Blessed, blessed, blessed, blessed, blessed, blessed

The culmination of lots of mileage on my wheels since November has ended in a sloppy mess in my house and head.  And it's hard to remember peace.  And it's harder to remember that really, I do have peace...that all the "stuff" shows that we have way more than we need (or want). 

I call these things my 2nd world problems:  the mess I refer to, how to stage the cutest Christmas card photo, how to organize the kids' toys, what to part with to make way for new toys, and when to take down the pre-lit, frosted tree.  2nd world problems embarrass me most when I let them ruin my peace.  Anybody else out there have the same problem?  I know the answer.  We're all more alike than we are different.  Some of us are just a little more OCD than others.

On another note, we received word that our migrant workers made it safe and sound to Nayarit!  After days of driving, I KNOW they were glad to get out of a 2-seater and stretch 3 sets of legs.  Bless them.  Shawn is finishing the tobacco on his own now, and should be done any day.  He's also working on the farm business', farm store's, and our personal taxes.  Plus, he's still working occasionally at the accounting firm, much to his chagrin, as he feels the farm always calls him away (not to his chagrin).  The farm store is closing up for the cold winter months, and we are going to have family staying with us at the end of the week (for 7-10 days).  I'll be found working my pt job, and working off 10 lbs on our old trusty treadmill.  For the second time, I'll be attempting to do so without using Weight Watchers (attempt one didn't go well).  I prefer a structured plan but with freedom to eat real stuff (I cook a lot, remember I married a farm-raised farm-boy), so I hope I can do this sans Weight Watchers (Phil 4:13).  I plan to report every 2 weeks!  I've been a big ME fan for over a decade.  The picture pretty much sums up the feeling I long for after all the mileage since November!  I need a breath of fresh air.....to realize I'm much too blessed to be stressed.  Forgive me, Lord, I always forget.


  





   

Crazy Acceptance Noted at Christmas Party

Most who know me would say as compared to others in a rural Southern town, I'm eccentric.  I don't think I would be considered remotely eccentric if I were living in a big city, but to many people around me, I am (yes, they've told me).  As I have mentioned before, choosing public school was a big, huge, major decision for me.  It was a no-brainer for my hubby, and had I listened to him from the start, I would have saved myself some (ok, lots) of worrying!  (And needless discussion, headaches, tears, and a lot of people's ears wouldn't have fallen off!)  I can only hope I'm getting better at praying than talking.  I digress...So I prayed and not only did did my girl make an instant friend, she was assigned a great teacher (who prays for her students), and she also has an aide (who prays for the students as well).  No one told me what an added bonus-blessing the aide could be!  HUGE, I tell you.  I want to express my appreciation, but, how do you thank someone for caring so much for your child that she notices subtle cues and after praying, reacts in ways higher than her own ways?  My best effort will have to be written because I express best that way.  In addition to taking care of G, God answered prayer unaware for me, too. I'm so excited about this!  These newfound friends we've made at school this year not only love my child, they accept me.  Cuh-raz-iness.  Yay!  And by that I mean, I have really been myself (my freakishly compulsive self, especially since the events just last Friday) , and these people like me!  Did I say yay!?

 
Today in the middle of twenty 5-6 year olds and about 8 adults, I had a settling, comfortable feeling come over me.  I stepped back, looked around at the blessed chaos of wrapping paper, cupcake wrappers, and the like, and realized what it was!  And I was / am grateful.  So for this year, again I say, yay!  I made reindeer water bottles for the class party.  I'm showing them off, because this is about the extent of my artistic/creative side.  If you're artistic, be thankful.  God's gift to you, and to people like me who aren't but who can admire your creations!

PeAcE OuT

 

On Sunday, my youngest asked his grandmother what she wanted for Christmas.  She welled up, started to cry, and said "world peace...and for all the little boys and girls to have a happy Christmas."  He watched her with a solemn face for a nano-second, then asked her if she wanted jewelry.  I kind of loved it.  His innocence I mean.  

 

(Sorry I can't remove the top of the picture!)

 

 

I started thinking about peace (lack of it) as I reflected on what she said/how little one responded, and what a very wise friend said:  "It's not about more guns or no guns.  It's about the heart and soul."

 

In order to have world peace, we must have inner peace.

 

 

In order to have inner peace, we must have hope in Jesus.

 

John 3:16

For God so LOVED (insert your name) that He gave His only begotten son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.

 

Peace in and PeAcE OuT

 

 

J

 

J= Jesus

J=Joy

Good reminder:  Like many things in life, it's all in how you look at it!

 

 

 

Sweet blessings!

 

 

After handing out candy canes today in the cold weather, I was reminded again that when I go with the intent to "be" a blessing, I end up "receiving" a sweet blessing (or several)! 

 

 

 

Sweet moment w/ my sweet girl.

