifice…we did not earn.  God’s salvation…we did not deserve.

We are all sinners.  We have good hearts…but also sinful hearts.  Even the best of us…“ALL have sinned”(Romans 3:23)…are sinners. That is why God’s gift is SO AMAZING!!!

Santa asks, “What do you WANT for Christmas?”

GOD gives us what we NEED for life.

Santa asks, “How you been a good boy or girl this year?”

GOD simply asks, “Do you BELIEVE in ME?”

“Whoever BELIEVES in Him shall not perish

but have eternal life.”

--John 3:16

“The GIFT of God is ETERNAL LIFE”

--Romans 6:23

Come Lord Jesus!

Christ In You

Ho ho ho everybody!  It's the countdown to Christmas day...and one week from today, it will be Christmas Eve!  Yay!!!

O Come, O Come Emmanuel!

With this excitement in my heart, I want to share some simply AMAZING words I read the other day in a devotional email from the inspiring Max Lucado.  They so greatly touched my heart.  I hope they touch yours as well.  :0)  He wrote...


           
Do any of these words describe you? Hurried. Scattered. Stuffed. Forgetful. Busy. Packing. Behind. Broke. If they do, you aren't alone. Christmas is our annual reminder of why Santa takes the sleigh rather than the interstate and how the mall got its name.

For some, however, this time of year brings more than hassle...for some it brings heartache. Many use words like these to capture their Christmas feelings: alone, discouraged, depressed, angry, hurt. For some, the sight of happy children is a reminder of a vacant crib. The busy social schedule of some only highlights the empty calendar of others. Images of families together reinforces the pain of families apart.

This season can be challenging. If you're looking forward to December 26th more than December 25th, then I've got a story for you to consider. I'd like you to consider God’s invitation to one of the key characters of Christmas: Mary.

 

“Do not be afraid,” the angel told her, “for you have found favor with God.

And behold you will conceive in your womb and bear a son,

and you shall name Him Jesus.” …

Mary said to the angel, “How can this be since I am a virgin?”

The angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you,

and the power of the Most High will overshadow you;

and for that reason the holy child shall be called

the Son of God.”

--Luke 1:30, 31, 34, 35

Mary could have spun and run, but she didn’t. Here is what she did. Perhaps with a prayer, no doubt with a gulp, she replied, "Behold the bondslave of the Lord; may it be done to me according to your word.” (Luke 1:38)

And so it was.

And so Christ was born.

And so we have to wonder. What was that like? To have God within you. To have the Maker of the Universe reside inside you. To sense his moving, nudging and elbowing and think, “Divinity is stirring within me!” What was it like?

The answer is closer than you might imagine.

God gives you the same offer He gave Mary: the supernatural deposit of His son in your life. Scripture declares: Jesus lives in His children.

“Christ in you the hope of glory.”

--Colossians 1:27

“Those who obey His commands live in Him and He in them.”

1 John 3:24

Take note of the precious preposition “in.” Christ isn’t just near you or for you or with you; he longs to be in you. God offers you the same Christmas gift he gave Mary-- the indwelling Christ. Christ grew in her until he came out. Christ will grow in you until the same occurs. Christ will come out in your speech, in your actions, in your decisions. Every place you live will be a Bethlehem and everyday you live will be a Christmas. You, like Mary, will deliver Christ into the world. 

A fetus in Mary, a force in you. He will do what you cannot do. Wasn’t this the promise of Jesus?

The same hand that pushed the rock from the tomb can shove away your discouragement. The same power that stirred the still heart of Christ, can stir your flagging faith. The same strength that put Satan on his heels can, and will, defeat Satan in your life. The same power which brought Christ into Mary’s world, will bring Christ into your world.

Christ in you.  Christ in me.  Christ is ALL of us.  All we have to do is BELIEVE.  All we have to do is open up our hearts and let HIM in.  :0)

O Come, O Come Emmanuel

...into the manger,

...into our world,

...into our hearts,

forever.

"Marry" Christmas

When I posted yesterday morning about how super-duper my hubster is, I hadn't realized yet that yesterday was the anniversary of our engagement day!  Yay!!!  :0)

Nine years ago yesterday evening, my sweet Matthew asked me to be his wife.  There amongst the sparkle of Christmas lights he put a sparkle of a ring on my finger and a sparkle of forever love in my heart.  <3

"That is why a man leaves his father and mother

and is united to his wife,

and they become one flesh."

--Genesis 2:24

"At the beginning of creation

God 'made them male and female.’

‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother

and be united to his wife,

and the two will become one flesh.’

So they are no longer two, but one flesh."

--Mark 10:6-8

I pray that Matthew & I will grow stronger in love and stronger in faith each and every day together, that we will live to see our children's children's children, that we help others in Jesus' name with the immeasurable blessings we have been given, and that we will give Him glory always and in all ways.  In Jesus' name I pray.  Amen.

No One Can Ruin Christmas

If I haven't mentioned it enough...

my hubby is amazing. 

And super-duper amazing, wrapped in twinkle lights, with a big bow at Christmastime. 

While I have been a little snotty and a lot exhausted these past few days, he has been such a HUGE help to me and our Christmas to do list. 

