The Season of Christmas

It's hard to believe that the Christmas season is basically over now. The signs of Christmas are still here. There are opened presents scattered around my room, the decorations are still up around the house, the Hallmark channel is still playing Christmas movies, but the "Christmas anticipation" is over. What a busy season it was! Christmas is more than just an event celebrated on December 25. It is indeed a season which can be enjoyed throughout the whole month of December!

One of the things that always gets me in the Christmas spirit is being involved in whatever Christmas production we do at church. This year we did a cantata entitled "He Gave Everything". It was definitely a touching, eye-opening story with a powerful message about Christ's sacrifice for us. If you would like to watch it, you can view it here. My mom, sister, brother and I enjoyed singing in the choir.

Another thing that always gets me in the Christmas spirit is preparing for the Elementary Christmas party. This was my 4th year planning all the games and activities, and it was a lot of fun! Go here to the school blog if you want to see what games we played and all the pictures that were taken.

On Christmas Eve, my Nannie and Aunt Cheryl came over, and we opened presents together. We then went to Perkins for dinner. When we got home, we had some of my mom's yummy blueberry pie.

Later that night, Andy and I introduced the rest of the family to a new game called "Kings & Queens". We had just learned how to play it at a friends' house the night before. It was a lot of fun!

As is tradition, we had our own Christmas Eve service before we went to bed. The only lights on in the whole house were the Christmas tree lights and a few, flickering candles. We sang Christmas carols and my Dad read the Christmas story.

Christmas morning was rather crazy, as we opened some presents, and then got ready for the church service at 9:30. It was a special service with the children's choir and teen choir singing, more Christmas carols, and a powerful message. After the service was over, we came home to have a quick lunch, packed some belongings and were off to my grandparents' house.

Waiting to open presents...

Chit-chatting around the living room

Getting ready to enjoy Christmas dinner

After dinner, we played Scattegories, Kings & Queens, and our traditional game of Phase 10. Lot's of laughter. Lot's of memories. The next afternoon we got together at my Aunt and Uncle's house to play even more rounds of Kings & Queens - definitely the popular game of the season. :-)

Well, a whole lot more happened this Christmas season that I could mention, but suffice it to say, every year that we spend Christmas together as a family is priceless.

30 years!!!

Your one life together
has you both united,
but the joys to come
have just been sighted.

I love you both
for being young at heart
and making an oath
never to depart.

You belong
side by side,
your passion strong
with nothing to hide.

God bless you two,
Mom and Dad.

Happy 30th Anniversary!

Who'll Take the Son?

A wealthy man and his son loved to collect rare works of art. They had everything in their collection, from Picasso to Raphael. They would often sit together and admire the great works of art..

When the Vietnam conflict broke out, the son went to war. He was very courageous and died in battle while rescuing another soldier. The father was notified and grieved deeply for his only son.

About a month later, just before Christmas, there was a knock at the door. A young man stood at the door with a large package in his hands..

He said, 'Sir, you don't know me, but I am the soldier for whom your son gave his life. He saved many lives that day, and he was carrying me to safety when a bullet struck him in the heart and he died instantly... He often talked about you, and your love for art.' The young man held out this package. 'I know this isn't much. I'm not really a great artist, but I think your son would have wanted you to have this.'

The father opened the package. It was a portrait of his son, painted by the young man. He stared in awe at the way the soldier had captured the personality of his son in the painting. The father was so drawn to the eyes that his own eyes welled up with tears. He thanked the young man and offered to pay him for the picture.. 'Oh, no sir, I could never repay what your son did for me. It's a gift.'

The father hung the portrait over his mantle. Every time visitors came to his home he took them to see the portrait of his son before he showed them any of the other great works he had collected.

The man died a few months later. There was to be a great auction of his paintings. Many influential people gathered, excited over seeing the great paintings and having an opportunity to purchase one for their collection.

On the platform sat the painting of the son. The auctioneer pounded his gavel. 'We will start the bidding with this picture of the son. Who will bid for this picture?'

There was silence...

Then a voice in the back of the room shouted, 'We want to see the famous paintings. Skip this one.'

