Christmas Time

One of my favorite things about Christmas is the time with friends and family.  Here is my Christmas (season) in a series of pictures.

Candle light service

Settlers

Plays

Christmas ornament

Susie-Kayla time

Food and toys all at once

Ticket to Ride

Puzzles

More games- Catch Phrase

Languishing Fervency

"They have dealt treacherously against the Lord."
Hosea 5:7

Believer, here is a sorrowful truth! Thou art the beloved of the Lord, redeemed by blood, called by grace, preserved in Christ Jesus, accepted in the Beloved, on thy way to heaven, and yet, "thou hast dealt treacherously" with God, thy best friend; treacherously with Jesus, whose thou art; treacherously with the Holy Spirit, by whom thou hast been quickened unto life eternal! How treacherous you have been in the matter of vows and promises. Do you remember the love of your espousals, that happy time--the springtime of your spiritual life? Oh, how closely did you cling to your Master then! saying, "He shall never charge me with indifference; my feet shall never grow slow in the way of his service; I will not suffer my heart to wander after other loves; in him is every store of sweetness ineffable. I give all up for my Lord Jesus' sake." Has it been so? Alas! if conscience speak, it will say, "He who promised so well has performed most ill. Prayer has oftentimes been slurred--it has been short, but not sweet; brief, but not fervent. Communion with Christ has been forgotten. Instead of a heavenly mind, there have been carnal cares, worldly vanities and thoughts of evil. Instead of service, there has been disobedience; instead of fervency, lukewarmness; instead of patience, petulance; instead of faith, confidence in an arm of flesh; and as a soldier of the cross there has been cowardice, disobedience, and desertion, to a very shameful degree." "Thou hast dealt treacherously." Treachery to Jesus! what words shall be used in denouncing it? Words little avail: let our penitent thoughts execrate the sin which is so surely in us. Treacherous to thy wounds, O Jesus! Forgive us, and let us not sin again! How shameful to be treacherous to him who never forgets us, but who this day stands with our names engraven on his breastplate before the eternal throne.

This was a Spurgeon reading last week that has stuck with me. I will confess sometimes at night, I have to reread the devotional a couple times to grasp what is said if I am tired.  But I am glad I took the time to digest this reading.

I long to have a fervency in my communion with Christ. Yet often, I am sluggish in my time with Him and am lukewarm.  This advent season I want to be struck with the miracle of God Himself taking human form to give us eternal life.   How amazing is that! And yet, I don't give it the reverence awe it deserves.  It should draw me to communion with Christ.  May I have a renewed love and passion for my Savior and pursuit of Him.

Saying Goodbye is Hard

18 months ago, my friends befriended an international college student at our local university. For the past 18 months, Momoko has been a part of our lives- because if she is part of the Biers' lives, she is part of my life.

We are the better for having her in our lives.  The kids learn to appreciate a different culture - in this case Japanese culture and learn how Japan is different but the same as America.  And it is important for kids to know people have different cultures and that while cultures are different, learning about other cultures is fun and rewarding.

When I look back at the last year and a half, so many pictures have Momoko in them.

Christmas Parade

2015 Christmas Parade

Thanksgiving

I am the empty seat

Dinners

Rachel's 15th Birthday I think

Bowling and Games

I was fortunate enough to spend the past 3 and a half months driving home from ESL classes with Momoko and really getting a chance to talk to her and know her at a deeper level.   Momoko is sweet, smart, and fun.   She also amazes me in how she is eager to keep improving her English and experience American things.

Saturday, she graduated and is headed back to Japan and a job.  We will miss her SO MUCH.  But we pray that God's grace will be upon on you, Momoko, as you transition back to life in Japan. WE LOVE YOU!

She Came Home!

Northern California

Over twelve years ago, I moved half a world away (literally).  I remember driving away from our house and my friend, Sarah, waving goodbye.  I already missed her.  Two years later, I was home and, for nine short months, we lived within 20 minutes of each other.  And then! For eight and half years, she and her family lived all over the country.  Eight and a half years of seeing her once or twice a year and seeing kids and loving them but only getting limited time with them.  Thankfully, this season has passed and they are home and live 5 minutes away.

Virginia

I am so glad they are home.  I treasure the yearly trips I made to see them all over the country whether hot Oklahoma, pretty Northern California, the shores of Maine, or the picturesque Shenandoah.  Sure I enjoyed the new locations and hiking and seeing new things.  But I loved the long weekends or weeks just spent together.  Coffee chats in the mornings, crafts and book reading (of course) with the kids, baking, her husband grilling dinner, movies or games, late night talks.  Now that they are home, I love seeing them all the time. But I do miss the long weekends/weeks.  Wednesday before Thanksgiving, we did one of these days- coffee, Spurgeon reading, sewing, craft, lunch, games.  A simple day but a day to be treasured.

