We're Home!

Got back tonight from 1400+ miles from Texas. Last week included the marriage of our son, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day festivities, the death and funeral of a cousin and a major road trip from 5am Friday morning (when we flew out) until tonight (Sunday). Thanks for all the prayers! I will post details of our trip on our farm blog soon, and details of everything else on this "family" blog whenever I get pictures. Now I'm off to bed to get a good night's sleep in my own cozy bed before beginning to unload the truck, dig holes and plant trees for the next 5-6 days if it will dry off enough. Hope you have a wonderful week and HAPPY NEW YEAR! Let me know what you're up to!
-F

Just a teaser.....

For those who knew about our son's wedding, yes, I'll be posting pictures but for now here's some from the last shower....

I am Glad that People Protest Nativity Scenes

Shocking, huh? Yes, I am glad, even thrilled that some people are so up at arms and upset and protest against having nativity scenes on public property. Before you write "heretic" by my name hear me out. When my daughter was in an Asian country a couple of years ago, a country that bans Christian missionaries and the spreading of the gospel by both foreigners and nationals, she was shocked to see Nativity scenes in public squares and shopping centers. How could they allow this when they were so adamant about opposing Christianity? As she pondered it and asked her American hosts about it, a local national overheard their conversation and in broken English said "You talking about that?" and pointed to the manger scene complete with a baby Jesus. "Yes" they replied in unison. "Oh, you no know that is? That when Santa Claus born!" he smiled broadly back at them. What a heartbreak for my daughter and her hosts when they realized the horrible commercialized impact of western society on this country filled with millions who had never heard the name Jesus. Oh, they knew "CocaCola", "Santa" and even "WalMart" in English but had never heard the one name that could change their lives for eternity.

So yes, I am glad that there are those in our country who get upset about a nativity scene in a public place. It helps to clarify the meaning of the scene - not that a regular baby or a superhero or a legend or a nice fictional character was born, but a Divine, Eternal, King of Kings Savior who left his heavenly throne to die on a cruel cross for my sin. Let us be thankful that the name of Jesus Christ has been and always will be something that makes people uncomfortable if they do not believe and rejoice beyond words if they do believe. And let us pray that those who have been fed distorted lies can hear the true meaning of that manger and that cross. In whatever country they live.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year across the World

• Apache (Western) - Gozhqq Keshmish
• Arabic - I'D Miilad Said ous Sana Saida
• Croatian - Sretan Bozic
• Danish - Glædelig Jul og godt nytår
• Farsi - Sal-e no mubarak
• French - Joyeux Noël et Bonne Année!
• German - Fröhliche Weihnachten und ein glückliches Neues Jahr!
• Greek - Kala Christougenna Ki'eftihismenos O Kenourios
• Chronos Hawaiian - Mele Kalikimaka & Hauoli Makahiki Hou
• Hebrew - Mo'adim Lesimkha. Shanah Tova
• Hindi - Shubh Naya Baras
• Iraqi - Idah Saidan Wa Sanah Jadidah
• Irish - Nollaig Shona Dhuit
• Iroquois - Ojenyunyat Sungwiyadeson homungradon nagwutut & Ojenyunyat osrasay
• Italian - Buon Natale e Felice Anno Nuovo
• Japanese - Shinnen omedeto. Kurisumasu Omedeto
• Korean - Sung Tan Chuk Ha
• Kyrghyz - JangI jIlIngIz guttuu bolsun!
• Latin - Pax hominibus bonae voluntatis
• Maori - Kia orana e kia manuia rava i teia Kiritimeti e te Mataiti Ou
• Mongolian - Zul saryn bolon shine ony mend devshuulye
• Nepali - krist Yesu Ko Shuva Janma Utsav Ko Upalaxhma Hardik Shuva & Naya Barsa Ko harkik Shuvakamana
• Norweigan/Nynorsk - Eg ynskjer hermed Dykk alle ein God Jul og Godt Nyttår
• Polish - Wesolych Swiat i Szczesliwego Nowego Roku.
• Portuguese - Boas Festas e um feliz Ano Novo Romanian - Craciun fericit si un An Nou fericit!
• Russian - Pozdrevlyayu s prazdnikom Rozhdestva i s Novim Godom
• Samoan - Ia manuia le Kilisimasi ma le tausaga fou
• Somali - ciid wanaagsan iyo sanad cusub oo fiican.
• Spanish - Feliz Navidad y Próspero Año Nuevo
• Sudanese - Wilujeng Natal Sareng Warsa Enggal
• Swedish - God Jul och Gott Nytt År
• Tagalog - Maligayang Pasko at Manigong Bagong Taon
• Tahitian - Ia ora i te Noere e ia ora na i te matahiti 'api
• Thai - Suksan Wan Christmas lae Sawadee Pee Mai
• Ukrainian - Veseloho Vam Rizdva i Shchastlyvoho Novoho Roku!
• Vietnamese - Chuc Mung Giang
• Sinh - Chuc Mung Tan Nien
• Zulu - Sinifesela Ukhisimusi Omuhle Nonyaka Omusha Onempumelelo

Thought for This Season

In times of stress, in times when I am pressured to focus on "stuff", in times when I feel too rushed, these are the words that I try to remember:

The whole point of getting things done is knowing what to leave undone.
-Oswald Chambers

The devil gets us to focus on good things when what GOD wants for us are the best things.
-Bertha Smith (missionary to China for 40 years and a great pray-er who taught personal confession of sin as the basis for growing in the LORD)

