Christmas Traditions

I'm a sentimental gal. I love traditions and rituals and warm, cuddly, heart-felt moments. That's one of the things that I love about the Christmas season. There are random things that have become traditions in our family unintentionally that I wouldn't trade for the world.

• Choosing our Christmas tree as a family. When we lived in Massachusetts, we would gear up and trek around at the snow-covered tree farm (sometimes for an hour+) looking for the perfect tree. Mike usually is the most particular about the tree, the kids usually end up running around, and I try and help Mike visualize the tree decorated. Of course, here in Georgia, there's no tree farm, but we still go together as a family to select the tree and bring it home.
• Lights and decorations. This too, is a family event. I'm the one with the patience to string the lights and then it's game on and the decorating begins. We usually have a fire and Christmas music playing...perfect.
• Bon-bons...or buckeyes...or chocolate-covered peanut-butter balls. Call them what you want but I will make these with either my mom or my sister at every Christmas possible. I love baking with them.
• 25 Days of Christmas...movies that is. Gotta love watching the oldie-but-goody Christmas movies like Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and Santa Claus is Coming to Town and Frosty the Snowman. These classics are a part of every season.
• Yankee Swap. Some call it White Elephant. It goes by many-a-name, but this game of gift exchange has always happened at my large family Christmases. Upon moving to Georgia, we haven't been able to attend those family gatherings and have introduce our version to our southern friends...and the fun continues...
• Christmas morning....everyone must be awake and together we go to the living room. No late sleepers or early peekers.
• Driving around town at night looking at Christmas lights. Some are crazy, some are over-the-top, some are reserved and tasteful.
• Reading the Christmas story in the Bible. We all know the story, but I love to reread it every year. And every year God reveals something different to me. Through reading the scripture and listening to the message at church, God shows me more of Him and why He chose to humble Himself and come to earth. Oh, what an awesome love!

Creation perfection

I recently was going through some photos that I had taken this past summer, and was able to pause and reflect on the perfect, beauty of God's creation. No detail was left unlooked. The intricacies, colors, textures all point to God. How can anyone contest a creator?

Pittsburg, NH

Waaaaaay up north, at the very top of the state of New Hampshire, bordering Canada, is the town of Pittsburg. It's almost 300 square miles, with a population under 1,000. Most of what you see is mountains, trees and lakes. God's Country, some people call it. The closest movie theater is an hour and 15 minutes away. You shop at Young's store or the Trading Post. Tourism is beginning to take over, as people flock to Pittsburg for fishing in the summer and snowmobiling in the winter. But the Pittsburg experience is much different for me.

My father's family owns a small cabin on Back Lake and I have spent time there almost every summer of my life. We call it "Kamp Komfort". It is small & rustic with exposed 2x4's, homemade furniture, and hardly any modern comforts. We have to boil water on the stove and then fill a watering can with the hot water to hang in the shower. We have an outhouse. I remember as a child pumping the water out of the well into a bucket. I am often woken in the middle of the night to the sounds of the mouse trap snapping and falling to the ground. The black flies, mosquitoes, and deer flies leave you covered in welts...sounds like fun?

Ahhh, yes. And I can't wait to head up there for a few days this summer. The sunrise every morning and sunset every night over the lake are truly a sight. "Jesus painted a beautiful sky," we say. The smells and sounds of the woods and water are fresh and earthy. With all that nature and very little man, the night sky is huge and brilliant. We feed ducks and watch the babies grow. We walk along the "tricky path" and try not to stumble over the roots. We spend hours in the small boat waiting for the fish to bite. Sometimes coming back with nothing, other times with a stringer full of fish. We catch trout and bass, clean them in the woods, and have them for dinner. Evenings are filled with card games. It's said that on rainy afternoons, the mattresses curl, and you just have to lay on them to hold them down. We've paddled in the paddle boat, kayaked, and sailed in small sailboats. We drive along route 3 in the evening looking for moose. We pick bouquets of wildflowers and nap in the hammock.

Life slows down and God's creation is amplified.

I can't wait.

Needs

I gave blood recently and was struck with the realization as to how dependent humans are on each other for this necessity of life. Scientists can't manufacture artificial blood. Hospitals don't stock pigs blood. Humans are dependent on the selfless acts of others who endure a small pain and inconvenience.

