CHRISTMAS 2010

simply put, i love this time of year....i long for it at different times over the preceeding months, like when i'm sweating on the back deck trying for a tan i know will not last past the first of july, and when our family is searching through fallen leaves for a random lost item that always manages to get dropped along a walk. it's not that i don't enjoy the other seasons, as a matter of fact as i've...*clears throat* matured, i've become more tolerant of those i used to detest, and along the years i've also noticed that since our youngest has come along, days seem to pass so quickly "wasn't it just august, last week?!" this all being noted to say, through the months, weeks, days of life and all i still long for Christmas...the awe of what it means to me, to us, to our family (the family of God). we enjoy making trips out in the cold to see the lights and decor, i buy tarts that smell of baked goods for days when we aren't baking anything (lol), our home is decorated and has such a warm, cozy hug feeling, most everyone (outside of the rude ppl found in shopping aisles) is a little more patient and smiley. all these things just add to my enjoyment of this season. combine this with the idea that if this is so great, so beautiful, so wonderfully loved filled time of year....how much more so will heaven be....i just blew my own mind (LOL). as beautiful as the most beautiful smile, sunset, location, material thing is...heaven will be so glorious that we won't miss those things!!!! i'm thankful for His mercy and grace, thankful for all His love encompasses.

thankgoodness for lil sister

my lil sis....she is the funniest grown up i know. no matter where we go together or how many times i talk to her during the day, she always manages to keep me entertained by humor or interesting topics. we face our foes together, strategize together, have different enough tastes that we don't shop for the same items at sales together, and above all we lol together....and i mean big ol' embarrassing belly loling together. this is the relationship i had always hoped to have with her...she gets me...not many pple do...but she does. at this moment she is probably at home with a headache, but HOPEFULLY along with that is the memory of another outing together filled with laughter amongst mishaps. what a treasure she and her family is to me....all good things come from the Lord.

...........it's monday

so much to think about....
thankful i followed the tuggin on my heart to read first thing this a.m....trying to put aside the thoughts weighing on my mind....my heart is aching over the loss of loved ones for some, the loss of trust and dreams in relationships for others, what role i have in reaching out to ones that are constantly on a rollercoaster of ups & downs.
what responsibility do i have....to lead a lesson-i can't make others do their part to better understand things...i'm only human, not perfect, not all knowing...just blessed to be in a position to lead in sharing our history. i don't like using this line, but the underlying truth seems to fit-'you can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink.' aren't pple thirsty, i feel like i'm dehydrating sometimes....what do you turn to instead of the Well of Life? sometimes i turn to food, sometimes others again i am thankful today i started out turning to you, when it could have been so easy to be distracted by other things goin on around me. i am hopeful that God will bless the rest of our day, that know that what i read will be in my heart to be useful to whatever the day brings-not that i expect just rainbows and giggles, but through it all. i am calling on the truths i read to assist in dealin with what is weighing on my heart. some of my sisters (and brothers) in Christ are going through such real struggles today.