New Year Greeting

My, it’s been so long since I posted! I have meant to post every day, but life got in the way! I had so much I wanted to share in December regarding Christmas.:(

Snowman Couple
My favorite ornaments!

We had a very good Christmas. We are most thankful that we were not sick this year! For many years, we have all been sick during Christmas, and the flu delayed our Christmas celebrations with our family last year. This season, I was very purposely about saying “no” to as many things as I could, even though it almost seemed impossible to avoid them. I made sure we got plenty of rest and took our Influenza Drops from our health food store. Ultimately it was the Lord Who kept us well this year!

This was the first year we had a real Christmas tree! I had put it off so many years because I wanted things to be perfect–me married and us going as a family to get our tree. I finally decided that we need to enjoy life now, and that there will be plenty of first times to enjoy when I get married.:)

Christmas Tree

After much reading on Money Saving Mom, I have been working on new goals for this year. I am not calling them resolutions, so as hopefully not to discourage myself when I miss them. Here are some personal goals I’ve written down.

  • Read 1 chapter of the Bible daily, in addition to personal devotions, family devotions, and couple reading with my Sweetheart.
  • Read 1 chapter of fiction.
  • Read 1 chapter of nonfiction.
  • Eat healthy – choose healthy snacks like nuts and fruit, drink more water, eat slow, and make wise choices.
  • Exercise daily.
  • Get plenty of rest.
  • Blog daily.

Yes, I have already messed up on all these, but knowing that they are goals, not resolutions, is helping me to keep trying. I also have a list of business goals. I probably need to write some homeschooling goals as well.:)

Camellias

Our dryer is out, so we are hanging clothes on the line this week. It’s been mighty cold out, but it’s been good for us. The fresh, brisk air and the exercise energizes us, although the girls hate “crunchy” towels and clothes, as they call it. We hang the linens on the line, and hang regular clothes in the bathrooms to dry overnight. So far, this system is working well for us. Not having a dryer really makes me have to keep the laundry up. It’s not fun to hang clothes on the line in the dark, and I’ve got to be sure we have what we need when we need it.:)

We have had some conflicts with others in the last week. Oh, it’s been so very hard to the point of physical sickness for me and others! The first situation was caused by certain Christian beliefs that someone could not accept. The situation caused us deep hurt. The Lord gave me a couple of verses that greatly helped me. “And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth” (2 Timothy 2:25-26). Although these verses are directed to pastors dealing with lost people, I felt God was telling me that I need to meekly explain my position, and then be quiet and let God bring about the change of heart, if a change is needed. This dear one did not mean to hurt us, but was trying to uphold convictions that they had. After a good, calm, gracious conversation, we both felt so much better. I better understood this dear one, even though we still could not agree.

The second situation was definitely caused by me jumping to conclusions and misjudging a sister in Christ. I didn’t do what a former pastor told me years ago–when you hear or read something that upsets you, ask that person what they meant. If I had done that I would have saved us all a lot of worry and pain. Things on the computer just don’t convey the same as they do in person. I hope I will remember this from here on out!

Due to the problems mentioned above, we could not handle things we needed to last week. We have been working on them the last few days and have gotten a lot accomplished. Now we can start our homeschooling back next week, Lord willing.:)

How was your Christmas? How is your new year starting out?

Christmas Wreaths

Blueberry Christmas Wreath

My middle daughter has been selling beautiful LIVE wreaths for a homeschool project, and we would love for you to place an order. We received our beautiful wreath yesterday (just like the one above) and just LOVE it! It’s big, beautiful, and so very fragrant! They make PERFECT Christmas gifts or decor for homes and businesses. I received a lovely wreath as a gift one Christmas, and it really meant a lot to me. If you know a single mom, I am sure it would brighten her Christmas season with something she may not be able to afford.

Just go to the following website and use Seller ID 4985 on checkout. You need to order soon to be able to enjoy them during the Christmas holidays! Thanks so much! Please share this with others.

Merry Christmas!

I am sorry not to have posted more the last few days, but we are all down with the flu. Christmas (online and at home) sure hasn’t been what we’ve planned, but thank God we are all together. A friend lost her little baby a few days ago. We have much to be thankful for.

I wish each and everyone of you a very Merry Christmas! Remember the real Reason for this season.

Sharing My Sunday 12/19/10

We had a fabulous day yesterday worshiping our Lord Jesus Christ and celebrating His birth! The adult choir had a program, as well as the children. There was great food and fellowship and joyful spirits. After church last night, we rode through a drive-thru presentation (with live actors) of the life of Christ. It was such a blessing to see these scenes acted out before us! We also went riding around town to see the beautiful Christmas light displays.

Here are some notes from my Sunday.

“God is ready to lavish His provision on you.”

***

“Where God commands, He supplies.”
—Elizabeth George, Loving God with All Your Mind DVD

“Christ took the wrath of God for us; outside of that, God would have compromised His holiness and justice.”

