Gift of Hope

Look what was in my Christ-mas stocking!!!

It's a t-shirt....and could it be more perfect?!?!?!

(who would know me so well???

Pappy, of course!!!)

Titus 2:13 (KJV)

Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ.

In His Most Precious Love....and with mine!!!

Christmas Memories

Where do I even begin?

I've been thinking a lot lately about past Christmases.  We had a guest speaker at church the Sunday before Christmas and he spoke of how sometimes Christmas was a difficult time for people because of bad memories they couldn't seem to get rid of.  I've had some bad ones, myself....but I'll have to say that the good ones have been so much more plentiful!!!  I rarely read the "funny" paper (that's what it was called when I was a little girl) or, the comics in the Sunday paper....but I glanced thru some of them yesterday....and one of them reminded me of the idea that I'd already had for this post.  It showed a couple of kids reading a book of things that their Dad had supposedly written about his past.  So...I wanted to share some of my special Christmas memories:

~~~Back before there even such a thing as an artificial tree, we would go to a gas station near our house  every year and get our tree.  I remember one year in particular...it was sooooo cold.  Mom and my brother and me all 3 stayed in the car while Daddy got out and picked out the tree.   I remember looking out the car window as he would hold up a tree and shake it out so the limbs would fall down and get my Mom's approval.  And...every year....I wanted the tree to stay tall and big and full....and every year they would cut off about half of it before putting it in the stand and bringing it into the house!!!

~~~Every single year....it never failed....my Mom and Dad would get into an argument when they put the lights on the tree....I never understood that at all!!!

~~~Certain ornaments that would go on the tree....some I shared on Wise Old Owl for Vintage Monday....the ones with angel hair....and especially the 3 wise men ornaments!!!

~~~The blue lights that went around the picture window every year.  Oh, how I would love to have that string of lights today....I would use the bulbs to make a wreath so that it would be a reminder!!

~~~How Mom and Dad would send us to the car to wait before we would go to Mamaw's and Papaw's for Christmas Eve.....it took years for me to realize that while we were waiting in the car...."Santa" was leaving us presents under the tree!!!

~~~The year that I got my blue bike that I had hoped and prayed for all summer long!!!

~~~The year I got my Micky Mouse Band (wish I still had that, too!!!)....and my toddler doll (I named her Linda).  She still has all her original clothing....and shoes and socks....and she sits on the bed in our extra bedroom!!!

~~~ Papaw always cut down a cedar tree for their Christmas tree...and Mamaw would mix up "warshing powder" and water....make it real thick....and get a glob in her hand and slide it down the branches to look like snow.  I remember how it would smell when those big bulbs would get that mixture hot!!! 

Makes me smile just thinking about it!!!

~~~As I grew older....and got married....we purchased a Nativity set from Home Interior to have for our Christmas decorations.....and Pappy made a stable for it out of some "barn wood" paneling...and we still have the set and the stable to this day!!!

(packed away so unable to take pics)

~~~So many special memories flood my mind that have to do with Jess and how special she made our Christmas from the time she was 3 months old...up 'till today!!!  Pappy and I have had some "lean" Christmases...but always managed to put gifts on lay-away for Jess....lots of times at Hill's or Whiteway....do any of you remember those stores?!?!?  She has never outgrown her love of stockings....I used to wrap every single little thing that we put into her stocking.  She loved Lipsmackers....and still has a passion for Mallow Cups (right, Jess?)!! :)

(Jess' 1st Christmas - December 1979)

~~~Then....3 years ago....we had an amazing Christmas getting to celebrate with a grandson.....Big Brother was born in July of 2006 so that Christmas was so much fun.

~~~The following year....Christmas of 2007....was very memorable.  Little Bit was born on December 20th....and was taken to Children's Hospital on Christmas Day because his billirubin was so high.  That's a Christmas we won't forget...especially his Momma and Daddy!!! 

He just celebrated birthday #2....can you tell how much he liked his "cookie cake"?

There are so many other things I could list....the year we lost my Dad.  He passed away on December 4th, which made that Christmas very sad.  Last year, we lost Pappy's Mom, and Ms. Ruby was "CHRISTMAS", if you can label a person as such.   She was the epitome of what Christ-mas truly is....giving and sharing and loving.  I wish I hadn't taken that for granted for so many years and had realized it before she was gone.  But....that's all part of the growing and maturing process...especially in our faith in God!!!

So...are you wondering what all of this is leading to?

I've always loved the word "ponder".....and the verses of scripture that speak of how Mary kept and pondered things in her heart.  I'm not sure that men "ponder" as much as women....especially, us Mom's!!

I think about Mary quite a bit, especially this time of year....she was sooooo young to be put in the position she was given....but what an honor. 

God chose her because He saw something special in this young lady.

But...guess what?

The story doesn't end there.

God sees something special in each of us.

Maybe it's taken me almost 55 years to realize that.

But....God loves us soooo much....so much that if we had been the only sinner....
....He would have still sent Jesus to die for us. 

 How humbling is that? 

How precious is that? 

What love that shows!!!!

Psalm 111:2 (NLT)
How amazing are the deeds of the Lord!
All who delight in him should ponder them.

Luke 2:19 (KJV)
But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.
(NLT)
But Mary kept all these things in her heart and thought about them often.

In His Most Precious Love....and with mine!!!

Sunday Morning Song - I Cannot Find The Way Alone

I want to dedicate this song to my Mom.

This is one of her favorite songs.

