Rich and full...

It's been a busy, rich and full week.

Sunday at our church we had a Christmas service in the morning and in the evening

 a Christmas dinner/outreach.

It was a great day.

And now I am happy tired, 

the kind of tired that comes when you've done something worthwhile and rewarding, 

even if it was a lot of work.

Christmas day will be relaxing and a bit more quiet than usual this year.

We had our whole family here on Saturday for brunch and gifts since our oldest daughter and her family will be at her in-laws on Christmas this year.

We'll still be with the rest of our family on Christmas, 

but in a condo at the beach instead of at my house.

We may even eat our Christmas dinner off of paper plates!

A relaxing, informal Christmas sounds just perfect to me this year.

*******************

In 2012 I followed the prompts in Ann Voskamp's Joy Dare in counting my thanks.

In 2013 I'm going back to the way I did it in the beginning,

just noticing and recording the many extraordinary blessings in my ordinary life.

And so I continue to count my thanks

piling up gratitude day by day

in my little black journal.

(and capturing some of them via my camera or iPhone)

#4102 - #4126

12-16-13-

-the Hub's help when our Christmas tree fell over in the night

-meeting a local blog friend for coffee, and her sweet daughters!

-a scoop of licorice ice cream, a sweet childhood memory revisited

-a haircut and color 

-a really nice evening with the Hubs

12-17-13-

-how writing a to-do list takes away the fear and intimidation of not being able to handle the busy-ness

-our wild and crazy four year old granddaughter

-the annual dipping of the pretzels with the grandkids

12-18-13-

-little pink cowboy boots that Papa bought for youngest granddaughter

-Isaiah 30:20-21

-going to Peacock Lane with our family and enjoying hot chocolate together afterwards

12-19-13-

-12 days of Christmas celebrated by the Hub's with a surprise each day for me

-a phone call from my oldest sis

-taking time to write

-today's devotional in Jesus Calling

-dressing up and going out to eat with the leaders from our church

12-20-13-

-getting errands done

-getting to squeeze in a partial date day with the Hubs and enjoying a matinee of  Saving Mr. Banks

-baking in the evening while the Hub's lit a fire in the fireplace and we listened to Christmas music

12-21-13-

-Christmas brunch with the whole family

(This photo makes me smile.  My daughter told my grandson to wear something nice to our house and he came out of his room in dress pants and a shirt and tie!)

Someone liked the frosted sugar cookies!

-the Hub's reading the annual blessing that he writes for our children and grandchildren

-things coming together for Sunday's service and dinner

12-22-13-

-Truelife Espanol, (our Spanish speaking church), being with us in our morning service and for the dinner

-our Children and Youth ministries and Truelife Espanol taking part in the morning service

-the great people of Truelife Church who cooked, set-up, served, cooked, cleaned up and made it possible for us to feed hungry families

gratefully yours,

Join the community of gratitude gatherers here...

Isaiah 42:6...

He is Emmanuel, 

the One Who came to ransom captive Israel

and captive you and me.

One day Israel will recognize Him as their Messiah

and He will rule on the throne of David.

On that great day, the kingdoms of this world will become 

the kingdoms of our God, and of His Christ,

and He shall reign forever and ever.

HALLELUJAH!

still following,

Friday's Faves...O Christmas Tree!

When the children were younger we used to go to the tree farm and cut down our own tree.

But now, we do it an easier way!

Our neighbor kids are Boy Scouts and sell beautiful noble firs right out of their yard as a fund raiser.  They are only fifteen dollars. 

Beautiful and inexpensive!

You can't beat that!

I decorated the tree simply this year,

and left the tote full of memory filled ornaments packed away.

That turned out to be a very good thing.

The other night the Hubs heard a crash downstairs that sounded just like someone had broken a window.

He went running downstairs, fully armed, thinking we had an intruder!

What we had was a Christmas tree that had fallen over.

That's the first time in 37 Christmases that we've had that happen.

I would have been so sad if all the really special ornaments had been shattered.

It took about an hour to get the tree back upright.

We ended up putting it, stand and all inside an old galvanized tub, and put bricks on top of the stand.

That tree won't be going anywhere until it's time to take it down.

Here are some of the simple ornaments that we have on the tree this year.

Loving the wool felt ball garland I got on sale at West Elm!

Candy canes are a must have decoration on our Christmas tree as a way to remember that the first Christmas after we were married we were poor college students who only had lights and candy canes on our tree.

Well, it's almost Friday friends!

Have a HAPPY, HAPPY Friday

and

a BLESSED weekend!

Thrifty Decor Chick's Christmas Tree Party

     
         

                  

Jennifer Rizzo's Fabulously Creative Friday

An out of control Advent...

The days are spinning busy and threaten to spin right on out of control this last week of Advent.

I started the month feeling so well organized, so on top of it all. 

Good grief, I even wrote a blog post on how-to to have a peaceful holiday!