I enjoyed thinking about my gift to someone. My blood could help save a life. Yeah, the needle pinches and burns, but only for a minute. Yes, I had to answer what seemed like 95 questions. Yes, it took about an hour of my time. And yes, they wouldn't let me leave until I consumed super-sugary juice and nutter butter cookies. But if that's all the complaints I've got...it's so worth it. I've known many people who say, "oh, I'll never give blood again, because the one time I did, I got dizzy and nauseous." Seriously. That's all you got?? My husband doesn't donate blood because he had leukemia as a child. He would love to, but can't.

Acts 4:34 says: "There were no needy persons among them." Wouldn't it be great to be able to say, there are no needs, all needs are met. Everywhere we look we see needs. Blood, food, friendship, kind words, a helping hand. We are the answer to those needs. Yes, sometimes, it's not easy and may cause some personal discomfort or inconvenience. But Jesus met our greatest need for a savior, enduring the most extreme pain and discomfort. God did not create us to be selfish, absorbed, hard-shelled individuals only concerned for ourselves and those in out little bubble. Our lives are to be richly intertwined with one another, reflecting and acting like Christ.

I'm not telling everyone to give blood. I know there are circumstances that prevent donation. But I am encouraging you to commit selfless acts that aid, comfort, and assist others. Step outside your comfort zone once in a while...you may be pleasantly surprised by what God can use you for.

A Smile

I think it's quite amazing that when God created humans, He gave us the ability to smile. So much can be communicated with one smile. When my son Caeleb was just nine months old, we were shopping at a mall, just a couple of weeks before Christmas. That time of year, people hustle around, quite harried and stressed. We sat on a bench together and watched individuals rush around, annoyed at the crowds, the lines, the noise... Everyone looked so unhappy. Caeleb, sitting in his stroller, big blue eyes looking all around, began flashing pudgy faced baby grins at anyone who came near. And the effect was amazing! Most everyone who caught his smile, slowed, softened and smiled in return. His smile was a gift to them. In the craziness of life, as we all wander to and fro, doing all the things we have to do, I try and remember how easy it is to make even a small effort at brightening someone's day...with a smile.

7 Days!!!!

I picked up the new Jodi Piccoult book at the library on Monday. It's only available on a 7 day loan, today is Friday, and I'm only 1/3 of the way through it!!! I know I can do it, but am not sure I have the time....arg! Seriously, don't they realize people have lives and cannot spend all their time reading?

John 11

I find it interesting that when Jesus received word that Lazarus was sick, when Mary & Martha sent word to Him, He stayed where He was for two more days.
I am sure that when M & M sent word to Jesus, "Lord, the one you love is sick," they weren't saying, "bring Nyquil, Lazarus has a cold" - no he was seriously ill, on his death bed. M & M believed that Jesus would come & heal Lazarus.
But there was a greater plan. Instead of rushing to heal Laz., Jesus waited, therefore allowing Lazarus to die! Jesus knew that through the death of Laz., He would be glorified vs.4. It is in His Timing. It is His Plan.
Because of Mary & Martha's faith, they believed that Jesus could've saved their brother from death, that had Jesus been there He would've performed a miracle & healed Laz. from the grips of a deadly illness. Jesus had done it before. Oh, how sad and disappointed M & M must have been when Jesus didn't come and their brother died. After Jesus arrived, Mary said to Him, " if you had been here, my brother would not have died vs 32." She had faith, but it wasn't big enough - she didn't grasp that even then, after Laz. had passed, that Jesus could do great things.
Oh, we are so like that! how often do we have a goal - a prayer - something BIG that we believe God will answer by _____. And when the request isn't answered, we feel disappointed and we think, "it's not His time. it's not part of His plan.", when all along, God wants to answer it in a different way - maybe bigger, grander - more amazing -to build greater faith & belief.
In this we can learn to not let our hearts be troubled. God works in all things for the good of those who love Him.

Thinking About Praying

Honestly...I think I spend more time thinking about what I should pray about than actually praying.
Throughout the day, I pray at various times, but in retrospect I also see myself making a mental to-pray list: "I need to make sure I pray for so-and-so, and about such-and-such, and thank God for this-and-that..."
Why do I do this rather than just pray? Why do I feel the need to organize my prayers before talking to God? He doesn't care what my prayers sound like, or if they are in a specific order, or if I use lots of fancy, Christian prayer lingo. And maybe that's it for me. Gulp. Maybe there's a part of me that is selfish about prayer. I need to focus on just talking to God and having a conversation with Him. This is the relationship that Jesus wants with us. He wants to know us and us to know Him...how awesome is that? we have a God who desires to be in relationship with us...

