Mary, did you know
that your Baby Boy would one day walk on water?
Mary, did you know
that your Baby Boy would save our sons and daughters?
Did you know
that your Baby Boy has come to make you new?
This Child that you delivered will soon deliver you.
In the midst of Christmas preparation, decorating, buying presents to make everyone happy Christmas morning, and enduring the holiday hustle-n-bustle, I am thinking of Mary.
Mary, did you know
that your Baby Boy will give sight to a blind man?
Mary, did you know
that your Baby Boy will calm the storm with His hand?
Did you know
that your Baby Boy has walked where angels trod?
When you kiss your little Baby you kissed the face of God?
How unprepared Mary must have felt when Gabriel appeared to her announcing God's perfect plan. The Son of God born to a virgin. So many questions she must have needed answered. So many preparations that she wished to have and needed to bring the Ultimate Gift into this world on what would become the true Christmas. Celebrated by a world for thousands of years.
The blind will see.
The deaf will hear.
The dead will live again.
The lame will leap.
The dumb will speak
The praises of The Lamb.
Her ordinary life turned most extraordinary.
Mary, did you know
that your Baby Boy is Lord of all creation?
Mary, did you know
that your Baby Boy would one day rule the nations?
Did you know
that your Baby Boy is heaven's perfect Lamb?
The sleeping Child you're holding is the Great, I Am.
The Perfect Plan was born on Christmas morning.
In the chaos and planning of Christmas, calm your heart and remember what Christmas morning truly was and is and make that your focus this Christmas.
Wednesday, December 11, 2013
Tuesday, December 10, 2013
Sammy Blue
Meet the newest member of our family, our new Ragdoll kitten, Sammy Blue.
A tad spoiled and bit of a cry baby when not the constant center of attention.
';;;;;;;6t/h500000000plt5l,, [Sammy's 1st post]
He likes to walk on my laptop, drink from our cups, smell and taste everything we eat, and stays under my feet when I cook. He especially loves mommy's kisses. Daddy's ear rubbing, cuddling, toys, treats and playtime. Sleeping with Brooke and Mariah's snuggles.
We love him!
He is the sweetest, most gentle, passive, little guy you could meet.
A tad spoiled and bit of a cry baby when not the constant center of attention.
';;;;;;;6t/h500000000plt5l,, [Sammy's 1st post]
He likes to walk on my laptop, drink from our cups, smell and taste everything we eat, and stays under my feet when I cook. He especially loves mommy's kisses. Daddy's ear rubbing, cuddling, toys, treats and playtime. Sleeping with Brooke and Mariah's snuggles.
We love him!
Wednesday, December 4, 2013
Tiffany & Co.
Ohhhhh, that blue box. You know the one ...
The turquoise/teal blue with that perfect white ribbon that shouts standard of excellence.
A large Tiffany & Co. box was delivered to where I work today and when it was opened, I was breathless with anticipation.
It was the same excitement I felt when I walked around the corner and saw the Biltmore Estate for the first time.
Every Christmas I buy myself a gift. This year, it is going to come out of this very same box that will sit under my Christmas tree until Christmas morning.
A little something for me that will make me *sigh* every day that I see it.
The turquoise/teal blue with that perfect white ribbon that shouts standard of excellence.
A large Tiffany & Co. box was delivered to where I work today and when it was opened, I was breathless with anticipation.
It was the same excitement I felt when I walked around the corner and saw the Biltmore Estate for the first time.
Every Christmas I buy myself a gift. This year, it is going to come out of this very same box that will sit under my Christmas tree until Christmas morning.
A little something for me that will make me *sigh* every day that I see it.
Saturday, November 30, 2013
Smoke and Mirrors
Smoke and mirrors is an expression when someone distorts and blurs the facts with artful deception to fool another. They resort to tricky inventiveness to make something look attractive and appealing to deceive you from the truth.