“But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.”
—Micah 5:2

Christmas Eve


This is from the third Christmas story told in On the Banks of Plum Creek.

“The wind was screaming fiercer and louder outside. Snow whirled swish-swishing against the windows. But Pa’s fiddle sang in the warm, lamp-lighted house. The dishes made small clinking sounds as Mary set the table. Carrie rocked herself in the rocking-chair and Ma went gently between the table and the stove. In the middle of the table she set a milk-pan full of beautiful brown baked bans, and now from the oven she took the square baking-pan full of golden corn-bread. The rich brown smell and the sweet golden smell curled deliciously together in the air.”

***

“Laura patted Jack’s furry smooth forehead and scratched his ears for him, and then with both hands she gave his head a quick, happy squeeze. Everything was so good. Grasshoppers were gone, and next year Pa could harvest the wheat. Tomorrow was Christmas, with oyster stew for dinner. There would be no presents and no candy, but Laura could not think of anything she wanted and she was so glad that the Christmas candy had helped to bring Pa safe home again.”

—Laura Ingalls Wilder, On the Banks of Plum Creek

A Large, Rich Christmas


From the second Christmas story told in On the Banks of Plum Creek.

“Laura’s mouth fell open and her eyes stretched to look at what she saw. She held Mary’s hand tightly and they followed Ma and Pa. They sat down. Then Laura could look with all her might.

“Standing in front of the crowded benches was a tree. Laura decided it must be a tree. She could see its trunk and branches. But she had never before seen such a tree.”

***

“Laura was too excited to speak. She squeezed Mary’s hand tighter and tighter, and she looked up at Ma, wanting so much to know what that was. Ma smiled down at her and answered, “That is a Christmas tree, girls. Do you think it is pretty?”

***

“Everything on that tree was a Christmas present for somebody!”

***

“There had never been such a Christmas as this. It was such a large, rich Christmas, the whole church full of Christmas.”

—Laura Ingalls Wilder, On the Banks of Plum Creek

A Cold Christmas Morning


“That afternoon, when Carrie was asleep, Ma beckoned Mary and Laura. Her face was shining with a secret. They put their heads close to hers, and she told them. They could make a button-string for Carrie’s Christmas!”

***

“After that, Laura did not mind staying in the dugout. When she saw the outdoors, the wind was driving snowdrifts across the bare frozen land. The creek was ice and the willow-tops rattled. In the dugout she and Mary had their secret.”

***

“She yelled and jumped out of bed. Mary came running, too, and Carrie woke up. In Laura’s stocking, and in Mary’s stocking, there were little paper packages, just alike. In the packages was candy. . . .They had never seen such beautiful candy.”

***

“Laura held to her horse’s mane and clapped her shoes together and laughed. Pa and the horses and Mary and Laura were all happy in the gay, cold Christmas morning.”

—Laura Ingalls Wilder, On the Banks of Plum Creek

Christmas Time

“But I am sure I have always thought of Christmas time, when it has come round . . . as a good time: a kind, forgiving, charitable, pleasant time: the only time I know of, in the long calendar of the year, when men and women seem by one consent to open their shut-up hearts freely, and to think of people below them as if they really were fellow-passengers to the grave, and not another race of creatures bound on other journeys. And therefore, uncle, though it has never put a scrap of gold or silver in my pocket, I believe that it has done me good, and will do me good; and I say, God bless it!”

—Charles Dickens, The Christmas Carol

Hallelujah Chorus

I just love this video! How awesome to see folks praising God and pointing people to Jesus, the true Reason for the season! I would have loved to have been there!

The Day Before Christmas

Farmer Boy by Laura Ingalls Wilder
“But at last it was the day before Christmas and Alice and Royal and Eliza Jane were home again. The girls were cleaning the whole house, and Mother was baking. Royal helped Father with the threshing, but Almanzo had to help in the house. He remembered the switch, and tried to be willing and cheerful.”

***

“The kitchen was full of delicious smells. Newly baked bread was cooling, frosted cakes and cookies and mince pies and pumpkin pies filled the pantry shelves, cranberries bubbled on the stove. Mother was making dressing for the goose.”

***

“That night everyone was tired, and the house was so clean and neat that nobody dared touch anything. After supper Mother put the stuffed, fat goose and the little pig into the heater’s oven to roast slowly all night. Father set the dampers and wound the clock. Almanzo and Royal hung clean socks on the back of a chair, and Alice and Eliza Jane hung stockings on the back of another chair.

“Then they all took candles and went to bed.”

—Laura Ingalls Wilder, Farmer Boy

I loved the Little House books when I was a girl, but never read Farmer Boy. I thought that it would be boring to read about a boy. Boy (no pun intended), was I wrong! Farmer Boy is one of my most favorites of the Little House books. I especially love to read how Mother cooked and worked very hard to take good care of her family.:)