A Smiley Sabbath!

We are enjoying a restful day and wanted to share something that made us smile this week...

 Bessie Dearest from the miniseries Cranford...Megan wanted to watch it on her birthday, and we highly recommend it!

 

Just a rebel

The most rebellious thing I've done in my life is get one of my ears double pierced during my senior year of high school- and I had my parents' permission to do it! 

Yet here we are in our late thirties, sowing our wild, Jesus-loving, God-fearing, Holy Spirit empowered oats! 

Touchdown!

We are 'home' in Atlanta for about 6 weeks before we travel to the west coast to share what God has done in calling us to minister in Burkina Faso, and also to tell our family and friends goodbye.  We are still developing our support team for financial provision and prayerful partners in life overseas.  We are blessed by the opportunity to tell the story of how God took a taxidermist and a housewife and made us into tools in His hands.  We long to share this story and praise Him for the mighty things that He does.  We are ready to share with individual families, youth groups, home groups or churches to inform about Unreached People Groups, the plight of West Africa and how we all can play a part.  It has been a blessing to reconnect with old friends and to make new ones. 

The Depth of Christmas

Since this year is our last year to celebrate Christmas in the U.S for a while, I spent a lot more time thinking about the depth of what we celebrate.  We had thought that 2011 would be our last U.S Christmas, but as with most things we are learning, the Lord orders our steps, not us!

This is my first Christmas without a tree.  And I am ok!  We wondered if we would make it through without our traditions and expectations being met, and Praise God, we made it!

We baked cookies with a friend from Burkina Faso.
We listened to the Country Christmas station on Pandora Radio.
We savored cousins and family and hugging children and delighting in the people around us.
We drew near to the presence of God, even though we didn't have our Christmas socks on our toes.  The fullness of the season has nothing to do with trees or ribbons or our traditions, even the traditions that we love. 

Without the Truth of the Gospel in Christmas, none of my traditions have any meaning.  My love for all things Christmas, (bows in our hair, garland on my mantle, and white twinkle lights that delight me to the core) is rooted in  my love for Jesus.  At this time of year I tend to smile more, sing aloud and indulge in treats-  I make exceptions to my rules and have an attitude of celebration in every corner of life.

My real complaint isn't that I didn't get to celebrate in the ways that I'm used to.  I am challenged by the need that I feel to carry on the spirit of Christmas throughout the year.  I should have a loving attitude full of excitement and celebration of my Savior,  Always.
I want to show my love and gratitude for salvation and the path that's been laid out before me.  Even on the days when it requires effort to show my grateful heart.  I have a relationship with Jesus Christ!  How can I not celebrate all the days of my life! I know the God who created all of this wonderment around me.  I am a child of one who loved me enough to die for me.

So, late as it is, I will say Merry January!  Peace on Earth!  God's richest blessings to you!