But the auctioneer persisted. 'Will somebody bid for this painting? Who will start the bidding? $100, $200?'

Another voice angrily. 'We didn't come to see this painting. We came to see the Van Gogh'S, the Rembrandts. Get on with the Real bids!'

But still the auctioneer continued. 'The son! The son! Who'll take the son?'

Finally, a voice came from the very back of the room. It was the longtime gardener of the man and his son. 'I'll give $10 for the painting...' Being a poor man, it was all he could afford.

''We have $10, who will bid $20?'

'Give it to him for $10. Let's see the masters.'

The crowd was becoming angry. They didn't want the picture of the son. They wanted the more worthy investments for their collections. The auctioneer pounded the gavel.. 'Going once, twice, SOLD for $10!'

A man sitting on the second row shouted, 'Now let's get on with the collection!'

The auctioneer laid down his gavel. 'I'm sorry, the auction is over.'

'What about the paintings?'

'I am sorry. When I was called to conduct this auction, I was told of a secret stipulation in the will... I was not allowed to reveal that stipulation until this time. Only the painting of the son would be auctioned. Whoever bought that painting would inherit the entire estate, including the paintings.

'The man who took the son gets everything!'

God gave His son over 2,000 years ago to die on the Cross. Much like the auctioneer, His message today is: 'The Son, the Son, who'll take the Son?'

Because, you see, whoever takes the Son gets everything!

My Salvation Testimony

If you have 4 minutes to spare, please take the time to listen to my testimony of how I came to know Christ as my personal Savior. It is a rather "condensed" version, so if you want to read the longer version, click on "My Salvation Testimony" on the right sidebar, or go here.

Becky Follett - It's not God's Will that You Remain Lost Another Day! from LVBaptist on Vimeo.

The Night Before Jesus Came

I heard this poem on Christian radio today, and thought I would post it. It is very thought-provoking. During the Christmas season we focus on how Christ came to earth as a tiny baby, but let's not forget that He is coming back again as King! Are you ready for Him to return?

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

'Twas the night before Jesus came and all through the house
Not a creature was praying, not one in the house,
Their Bibles were lain on the shelf without care
In hopes that Jesus would not come there.

The children were dressing to crawl into bed,
Not once ever kneeling or bowing a head.
And Mom in her rocker with baby on her lap
Was watching the Late Show while I took a nap.

When out of the East there arose such a clatter,
I sprang to my feet to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash!

When what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But angels proclaiming that Jesus was here.
With a light like the sun sending forth a bright ray,
I knew in a moment this must be THE DAY!

The light of His face made me cover my head,
It was Jesus! Returning just like He had said.
And though I possessed worldly wisdom and wealth,
I cried when I saw Him in spite of myself.

In the Book of Life which He held in His hand,
Was written the name of every saved man.
He spoke not a word as He searched for my name;
When He said, "It's not here," my head hung in shame.

The people whose names had been written with love,
He gathered to take to His Father above.
With those who were ready He rose without a sound,
While all the rest were left standing around.

I fell to my knees, but it was too late;
I had waited too long and thus sealed my fate.
I stood and I cried as they rose out of sight,
Oh, if only I had been ready tonight.

In the words of this poem the meaning is clear;
The coming of Jesus is drawing near.
There's only one life and when comes the last call,
We'll find that the Bible was true after all!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M2SEj1mGk54&feature=related

Is Your Grass Greener?

I have been struggling with the "grass-is-greener-on-the-other-side-of-the-fence" syndrome a lot lately...

It's all about perspective, right? :-)

Ephesians 5:1-4

Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.

But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints; Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks.

The word "covetousness" basically means that you want something that doesn't belong to you. Something God hasn't given you - "the grass on the other side of the fence" so to speak. However, as a follower of God, covetousness should not be a part of my life. Rather, I should be giving thanks for all that God has blessed me with.

The Lord knows what "pastures" are best for His children after all. But as it is depicted by the above cartoon...we always think the grass is going to be greener on the "other side". However, it's all about perspective...learn to be thankful for what you do have!

