Monday, December 24, 2007

Sunday, December 23, 2007

Saturday, December 22, 2007

Thursday, December 20, 2007

7 Reasons to Celebrate--Part 3



It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year


It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year
With the kids jingle belling
And everyone telling you "Be of good cheer"
It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year
It's the hap -happiest season of all
With those holiday greetings and gay happy meetings
When friends come to call
It's the hap - happiest season of all

There'll be parties for hosting
Marshmallows for toasting
And caroling out in the snow
There'll be scary ghost stories
And tales of the glories of Christmases long, long ago

It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year
There'll be much mistltoeing
And hearts will be glowing
When loved ones are near
It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year

There'll be parties for hosting
Marshmallows for toasting
And caroling out in the snow
There'll be scary ghost stories
And tales of the glories of Christmases long, long ago

It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year
There'll be much mistltoeing
And hearts will be glowing
When loved ones are near
It's The Most Wonderful Time
It's The Most Wonderful Time
It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year!



Wednesday, December 19, 2007

7 Reasons to Celebrate--Part 2


Cookies...no need say more. Holiday food is the best!

Friday, December 14, 2007

Grace, 'Tis a Charming Sound

Grace, ’tis a charming sound,
Harmonious to mine ear;
Heaven with the echo shall resound,
And all the earth shall hear.
Grace first contrived the way
To save rebellious man;
And all the steps that grace display
Which drew the wondrous plan.
Grace first inscribed my name
In God’s eternal book;
’Twas grace that gave me to the Lamb,
Who all my sorrows took.
Grace led my roving feet
To tread the heavenly road;
And new supplies each hour I meet,
While pressing on to God.
Grace taught my soul to pray
And made mine eyes o’erflow;
’Twas grace which kept me to this day,
And will not let me go.
Grace all the work shall crown,
Through everlasting days;
It lays in heaven the topmost stone,
And well deserves the praise.
O let Thy grace inspire
My soul with strength divine
My all my powers to Thee aspire,
And all my days be Thine.
Augustus Montague Toplady
1740-1748

Sunday, December 9, 2007

let it snow

Coolest thing. This morning, my dad told me and my brothers that people driving in to church a certain way had seen snow on the tops of the mountains, so we decided to take this route back home to see if we could catch a glimpse. We're driving along, my youngest brother (skeptical of seeing snow when it was 56 degrees out), was the first to spot it. All of a sudden, there were the mountains , snow-capped. It was glorious! Beautiful. Breathtaking. It made me feel happy inside. It has been strange making preparations for a season that in years past has always been accompanied by frosty weather and snow days. I'm not going to lie...I do not miss having to let my car run for fifteen minutes before going anywhere, or chipping ice off the windshield, or shoveling my tires out of the driveway to leave for work in the morning. But there are some things I miss from the Minnesota plains. The whole world sounds different after a heavy snowfall. In the rural town where my family lived for 11 years, the snow covered the fields, and when the sun set, the light seemed to touch absolutely everything, making it glow.


It was refreshing to spot that fluffy white stuff and know that it's less than a hour away by car. Refreshing to know that we can live in Southern California comfort and still get our snow fix every once in a while!