Much like a magician, they believe their cleverness creates an illusion to have what they want to you to believe exists, when in fact it doesn't at all.
What angers me more about the ignorance of smoke and mirrors is that it puts me in a position of playing along as if I am a moron they think they are fooling or calling them out on their charade, exposing them as a liar, and their illusion as a fraud.
In the end, I will simply remove myself from the situation. Confrontation or cleaver exposure never ends on a good note.
For me it is a matter of time and making myself absent.
Much like a magician, they believe their cleverness creates an illusion to have what they want to you to believe exists, when in fact it doesn't at all.
What angers me more about the ignorance of smoke and mirrors is that it puts me in a position of playing along as if I am a moron they think they are fooling or calling them out on their charade, exposing them as a liar, and their illusion as a fraud.
In the end, I will simply remove myself from the situation. Confrontation or cleaver exposure never ends on a good note.
For me it is a matter of time and making myself absent.
Friday, November 29, 2013
True CHRISTmas
I woke up at 5:00 a.m., opened my eyes, and remembered something was different ...
Yesterday I woke up to Thanksgiving. Today I woke up to Christmas in my home.
The soft glow of the Christmas tree lights, the fireplace promising cozy movie nights by a warm fire. Endless holiday music. The wonderful 25 Days Till Christmas on television every night for those of us who have only one favorite reality show airing right now. Christmas tree festivals and lights. Sugar cookies and fudge. Dressing up in your Christmas-best celebrating Christ's birth at church. The anticipation and growing excitement in every childs heart.
Christmastime is magical.
Careful planning and preparing to not participate in holiday madness. Taking a stand against all things commercialized and keeping the glory on true CHRISTmas.
Black Friday, you are as gross as American's at an all-you-can-eat buffet.
Yesterday I woke up to Thanksgiving. Today I woke up to Christmas in my home.
The soft glow of the Christmas tree lights, the fireplace promising cozy movie nights by a warm fire. Endless holiday music. The wonderful 25 Days Till Christmas on television every night for those of us who have only one favorite reality show airing right now. Christmas tree festivals and lights. Sugar cookies and fudge. Dressing up in your Christmas-best celebrating Christ's birth at church. The anticipation and growing excitement in every childs heart.
Christmastime is magical.
Careful planning and preparing to not participate in holiday madness. Taking a stand against all things commercialized and keeping the glory on true CHRISTmas.
Black Friday, you are as gross as American's at an all-you-can-eat buffet.
Thursday, November 28, 2013
Know What to Embrace
I saw this picture under one of the Believe In the Magic of Christmas posts on Facebook, which has been a wonderful addition to things I enjoy this holiday season.
I read this and re-read it. As a person who believes everything happens for a purpose and what is meant to be will be, I ponder the thought that while I do believe in those things we have free-will and choices to make that ultimately direct our path.
Thinking back, there are a couple times where I wish I would have embraced a relationship or a moment I really wanted to have, but I thought I had time. I didn't.
Sometimes our windows of time are very small and in an ever-changing world life doesn't afford a HOLD button while we take time to make a decision.
For example ... your dream job presents itself. If you don't respond within the timeframe the position is open, it will be filled by another who won't let the opportunity pass them by.
Endless windows of opportunities present themselves throughout our lifetime with limited timeframes where we are given a choice. Regretfully, are those choices I knew I wanted, thought I had "time" to only have another day happen, the winds shift, and the opportunity slip away forever.
There is a fine line between faith that says what is meant to be will be versus free-will and choice.
Know what to embrace and act on it as if the winds may shift and your window of opportunity closes.
Tuesday, November 26, 2013
Two Special Aunts
When Brooke's dad died, several relationships shifted in the universe at his funeral.
Roann and I became good friends who started going out together, Debbie took on a role in Brooke's life as a step-mom and stayed on as an important person in her life (even through she was not married to Keith), and Brooke and I met Aunt Kim for the first time.