Some thoughts to ponder about the "greener grass"...

'Twas the Week of Thanksgiving...

So its been almost a month of silence on this blog. For all my faithful readers, I apologize if you have felt any measure of disappointment recently when you visit my blog only to discover that it is still that same old post! This was almost a new record for me. Since I started my blog in 2008, I have posted faithfully - never missing a month. However, I haven't blogged much in recent months because I just really haven't had much to say! When I was teaching Kindergarten, there was always some activity to blog about (especially around this time of year!), but now I haven't been as motivated. I almost past by this month without a blog entry, but alas, I could not. It just wouldn't look right on my blog archive list to skip the month of November! :-)

I trust that everyone had a Happy Thanksgiving. My family had some interesting "inconveniences" the week of Thanksgiving. I came home on Monday to find the coil in the oven giving off a mixture of electric sparks and a bright orange glow. (Mind you, this was occurring even after the oven was turned OFF!) My Mom and I didn't know what to do! Thankfully, it stopped before too long. The one side of the coil was completely melted. Of course this was happening the night my Mom wanted to bake 3 pies! Not to mention the fact that we were supposed to have Thanksgiving at our house in just a few days! After calling the oven place, my Mom was told that even if the new coil was sent Express, it wouldn't arrive until Friday. Well, obviously, that wasn't going to help matters much, so we resorted to Plan B.

- Bake pies at Nannie's house on Monday night.
- Transport turkey and many, many other ingredients to Nannie's house on Wednesday.
- Cook & prepare the turkey, filling, corn casserole and rolls at Nannie's house on Wednesday.
- Transport some more food and drinks to Nannie's house on Thursday.
- Eat Thanksgiving dinner at Nannie's house on Thursday.

My Mom adjusted her plans accordingly, and we were accepting Plan B as the final answer. However, Wednesday morning, UPS arrived with - you guessed it - the coil for our oven!! So after Andy put it in the oven and we double checked to make sure all was well, we went back to Plan A:

- Cook & prepare the turkey, filling, corn casserole and rolls at our house on Wednesday.
- Eat Thanksgiving dinner at our house on Thursday.

Plan A was a lot more convenient simply because it didn't include the word "transport" in it! :-) The ironic thing about this whole ordeal was the fact that a few hours after we received the new coil, we got an email informing us that the replacement part had been shipped out and was expected to arrive Tuesday, November 29 (which happens to be today). Weird, huh? It was definitely a blessing from the Lord that it arrived so early!!

Thanksgiving day was a lot of fun! We ate lots of yummy food, and had lots of laughs while we played the game Taboo and Phase 10. Surprisingly, I didn't take many pictures. I only took a picture of Andy arranging the turkey and carrots on the platter (he was doing such a great job!) and our dining room table before we dug in to all that yummy food. But that's okay....good memories were made even if they weren't "captured" on my camera!

My Fall Feels Complete...

On Friday, I went along with the elementary students on a farm field trip. We went on a long hayride through the corn field, the kids played on hay bales, we went through a corn maze, and we saw lots of farm animals.

When I found out they were going on this field trip, I knew that I simply had to go along! After going on so many "fall field trips" previous years, my fall just wouldn't feel complete without it!

We had a perfect afternoon for this fall adventure - bright blue sky with just the right amount of "crisp" in the air. (Who would have thought we would have an October blizzard the next day?!!)

It was a fun afternoon in the fresh air!

48 long hours...

Oh, it's been an adventurous weekend! I woke up on Saturday to this.....

A few hours later of heavy snow falling on trees, which were still heavy laden with autumn-colored leaves...

...and we were soon out of power!

At first I wasn't too bothered because this has happened before, and it always seemed to pop back within a few hours. Not so this time....

Our supper on Saturday night was provided for by our gas grill on the back porch. Here is my Mom trying to boil water to make noodles. Grilling and winter attire don't seem to mix...

We survived fine Saturday night, lighting candles around the house and bundling in our fleece blankets, using flashlights to read books to pass the time. It was kinda like an adventure...

