Just Like Old Times

Over the last few years I've become quite content to just stay home when I can. I used to be on the go at all times. If I wasn't having to go somewhere, I was figuring out a way to go somewhere or have people over. 

Learning to just BE has been a good lesson. A quiet soul is a blessing that I spent many years fighting against. 

Yesterday I got home and decided to pull a chair over to the fire, fix a cup of tea, grab a blanket, and start reading The Hobbit. 

As I set everything up, I realized that it was a cozy sight. I also realized it would make for some good practice with my camera.

The phone didn't ring (and if it would have, I wouldn't have answered it), no one came to the door, and I was content to sit alone by the fire.

When I was growing up I read a lot of historical fiction or bio/autobiographies (think Colonial America, Civil War, WWII, and Civil Rights). Occasionally, I would branch into mysteries and even less often I would venture into the likes of Lewis and L'Engle.

Oh...And I did read the first couple Harry Potter books. I just couldn't get into the whole sci-fi realm. I didn't care who was reading what, I just wasn't going to read about things that couldn't even be real.

Now that I'm older and somewhat wiser I realize that I may have written off a few pieces that are actually worth my time.

I mentioned my love/hate with Facebook. Facebook played a part in why I have decided to give Tolkien a chance. A friend posted these lines and I decided that Tolkien may just be a writer after my own heart,

    "In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit. Not a nasty, dirty wet hole...It was a        
    hobbit hole, and that means comfort." 

Then, I saw the movie and decided that reading The Hobbit MAY just turn out to be like sitting on my grandfather's lap hearing a story that he can see so clearly in his mind.

The purpose of the story isn't so much to tell about hobbits and dwarves and trolls as it is to teach me things about life that he has learned.

That is, after all, what every good story is really about. So, I came home and dug through boxes until I found a copy of the book.

I realize that I may finish reading it (or stop reading it all together) and realize that it is actually just a story about hobbits and dwarves and trolls.

For now, I'm hoping that the bits of eloquent wisdom that were said in the movie came from the book and that the book is full of such stuff.

In the pages of Tolkien's book, the description of the hobbit hole continues,

    "...provided with polished chairs, and lots and lots of pegs for hats and coats - the 
   hobbit was fond of visitors." 

Doesn't that sound wonderful? To have a house where you KEEP room for visitors. To keep lots and lots of pegs for hats and coats where they can come and settle in.

As much as I have learned to be content without the constant presence of people, I still love a good visit. I still long to have a home that is suited for company and lots of it.

I know there are several other lines that I could share with you...Lines that gave me the feeling I was hoping for. We'll see what I have to learn from this book. 

In the meantime, enjoy your Saturday! Maybe you will find yourself settled in with a good book. I hope so!

Have you read The Hobbit? 

What is one of your all time favorite books? 

Are you more of a mover and a shaker or a settler and loner? 

Books, God, and Love

Four days into January! How are you doing with your hopes or goals for the year so far? 

DRINKING often is a habit that will take dedication...So far it's been great. I've been keeping my mind on pursuing it more and more as the year progresses. 

This week, I was just ENCOURAGED by some things that happened. 

Facebook, we love it, we hate it, we all use it. I've been on there for years. I use it MAINLY to keep in touch with my friends and family that live far away. Being able to see pictures, read quick updates, and even send messages has been a game changer. E-mail was great, but FB is just better. That's why I LOVE it.

But, there's the HATE of it too. You know...The awkward friend requests *really? You're my NEIGHBOR....*. The people that post WAY too often and way to DRAMATICALLY. No shame, I hide them from showing up in my news feed. The totally INAPPROPRIATE things people find and share. 

I've had a lot more of the latter lately...Complete JUNK showing up in my feed. And by junk I don't mean "boring", I mean like WRONG. And that's from the people who have managed NOT to be hidden yet! But, then there are things that happen that ENCOURAGE me. 

-> The other night I was on there and a friend of mine posted something about reading in 2013. A friend of hers mentioned something about "libraries in heaven". Pretty soon it turned into a conversation in the comments about books and reading and heaven. It basically ended with, "Heaven is going to be awesome...See ya there!" 

And then, I spent a lot of time just LOVING the fact that I get to be with God (and His people)  FOREVER. FOREVER, EVER! 

I've had so many conversations on the walls of my friends with friends of theirs that I have never met. Every single time I log off feeling ENCOURAGED. 

Here are COMPLETE strangers that FEED my soul. It makes me long for the coming of Christ...For the day we will all be with Him.

With the new year, everyone is feeling EXCITED. We're all planning ways to make THIS year THE year that is BETTER. We're SHARING more. 