12 Years

Caeleb turns twelve on Saturday. I celebrate him and stand amazed at the person he has grown into. He has become a young man, full of his own preferences and ideas. We will soon be entering the years when I will stand back and watch him make decisions, mistakes, and successes. We will mentor and guide him, and we will pray the whole way that he follows Jesus. I can honestly say, I think he'll do alright. By the grace of God.


Every one of his birthdays is a real milestone and time of reflection for me. Caeleb changed my life. I was only 19, having just completed my freshman year at college. My life was confusing; I didn't know who I was. What came as a surprise, became a turning point. Mike and I made a committment to each other and our baby. The transition to motherhood was quick and easy after the initial shock and adjustment. And, oh how I love being a mother. My heart will never be the same. It has been stretched and it's capacity for love and emotion is so great; I know this love is now from me but from Him who is love.

I whole-heartedly threw myself into being a mother and wife. But it hasn't always been easy for me as an individual. I sometimes feel like I have never really discovered who Emily is. What are her hobbies, interests, passions? I am now at a point in my life of growth and self-discovery.

I don't mean for this to sound whiny or pathetic. Becoming a wife and mother, and trying to do it my way left me empty and grasping. When I fully surrendered to Jesus, and agreed to do things His Way, the joy in my life increased. I am happy and recognize the many blessings in my life. I am just now at a point of growth.

It's been 12 years...and I wouldn't change a bit.

These are a few of my favorite things...

• Musicals. Of course, I'm first thinking of Julie Andrews in The Sound of Music, but seriously, I wish life was a musical and we could all spring into a perfectly choreographed song & dance number over mundane things like Saturday Morning Chores or Coffee at Starbucks with my Girlfriend...sigh.
• Lazy Afternoons. I love to curl up under a blanket with a book or a movie. Or sit in the sun on the patio and sip tea. Ahhhhh...now that's what rejuvenates me.
• The smells of fresh cut grass, vanilla and autumn leaves. There are some smells that immediately take me back in memory.
• Burt's Bees lip balm. A winter-time staple.
• The colors of the blue sky. Everything from the palest to the deepest.
• Dark chocolate.
• Socks. I love warm fuzzy socks. I borrow my son's cotton crew length socks to wear around the house. I hate cold ankles.
• Taco Salad. Seriously, I could eat this every day. Crisp greens, fresh tomatoes, corn, avacado, sharp cheddar, black olives, black beans, some of Mike & my homemage jalepeno salsa, and a dab of sour cream.
• Wearing a sweatshirt of my husbands. His smell is on it and I feel close to him.
• Playing board games. Cranium, Balderdash, Monopoly, Pictionary, Scattergories, Sequence (on the homemade board my grandfather made), Scene It, Boggle...it's so fun to sit around a table with friends or family and play, usually resulting in hysterical laughter at some point.
• Reality Game Shows. Top Chef, American Idol, The Amazing Race, Project Runway... love these!
• A good cry. Wholehearted, gutwrentching, hold nothing back. Crying is cleansing and a release. I cry at all kinds of things: songs, movies, commercials, beauty in nature, my kids...

The list could go on...

God's Plan

Moving to Georgia was quite a jump for us. As we started exploring the possibility of it, my prayer simply was: God, if this is meant to be, please show us. And He did. It was something that we had discussed, but we didn't have to move. The whisper in our hearts just became louder. Everything went so smoothly with the buying & selling & moving. Not to say there wasn't stress, but knowing that God was for this somehow made it easier to bear the burdens.

Then my prayer became, Please God, please help us adjust. And He answered that too. We are rooted here after such a short time; we have an amazing church that we call home and are involved in, we are part of a small group that we feel so very connected to, we have friends and are involved with them and their lives, the kids are succeeding in school, have friends, are involved in the church, and participate in several activities. Life is rich and blessed.

We do miss our families and friends in Massachusetts. There's no doubt about that. But distance and time cannot sever hearts that have been knit together.

Revival & the House of Rock

Have you ever been with a group of people and felt totally & completely surrounded & encompassed by the Holy Spirit? Last night, our church held a prayer service for the House of Rock. 150+ people gathered to worship & pray for one purpose. Matt, Joel & the band led us in some of the awesomest (is that a word?) worship that I have participated in in a long time. It was different than a Sunday morning. I think the worship was more powerful last night because everyone was at the service for one purpose. The redemption of the House of Rock is such an awesome vision that God has placed before Oak Leaf Church and in our final week of giving, I pray fiercely that God would excite and revive the hearts of His people. That we would step out of our comfort zone when we give because it is when we give out of faith and not comfort that He does great things. And that the hearts of people would be drawn towards Him and His purpose in Cartersville and Bartow County.