Although there was no power at church on Sunday, we still had a morning service. They used generators to give us some lighting in the auditorium. For the afternoon, we headed to my grandparents' house to keep warm and stopped at a diner along the way to get a hot meal.

We came back for church at 6 pm, and the power was still out at church. We had another chilly service, and then headed home to a really chilly house! Temperatures were steadily declining in the house. Mom heated some chicken noodle soup on the grill, and it sure felt good going down, let me tell you! Another evening of candles lit, fleece blanket bundling, flashlights, and tap lights. It wasn't quite as adventurous the second night...

Alayna slept down in my room so we could keep each other company in the dark and keep warm. Actually my room wasn't *that* bad because there wasn't any cold air coming in from doors opening etc. I kept waking up throughout the night though, hoping to see that the power was back on...I kept being disappointed....

This morning I bundled in multiple layers knowing it was going to be COLD. When I got upstairs I could literally see my breath as I walked about the house. The adventurous spirit inside of me was completely gone at this point! :-)

Andy came up with a unique way to heat water this morning. (I am sure we were breaking some fire code somewhere...oh well!)

For lunch, we drove to a McDonald's in a nearby town that had power, so we could enjoy some hot coffee and a lunch with some substance - other than granola bars & pretzels! On the way home, my Dad calls to inform us that the estimated time for power to go back on was 11 pm on November 3...which was another 3 full days away! He was trying to come up with some alternative plans so we wouldn't have to stay in a cold house that length of time. My spirit wasn't exactly what I would call "positive" anymore. My "secure lil' world" was feeling out of control and I didn't like it! As we continued home, I tried to get a healthy dose of perspective. I was reminded of all the devastation that earthquakes, tornadoes and tsunamis have caused to countless people around the world in recent months/years, and I felt ashamed that such a "little inconvenience" got me into such an insecure, despondent state of mind. Yes, I was quite chilled...yes, my hair was quite greasy at this point...but what was that compared to losing all your possessions and even some loved ones??? By the time we pulled in our driveway, I had given myself enough mental lectures and felt somewhat prepared to brace all the "little unknowns" that lay ahead for the rest of the week.

We walk in the door, and as Alayna walked in the kitchen, I stood there, gazing in utter disbelief. What looked different about the kitchen?? Suddenly, it clicked.....the light was on!! I literally started bouncing up and down with giddiness..."Our power is back! Our power is back!" I kept shouting. (I wasn't acting like a mature 26 year old at this point, let me tell you!) Never before have I been so glad to see that kitchen light shining bright!

Oh yes, my pioneer ancestors would be ashamed of me for being such a sissy throughout this 48 hour ordeal! But then again, they never had all these modern conveniences to begin with, so they wouldn't know what it was like to have it all taken away. Hmmm...perhaps they were lucky to not have as much to begin with??? Now there's a thought! You never realize how much you depend on electricity and modern conveniences until something like this happens. :-) How easy it is to take them for granted! Perhaps the Lord allowed this to happen to give me some new perspective on how blessed I really am! :-)

Hopefully, everyone else's power turns back on soon!

A Birthday Memory I'll Never Forget

A few months ago, I was browsing through the family email when I came across Beverly Lewis' newsletter. She is definitely one of my favorite authors, so when I see her newsletter I always quickly scan it to see when her new book is coming out. However, this particular newsletter captured my attention when I saw -much to my amazement- that one of her book series was being put to a musical! I LOVE musicals, and just the thought that it would be based on my favorite author's book made it even more intriguing. I looked for the location and discovered that it was going to be taking place near Lancaster, which is only about 2 hours away. Then I noticed that in October, Beverly Lewis herself would actually be coming to the musical, and there would be a special dinner with her before the show. When I discovered that it "just so happened" to be the same week as my birthday, I subtly mentioned to my Mom that it would be a perfect birthday present! Well, my Mom picked up rather quickly to my subtleness, and booked tickets for the two of us to go the day after my birthday!

So my Mom and I were off to Bird-in-Hand Family Restaurant yesterday to enjoy a yummy meal with Beverly Lewis, and later on, enjoy an Amish musical! This family restaurant was like a mini Shady Maple, with the same delicious Pennsylvania Dutch food served. I was quite happy to eat my pork & sour kraut with fluffy mashed potatoes!