Oklahoma - look at Eve!!!

As I think about our relationship, I sometimes think Sarah just gives and I receive.  I seem to pour out all my concerns and issues on her.  But she is wise and thinks about things differently than me.  A friend like this is to be treasured.   I am thankful for her- her love of Christ, her love for her family, her joy of life, her humor, her shared interest in coffee and sewing among other things, her exemplified holiness.

Maine - pictures of Sarah and I are far and few between

Happy Birthday Sarah!  I am glad you came home.

Maryland!!!!

O Holy Night

On the radio earlier today, I heard O Holy Night.  Besides being a beautiful song, I love the words.  The Good News of Jesus and his redemption is in this song.



The world lay in sin and error.  
He (Jesus) appeared and a thrill of hope came. 
Chains shall He break and in His Name all oppression shall cease (because of his death on the cross.) 
His law is love and His gospel is peace.
In light of this good news, how can I not fall on my knees and praise His holy name?

May you know the Good News of Jesus this Christmas and fall on your knees worshiping him.

O Holy Night
Oh holy night! The stars are brightly shining
It is the night of our dear Saviour's birth
Long lay the world in sin and error pining
Till He appeared and the soul felt it's worth
A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.

Fall on your knees! Oh, hear the angels voices
Oh night divine, Oh night when Christ was born
Oh night divine, Oh night, Oh night divine.

Truly He taught us to love one another
His law is love and His gospel is peace
Chains shall He break for the slave is our brother
And in His name all oppression shall cease
Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we
Let all within us praise His holy name

Christ is the Lord! O praise His Name forever
His power and glory evermore proclaim

Fall on your knees! Oh, hear the angel voices
Oh night divine, Oh night when Christ was born
Oh night divine, Oh night, Oh night Divine

Food, Friends, Football

Sunday was a Redskins-Eagles game.  Over the years, we have begun to gather to watch at least one of these games each year.

Ugly Sweaters

Most of us are Redskins fans with a smattering of Eagles fans.  (This year, the teen girls ditched their Eagles parents to wear Redskins' colors.)

Not a Eagles fan in sight

It's a fun time of friendship and food and football.  Several of us had spent the weekend together - bowling and pizza, Christmas Vacation at the movies, church, and then football.  I love these weekends with plenty of friend time.

Thankfully, Evan came home Saturday otherwise the game just wouldn't have felt complete.  Five years ago, he was just my fake nephew. Now he is also a friend.  All of us at the football game are intertwined.  His parents are some of my closest friends.  He is friends with my brother in law and friend's husband.  This is right and good.  I am thankful for all all these people - friends who are family.

Why watch football?

Bowling with Bumpers

6 or 7 years ago, we began the tradition of doing a special activity at Christmas.  That has evolved over the years to a bowling party with pizza after.  Most years, like this one, my sister and her husband, my friend and her husband, and the Bier kids come.  While sadly my brother's family couldn't come, the Kestler girls and Momoko came and what fun that was.  

Watching Kayla and Susie bowl for the first time was priceless.  Juliet outdid herself in the second game and loved it. Rightly so with three strikes and a spare.  Oh and we used bumpers - we ain't ashamed to admit it.  Some of us may have also tried to use the bumpers to help our game. 

He's just cute

After bowling, we had pizza and games.  Good times for us all.  To quote Susie, "we played Apples to Apples and Miss Holly and I were on a team.  We won the first game, but we didn't win the next game.  We had to give other people a chance to win."  (Shades of Holly in that statement?)  As much as we had a great time, I missed Evan and Rachel.  It is good that they are in college or working. But still, it was different without them.  Yet change is inevitable. And this time next year, we will have a little one in our midst.  One day, maybe this little one will be bowling with us and Matthew will be teaching him how to bowl.

Apples to Apples winners

Facebook reminded me today of bygone bowling years.  We have all grown a little.

 2011 bowling

2012 bowling

Here's to bowling in 2017.

My Aunt Ann

Today, December 9, marks the 5 year anniversary of my Aunt Ann went to be with the Lord.  It is a fitting day to reflect on her legacy to me.  

Granted I have remembrances of her filling my house.  From the first quilt I made with her help.  And before that, the first pillow I made as a child at her house.

Books on my book shelf were given to me by my Aunt Ann or I talked about with her.

In my kitchen, my prettiest cookbook was a book I got one Christmas from her.

My craft room is filled with her fabric.

My newest quilt is a rag quilt made with her fabric- a rag quilt I love because of the colors, because it is my new summer/fall quilt, and because it reminds me of Aunt Ann.

