My Uncle Joe

It has been an interesting year for me. I have had a lot of struggles of different degrees. My uncle Joseph Nathanael Jordon was a wonder, God fearing man. He left this world at the age of 95 and I know he heard well done good and faith servant. 

From as early as I could remember he taught me the bible. It did not matter what religion you were or what you believe if you met him the conversation was about God and the bible. 

Four years ago I took the boys to meet him and the first thing he did was ask them if I was teaching them the Bible and then he proceed to tell them a Bible story. He was truly a remarkable man when it came to the word of the Lord. 

At the beginning of 2011 I had started reading through the entire Bible in a year with My Boys. I know my faith had benefited greatly from the many years of Bible reading with him and wanted to gift that to my boys. Admittedly we are a little behind but I am committed to finishing in 2012. I think it is important to read through the entire Bible on a regular basis, so once we are settled I will take up the Challenge of reading it again in ninety days. The Word says:

2 Timothy 3:
¹⁶ All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, ¹⁷ so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

Uncle Joe saying good bye to my Grandfather 13 years ago

To live out this scripture we must not only know the word but also know how to apply it to our lives. Our quite times help us apply it to our lives but reading through the Bible in a year adds to our knowledge of the word. 

After he left to be with God

I always admired my Uncle Joe; I though he was the best uncle a girl could have. I wish my boys would have known him like I did. I know that by choosing to live out 2 Timothy 3:16-17 in our lives that they will meet him again in heaven and get to know him there. What a great comfort that is!

invited me in

Matthew 25:34-40
   ³⁴ “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. ³⁵ For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, ³⁶ I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’   ³⁷ “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? ³⁸ When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? ³⁹ When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’   ⁴⁰ “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

I am thankful for great friends. The kind, who took us in when we needed a place to stay. Who invites you in and says I want this to be your home too. Whose lovely daughter gave us her room for the past four-weeks, giving us privacy from our own children.

They provided a space where we could feel at home and be together as a family. The kindness they provided helped us when we really needed it.

At just the right moment God provides for our very basic needs. We just have to be humble enough to accept it.

Proverbs 30:7-9 7 “Two things I ask of you, LORD;
   do not refuse me before I die:8 Keep falsehood and lies far from me;
   give me neither poverty nor riches,
   but give me only my daily bread. 9 Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you
   and say, ‘Who is the LORD?’Or I may become poor and steal,   and so dishonor the name of my God.

He did not give me poverty nor riches but just provided for our daily needs and in that I have been blessed.

The service provide in the form of friendship allowed us to be together as a family but it also allowed the children to start making friends in their new state. I will be reaping the harvest planted these past four weeks for years to come.

  

We are over so happy and excited to be moving into our new place but will forever be thankful for The Greens and our time with them.

For the Animal Lovers

Our precious Chewy, the hamster

Gaz, our host family lizard

And

Last but certainly not the least

they also have Elvis, the dog.

My Wild Child really loved walking, playing with and feeding him. He was a good test pet for us, since he already has owner. They was no big comment on my part but I wondered if it would be the same.

Jesus' Birthday

Hope every one is enjoying time with family and good friends.

Luke 2:4-14
 ⁴ So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. ⁵ He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. ⁶ While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, ⁷ and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.
 ⁸ And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. ⁹ An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. ¹⁰ But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. ¹¹ Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. ¹² This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
 ¹³ Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
 ¹⁴ “Glory to God in the highest heaven,
   and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

Merry Christmas to all

Ten Ways To Keep Christ in Christmas

1. Start by sharing the prophecies that tell of Jesus’ birth

2. Focus your children on creating a celebration for baby Jesus.

What kind of cake should we get him?

What would Jesus like as a birth present? (Usually something they can do for others)

3. Help them to focus more on what they can do for other through service rather than buying gifts. This can be an activity you plan or random acts of kindness.  

4. For the 4 days leading to d-day read the Christmas story to your children from the four gospels.

5. Explain that Jesus came to make the ultimate act of service, with a call for them to serve instead of giving mother and daddy gifts. We teach by example, if we are all about the gifts our children will be too.

6. Eliminate the greed of the Santa myth by explaining the story of the real Saint Nicholas. We always told the boys that it was their responsibility to be Santa for a less fortunate child where by continuing the charity work of Saint Nicholas.

7. Focus more on enjoying and planning fun times together and less on shopping. Have your priorities in order, if you are spending most of you time trying to find that perfect gift, your children will know what is most important.

8. This is also a great time to start a family tradition. Our boys camp out on Christmas Eve in the living room, with hot chocolate and some treat. It’s a great way to enjoy the Christmas tree lights and the boys still ask to do it every year. I started doing this when my oldest was two.