We soon discovered that Beverly Lewis is a very sweet and personable lady. She came around to each table to greet all the guests personally and chat with them. It was one of those moments that I couldn't believe was actually happening! I have seen her smiling face on the back of many of my favorite books, so to actually carry on a conversation with her was pretty amazing! My Mom thanked her for always having a clear Gospel message in her books, and she replied that was the reason she wrote. Without the Gospel, there would be no reason to write. Beverly then gave a short talk before she began signing books. She was quite inspiring!

Book signing time!

I just did a quick scan through the bookshelves in our house, and between all her Amish series I currently have on my shelf, her teen series I read when I was younger, and her children series Alayna collected, we have a total of 56 books written by Beverly Lewis!! She is quite the amazing author, and if that number doesn't prove that to you, nothing will! :-)

There are certain moments in your life you want captured, and this was definitely one of those moments!

After dinner and the book signing was over, we then went downstairs to the area where the Amish musical was taking place. Although it wasn't the grandeur of a Sight & Sound production, the cast did an AMAZING job with both their acting and singing!! It was obviously a condensed version of this particular book series, but they captured the emotions of the story quite well. There were moments where we were dying of laughter, and moments where we were wiping away tears. By the time the musical was over, it was rather late, and we still had about a 2 hour drive home. My Mom bought me the soundtrack to the musical, so we played it all the way home to keep me awake as I drove. :-) Oh yes, it was definitely a birthday memory I will never forget!!!

26 years old? Me?!

Today I turned 26. I don't feel 26, but then again, what are you supposed to feel like when you turn 26? Am I supposed to feel young or old? Mature or immature? Happy or depressed? I've had mixed emotions about turning this age! Some people are shocked when I tell them I am turning 26, because I apparently have one of those "young faces". I guess I'll appreciate that in the future, right?! It's hard to believe that it has been a decade since I turned 16. I know...quite strange of me to think like that, but that is how I roll! :-) Okay...I am over my ramblings...

We celebrated my birthday mostly yesterday in the afternoon with my family. Despite the fact that she had just returned from an exhausting weekend in Washington DC, my Mom still outdid herself by having a scrumptious birthday lunch prepared - chicken cordon bleu and perogie casserole. Mmmmmm!

Normally, I get to peek at my birthday cake beforehand, but this year my Mom was full of secrets. When she came out with this creation, I just have to laugh because it was so not what I was expecting! It was affectionately nicknamed "The Alien Cake." :-)

You can't beat cheesecake dipped in chocolate, sprinkles & coconut!

Obviously, cheesecake pops would not handle candles really well, so my Mom got a musical candle holder that actually played the "Happy Birthday" song while I blew out my one little candle. :-) Oh yes, gotta love it!

Today, on my actual birthday, I was showered with presents, birthday hugs, and many birthday greetings (face-to-face, Facebook, text messages and phone calls) so I feel pretty special! Tomorrow afternoon I am receiving my present from my parents...which involves a fun afternoon and evening with my Mom. I can't wait! I shall post about it afterwards. :-)

While the Parents are Away...

Last night Andy and I hosted a singles party at our house. My parents and Alayna were away for the weekend in Washington DC on a school civics trip, so the house was ours to do with as we pleased...hehehe. :-)

It had been awhile since the singles from church had gotten together, so we thought it was the perfect opportunity to have a group over. We couldn't of asked for a better night! The chill of autumn was in the air, but it felt refreshing as the house got quite stuffy with 24 people crowded about!

A mixture of aromas filled our house throughout the evening ~ a sugar cookie candle burning, Italian sausage simmering, pizza pockets baking, apple cider bubbling, coffee percolating.

Sounds of laughter were heard all around from the competitive ping-pong games on the back porch, the crazy nonsense words of Bible Mad Gab, the debating creativity of the game "In a Pickle", the shouts of "Blitz!!" during the fast-paced games of Dutch Blitz, and the quick grabbing of spoons during a new variation of the game "Pit".

