The very last day

Well Girls, here we sit at the end of another year. I always have

mixed emotions on New Years Eve. It means I've turned another

year older. Sometimes I'm excited because it means- whoo made

it through another. Mainly I'm happy because it symbolizes a

fresh new start. Not a new start alone because He is my Guide.

I may not always let Him do the guiding but a start of a brand

new year reminds me that's the seat He is suppose to be in and

not me.

I wish our Guide would make things this easy...

We sat one year and a day ago wondering what the road ahead

looked like. Would it have many twist and turns or maybe it

would be a little straighter this year. One thing I know...that He

blessed me with some wonderful traveling companions this year.

And for you I'm ever grateful!! So thanks for riding out this year

with me. It definitly had some suprises and disappointments

along the way....I'm glad you were here. I can't wait to see what

He has planned for each of us this year!!

Happy New Year everyone!! Much love to you all!

A Simple Box by Nature?

A simple box by nature.
It arrived some where around a week ago.
Just above the address was a note reading...
"do not open until Christmas Day!".
Is she kidding me wait a whole week!!
See "she" is a kindred spirit sent to me as a gift from
Someone above. So knowing her I already knew I
would love what was in that simple brown box. I
couldn't wait to open it!! And open it I did tonight and
my anticipation was correct...for great treasures it did
contain.
This past Sunday night our church held it's Candle Light
Service. The sanctuary was dimmed and the white
Christmas lights were a glow. As I slipped into a pew
just ahead of a new sweet friend. The church began to
fill with the sweet sounds of Christmas Hymns. The
sweet friends baby began to coo and laugh...oh, the kind
that would make any heart melt. Then the voices around
began to sing "Away in a Manger". My melted heart began
to ache that same ache that Mother's Day brings for me.
The line in the song..."the cattle are lowing the baby awakes
but little Lord Jesus no crying he makes" with the cooing of
the baby behind me made it all come to life. For the
first time I got the most real and visual picture of my Savior
as an infant nestled in a manger. The smooth soft glow of a
infants cheek.
Then one of the young teen boys began to read The Christmas
Story. My aching heart began to ease, as words from the past
once again became present in my heart. The infant in the
manger began to fill a place in my heart that no other infant at
the moment could fill. A place of loneliness and sadness. It
was filled with Joy and Peace.
It's just like that simple brown box I received in the mail.
I knew that box contained something my heart desired.
I know that my God has a simple brown box waiting for me
as well. And it's contents are something my heart desires.
How do I know....for He gives us the desires of our heart.
That's what my heart longs to do tonight-to delight myself
in Him. To allow the distractions of this life drop to the
ground and bow my heart and mind before Him in sheer
reverance.
May His sweet face, his strong arms be felt in your heart
this Christmas...May He unfold more of the dreams He
has for our lives on us all this New Year...
Thank you for walking this journey of life with me.
Merry Christmas to all....and much love from my heart
to yours.

Well, it's 10:00 a.m. on this fine Saturday morning. My breakfast
is consisting right now of a bag of green and red M&M's. Really!
So, I thought I'd post before you guys thought a Christmas Elf had
kidnapped me...LOL! I thought I would share a couple of
Christmas photos...

This is the picture from my Christmas header. This is the tree at
my parents house. Every year there seems to be a new stocking
being added. Next year there will be a new one with the name of
my new niece! I look forward to her arrival this Spring!

I received a Christmas package in the mail the first of the week

and my nephew was with me when I got it. I read the message

on the box outloud.."Don't open till Christmas". To which I

replied how much I wanted to open it "now". My nephew said,

"But you can't open it now". "Why not?" I

asked. "It's because of the Spirit of Christmas!", he answered.

In the "Spirit of Christmas" I wish you and your family a very

Merry Christmas! May the meaning of Christmas fill your hearts

in a special way. I pray God bless you all with special moments

this Christmas that you can tuck away as treasured memories!

Much love to you all!!!

Melanie~

Joy of the Season

I wish I could describe my mood lately. It's a really weird

combination of quiet and a bit withdrawn. What makes it

weird to me is that it's not from being down or blue. It's

almost like sitting back and watching things going on around

you. Today was a bit emotional as we gals tend to be at least

once a month ;( Anyway, we dropped off a package today

and I wanted to share the moment with you....

The other day we were in the mall and we picked a name

off the Salvation Army Christmas tree. We decided on a

little boy the same age as my nephew, we wanted him to

help us pick out the gifts we would buy. (I'm going to tear

up again) When we got home we explained to him why

we were going to buy toys for a little boy name Joshua.

Hmm...yeah, his name is Joshua...not a coincidence

for me. Anyway, when my nephew found out we were

to drop of the gifts for Joshua....he said, "cool, we can

drop them off and then I can play with him!". He was

sooo excited when he exclaimed this. Yet a bit

disappointed that he couldn't actually give it to Joshua.

It just warmed my heart to know that he wanted to

not only give a gift but sit down and enjoy the

company of what he would consider "a new friend".

I so wish the Ladies of our church would catch a bit of

this....the joy of giving, receiving and sharing things of

"real" quality with one another!

I also thought about the "gift" that He gave to us! And

I'm so glad the He didn't want to give it anonymously!

He wanted to stick around and play!!

God has also blessed me with some wonderful...

wonderful friendships this year...I'm so grateful!

You Girls...you warm my heart!

Hi....still here!

Hey all....I know, I know it's been another week and I've yet
to post. It's been sooooo crazy around here. No, not a bad
crazy just too much going on. Too much going on at work,
church and thoughts chasing around in my head...oh along
with Christmas shopping. Please help me pray about our
church...there's a situation going on and it's not too good and
it has to be handled in the right way....many details but
please say a prayer for our little pastor and his wife. Thanks!

Well, going to crawl inbetween the kids to watch Charlie
Brown Christmas special and sneak food off their plates...
hey their not eating it ;)

I know this is short but wanted to let you know I'm thinking
of you and love you all.

Just a little funny...

What do you get when you cross a snowman with a vampire?

frostbite!

I owe my BIL a thank you for helping me look at the spirit of

the day a bit different....thanks for the call and the laugh...

Well, another holiday has come and gone. And as I always do,
ate wayyy too much. I hope your day was as great as mine!
The house was full of family, food, laughter, kiddos and sale
papers (which were empty of anything I had to get up this
morning to go get).
We did something different this year and I wanted to share
it with you. I've always wanted us to go around and tell
what we were thankful for. There are normally so many of
us I've just never done it.

Well, this year we did a Thankful Tree! I was planning to
just have it there for the kids to do but my Aunt's got into
it and made each of their grown kids join in. Along with my
Grandmother and my parents. It really turned cute. Now,
I have a keepsake from everyone. Like my Grandmother's
list in her handwritting with her name signed to it.

I love my nephew's he summed it all up in one big word "everything"!
The top pick on most of the kids list was "food". I blamed on the fact
they were eagerly awaiting a taste of all the wonderful smells coming
through the house.



So tonight we will take the Thankful Tree down and put up the
Christmas Tree. It's time to "Deck the Halls".
Blessing to you Sweet Friends!! May your Thankful Tree
overflow again next year!!