Soft White Light

There is something about soft white light.  A few evenings ago, I was putting up laundry back in my bedroom while my little ones were playing quietly.  The train rumbled by, the tracks parallel to the farm land behind our house.  It was dusk, as you can see in the picture, and dusk always holds me captive.  You can tell how the day went in our home by how things are at dusk.  Peaceful day=happiness inside us and our home at dusk.  Hectic day=mad dash at everyone and everything at dusk.  (Just being honest!)  The day I took the picture had been a pretty peaceful day.  As the train rolled, I stopped to watch it.  I listened to the noise it made, the clattering of steel on steel, both eerie and comforting.  I reached for my phone to attempt to take a picture of the last few cars rolling away.  This is what I got though- what you see now (and no, you can't even see the long black train).  I looked at the picture right after, and it conjured up a story of my life.  A story of soft white light. 

My mom was purging a couple months ago, and in doing so, decided to get rid of a lamp she's had my whole life.  She was going to give it to my aunt, but I asked if I could have it for sentimental and practical reasons both, and she let me!  When I brought it to my house, I immediately put it on the bedside table beside my bed.  I had wanted a lamp for years (literally), but had never bought one because of trying to save $.  When I plugged it in, the light that came from it was comforting.  I told my husband I brought some "home" with me when I brought the lamp here.  He didn't know what I meant.  I snapped it off and took a look at the bulb:  60V soft white light.  The bulbs mom uses are soft white light bulbs!  (Sidenote:  For years, I had been trying to figure out what's so different about my parents' home...the ambience there!)  It's the kind of light that has a calming effect, despite the jarring sound of the train rumbling along (and this applies to life, you know?...Light (Jesus)= Peace in the Darkness (World).  I wrote a little one liner for our Christmas card this year:  "As lights flicker on a tree, may The Spirit illuminate us for all the World to see."  I definitely hope my family and I have a "soft white light effect" on those around us, too, this Christmas season and always.

Peter 2:9
"But you are...a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light."

WONDERFUL SOFT WHITE LIGHT.



And finally:
Thanks, mom, for creating a tranquil place for me my whole life.  Thanks for caring about light bulbs.  Thanks for teaching me all about the importance of The One True Light.  These things intertwine so much that I couldn't talk about one without the other.  A world of gratitude for that very truth.

Without Christ, there wouldn't be Christmas...

My daughter asked me recently, "Momma, what's a tree have to do with Christmas anyway?"  Kind of shocked at the question because it seemed to come out of nowhere, I sputtered, "Whaaat?"  She repeated it clearly.  I'd like to say I didn't, but really I sputtered for the second time, and asked, "Are you asking me what a tree has to do with Jesus?"  "Yes" was her quick answer.  As she frequently is, she was contemplative and she needed a real answer.  I call it divine appointment, because I had j-u-s-t come across a paper that explained the connection between a tree and a saviour.  The sorting and purging to get to it took too many hours away from the things I want to do (be with my kids!)  I've said it before and I'll say it again, the simplifying process can be downright complicated and time-consuming!  Maybe all that time was for this one post-it note, though, written by Shawn about 5 years ago.  Here is what the note said (with a few additions by me) and this is what I shared with my introspective daughter:

The tree points upward, pointing us to Jesus, now in his heavenly home, on the throne, and at the right hand of God
The lights signify that Jesus is the light of the world and cannot be hidden (and also the wise men followed a star when they traveled to see Jesus)
The ornaments symbolize the gifts the wise men brought to baby Jesus (gold, frankinsence, and myrh)

The answer appeased her and I hoped against all hopes that what she learned from it was good and true.  I reflected on it later and the truth is I still have my own hesitations.  Hesitations because I know full-well the origin of the Christmas tree.  I choose to view it through the lens of Christianity, but could I be wrong to do so?  Am I teetering?  Internal dialogue.  I pray not.  I truly do.  I am planning to teach the kids a little more about the 3 gifts because spices and oils are a bit abstract, especially for my youngest.  Keep in mind, he doesn't even know why the wise men didn't drive in an Odyssey to see baby Jesus, let alone why they didn't take him something more modern, like spiderman shooter gloves or a kindle fire.  :)  I am excited because the lesson will be super easy, yet meaningful.  I'm equally excited that I'll get to teach the kids more about it through a production our church does every year.  We'll visit "shops in Bethlehem" and talk about such things.  And that is what I'll be attempting to do again this Christmas season....point the kids to the reason for the season, all cliches aside.  Deep down, I just really want my kids to grasp that without Jesus, we wouldn't have Christmas, nor would we have eternal life.  My fervent prayer year after year is...Dear Lord, Help us to love you more, and in turn, serve others this Christmas season.  Help us to stay focused on the true reason we celebrate in a world that begs to differ.  Amen.

PS The kids' choices for serving others this season:  Grace-bake cookies for someone and have a meal for Nonna and Poppa at our house.  Noah John- throw snow in people's faces.  Oy Oy Oy!  I told you it's a work in progress right?