But the tangible items in my house are just a small fraction of the influence of Aunt Ann on my life. For all of teen years, she and her husband lead a kids' bible study where we dug into the Word of God. (As an adult, I am overwhelmed at this sacrifice of time. I get that if done in love it isn't a sacrifice.  But still it really is.) As I look back on those years and even years before that as a younger kid, Aunt Ann was a consistent part of my life.  I said memory verses to her at Sunday School; she came to my middle school concerts; she did bible study; she taught me how to use makeup; beaches in the summer often included her; she was just there.  I told my mom the other day that, as I stopped taking a medication, that I could hear Aunt Ann in my head saying that was a good idea as she thought it was harmful.  I remember conversations with her and mom and other women on the beach just talking about living life- godly women seeking to be godly and indirectly being an example to big pitcher ears.  As a young adult living next door to her, I spent alot of time talking recipes and books and quilts but also about life and living it godly- conversations I wish we could have today.

She was an example of being a godly woman in word and deed.  She invested in me. And I am the better for it.  Like her, I do not have children.  Just as she left her own legacy to me, I want to leave my own legacy for the children in my lives.   Because of her, I am motivated to intentionally be a part of the kids placed in my lives (and there are a lot of them!)

As I reflect on the influence of Aunt Ann in my life, I thank God for her and the precious years I had with her.  May it be said of me one day of what I can say of her: that Aunt Ann lived out Micah 6:8.

He has told you, O man, what is good;

And what does the Lord require of you

But to do justice, to love kindness,

And to walk humbly with your God Micah 6:8

The lights of Christmas

I am not a decorator.  If you know me, you know that. But at Christmas, I love to put up my tree; the lights just make me happy.

I had to decorate a tree for work and I think it turned out nicely though I was mocked for it looking too quaint.  I am actually a little offended (actually more than a little) - I think it is simple but pretty. I took an old paperback and made fans with a letter stamped in the center.   Very me.

Oh well, I like it.  And I liked it enough to make ornaments for my small tree at home.  Last night, as I read, I enjoyed the lights of the Christmas tree and enjoyed my bookish tree.

And in my living room, I have my pencil tree with all the colored balls which sparkle in the lights.   I found my old Mongolian nativity and put that down underneath.  Maybe when my nephew comes over next time, he will play with that and not the shiny balls..... Or not.

A Meeting of Ms

All things M was the theme of Saturday night.   Now granted we would get together if a letter party wasn't involved.  But we are all loving the letter theme to our gatherings.  (I am writing this partly because I know mom and Miss Cheryl probably want to see pictures but also as a record of our letter parties for when we start to forget about what we did.)

Our first party in October was P and all things P.   Peter and my mom had a letter drawing ceremony last month and drew an M from a bag of letters.  There is a lot you can do with M- more than we did.

M activities include mosaics with mostly nativity things (manager, Mary, Magi),  memory, musical instruments.

Mustache and musical instrument (not sure why the wig...)

M clothing includes mackintoshes, maroon clothing, Maryland garb, maxi skirts, mini skirts, men's wear, mustaches.  

Mustaches, men's wear, Maryland shirt, mini skirt, maroon

M food includes macaroni and cheese, mock mocha, mushrooms, meatballs, mixed nuts, Mandarin oranges, macaroons, mice cookies.

Mice cookies- not pinterest worthy but not a complete fail either

meatballs, mac and cheese, mushrooms, macaroons

We drew the letter for next time- O.  I am thinking orange Orioles' clothing. 

Where does your heart lie?

The trap of wanting more is ever present.  Where does your heart lie?  Is it restless for more?  Or something different? Or something out of your grasp?

I was thinking about this one night last week. One of my fake nieces made a dumb (yes, dumb) comment about how her 22 year old cousin just needed to get married already.  And then I read a Facebook comment about how a girl must be trained for marriage and being a wife because that is their calling and a job is happenstance. (Segue- I can't tell you how frustrated those comments make me on so many levels. If not only for the reason that marriage is not inevitable, that Paul teaches that singleness is a gift from God, and what is truly important is your relationship with God.)  And comments like these make me feel a failure.  The expectation of marriage or hope thereof can cause a discontent, a trap of wanting what isn't.  And I briefly fell into it.

But it is how I handle the expectation or discontent that matters.  Do I look at the gifts given to me- which I have many- and the hope I have in Christ?  Do I realize that only true joy and satisfaction is found in Christ?

I am so glad that in this season of life that even if discontentment threatens that it is only briefly.  In the end, I know I am where I am supposed to be- at the foot of Cross worshiping Jesus and investing in the lives given to me to do life with.   Sunday, M&S were sitting with my sister and I. And I kept hugging them.  I was struck with the fact that these two girls were given to me to be a fake aunt to and to show Christ to in my own way.  I love those girls and what amazing gifts they are to me. 

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.  James 1:17