For the last three years, Aunt Kim from Tuscon, AZ has called, Facebook messaged, written letters, sent cards, and countless gifts to Brooke for every holiday. She has made it her mission to fill in the gap and God love her, she hasn't given up on her mission even when Brooke wasn't able to be appropriately responsive.
December 19th will be the 3rd anniversary of her daddy's suicide.
It has been three years since she has been back to her dad and Debbie's condo.
Two special aunts, Aunt Kim and Aunt Debbie (not to be confused with step-mom Debbie), came to town last weekend to see Brooke and celebrated her belated 14th birthday.
Aunt Debbie, from Indiana, who we didn't know very well due to her relationship with her dad, would like a relationship with Brooke, too.
They came to town last weekend with gifts, laughter, love, and endless conversation.
The first stop was our house so Brooke could feel comfortable in her surroundings seeing them for the first time in three years. With (step-mom) Debbie present, the three of them whisked in our home in true fashion of mighty women on a mission of love and protection.
Have you ever been dizzy from so many conversations happening at once? It was perfect.
Brooke was covered in love.
After lunch and dessert in our home, Brooke was ready and wanted to go to the condo for the first time. It became the perfect time for her grand entrance back into her dad's former life surrounded by Debbie, Aunt Debbie, Aunt Kim, and me.
It was the perfect dose of excitement and chaos from her aunts visit that became the buffer as she walked through the condo back to her dad's bedroom.
Everything looked different.
Her dad's bedroom is now taken by Debbie's roommate. Buddy's presence, the new paint job, and an XBOX changed the look and feel of his former bedroom into a much more open and engaging room, much different from her dads.
Brooke begged to stay the night and I was on standby for damage control to pick up the emotional pieces from that first visit throughout this last week.
There was no shrapnel.
Two aunts whisked into town in all their love and glory and became exactly what Brooke needed.
Roann and I became good friends who started going out together, Debbie took on a role in Brooke's life as a step-mom and stayed on as an important person in her life (even through she was not married to Keith), and Brooke and I met Aunt Kim for the first time.
For the last three years, Aunt Kim from Tuscon, AZ has called, Facebook messaged, written letters, sent cards, and countless gifts to Brooke for every holiday. She has made it her mission to fill in the gap and God love her, she hasn't given up on her mission even when Brooke wasn't able to be appropriately responsive.
December 19th will be the 3rd anniversary of her daddy's suicide.
It has been three years since she has been back to her dad and Debbie's condo.
Two special aunts, Aunt Kim and Aunt Debbie (not to be confused with step-mom Debbie), came to town last weekend to see Brooke and celebrated her belated 14th birthday.
Aunt Debbie, from Indiana, who we didn't know very well due to her relationship with her dad, would like a relationship with Brooke, too.
They came to town last weekend with gifts, laughter, love, and endless conversation.
The first stop was our house so Brooke could feel comfortable in her surroundings seeing them for the first time in three years. With (step-mom) Debbie present, the three of them whisked in our home in true fashion of mighty women on a mission of love and protection.
Have you ever been dizzy from so many conversations happening at once? It was perfect.
Brooke was covered in love.
After lunch and dessert in our home, Brooke was ready and wanted to go to the condo for the first time. It became the perfect time for her grand entrance back into her dad's former life surrounded by Debbie, Aunt Debbie, Aunt Kim, and me.
It was the perfect dose of excitement and chaos from her aunts visit that became the buffer as she walked through the condo back to her dad's bedroom.
Everything looked different.
Her dad's bedroom is now taken by Debbie's roommate. Buddy's presence, the new paint job, and an XBOX changed the look and feel of his former bedroom into a much more open and engaging room, much different from her dads.
Brooke begged to stay the night and I was on standby for damage control to pick up the emotional pieces from that first visit throughout this last week.
There was no shrapnel.
Two aunts whisked into town in all their love and glory and became exactly what Brooke needed.
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