Stuff to Do

It's been a good year.   I'm excited to begin the next one, though.   Though much of it will be exactly the same as the year about to finish, I hope to make those ordinary things seem extraordinary. To revel in the mundane. To relish each item on my "to do" list, and finish each thing with a joyful heart. And if that doesn't work, there is always coffee!   Our NYE plans are as follows:   Let the kids have chicken nuggets and french fries for dinner. Bathe children, dress for bed, give drinks of milk. Brush children's teeth. Put children to bed. Get out grown-up food and start the party for two. Eat grown-up food, then clean up kitchen. Sit down to watch various NYE programs. Kick each other awake until midnight, when we can respectably go to bed.   Have a safe and fun New Year's Eve, everybody.   Next post I'll share my one resolution. Exciting stuff, hey?   XOXO, Sarah     

I just found out today that one of my friends from church who was expecting is no longer expecting. The irony of singing about baby Jesus while coming to terms with your own deep, personal loss is indescribable.   I am not her, so I can not know what is going through her mind right now. But I grieve with her. I ache for the child who will not rest in her arms. I weep for the miracle of that first meeting between mother and child. Of course I grieve with her husband as well, and for their children who will not get to meet their new sibling. But because of where I've been, I identify more closely with her.   There is so much I wish I could share with her, so much I want to say. I want to let her know that she is not alone, that it wasn't her fault, that her baby is safe in the arms of Jesus, that time will not erase this pain, but it will soften it a bit. That I am here, if and when she wants to talk about it, cry about it, be angry about it, or even to NOT talk

Is there a middle ground? At one extreme, you could buy nothing, decorate nothing, bake nothing, and do nothing except go to church, read your Bible, pray, and listen to (Christian only) carols.   At the other extreme, you have a Christmas celebration of Griswoldian proportions.   Surely there's a middle ground in there somewhere. Surely I don't have to strip away all the 'pretty' from Christmas to prove to the world what Christmas means to me. Surely I don't have to put embroidered holly linens on every bed to prove to the world I am "Ho Ho Ho" enough?   Where is that middle ground?   We have a tree. We (and by we I mean Lachie) put up some garland around the house. We went to see some Christmas lights last night. We bought 3 presents each for our children. We plan to go to church on Christmas day. We plan to attend the candlelight carol service at our church. I've been teaching Charlie different songs about Jesus.  I l

I've been wrestling with this particular topic lately. Am I a good steward (stewardess?) of all that has been given to me?   Money - do I really manage it wisely?   Time - I know I don't manage that well. (Facebook anyone?)   Gifts - I use my gift, but I don't take care of it as I used to. I almost never warm up before singing (don't tell my music teachers that!), and rarely rest my voice when I'm tired.   Health - Again, I know I need to do better. A lot better.   Family - Do I cherish my family? Do I treat them as I wish to be treated? Do I truly see to their needs?   Grace - God has given me redeeming grace - do I pay that forward to the people around me, or do I keep it to myself and give none to others?   Home - I have a beautiful home, do I manage it wisely? Do I take care of it? Do I keep it functioning smoothly (as much as I can, at any rate)?   Food - We are blessed with an abundance of food, as evidenced by the number of thi