Thank You God

My Father,

This Christmas I GET IT!! I get Christmas. Oh, I've known since a child what Christmas was but in reality.... it was presents, family, traditions..etc. I gave You time here and there..I thought about You now and then. But do You know what happens as you mature and grow closer to You? Of course, You do....You see, Lord, I have started something different this year...I am trying, yearning, praying...to know You more. Because of that, I think of You more...I spend more time with You....so as Christmas comes, I GET it.

Pastor Wilson said Christmas was about salvation...that is exactly it. I don't even need gifts to remind myself of the gift You gave us. I don't need a tree to remind me of the life You gave in Your Son. I don't need Christmas carols playing to remind me of Your story. I don't need bells to ring it, angels to herald it, manager scenes to tell me the story. I just need You. Because of Jesus, salvation became available to me. It was Your perfect plan to bring me to You.

I don't even know why you would WANT me. I can't sing well enough, praise loud enough, thank you properly enough, be worthy of, give enough money to replace what You did for me. I don't love You like You love me, I am not faithful like You are, not attentive like You, not sinless like You. But You love me SO much, that you don't give up on me. You accept the thanks that I can give, the time that I can spare, the voice that I can sing, the attempts to give back that fall so short....and you enjoy them as I give them to You. You look forward to what I have to offer...even though it is not enough. Even after thousands of years of worship, it still won't be enough.

I don't understand it but I am thankful for it beyond words....it brings emotions I can't express. So, I GET it more this year than I ever have before and I hope I will get it even MORE next year.

THANK YOU! THANK YOU! You are marvelous, glorious and wonderful. Thank you for CHRISTMAS!

One Week Until Christmas

Today was just a really good day. The packages are wrapped and under the tree and the house was straightened up. Christmas music played on the radio. The tree is lit up and lights are all around the living room. Today, everyone was home, just trying to keep the last secret, wrap the last package, making sure the special foods are in the house for baking, and calling family to make sure they are ready to come for the holidays. Tonight, we went out and saw Christmas lights in Hampton and stopped at Krispy Kreme for donuts. We talked to Sindi about gifts and Tom about leaving tomorrow to come visit us. There is an excitement in the air as Christmas approaches.

Saying all that, I am just as excited to go to church tomorrow and be with friends that I love. We will sing Christmas carols and parts of the Christmas cantata. We will talk of wise men who traveled and shepherds who heard the news before anyone, of a young couple traveling and trusting. Then church family will be giving out gifts and smiles. We will love each other even more as we are reminded of HIS love. We will be reminded of the greatest gift of all, the gift of Jesus.

IT IS CHRISTMAS!!

Things That Remain by Beth Moore

Things That Remain

Faith Knowing He CAN whether or not He DOES.

Hope Knowing He WILL whether or not He HAS.

Love Knowing He DIED whether or not we LIVE.

Friends

I have always had good friends in my life. Here they are...sort of in order that they were/are in my life:

Sheri-my next door neighbor...we did everything together...we played almost every day..barbies, paper dolls...we had a serial going on...we would play and pick up where we left off the next day. When I started at Maranatha for school, we didn't get to spend as much time together, but I always have loved her. She was there when I was upset and when I was happy. We were both in each other's weddings. We don't really get to see each other anymore and rarely write but she still holds a special place in my heart and when we do talk, I feel at home. I miss her and will always love her.

Pam-she was also one of my best friends. We went to the same church and we spent a lot of nights together. We were the same age and in the same sunday school class, the same youth group and did a lot of special things together. When her family left our church, we didn't see each other much any more. She did ask me to be in her wedding and I still remember everything about it. She played the organ in mine. We always make contact at Christmas and she came to my house in Virginia one year on the way to the Outer Banks. I will always have special memories of her.

Vickie- Vickie became my friend as soon as I went to Maranatha in seventh grade. We spent many years being very good friends...and lots of hours at each other's homes. We had most classes together and we were "attached at the hips" for most of the years at MCHS. During our senior year, we went down different paths and didn't spend as much time together but when I think of high school...she comes to mind right away and I love her very much.

Dianne-Dianne and I always liked each other and I think the Lord was the center of our relationship. We grew a lot closer our senior year and found we had a lot in common. I enjoyed spending time with her and her life was always a good example to me. We still email and I feel really comfortable with her and she always gives such good advice. She is a lot of fun and I am thankful God put her in my life. I look forward to only growing closer to her through the years and would LOVE to get together with her sometime again. The miles keep us apart but email is wonderful and allows us to keep in touch. I love Dianne!!

Kathi-She was in my dorm in college...we spent a lot of time together. We were queens of the game room...she dominated foosball and I dominated ping pong. Yes, we probably should have spent more time studying...but it was SO fun. We went through a lot of college drama together but I wouldn't want to go through it with anyone else!! We still keep up with each other through phone calls here and there and Christmas updates. She is so much fun and I love talking to her. I have two great memories of her...going to her grandmother's for Thanksgiving and when she came to my house and we had "Christmas" in the summer! My family loved her just as much as I did. I hope I never lose contact with Kathi. We don't talk much but I love the times that we do.

Teresa-I knew Teresa for a few years before we became close. When Korie was born, Teresa jumped in my life with both feet and became such a blessing to me. She volunteered to do things to help with Korie that is unbelieveable and became almost like Korie's second mom. I will NEVER forget what she did for me. She was God's gift to me. It has been hard since she left our church...we are so busy with our kids and our lives, that we haven't kept in touch like I would like to. I hope that changes. She is so special to me.

Lila-We started working together in K5. We spent a lot of time together in the classroom and grew to admire one another. When we stopped working together, we kept close by talking on the phone and going out to eat ocassionally. One of the things I appreciate about Lila, is her view on life. She has taught me a lot about raising kids and a lot of the things I do with my kids are things I learned from her. She is always there for me. I miss her so much since she moved away. But again, I am thankful for email...we write regularly and I hope to always have her in my life.