“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal." Matthew 6:19-20
"For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?" Mark 8:36

(This last verse is one that I got a sticker of when I was a teen and went to hear Miss Smith teach. I put it in the front of my Bible and unfortunately chose to ignore it (and most of the Bible) for almost 15 years! It is now my "life" verse that brings me back to reality every time I go astray - usually several times a day!) May you think about your "life" verse today and hold tight to its truths and promises as you go about this busy HOLYday season.
-F

Quick Update

* Last Sunday EK was in a Christmas parade with her dance class and loved it!
* Finally got all my cards and Christmas letters sent out.
* Less than one week until the wedding!!
* Uncle Bill (my Mom's last living brother, age 88) died last week and we made a very quick trip to/from the mountains. Prasie for safe travel in really rainy weather. Please pray for my Aunt who loved him dearly and for my Mom's last living sibling (their sister) who has lost all 9 of her brothers/sisters over the past few years, as well as her husband just this September. Praise that all of these relatives know and love the Lord and look to Him for their strength and hope.
* Christmas is just a little over a week away and I still haven't done much shopping (gonna be lighter this year anyway) but have one main thing for each of the two youngest.
* My oldest daughter turned 20 and we had a wonderful BDay celebration with all of the family here last night! Happy (Belated) Bday to my beautiful daughter!
* My MIL is doing tons better on her new fluid meds and has even been able to cut way down on the blood pressure meds now.
* Please continue to pray for my SIL and BIL and niece as they face the holidays without their daughter/sister who so loved to wrap presents and decorate and shop and sing carols and dress in holiday colors.... She is sorely missed.
* Have a wonderful CHRISTmas season!!
-F

God's Mercy and Grace through children

This morning I browsed some blogs and over and over the theme of how GOD shows us His love and grace through children came through loud and clear. Angela recognized that God's grace is something we feel strongly in pregnancy and with newborns but desire continually. Eileen blogs about her incredible journey that brought her "many sons". Lindsey shares her baby's funny hiccups that would melt the heart of stone into giggles! Casey has an absolutely amazing story of how GOD has used the loss of their child to prepare their hearts to accept another precious baby. Isn't GOD indescribable to shower us with grace and love and mercy way beyond what we can even imagine??!! Reach out and embrace His grace and mercy today. You'll be glad you did!! I sure am - thanks ladies for sharing your stories and thereby sharing how amazing is our God!

Advent

We technically don't "do Advent" because we don't have the Advent wreath or fast or even follow a specific agenda each day. However, we do read (almost daily :) !) from "Jotham's Journey" and discuss it. Today after we read our daily story we discussed light and darkness, how it gets darker earlier in the winter, how Christ is THE Light in our lives, and how easy it is to let darkness creep into our hearts. Just after we finished reading, we began to get down our Christmas decorations and it was neat the way the children were counting the candles and begged to light several of them. They also got out some electric lights (for the tree which we don't have yet!) and strung them around. It was really a blessing to see how they carried on talking and thinking about light and darkness long after the "lesson" ended. May your December be filled with lots of warm lights in your soul.

Whewww!!

What a very busy but wonderful week last week!
D was off from "work" so we dug 383 holes with a 3' auger, mixed lime by the shovelful into the dirt from the holes, refilled the holes and marked the exact location of the tree for each one. Wednesday I came in from that job at dark, made salads (7 Layer and apple cranberry), tea, pecan pies and a pineapple casserole for Thursday's Thanksgiving meal. The next morning we started back in digging, liming and filling as soon as it was light enough for us to see. I put out the rolls to proof about 8am, and by 10am came in to clean up and finish cooking - peeling 15 pounds of potatoes to cream, making pumpkin pies, and baking the casserole before our 1pm lunch. Wow, oh wow, did Gran outdo herself again with scrumptious turkey and dressing and yams, in addition to my food and my SIL's great fudge pies, beans, peas, collards and cherry pie on top! After eating our fill and doing the dishes, I had a most wonderful time with all 6 of my children (I'm counting my soon-to-be daughter-in-law already because I love having her as one of "my children"!!). We played Apples to Apples, ate more dessert, talked, laughed, ate another piece of pie, played more Apples to Apples and finally called it quits on both the games and food!

Friday we finished digging, liming, refilling and measuring tree holes (along with doing dishes here left over from Thursday). Saturday my youngest daughter and I had a special day together with lots of good girl talk while we traveled to and from my "other Matt's" house to see the new baby that EK and I tried to bring home, but even with sleep deprivation Matt, Lindsey and Lindsey's Grannie wouldn't give her up! So we had to settle for lots of good memories of holding that little precious one and giving Lindsey a birthday hug, too. If they lived closer they might have to worry about us trying to sneak her away!

Sunday was another wonderful shower for Russ and Katy. Aunt Wanda, "Aunt" Janet (she's a cousin but all my children call her "Aunt") and Gran really had a shower that was fit to be in a magazine it was so beautiful and the food so good. I am just overwhelmed at how blessed I am to have such a remarkable, loving, creative and generous family!

This week will be busy, too, as we strive to get the house back into order after a week of neglect last week, start to decorate for Christmas, deal with computer printer problems, hair appointments, getting some work done on the van, regular things like piano and dance and Awanas, and have a few things to do for wedding preparations, too. [BTW, for those who knew about Ethan's accident, his leg was not broken but the bone was chipped. Praise! Thanks for the prayers and notes. He's back up and running (literally) now!]

Have a great start to December!