My camera was in Washington DC this weekend, so I wasn't able to take any pictures of the evening, but Andy got a few during one of the many rounds of Pit & Dutch Blitz. It definitely was a fun night with our friends!

Caramel Stuffed Apple Cider Cookies - A Pinterest Success Story

I recently was introduced to Pinterest.com (thanks, Jenn!). It's quite fun to go through a bunch of pictures relating to certain themes, and then "re-pin" them for future idea usage. When I saw the following picture, I was quick to "re-pin" it under my "Yummy Foods" category!

Today we had a staff lunch at church, so I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to try these cookies out. They turned out pretty delicious, I must say! Next time, I would probably serve them warm because the caramel in the center was quite chewy, but other than that, a great autumn treat success!! Now, one of the "rules" about Pinterest is that you should give credit to whom credit is due (or something like that!), so rather than posting the recipe on my blog, let me direct you to the website on which this delightful treat was found. Either click here, or on the picture above.

Enjoy!

Go Lady Knights!

Yesterday I went to Alayna's volleyball game. It was the first home game of the season. My sister LOVES volleyball, and could seriously play it all.the.time. This is her second year of being captain of the volleyball team. I enjoy watching the games they play because they always do so well working together as a team. Yesterday I was in awe with some of the plays they mastered! Someone asked me if I missed being out there on the court, and I quickly said, "NO!" Oh I love volleyball, but competition has never been my thing. I like playing volleyball simply for the enjoyment of playing volleyball! But when you get competition involved, it makes me rather tense. :-) I much rather be cheering on the side lines! Oh and it is fun to cheer for this team because they do awesomely! They actually WIN games! Let's just say the ratio of wins to losses when I was in school was rather embarrassing. ;-)

P.S. The Lady Knights won their game yesterday!! :-)

Remembering the Heroes of 9/11

Yesterday, while in New York City to see the Broadway show, I couldn't help but think about 10 years ago. On September 10, 2001, little did anyone in that great city realize the horrors that were awaiting them the next day. As the bus came upon the famous New York skyline, I couldn't help but think that 10 years ago, there were 2 towers standing tall, and no one ever thought they both would be hit and falling to the ground the next day.

As we walked around NYC for a little bit before the show began, we went by one of the fire stations. There was a big poster on the firehouse wall, remembering those firemen who heroically gave their lives 10 years ago to rescue those in need.

Later on, as we were heading back to the bus terminal, I suddenly heard the loud sound of a siren blaring. Of course, I quickly looked around to find the source, my mind swirling with all the possibilities. It was a fire truck on a mission. They were blaring their siren, trying to get through New York traffic. What an impossible task it was! All the lanes were filled with taxis stopped at a red light. People were crossing the street up ahead so the taxis couldn't move out of the way. The firetruck kept blaring their sirens louder and louder. I couldn't help but feel frustrated. Nobody can move out of the way! If it was frustrating for me just standing there watching, how frustrating must it have been for the firemen inside the truck, realizing that there was an emergency and they couldn't get there in time?! My mind then went to 10 years ago...

How absolutely INSANE it must have been, firetrucks and ambulances and police cars trying to navigate through traffic to get to the World Trade Centers, trying to rescue as many people they could. Mass confusion and pandemonium everywhere. So many great heroes were made that day. Many of them heroically dying in order to save other lives. We honor them, and remember their bravery.

However, there is another Hero who deserves to be honored for what happened one year earlier on September 11, 2000. He had been calling me for a long time, letting me know that He was there waiting and longing to rescue me, but for awhile I didn't think I needed rescuing. When I finally realized I needed rescuing, I wasn't sure I could trust this Hero who desired to rescue me. I soon figured out that He was and is the greatest Hero of all time! The men and women who gave their lives on September 11, 2001, were amazing heroes, and they should be honored and remembered, but the Hero who rescued me on September 11, 2000, should be even more honored and glorified for what He did! If you would like to read the story of how my Hero rescued me, please go here to read it in detail. If you haven't been rescued by this Great Hero, He longs to do the same for you!