We're engaging in COMMUNITY. We're sharing what we LOVE so that others may LOVE it too.

After what happened at Sandy Hook, I kept thinking about something and I shared it here...I said, 

"People were killed today...Sin was on display. But, in our hearts, on our FB walls, and wherever we have the chance to share it, the love and work and glory of God can be on display too."

Seeing it lived out is nothing short of BEAUTIFUL.

So, let's hear YOUR new years talk...

Hopes? Dreams? Goals? Words?

What are you loving lately? 

What's on YOUR mind? 

Let's kick off the new year right. Come back Monday for a link up you could use to share the love and work and glory of God that's been showing up in your life lately! 

Christmas Past

Two days after Christmas, I turned my computer back on. I plugged in my camera and diligently uploaded the pictures I had taken over the days leading up to Christmas. 

I set my computer aside to watch "Little Dorrit" (yes, I got something on my list!!!). Later that night, I grabbed my computer hoping to put together a post. Once again, I was greeted by a screen that stayed black (this happened back in April, and being busy, I didn't have it fixed until September). 

So, the next day, I had a date with "Torr" at Apple. Yes, his name tag said "Torr". And he took care of me! 

I have my computer back. :) Now you get an absurd amount of photos. 

On this blog I have been a bit vague. The internet scares me a little bit still...In 2013 I want to do more posts that will leave behind memories for ME. Memories that are full and complete and won't have me scratching my head later on. 

So, here it is. A post for me that I'm sharing with whoever wants in on it. 

******

I decorated the day after Thanksgiving. Unfortunately, I have a little problem. I love going ALL out. I went all out all the way through December. I got the idea to hang some snowflakes up. Then, I added glitter. Then I added more. 

I couldn't get enough. Again, those ARTISTS of mine were put to work. They cut out nearly 30 snowflakes (I think...). They'll be up until all hope of snow is gone. 

The night before Christmas....

We did some things DIFFERENTLY this year. We said good bye to red and green (mostly). We said hello to silver and blue and white. Purple was added in.

We slept in. We had waffles complete with whipped cream and strawberries for breakfast.

We skyped with my brother so that we could see his Christmas too.

We didn't exchange gifts until the afternoon. People came from far and near. We cooked a big meal. We played games (my favorite part!!!).


I love this banister...From beach towels to garlands and SOMETIMES it's even simply clean.

One of my Christmas GOALS was finding a sugar cookie recipe. I found it!!!! I'm still looking for a frosting recipe to use next year though....

Here they are, cooling, and waiting for the artists to work their magic!

I love these hands. They belong to my sister. She is so much more ARTSY than I am! Watch out people...She makes food that tastes good and LOOKS good too. Talent, I tell you!

She's always coming behind me adding HER special touch to things.

And these hands...Doing the work of a perfectionist captured by an apparently shakey photographer.

They belong to my brother, THE artist in the family. That boy can see it and explain it and recreate it. With snow or toast or pens or pencils or paint. Just watch him work.

ALMOST there. We only made a half batch of cookies and let's just say it's a good thing.

Frosting cookies is fun, but all good things MUST come to an end.

Christmas Morning

We dreamed of a white Christmas and we got it! Snow always adds a certain amount of COZY that only it can. Everyone (Great Uncle, Grandma, and friends from town) made it safe and sound.

The table was set...Christmas crackers are always involved. Apparently silverware is optional.

FINALLY everyone was here and the time came to open gifts. I love this pictures because its opener was being GOOFY. And I knew that inside was a giant dog bone....He owns no dogs. Barking dogs are the bane of his existence.

The bone was actually for OUR dog. He didn't know that until he found the message taped to the bone.

I don't know who laughed harder...

These two have been in my life for a long time. He was one of my first bus drivers...He taught me how to be teased and tease RIGHT BACK.

Family goes WAY beyond blood. For that I am grateful. Life would be a lot less fun without these two around.

He did this himself....And smiled while I took the picture.

The contents of my cracker...I have a thing for shoe horns! I wouldn't have picked a different prize if I could have. My Ghiddu (grandfather) taught me to use them and for a long time I didn't put on a pair of shoes without the one he gave me.

I don't know if anyone else even noticed how happy I was to have that pop out of mine!

Apparently there was some serious cutting to be done....

Riddles were read, crowns were worn, and understanding came...

He ate and RAN...There were LEGOS to be built. He doesn't even notice the CHAOS around him. I love that.

I did what I never do....Sat right down in the middle of chaos for another glass of juice. We call it "Jay juice" around here.