Please keep her in your prayers as she takes care of her Mom...my Mamaw!

In His Most Precious Love....and with mine!!!

God's Gift

In His Most Precious Love....and with mine!!!

Emmanuel (Hallowed Manger Ground)

Merry Christ-mas!

In His Most Precious Love....and with mine!!!

The "W" in Christmas

This is still one of my favorite Christ-mas stories!!!!

Hope you enjoy!

The "W" in Christmas

Each December, I vowed to make Christmas a calm and peaceful experience. I had cut back on nonessential obligations - extensive card writing, endless baking, decorating, and even overspending. Yet still, I found myself exhausted, unable to appreciate the precious family moments, and of course, the true meaning of Christmas.

My son, Nicholas, was in kindergarten that year. It was an exciting season for a six year old. For weeks, he'd been memorizing songs for his school's Winter Pageant.

I didn't have the heart to tell him I'd be working the night of the production. Unwilling to miss his shining moment, I spoke with his Teacher. She assured me there'd be a dress rehearsal the morning of the presentation. All parents unable to attend that evening were welcome to come then.

Fortunately, Nicholas seemed happy with the compromise. So, the morning of the dress rehearsal, I filed in ten minutes early, found a spot on the cafeteria floor and sat down. Around the room I saw several other parents quietly scampering to their seats.

As I waited, the students were led into the room. Each class, accompanied by their teacher, sat cross-legged on the floor. Then, each group, one by one, rose to perform their song.

Because the public school system had long stopped referring to the holiday as "Christmas," I didn't expect anything other than fun, commercial entertainment songs of reindeer, Santa Claus, snowflakes and good cheer. So, when my son's class rose to sing, "Christmas Love," I was slightly taken aback by its bold title.

Nicholas was aglow, as were all of his classmates, adorned in fuzzy mittens, red sweaters, and bright snowcaps upon their heads. Those in the front row - center stage - held up large letters, one by one, to spell out the title of the song. As the class would sing "C is for Christmas," a child would hold up the letter C. Then, "H is for Happy," and on and on, until each child holding up his portion had presented the complete message, "Christmas Love."

The performance was going smoothly, until suddenly, we noticed her; a small, quiet, girl in the front row holding the letter "M" upside down - totally unaware her letter "M" appeared as a "W".

The audience of 1st through 6th graders snickered at this little one's mistake. But she had no idea they were laughing at her, as she stood tall, proudly holding her "W".

Although many teachers tried to shush the children, the laughter continued until the last letter was raised, and we all saw it together. A hush came over the audience and eyes began to widen.

In that instant, we understood the reason we were there, why we celebrated the holiday in the first place, why even in the chaos, there was a purpose for our festivities.

For when the last letter was held high, the message read loud and clear:

"C H R I S T W A S L O V E"

And, I believe, He still is.

Amazed in His presence....humbled by His love.

Merry Christ-mas,

My Dearest Readers and Followers!!!

In His Most Precious Love....and with mine!!!

When Love Was Born

My dear blog readers....
you'll never know what each of you mean to me, even though some of us have never met.  I appreciate the sweet comments you leave, or the e-mails that you send....or....that you introduce yourself to me if you see me out somewhere!
I am sooooo blessed!!! 
And...I truly try my best not to take that for granted!

I wish for each of you....a very merry Christ-mas....
....and....
....my hope is that your your Christ-mas is blessed!!

In His Most Precious Love....and with mine!!!

A Strange Way to Save the World

Pappy and I watched "The Nativity Story" last Saturday night.  It had a lot added to it that wasn't actually in the Biblical account...but it made each of the characters so much more "human".....for example, Mary's parents, and how they handled the fact that their teenage daughter was pregnant.  Her Dad even asked her if it had been one of the Roman soldiers.  The most precious character, though...at least to me....was Joseph.  Oh, poor Joseph....and how he felt when he found out that the one he loved was carrying a child that wasn't his.....how it took the angel appearing to him to comfort him and make him realize that Mary was indeed carrying the Christ child.....how he took care of Mary...and how she grew to love him because of his care and love and compassion towards her as they traveled to Bethlehem....how scared Joseph was when Mary told him she was about to deliver....and to see the look on Joseph's face as he delivered Jesus into the world...and placed him in Mary's arms.

I know all of this was speculation....but....I loved how it made each person so real and so special.

If you get a chance.....watch "The Nativity Story" this Christ-mas season.




In His Most Precious Love....and with mine!!!

The Shepherds

Luke 2:8-19 (NLT)

That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep.  Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David!  And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.” Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—praising God and saying, “Glory to God in highest heaven,  and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.” When the angels had returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, “Let’s go to Bethlehem! Let’s see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” They hurried to the village and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the manger.  After seeing him, the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child. All who heard the shepherds’ story were astonished, but Mary kept all these things in her heart and thought about them often.

Doesn't it give you HOPE....to know....that our precious Savior's birth was first announced to the shepherds?  They were the lowest class of people during that time.....they literally stunk because they stayed in the fields watching over their sheep.  Their occupation was looked down on.  They were members of a very low social class!!!
But God.....
....found favor with the shepherds.
It doesn't matter what "class" we are in society....how rich or poor we are....whether we own an educational degree....what kind of car we drive....how big our homes are.
IT DOESN'T MATTER!!!
God sent His Son....to save us....ALL of us!!!
He sent His Son....to be our Shepherd....to watch over us and lead us and direct us....if we'll only accept Him into our hearts!!!

In His Most Precious Love....and with mine!!!