Monday, December 13, 2010

Food Court Surprise!



How fun would that be? A LOT! Merry Christmas!

"For unto us a Saviour is born."

Thursday, December 09, 2010

Gift Exchange

I have a Christmas party to attend tomorrow night where we are having a gift exchange. There will be males and females there from ages 22 to 50+. So, what do I get? Oddly enough, I found it hard to find a good list of " great gifts for both genders under $15-$20". I wandered around the mall tonight for a while, and came up with a list of my own. Hope it helps anyone else out there struggling for an idea!

1. Blanket/throw (I gave this last year and it went over well.)
2. Ornament
3. Flash drive
4. Hand sanitizer, lotion. (my gift this year - perhaps slightly on the girlie side, but who can't use hand sanitizer, especially during the flu season?)
5. Serving pieces (nice platters, cake knives, salad tossers, etc.)
6. Movie package (vouchers or DVD rentals)
7. Cocoa and mugs
8. Homemade gift, for the artsy types! Someone did a painting last year that was a big hit.
9. Magic 8 ball? Magnetic poetry? Rubix cube? These just came to me spontaneously. You probably wouldn't buy it for yourself, but you know you can't refuse to pick one up if someone else has it and just play with it.
10. And of course, if nothing else, gift cards are always wildly popular. Chic-fil-a was a popular one last year for grabs. Any restaurants or coffee places are great.

What ideas do you have? Comments? Thoughts?

Tuesday, December 07, 2010

All Clean

Last night I got in a cleaning mood.  I came home from work about 6:00 and I cleaned until my phone rang at 9:00.  I...
  • washed the dishes
  • laundered my bed sheets and clothes
  • cleaned the fabric softener dispenser, which was starting to look gummy
  • wiped my counters (AND) polished them - Ok, so I cheated.  It's a cleaner/polisher solution all-in-one.
  • Disenfected and Sanitized my sink, toilet, and tub
  • Scrubbed my bathroom floors (think Cinderella...on the floor on my hands and knees scrubbing)
  • Dusted all my furniture
  • Vacuumed my floors
It was a very productive evening!  I felt much better sitting down and relaxing after that, and not somewhat lazy as I usually do.  :-)

It also probably didn't hurt that I had Pandora Radio blaring over my phone for the entire 3 hours.  It helps pass the time so much more quickly.  It was set to my favorite customized station - Blackbird Radio.  LOVE it.  You should check out Pandora for yourself here.


Photo courtesy of istockphoto.com.


Friday, December 03, 2010

Thanksgiving

I would say that I am late, but it is never to late to give thanks.  I have so many things to be thankful for.  If I tried to list them all, I don't think I could.  But, it is so important to make every effort as often as possible to give thanks and see what the Lord has done in our lives.  If we fail to remember, it will be easy to forget.  So, without further delay, a wee glimpse of my thanks:
  • Family - immediate, extended, church...I love them all.
  • Friends whose love is unconditional
  • Living in the United States of America - still the greatest country in the world to live, though I pray for it daily.
  • My Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, and his gift of hope to each and every one of his children.  Without this solid hope, I would be lost many days.
  • Chic-Fil-A - My food pyramid some weeks really does consist of 1) Chic-Fil-A, and 2) everything else.
  • Sweet Tea
  • Music
  • The Written Word and the Preached Word
  • Blankets and Gas Heaters
  • Health
  • Grace
So many more...The Lord has been so good to me, I want to sing his praise, I want to glorify his name, all my remaining days.

Thursday, December 02, 2010

Abide with Me

I feel as though I have been in a spiritual rut for the past year.  I knew I needed to come back to Jesus.  "Draw near to me, and I will draw near unto you."  But, I felt myself turning farther and farther away.

The Monday before my church's anniversary meeting, as I was walking on the treadmill listening to one of my playlists in my iPod, I heard the song by Third Day, "I've Always Loved You".  I was struck by the words - "Though you turn away, I tell you still, Don't you know I've always loved you? And I always will."  The song is written as if spoken by Christ, and I felt like I could hear what he was trying to tell me.  "I love you.  I always have.  Why are you turning away?  Come back beloved."

Then, on Wednesday night at church we sang this hymn, "Abide With Me".  I've sung this hundreds of times probably, and never truly paid attention to the words.

Abide with me; fast falls the eventide;
The darkness deepens; Lord with me abide.
When other helpers fail and comforts flee,
Help of the helpless, O abide with me.

Swift to its close ebbs out life’s little day;
Earth’s joys grow dim; its glories pass away;
Change and decay in all around I see;
O Thou who changest not, abide with me.

I need Thy presence every passing hour.
What but Thy grace can foil the tempter’s power?
Who, like Thyself, my guide and stay can be?
Through cloud and sunshine, Lord, abide with me.

Hold Thou Thy cross before my closing eyes;
Shine through the gloom and point me to the skies.
Heaven’s morning breaks, and earth’s vain shadows flee;
In life, in death, O Lord, abide with me.
Again, it was like Christ was speaking to me.  And, if he was speaking to me through these songs, then when the meeting arrived and the sermons were preached, I think he actually grabbed me and shook me!  I had been praying all week for the meeting to be blessed, but I was still amazed that God blessed ME.  I felt as if the messages were being preached directly to me.  I was humbled and awed.  And renewed.  And thankful.  It was exactly what I needed.  Rebuke, exhortation, encouragement.

The Lord is good and very good.  Praise his holy name.