Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Friday, December 26, 2008
Packing it Away
It is the day after Christmas, and as I am packing my Christmas dishes and serving pieces and putting them away, I am feeling convicted. I have been reading blogs and editorials on how we have too much "stuff" in America. How ridiculous it is to have a set of dishes we only eat from one day a year, or maybe even a week of the year!
I have 2 shelves in my pantry and 2 kitchen cabinets designated for seasonal "Stuff" for the kitchen: dishes, serving pieces, centerpieces, candles, napkin rings, placemats, napkins, tablecloths for Birthdays, Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas. It is a lifetime of collecting. Some of it is 2 or 3 lifetimes old.
I have items that belonged to my parents or my grandparents (although most of that I have already divided up among my grown children,keeping only an item or 2.) Then the rest I have garnered over the years. Much of the items were gifts. A few items I picked up at a thrift store or garage sale.
See that sounds like I am trying to justify my owning it. Which, right away, runs up a red flag. If I have to think and work so hard to rationalize it or excuse it, then maybe it is wrong to begin with? Is the Lord calling for *me* to purge myself of "Stuff"? Even more importantly, am I trying to argue with Him over it?
With my sanguine personality, I have to be careful. I tend to go overboard on everything...impulsively! I have given my wedding ring set and my great grandmother's antique gold wedding band to the church in years past. I know God honored my sacrifices, but I am not sure He was the One asking for them. For a sacrifice, I have burned a manuscript for a book I wrote.
I live in the deep south where some traditions are ingrained in us from childhood. I studied Home Economics in college, and we were taught the importance of a "well appointed" home and kitchen. I attended a Ladies Leadership seminar in Alexandria, LA, some years ago and one of the courses was on gracious living. The lady teaching it spoke of paper plates and napkins and cups being for picnics, not family meals, reminding me of much of my training.
However, when you are raising 5 children, much of that gets left by the wayside, except for holidays. Hence the holiday collections I own. Before Christmas dinner yesterday as Melanie removed the centerpiece from the table to make room for food, I was telling Jonathan how in Home Ec we were always taught to have a nice centerpiece, usually fresh and homemade, using whatever was in the yard. Andrea and Tiffany used to make lovely centerpieces from stuff in the yard. It never seemed to matter though, as I explained to Jonathan, because we always removed them from the table to make room for food or to be able to see each other.
At Thanksgiving, at Andrea's house, Vivian, Melanie, and I made little paper place cards for everyone. We laid a fresh tablecloth and even created a centerpiece from stuff around the house that Andrea had used in decorating. It was quite lovely, but continuing in tradition, I noticed Andrea removed it to a side table for the meal.
As we were packing the stuff away, I was sharing some of my quandary with Melanie. She responded that I have not gone overboard with stuff. I do not own 2 or 4 or 10 sets of Christmas dishes.
I know of folks who have no pictures and no knickknacks and no elements of decor in their homes in honor of God. I respect and admire their sacrifice. For them, it is what they must do to follow their consciences and so long as they do not judge others by that same standard then they are not to be judged.
I have something to think and pray and fast on this year. Is this God calling me to such a sacrifice or is it just my impulsive, over the top nature? Do not get me wrong! I am not saying it is wrong to have pretty things and a well appointed home....unless...God has spoken to you to shed those things or unless you serve those things instead of using them to serve others.
For many years, my stuff was used to serve my family wholesome, nutritious meals, shared around a table of love and laughter. It was used to teach them gracious living because I believe the people of God should be a gracious people of dignity, integrity, and manners. For many years, our home was open to serve the lost, the lonely,the hurting. For many years, on Thanksgiving, we would invite someone who had no family in the area to share our meal with us.
Serving others was a great tradition in our home. At a Women's Conference in Tioga, I once purchased a book on making memories with your children. One idea was to prepare a special meal, get out the guest dishes and linens and tell them someone special was coming to dinner. Then when they came to eat, tell them it was them. What a great idea (I thought)! So I proceeded to put it into play. The kids were all excited and made name cards and helped me cook and clean and decorate.
