2010

Happy New Year Everyone!

"For I know the thoughts I have toward you," says the Lord, "Thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a hope and a future." --Jer.29:11

May God bless all of you this year!

PS

Ok, so I don't know how to make blogs post in sequence. You'll have to go to 'Nativity, Live From...' and then read backwards. Grr! Next time I'll have to post 'backwards', and then hopefully it will make more sense! You would think that Blogger would be a little more 'up-to-date' then that! Anyway...

A cute little fellow in front of us. Poor Baby! (Sorry to his parents, it was too cute to resist!)

"Away In a Manger"

All the actors and actresses

The whole group

Several budding musicians accompanied them for a song or two.

Nativity, Live From...

We spent the weekend with my family. The children and youth gave a Christmas program at church Sunday morning. They did really well, especially considering the fact that they only had done one practice. The younger children did a nativity play as several of the youth read the Christmas story. (I normally don't post pictures of people, so consider yourselves fortunate!)

Mary and Joseph

The shepherds

The angels

The wise men

Odds 'n Ends

We are digging out from a minor snowstorm. Supposedly it was a major storm, but the 'major' part was south of us. We only got about 6 in. or so as opposed to the 8 to 12" we were forecast to get. Oh well, we just won't be as snowed in as we were dreaming. Clark is out using the snow blower before dark.

One thing I really enjoy about living in the north woods are the winters here. Somehow they are very 'storybook', with the snow clinging to the pines. We walked down to the bridge this morning, it was very cold and windy, but the walk was worth it anyway.

The first few snow falls always put me in a domestic mood. I undertook to clean my bedroom today. My house attracts spiders big time, and the bedroom was getting very bad. The house chore that I like the least is washing windows, maybe because my windows are a pain to clean. I have 72 window panes in my house, four to a window. And they are trailer house windows, so they have to be dismantled every time I wash them. It's torture on the fingers!

My husband and I were discussing our hobbies this morning; mine is scrapbooking and his is photography. And each of us has on our wish list some things that we would like to have relating to that hobby. However each of us feels out of our depth buying something for the other's hobby. An amusing predicament indeed! Actually I think buying gifts for men is hard, but ladies are very easy, of course. While he thinks the same thing about ladies vs. men! :)

I need to be studying for the ladies monthly Bible study next week. I'm going to do the lesson on Mary the mother of Jesus. So if anyone who reads this is going to be in attendance, that's who you should think about. I've never done anything quite like this before, so it will be a stretching experience. Clark is supposed to be teaching Sunday School this week, so it will be interesting trying to juggle the computer between the two of us. What did people do before there were computers?

Lately I've watched a few movies based on some of Jane Austen's writings. Very interesting. I think those movies are better then the books, mostly because a person doesn't have to wade through the tedious writing. And I've heard that British movies tend to follow the story line more closely then American films. This fall I've also become a fan of L. M. Montgomery's books. She has a lot of real good true to life stuff in them, especially the 'Anne' series. Does anyone have any good ideas for a good book or series to read this winter?

Do you really listen to music when you have it on, or is it just a background noise? I tend to tune it out, especially if it's a mediocre song. If it's really good I listen to it, if it's really bad I turn the radio off. Then my husband comes home and says, "I can't believe some of the stuff you listen to!" And I was tuning it out and not hearing it. People try to figure out what kind of music I like. I don't know that myself. I finally decided my basic requirement is that it has good harmony, and the words have to be enunciated well enough to be understood. As in I can hear what's being sung with out having to pay close attention.

Am I really wicked if I don't send out Christmas cards? I'll send one to each of the grandparents, and I don't really think I'll send any to anyone else. But then I think about what if people don't send letters to me cause I didn't send any to them? So what should I do?

I decided after looking through a 'Taste of Home' cook book last night, that I'm not a gourmet cook. When I go grocery shopping I buy only the most basic ingredients. So I push my cart through the aisles with only a few items in it, mostly dairy and fresh produce. And the people in the checkout line have piles of food. So I'm trying to decide if we eat boring, or if they eat unnecessary food. Cooking isn't one of my first loves, but I don't hate it either. I just feel sometimes like I don't have very much imagination for cooking.

Anyway, I need to go finish putting my bedroom back in place. I have a friend coming to my house to scrapbook tomorrow, so I will get a few things ready for that as well. And I want to look through a few cookbooks and on the Internet, then make a shopping list of what I need to make Christmas cookies. I hope you aren't bored by now!

Clips of Favorite Christmas Songs

A few clips from songs that I'm enjoying the message of this season.

Mary Did You Know?
"Mary did you know that your baby boy will one day walk on water?
Mary did you know that your baby boy will save our sons and daughters?
Did you know that your baby boy has come to make you new?
This child that you've delivered, will soon deliver you.

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 a storm with his hand?
Did you know that your baby boy has walked where angels trod?
And when you kiss your little baby, you have kissed the face of God.

The blind will see, the deaf will hear and the dead will live again.
The lame will leap, the dumb will speak, the praises of the Lamb.

Mary did you know that your baby boy is Lord of all creation?
Mary did you know that your baby boy will one day rule the nations?
Did you know that your baby boy is heaven's perfect Lamb?
This sleeping child you're holding is the great I AM." --Mark Lowry

Hallelujah Chorus

"...The Kingdom of this world
Is become the kingdom of our Lord
And of His Christ
And He shall reign forever and ever
King of kings and Lord of lords...
Hallelujah!" --George F. Handel

In the Bleak Midwinter
"Our God, heaven can not hold Him, nor earth sustain;
Heaven and earth shall flee away when He comes to reign.
In the bleak mid-winter a stable place sufficed
The Lord God Almighty, Jesus Christ.
...What can I give Him, poor as I am?
If I were a shepherd, I would bring a lamb;
If I were a Wise Man, I would do my part;
Yet what can I give Him: give Him my heart." --Christina Rossetti

Hark The Herald Angels Sing
"...God and sinners reconciled...
...Light and life to all He brings,
Ris'n with healing in His wings;
Mild He lays His glory by,
Born that man no more may die,
Born to raise the sons of earth,
Born to give them second birth..." --Charles Wesley

Edited to add: So what are your favorites this season?