Preparation...

When you have a baby, you spend months preparing for it's arrival. You have to prepare somehow mentally since you're life is going to be changing. Yet you can't really because you cannot fathom how it's going to change.

Then there are the physical preparations. Sometimes that involves paint and new clothes or furniture. Sometimes that involves moving into a bigger house. Sometimes it's just moving over in the bed.

Then there is the excited anticipation of the arrival of the baby. There are parties and talk of the baby. There are presents and fun things! Time seems to slow down as you await the arrival.

Isn't that what it should be like now? A baby is arriving! But this isn't just any baby. This is THE baby. Our Lord and Savior.

Yes He already has come and will come again but this is the time of year that we should be remembering and celebrating. Instead people are running around buying useless gifts for people that they don't really know because they feel they need to. (I'm not saying gift buying is bad, it's fun! However why buy someone something just because you think you have to?)

When in fact we should be remembering and reflecting on what it's really about. I'm not saying don't buy gifts and hang your stockings. These are the fun things too! I do believe that Jesus likes this part too. He likes us to be joyful and happy! And these things can make us happy.

But if all we're doing is focusing on those things, we're losing what it's all really about. We're even doing this in the Christian "world". It's the last Sunday before Christmas and we don't have any plans to talk about Christmas in my Sunday School class. We're blowing through this season just like the rest of society.

I know that there are kids who don't have a clue what this time of year is about. All they can think of is when Santa is arriving and what he's going to bring them. This is what they probably talk about all day while at school and with their friends. I remember doing this too.

But what about the baby? When do we learn about the baby? When do we get to feel the excited anticipation of his arrival?

So Lord... use me. If it means I need to shake things up, then use me if that is what you want. I know that you are "powerful enough to help me do what you want me to do."

More...

7. Watching "Christmas with the Kranks" with Emma while sitting next to the Christmas tree. This is my all time favorite movie! It cracks me up! It's Robert and I in a few years! LOL

8. Making sugar cookies with Emma!

More no busyness...

4 - Spending time with friends AND eating ice cream after the recital

5 - Shopping with great friends... even if we didn't find ANYTHING to wear! ;-)

6 - Listening to Dr. Dre, some trippy 60s music and Christian Christmas songs while driving a Nissan minivan for the Santa Sleigh! (I drive a Jeep normally so it was a little weird to be driving a minivan!) This is the first time that I had to drive, I usually walk and help with Santa. I was a little sad but it was nice rapping to Dr. Dre like the old days! LOL And all alone too! I could turn it up as loud as I wanted or flip station a million times! Or listen to Dr. Dre and Spirit without anyone saying anything!

more to come...

Busyness

Why is it whenever we come into this time of year we suddenly get really really busy? Does it need to be this way? NO it doesn't! This isn't what Jesus would want for us! Yet we still do it!

This year I decided I wasn't going to let this happen. This time of year is really busy for us with church, the fire department and all the other fun stuff. However I've decided that I'm going to let Jesus lead me in what to do. This may mean that I won't do the stuff that I want to do but I know it'll be worth it in the long run.

One example was yesterday. We had our annual Ladies Christmas Dinner at our church. This year we had the largest turnout ever... over 200 ladies! It was amazingly beautiful. However I almost didn't make it.

Robert had a shift at the fire department which left me with the dilemma of what to do with Emma. I found someone to take her for the evening. Ok that was done. Now what was I going to wear. I've lost enough weight that I have given away all of my old clothes which leaves me with almost nothing left. Clothes are expensive and a luxury for me right now.

Which means I didn't have anything to wear to the dinner. Yeah a lot of women say "I have nothing to wear" with a closet full of clothes. So as I prayed yesterday morning, I talked to God about it. I said if he really thought that I needed to be there, he was going to have to help me find something to wear. I had spent several hours on Sunday in Seattle trying to find something to wear and came up empty handed. I also had a busy day on Monday with starting the week and Emma had 2 classes at ORLA. So I figured I would stop by Macy's on the way home. If I found something, I found something. I had a 25% off coupon too so I hoped that would help. I didn't want to spend a lot of money.

So I walked in and right off the bat I found a couple of things. Unfortunately nothing really for a nice dinner. Then I stumbled upon a really pretty purple blouse. It was on sale plus I had an additional 25% off! Score! So I left with a shirt to wear plus two additional shirts for $4.72 each! Well I guess God answered my question and prayer!

So off to the dinner I went...
and had a great time! Here I am with my friend Rachael. :-) She was the hostess of our table and did a FABULOUS job! It was beautiful!

So the reason for this post is to not only tell my story about how God does care about the little things. But also a reminder not to get caught up in the busyness of the season.

My goal is to enjoy and remember the special and wonderful times of the season. I don't want to get to December 31 and wonder what I did all month!

So here are a few....

1- Emma's first piano recital....


2. Shopping for a Christmas tree...


3. The Christmas Dinner - Spending time with friends just laughing! (See pic above)

More to come....