Pride goes before a fall, you know.

Much like a move with all of the boxes neatly packed and labeled,

it's those last minute odds and ends strewn here and there all over that threaten to sink your boat.

I could feel the panic of the water seeping in around my ankles this week,

it seemed as though I had a thousand last minute odds and ends to get done.

I was the mama, the pastor's wife that could do it all when I was younger.

With our three little girls in tow I'd direct the church's children's musical with full staging and costumes, 

I'd have all the church leadership over to our home for a sit down dinner, 

I'd decorate and I'd bake.

I was either crazy or I was super woman.

I can't for the life of me figure out how I did it.

Now, if life gets too busy and full, I feel anxious and a bit panic-y.

Maybe it's because the older I get, the more contemplative I've become.

Sitting down to process things, to write, feels like a necessity.

A day without the margin to do so feels like too much.

To handle it all, I try to do the four things that keep me sane.

I take time for my daily quiet time with God.

I've been reading the Advent devotionals and scriptures with She Reads Truth,

the Advent readings in Ann Voskamp's The Greatest Gift,

and the devotional and scriptures in Jesus Calling.

When I read and pray I ask God for divine help for that day's to-do list.

Next, I actually write down that days to-dos.

Sometimes, in the writing, what seemed impossible to get done, actually looks manageable.

And there's nothing like the joy of crossing the items off, one by one.

Going on my daily run is also important to me.

The running not only burns off a few of the holiday calories,

it burns off some of the stress and anxiety too.

Worship music or even some snappy holiday tunes playing through my earphones helps too.

Lastly, I try to remember what is really important to me.

I spent hours this week hand writing Christmas Cards to our church family 

and to our personal friends and family.

As fewer and fewer people seem to be sending out cards,

I wonder if this is an expendable, 

yet as I sit and write to each person I can't help but feel that the love and prayer 

that goes into doing so is somehow important.

Then there's the annual cookie decorating and pretzel dipping that we do with the grandkids.

It's a wild and crazy and oh, so messy evening that requires mopping the floor and wiping down every household surface beneath the five foot level afterwards, but the memories are priceless.

We also took an evening this week to go look at Christmas lights with the grandkids.

Will the world end if my to-do list still has items undone while I'm looking at Christmas lights and sipping hot chocolate afterwards with my grand babies?

I don't think so.

Then there's the writing...

here I am with several things on my to-do list that must be done today and yet I'm here writing,

because somehow in putting what's going on in my mind and heart into words there is healing and joy and hope.

 And there's also a knowing that someone out there reading these words will say,

"I know just how you feel!" or "What you said encouraged me!" 

and somehow, for some reason,  that's important to me.

In six days Christmas will come whether or not I was perfectly prepared for our church's big Christmas celebration this Sunday,

whether or not all the Christmas goodies got baked,

whether or not I remembered to buy all the ingredients for the green bean casserole.

And in typing these words, I've encouraged myself.

JOY TO THE WORLD, 

THE LORD HAS COME!

Somehow,  those words make my busy-ness with things seem rather ridiculous

and what really matters comes back into focus.

It's all about Jesus.

JOY to your little part of the world and to mine.

still following,

     

Three quick and easy Christmas treats...

Christmas is only a week away!

I've still got some Christmas cards to get in the mail,

our church's Christmas celebration this Sunday to get ready for,

groceries to buy,

a party to attend,

a few presents still to wrap

and some baking to finish.

It's at times like these when it's great to have some quick and easy recipes up your sleeve to use as a last minute gift or for holiday gatherings.

This first treat is made with two ingredients easily found at most grocery stores.

I found mine at Walmart.

All you need is almond bark and a bag of cranberry trail mix 

or your own favorite blend of nuts and dried fruit.

Microwave the almond bark until melted.

In my microwave it takes exactly three minutes.

Stir until all lumps of almond bark are melted.

Add trail mix.

I didn't measure, just add until it's about the consistency seen in this photo.

Spread out onto a parchment paper covered cookie sheet.

When completely cool and hardened cut into bite sized squares.

Store in plastic storage container or freezer bag.

Peanut butter and chocolate, what's not to love?

This chocolate peanut butter fudge could not be easier or yummier.

Here's the recipe!

I found it years ago in the Oregonian newspaper.

YUMMM!

This last idea is quick, easy, and fun to do with the kiddos, or in our case, the grandkids.

Simply melt the almond bark, as in the first recipe, and dip pretzels in it.

Then, lay the pretzels on wax paper until the coating is cooled and hardened.

Store in plastic storage container or freezer bag.

(We always make a batch of pretzels with the white almond bark and a batch with the chocolate.)

Kid tested and approved!

I hope you try and enjoy these simple treats!

still following,

I'm linking at some of these wonderful places...

All Things Heart and Home Christmas Cookie Party

Edie's Christmas Cookie Exchange