9. Do not feel locked into the December 25 date, life happens. This year we are decorating our tree on December 29 so that we can have what the boys are calling New Christmas. We are having a small Christmas celebration in our home on New Year eve. I will try to have the boys stay us past midnight, if I can keep my eyes open. This will be a first. No one knows when Jesus was born so you celebration should be based on your life.

10. The best way to keep Christ in CHRISTmas is to obey 1 Peter 4:8 and love your family deeply.

Drifting through Christmas

Not quite the week of Christmas but I am planning for it as such. It seems like every time i resume my blogging lately something happen to steer me away.

We will be officially be starting our Christmas break and although I have planned some auto-post I will be avoiding all my tech gadgets till the New Year. My first reason is its time for family and we will be taking the train to grandmas. It will be a first for my boys and I am very excited to share this experience with them.

When traveling by plane or train I pack extremely light. We are taking one bag for the four of us, less for me to keep track of. So I will be leading by example and leaving my gadgets behind. Thank God my smart phone still does most of those things.

Which brings me to the saddest reason. My hands are saying I need a break from this tiny keyboard. My left hand really hurts and I have narrowed the culprit down to typing my articles mainly on my phone. When inspiration hits, my phone is always with me.

My break begins today and since we are moving into our home two days after Christmas, getting settled will take priority Christmas week.

Looking forward to blogging and sharing more of what I have learned on this journey to Virginia in the New Year. 

Please choose to check back for my auto posting. Have a merry Christmas and plan for a life to the full New Year.

Posting the week of December 12:

1.   Planning - Drifting Edition 1

2.   Top Ten Christmas

3.  Word-less

4.  Abiding in His Grace

5.  Bah Hum Bug 

6.  A Very Me Christmas

7.  

I also posted @Homemakers Challenge an article called Our Little Drummer Boy Christmas  

NO Computer

Saturday 9: I Will Survive

1. What in the 2011 has proved to you that you are a survivor?

Life has happened and I am still here.

2. Have you ever stayed online for a very long time waiting for someone?

No!

3. Are REALLY ready for the holidays?

No, we will not be ready till around New Years, so we are planning on celebrating then.

4. Did you have an imaginary friend as a kid?

NO!

5. What niche network do you watch the most?

That might be A&E

6. Have you ever seen the ocean?

I have seen three of them.

7. Have you ever been hospitalized?

Yes, quite a bit.

8. What do you think of the US Republican candidates for president?

They have candidates?

9. Could you imagine life without a computer?

Had this conservation today with a friend. I am giving it up for two weeks, she does not think I will make it. I guess the fact that my hand hurts a lot is a better answer. 

1 Corinthians 6:12
¹² All things are lawful for me,
but all things are not helpful.
All things are lawful for me,
but I will not be brought under the power of any.

I know I will be find with my computer, it just makes life a little easier but I am choosing to give it up for two week and probably will return with less hours.

A Very Me Christmas

My Christmas post went live this morning at Homemakers Challenge - "Our Little Drummer Boy Christmas." I talk about how our family choose to celebrate Christmas in 2010 and our plans for this year. 

Last Christmas, our family tried an experiment. We celebrated Christmas in a truly different way and coined the phrase Little Drummer Boy Christmas.

Although this has been a challenge Christmas season for our family we are very thankful for all that God has placed on our hearts to love all people deeply. Check out the article and let me know what you think.


I am choosing to live differently. 

I was thinking about my Homemakers Challenge - "Our Little Drummer Boy Christmas" post this morning and realized that I wanted to include an update. The lesson we learned last Christmas really prepared my children for the challenges we faced this year. God has an amazing way of preparing our hearts for the next challenge. Little did I know on Christmas 2010 that we would not be in a position this Christmas to get our children gifts. Aside from not having any where to put them our basic living expenses have been higher than normal. Throughout these last three months our children have been amazing and really happy. 


God knew that by having our family change the direction of our holiday celebration we would have been prepared to have a great Christmas this year with much less. As we head to Grandma next week, they will be no present, but our Christmas will be filled with family, friends, love and happiness beyond measure.


God has blessed us with a home for the New Year and we are looking forward to what he has planned.


Another amazing heart Scripture:

Proverbs 30:7-9
 ⁷ “Two things I ask of you, LORD;
   do not refuse me before I die:
⁸ Keep falsehood and lies far from me;
   give me neither poverty nor riches,
   but give me only my daily bread. 
⁹ Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you
   and say, ‘Who is the LORD?’
Or I may become poor and steal,
   and so dishonor the name of my God.

Again, Keep Choosing 

Bah Hum Bug

Character Or Plot?

What’s more important to you? Real, three-dimensional, fleshed-out fascinating characters? Or an amazing, page-turning plot?

(Yes, I know, they are both important. But if you had to pick one as being more important than the other?

Characters are more important. Loving and connecting with whom the story is about always brings me back for more.