Like amazing. 

Right in the midst of it all, when all I want to do when I get home is curl up in my pajamas by our Christmas tree and lay, there he is, being such a HUGE help. 

Putting the star on our nostalgia / retro tree.

Buying Christmas presents online.

I was beginning to fear that I was ruining Christmas a bit for him...by him doing so much of it.  Ruining Christmas.  Well, maybe not ruining it, but at least making it a little more stressful / more busy / more task-focused for him.  Then today, I found these words on Nancy's blog (I found her through (in)courage...which, if I haven't said it enough, I LOVE!)...

"No one can ruin Christmas. I sent Christmas because you are all ruined."

No one can ruin Christmas, because Christmas is about so much more than the to do list or wrapping presents or running errands or anything like that.  Christmas is Jesus...sent by our Heavenly Father to save us...to save a world ruined by and lost in sin. 

I am still tired and snotty, and I am still a sinner, but I am saved. 

All because of Christmas. 

THAT is the greatest gift of all.

Red & Rowdy!

No, I'm not talking about some crazy holiday shopping sale or even Rudolph playing a rousing reindeer game; I'm talking about Rockets basketball! 

Our sweet friends took us to a Rockets basketball game Saturday night.  It was so much fun!!!  Matt & I LOVE Rockets basketball, so it was a THRILL for us to get to go!  Thanks K&L!  Y'all are so great!!!

Sweet K&L

The boys

The girls



Me & Matt
I'm in my Shane Battier Rockets jersey.  Go Rockets!!!  :0)



Yao Ming was still hurt, but he was there cheering his team on!



My favorite player, Shane Battier.
He is my favorite because he is always hard-working, always hustling,
such a self-less player who always puts his teammates first.  What a great attitude!
To me, that makes him an MVP star of the team!!!

Shane shooting free-throws.  He had a GREAT game!  And the Rockets won...yay!!!

After the game, we got hot chocolates and drove around to look at Christmas lights together.  Oh what fun it is to ride in a one-horse, open sleigh no-horse, 4-door SUV...hey!  :0)

Family, Friends, & Festive Fa La La Fun!

Fa la la everyone!  Hope you are all having a GREAT December and CHRISTMASTIME so far!  I love it, I love it, I love it!

We have had such a blessed and wonderfully fun December so far!  Last Saturday (hence why I have not been on the blog...we were preparing and then recovering...sorry!) Matt & I had a Christmas party with some of our nearest and dearest family, friends, and co-workers.  It was such fun and such a blessing to have them all together to eat, drink, be merry...and sing!  My hubby and our sweet friends set up a karaoke machine we had borrowed for the party, and everyone sang Christmas songs.  Fa la la fun!!!  It was a blast!  :0) 

"Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord,

always giving thanks to God the Father for everything,

in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ."

--Ephesians 5:19b-20

Sadly, I did not get a lot of pictures from the weekend...I was so busy I forgot, and now I am bummed.  :0(  But between the few I took and the few my sweet sisters snapped, here are some to share!


First, we were SO BLESSED that my family could come up...to help and to stay for the party.  Yay!  It was the first time Baby Girl had been to my house.  Aunt Jilly & Uncle Matt LOVED having her!  Here's my family taking a quick pizza break.

Then back to work.  They were AMAZING!  Thank you, thank you!!!



Me, Baby Girl, and her daddy dressed for the party.  I know Aunt Jilly is TOTALLY biased, but isn't she just breathtaking!!!  Aunt Jilly loves you!!!  :0)

Uncle Matt, Baby Girl, and her daddy at the party.  So handsome, pretty, handsome...and Christmas-y too!  :0)

Mom with K & B...and Minnie too!  (Doesn't it look like she's peaking around to be in the picture?  So funny!  Hee hee!)

K singing.  He's a REALLY good singer!  Fa la la, K!!!

Mom & her favorite Baby Girl at the party.  This was outfit #2...her white top and red with snowflakes pants.  Her sweet momma changed her throughout the night to make her more comfy, but we joked that she needed to make wardrobe changes throughout the evening like Cher.  :0)  Also, don't you LOVE her hand gesture.  I told her momma she's holding out her hand like the Southern belle that she is!  :0)  She was the BELLE of our ball!!!  Love you, J!

Matt & I LOVE Christmastime, and it was such a BLESSING to get to share our love with our family and friends! 

Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly...

through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit,

singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.

And whatever you do, whether in word or deed,

do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus,

giving thanks to God the Father through him.

--Colossians 3:16-17

As so many SHINED at karaoke (seriously, some people were REALLY good!)...

and as the lights SHINED on our Christmas trees...

O Come, O Come Emmanuel!

Come and SHINE Your light of love into our world and into our hearts!

Jesus, hope of the world.

Jesus, light in our darkness.

Here we await You, O Master Divine.

Here we receive You in bread and in wine.

Jesus, hope of the world.

Happy December!

Happy December everyone! 

Hope you like the new Christmas-y look of the blog.  :0) 

JESUS IS THE REASON FOR THE SEASON!!! 

May we shine His light and His love throughout this joyous time of year and always.