Weekend Happenings: Holiday Style

We had a busy weekend. (I kind of chuckle when I write that...as life always seems to be busy these days!) Lots of Christmas Season events.

Thursday night was spent watching Daria and Luke perform in their school's Winter Program. Our school is getting big enough that only half the school participated in the Winter Program. The other half of the school will perform in the Spring. Caden had fun sitting with me watching his siblings perform.

Their program this year was called "The Case for the December Symbols." It was staged like a court room and each symbol for the December Holidays stated their "case" as to why they were the greatest symbol. It was really well done and thus the kids were able to do a Nativity and sing Christmas carols. Fabulous!!

We were sitting in the wrong spot to get a good picture of Luke, but you can see him peeking out just over the shoulder of Judge Jessie!


Daria played the Menorah. (Now you come up with a Menorah costume. oh my!!!)



They did a wonderful job.

The kids also participated in their church Christmas program too. It was fun to see at least 2 of the 3 actually sing. I did see Luke's lips move a little....debatable if he actually sang though!!


I hate to say it...but I kind of thought that Luke looked like a girl! It didn't help the matter any that he was the only boy up there during his age groups songs! He was still pretty cute, though.

We also finally got our tree this weekend too. I was hoping to post some pictures...but the program isn't letting me. I'll try and add them in another post. I'm glad our busy weekend is over....but looking ahead to my busy week doesn't give me much hope of rest. I'm looking forward to Christmas Eve when all the bussle is done and the true celebration of being with family begins.

Thankful Thursday

Give Thanks with a Grateful Heart.

Ah. It has been a long time since I posted me a Thankful Thursday post. It's about time I got back into the practice of it.

Today, and everyday, I am thankful for:

• Our health. For a couple of weeks there, I thought for sure I would never have a healthy family again. But, God is good...and my kids and I are healthy once again. Then when I think of others battling life threatening diseases, I am thankful that all we suffered from was the flu and a bout of strep. God is good.

• For my family. They really are treasures to me. Each one is a unique person with unique gifts; and, each one fills a unique place in my life. God is good.

• My Moms In Touch friends. With kids being sick and Thanksgiving, I missed attending our group for a few weeks. Today, as I prayed with my friends, I was reminded what a blessing this group is in my life...and the life of my children. God is good.

In everything, Give Thanks.

Gifts, Promises, and Ingestion

Gifts are fun to receive. I'm not sure there is anything better than to see a package under the Christmas tree. It is even more exciting when I see that the package has my name on it!! I even get a little thrill when I get a package in the mail...and it doesn't even have to be a birthday gift. A package with something I ordered on line is just as exciting.

In my BSF lessons this week, the discussion was on the verses in John 6 where Jesus says that we must eat His flesh and drink His blood if we want to experience eternal life. Having been raised in the church, I don't find this particular set of verses all that disturbing...until you start dissecting it and really start thinking about the literal thought behind. Really, to eat someone's flesh and blood would actually be kind of gross.

I loved the word picture here that our leader discussed today. It really placed a new emphasis on an old thought for me. Most cultures talk about taking information in and digesting it. We talk about devouring a good book. Or we digest a new piece of information. We ingest a new thought, we chew it over, and we assimilate (or not ) it into our thought banks. This is the very way in which we must accept Jesus and His truths. We ingest His truth. We chew it over...and then we swallow it.....we accept it. We assimilate it into our whole selves. Acceptance.

Sometimes I feel like I take Jesus' truths and they just sit on my tongue for just a moment. I've discovered this cool new medicine for my kids when they have colds. The medicine is in these thin strips. They place it on their tongues...take a sip of water....and POOF...its gone. Best modern day invention....ever. (At least from this Mom's point of view.) Do I take Jesus' truths like that sometimes....letting it only sit on my tongue for a moment before...POOF...its gone from my mind? Unfortunately, I'd have to say that is true more times than I would like to admit.

The one truth that I have had the hardest time ingesting lately, is the truth that God made me a promise. That promise is at least 5 years old. In the last year, I have forgotten that promise over and over. Lately, God has been reminding me that He made me a promise. God even gave me a verse that basically said that He made me a promise and I will fulfill it. I'm having trouble finding that verse but I hope to find it and post it soon.

Today, God reminded me of His promise with a precious gift. I woke this morning with the skies so dark. That is my least favorite part of Oregon winters. As I was sitting in the sanctuary of a beautiful church this morning, I watched the sun play beautiful lights through the stained glass windows. It has been one of my favorite parts of that church building. Then I noticed. The light was playing on me. There is something about the bright sunshine shining in my face that instantly lifts my spirit. I noticed it right in the middle of the discussion about ingesting God's word and making it a part of us.

God's gift...His promises. Ingest it, Christine, chew it up, and swallow it.