Bah Hum Bug - A Christmas Rant

Receiving a gift of a white elephant from a monarch was simultaneously both a blessing and a curse: a blessing because the animal was sacred and a sign of the monarch's favour, and a curse because the animal had to be retained and could not be put to much practical use, but cost a significant amount to maintain. From Wikipedia. 

I have chosen over the years to not participate in white elephant gift exchanges. As I am heading out to my third and final Christmas party I found myself wondering why this tradition.


Do we not have any more meaning and fun Christmas party game? How many white elephant gift exchanges must I endure? 


I honestly believe that white elephant gift exchanges is another Christmas event that detracts from the true spirit of Christmas. 


What would happen if instead of tormenting our fiends and family with unwanted presents we supported the true meaning of the season.  You could have all your friends contribute to be a secret santa for a needy child or even sponsoring a child in a developing country. I implore you to consider what you could do with a five dollar contribution from every guest this season.  


I like math and this year I actually counted up how much it would have cost me had I participated in all those white elephant gift exchanges. My white elephant gift exchanges, assuming I spent the full five dollars, would have cost me $58 and netted me an entire supply of unwanted clutter for my home.


The reason for the season: Luke 2:

¹⁰ But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. ¹¹ Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. ¹² This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

My call is for all of us, keeps of the faith, to use this season to promote the good news....

And use this time to inspire others to help those who are poor, hungry and possibly cold.

Acts 2:⁴⁴ All the believers were together and had everything in common. ⁴⁵ They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. ⁴⁶ Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, ⁴⁷ praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

So as I struggle to let love cover my possible sin here and the sins of those creating my struggle I return again to

I am left to wonder how God feels about it all and trying to remove the plank from my eyes.

Matthew 7:2-5
² For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.   ³ “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 

What choices leave you wondering and searching the Word?

Abiding in His Grace

The thing I was most thankful for this morning was my husband making me tea each morning. I thought it great that since I asked him to make me tea each morning everyday I have woken up to a nice warm ready to drink up of tea. It may seem like a small thing but it really gets my day off to a great start. I am so thankful that he has so diligently blessed me with this gift.

As I started praying this morning, I had one major request. Lord let us have a definite move in date for our home. I had not resolved in my heart when that date should be. I just wanted to know what date we would be moving in to what would become our new home.

The blessings of the Lord are unimaginable when we rely on Him. Every Wednesday for the two months, my husband has faithfully called the housing office to see where we are on the list and today they called him. Someone has canceled and there was a house available that we could move in on December 27. We had been praying for this miracle as we were told that a slot would not be open till around March.

Needless to say, we rushed over to the housing office to sign the lease without even seeing the house. They were surprised we wanted to sign the lease without seeing the house, but I just kept thinking God has blessed us so much this has to be the house for us.   

The five of us are over the moon with joy and secure in the knowledge that God is paving our way in the world. We will be ringing in the New Year in our new home, no longer suspended above Virginia but settling in.

The thing that we choose to persevere in were:

• Reading our Bibles daily
• Persistent Pray and asking other to pray for us
• We did the Hard Things Now – by challenging our selves and children to be grateful and make the best of the blessings God had already provided.
• Showing gratitude for our friends who so gracious opened their home to us.

Christmas Lights Word-less

Wordless Wednesday

Christmas Top Ten

All I want for Christmas top ten:

1. I want to be loved so deeply by those around me that they do not expose my sin but I also pray to return that grace full love. I will try less to expose, notice or comment on the sins of others. All have sinned and fall short of the glory of the Lord. This holiday season help me to love others enough to over look their sins. 

Romans 8:28 28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

2. Another two part request. I want to love the Lord deeply and find his purpose for my life. To be about his purpose during this holiday season and I will trust that He is working for my good.

3. The Dream House, I would love to be living here. 

4. Yes, I have fallen victim to the suggestion that my mac is now slower and harder to use just from all the talk about the wonderful new OS. Apple MacBook Pro MD313LL/A 13.3-Inch Laptop (NEWEST VERSION)  would be nice especially if it comes with an elf to set up and transfer my everything. 

5. The upgrade to my current phone Nokia E7-00. I honestly love my current phone but my son showed me the newer model and it is a sweet phone. I can imagine loving this phone all the more.  

6.This makes sense after the last few items.  

7.  A Book on Raising Real Men

8. I love this author and cannot wait to see what he says in this book  

9. The Super Mom ability to play and beat my son at any   game. I am hoping the Kinect will but him at a disadvantage.  

10. All fun and wishful thinking aside, our biggest Christmas wish is to move into our new resident and get our belongings out of storage. Beginning settle in our own beds, surrounded by our stuff, no longer in a holding pattern over the state of Virginia would be the best Christmas miracle.