Mary Beth-now Mary Beth is my most interesting friend...she and I are SO different and have such different back grounds but we had God in common...and music, politics, young people, etc. We would meet most Tuesdays at a Bagel place and have breakfast and discuss the most interesting things. She is very talented...she can sew, sew, sew...some day you will buy clothing that says NORCROSS on it...I just know it! When her husband got orders to go to Arkansas, it was very hard because I knew she wouldn't be back and I miss her!! I miss her a lot. We still keep in touch by email here and there but it isn't the same! She is the greatest!

Bebe-I knew Bebe's kids before I knew her well. I really didn't get to know her at all until we began singing together. Then she approached me about starting a music ministry together and we have spent many hours together since then. She has become so important in my life. She has taught me a lot about God and His acceptance of us and about worship and prayer. She will never know the influence she has had in my life and how much she means to me. I don't know what I would do without her. She is one of the more special people in my life.

Debbie-Debbie and I have grown close over the last few years. I feel very comfortable with her and feel I can tell her anything. She is a good listener and she is always on my side!! The thing I admire about her is how she has grown in the Lord this past year. She has gone through some hard times and yet she just keeps going and trusting God. She is so thoughtful and sweet to me. I love her!! I know Debbie and I will always be friends.

December 1 brings memories

Well, December is here....I guess I am in a pensive mood lately because I have been remembering Christmas's past. I believed in Santa Claus and it didn't hurt me a bit....I loved believing in Santa. I would look for him in the night sky on Christmas Eve and we would turn on the radio which would give "Santa" reports. We always went to bed early but it was SO hard to sleep. Before going to bed, we got to open one present, usually pajamas and dad would read the Christmas story. We would leave the cookies and milk out and head upstairs.

I was usually sleeping in my brother's room because Ohio winters are cold and we were trying to save money. Sometimes, the three of us would be up in their room...it was bigger or we would all three sleep downstairs in the family room and shut off the upstairs. But the three of us would be in the same room.

I always heard rustling...which, of course, was mom and dad wrapping presents. So dad would check on us and I would ask what the noise was and he would say he heard noises on the roof. I should be quiet and try to sleep and maybe I would hear it, too. So I would lay quietly and I DID hear something...every time!! I found out later that one year, dad threw pebbles on the roof so we would think we heard the reindeer.

Steve, Tom and I would wake up early and go downstairs and ask if we could get up. Some years, they told us to go back to sleep...I am sure those were the 3 am or 4 am years but sometimes we would all get up. We would open the gifts though it was still dark outside..and we had so much fun. Every year, just as we were finished opening gifts...sometimes BEFORE we were done, mammal would call and ask if we were finished so she could come over. Then, it would sorta irk me but now, I know she was lonely and just wanted to join family as soon as possible.

Then she would come over and she and mom would start cooking. While they did this, I always called my next door neighbor and best friend, Sheri, and we would tell what each other got for Christmas....we did this for YEARS and a few years ago, I called from Virginia, got her on the phone and said, "What you get?" That afternoon, my aunt and uncle and cousins would come over....we would eat the usual Christmas dinner and then gather in the living room near the fire. We had all exchanged names and the tradition is...starting from youngest to oldest, you would guess who had your name. You couldn't open your gift unless you guessed who had you. Sometimes this would take awhile but it was a lot of fun. The kids would play in the basement (now MY kids do the same) and the adults would talk. When evening came, we headed over to Aunt Carol's house. Grandma would be there and cousins. We would tell everything we got and then we would eat again...although we were still full...aunt Carol always insisted. We would play with the cousins and then go home.

GREAT MEMORIES....here is a song that our choir sang in high school that I sing to myself every year and I love it....it reminds me of the days I just wrote about.

Simple holidays joys...boys and girls, smiling faces.
Toys beneath the Christmas tree and a wreath on the door
Star of gold, ribbons blue and a few fond embraces
How I miss those simple holiday joys I once knew.

To be young...to believe, to wake up on Christmas eve
Through the night, with delight, oh the spell it could weave

To be young with surprise, to be not quite so wise
Watching snow, never knowing how quickly time flies
Did the years pass me by? Where the sky full of reindeer? Where are they?
In my mind, the joys grow dim, how unkind that they do...
Though they shine like a gem, only memories remain...dear.
But I find those simple holiday joys in YOU!!

Thanksgiving

I hope everyone had a good thanksgiving...I did. Here is what I am thankful for.....Steve, Kristin, Korie, Mom, Steve and Tom, my church, Bebe and Jim, Debbie V., Gene, Don, singing, the Glad Tidings Circle, PRM, Pat N., the Grand Illumination in Williamsburg, my dishwasher, Beth Moore, The Gaither Vocal Band music, my home, Christmas, evenings with candles and family times, the Outer Banks, watching Kris play ball, Korie's hugs, memories of dad, prayer, my nephews and nieces, christmas lights, choir practice, a good book, Ladies Auxilary meetings, a starry sky, the ocean, sunsets, lighthouses, email, July 4th fireworks, night's I don't have to cook, the military, George W. Bush, New York City, Washington DC, Amtrak Train rides, time alone with my kids, nights at home, cookouts, going out to eat, getting mail, a good night's sleep, the Warwick River, birthdays, when the leaves start growing in the spring, a full moon, Pastor Wilson's sermons, cell phones, caller id, journals, photographs, picture albums, the newspaper, the Ohio State Buckeyes, vacations, sunny days, Virginia, Ohio, the lift in our van and in the house, answers to prayers, and studying the Bible because in it I find everything I need for life.