It's become a staple for all holiday get togethers since a special day at Jay's right before I left to do my student teaching back in August of 2010.

This sat out all day...You can guess what didn't even get touched. It was those vegetables in the back corner! That's just fine with me. 

Sometimes there are more important things in life that vegetables.

And then it was over. It was happy and white. We remembered Jesus. We cooked and played games and had a very happy Christmas.

 It was Christmas 2012 and it was okay after all. 

2013: One Word

As I prepare to look back on 2012, I am excited to look ahead to 2013! 

I really don't have any specific reason to be excited for this year, but for some reason, I am really looking forward to it. 

The last few years have been difficult years for me. There have been HUGE high lights and I have definitely enjoyed them. Still, I have had some things to deal with and face and decide. Things that I didn't see coming.

Nevertheless, God has seen me through. I have wrestled and struggled. I have been extremely happy and extremely sad. 

I feel ready to move on.

I feel ready for something new.

Maybe that's what makes 2013 different. It is one big empty slate. An empty slate, I am trusting God to fill.

He has been there in times that I have called "good" and called them good. He has been there in times that I have called "bad" and called them good. Maybe now, more than ever, I know that He is always at work. 

For 2013, I have decided to dwell on one word. In dwelling on that word, I will make it my goal to pursue it and look for it throughout the year. The word I will try to live out is this: DRINK. 

" Jeremiah 2:13, 'Be appalled, oh heavens, at this. Be shocked. Be utterly dismayed. For My people have committed two great evils. They have forsaken Me, the fountain of living water and have hewn out for themsleves cisterns, broken cisterns that can hold no water.' 

Go to the fountain, go to the fountain. The opposite of coming to the fountain is evil, the essence of coming to the fountain is drinking and drinking and drinking until it satisfies your soul and you say, 'Ahhhh...'" 

John Piper

WHATEVER 2013 holds, the ONE thing that I MUST do is DRINK. More even than my body needs water, my soul needs water. I do not feed my body just any water. Neither can I feed my soul just any water.

God has given me an unlimited supply of the water my soul needs. Yet, over the last few years, through everything that has happened, I haven't given my soul the water. I have held my breath. I have grown weary and anxious. At points, I was even ill.

In 2013 I am sure there will be cooking and traveling and time with friends and pictures and writing and shopping. The day to day events of 2013 will probably look a lot like the events of the past 22 years. There may be death and sickness and tragedy or birth and life and health. Since I have no expectations, there will be things that I don't even expect.

WHATEVER 2013 holds, I will set my mind to going to the fountain to DRINK. 

It's simple, it will give me life, and it will make 2013 a year to remember. I hope you'll join me!

What's your focus for 2013?

Frankly Friday

Good morning, ladies!!! Yesterday I decided that after today's post I'll be checking out until next week sometime. I could be wrong, but I'm thinking that's true of so many of us that most of you won't even notice!  
Enjoy your "week of Christmas"! Log off. Shut down. Be with the ones you love.   What Christmas 2012 has taught me so far....
1) If we take the time to study them, old familiar truths can mean so much more! I've talked about advent and I've loved slowing down to think about what it means to SEE and SAVOR Christ. RICH. 
 2) Gingerbread Hot Chocolate is the best. Maybe I'll break a rule and share my creation with you! It's new to me and inspired by ginger cookies. Recipes are probably out there. 
3) Speaking of recipe sharing....Christmas is a time we get bombarded with recipe requests. It makes my little "rule" very hard to stand by. 
4) Even the best laid plans can fall through. Two weeks ago, I attempted to start something new. Yeah...Right before, Christmas isn't the best time to start a new habit. 
5) I really don't like change...Even the idea of change scares me. TRADITION! 

6) We have SO MUCH to be grateful for. The ordinary moments of life are beautiful. God has given them to us that we might see more of Him. What is good, has us thanking Him. What seems bad, has us leaning on Him. 

7) Thinking about truth isn't enough, we've got to WALK in it. This Christmas, evil has sought to put a damper on things. The violence around our country, conflict in our own hearts, and of course, the struggles of people we know. 
8) Christmas shopping is still FUN. I love picking out gifts and going to get them. This year was no different. Wrapping gifts...That's another story.
9) I am TERRIBLE at wrapping gifts. I won't give you any examples. Just trust me. Measuring, cutting, folding, and taping, I'm worse than a kindergartener! 
10) Jesus is the reason for the season. Cliche as it has become. We love because He loved. We give because He gave. We live because He lived and died and rose again. THANK YOU, JESUS!   Merry Christmas to you all! 
I'm looking forward to hearing about YOUR holiday.