"Who is coming, Mama??" they would ask excitedly.
"It's a surprise! " I would reply! What I did not realize is they did not hear "surpirse." Bishop Sarin's sister is a lovely, gracious lady named Sis. Price. They heard me say,"It's Sis. Price!"
They were so thrilled and honored to be able to serve Sis. Price. They even went to change clothes before dinner into their Sunday best. I will never ever for as long as I live forget the disappointment on those 4 little faces when they came into the living room, and we told them it was them, that they were our special guests! They actually cried, and went in Andrea's room, bawling, refusing to eat their meal they had worked so hard on. We finally got it out of them that they had heard "Sis. Price is coming!"
I am reminded of a seminar I attended in Baton Rouge with Bishop and Sis. Sartin and people from the church. Several of us sat at dinner, and spoke of how proud we were of our pastor and his wife and their beautiful, gracious manners. I am reminded of a young lady who told me she visited a church that was considering hiring her. Afterward when she went to lunch with the leadership, she said she wanted to slip quietly away because of people being rude to the waitstaff or evidencing poor manners at the table. During that lunch, she made her decision to not be a part of that ministry.
My health of late has negated my serving much these days. My children are all grown now and do not need me to serve them. Perhaps the conviction I am feeling is not over having the stuff but over how I have not used it much of late to serve others in His name. Jesus never condemned Martha for serving others and for toiling to have a well appointed household. The virtuous woman in Proverbs is honored for doing such things.
In years past, we did not have much, but what we had we shared; we tried to make it as gracious as we could. Now I have so much more than I had then, I want to be careful not to shut the doors of compassion and mercy.
I have 2 shelves in my pantry and 2 kitchen cabinets designated for seasonal "Stuff" for the kitchen: dishes, serving pieces, centerpieces, candles, napkin rings, placemats, napkins, tablecloths for Birthdays, Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas. It is a lifetime of collecting. Some of it is 2 or 3 lifetimes old.
I have items that belonged to my parents or my grandparents (although most of that I have already divided up among my grown children,keeping only an item or 2.) Then the rest I have garnered over the years. Much of the items were gifts. A few items I picked up at a thrift store or garage sale.
See that sounds like I am trying to justify my owning it. Which, right away, runs up a red flag. If I have to think and work so hard to rationalize it or excuse it, then maybe it is wrong to begin with? Is the Lord calling for *me* to purge myself of "Stuff"? Even more importantly, am I trying to argue with Him over it?
With my sanguine personality, I have to be careful. I tend to go overboard on everything...impulsively! I have given my wedding ring set and my great grandmother's antique gold wedding band to the church in years past. I know God honored my sacrifices, but I am not sure He was the One asking for them. For a sacrifice, I have burned a manuscript for a book I wrote.
I live in the deep south where some traditions are ingrained in us from childhood. I studied Home Economics in college, and we were taught the importance of a "well appointed" home and kitchen. I attended a Ladies Leadership seminar in Alexandria, LA, some years ago and one of the courses was on gracious living. The lady teaching it spoke of paper plates and napkins and cups being for picnics, not family meals, reminding me of much of my training.
However, when you are raising 5 children, much of that gets left by the wayside, except for holidays. Hence the holiday collections I own. Before Christmas dinner yesterday as Melanie removed the centerpiece from the table to make room for food, I was telling Jonathan how in Home Ec we were always taught to have a nice centerpiece, usually fresh and homemade, using whatever was in the yard. Andrea and Tiffany used to make lovely centerpieces from stuff in the yard. It never seemed to matter though, as I explained to Jonathan, because we always removed them from the table to make room for food or to be able to see each other.
At Thanksgiving, at Andrea's house, Vivian, Melanie, and I made little paper place cards for everyone. We laid a fresh tablecloth and even created a centerpiece from stuff around the house that Andrea had used in decorating. It was quite lovely, but continuing in tradition, I noticed Andrea removed it to a side table for the meal.
As we were packing the stuff away, I was sharing some of my quandary with Melanie. She responded that I have not gone overboard with stuff. I do not own 2 or 4 or 10 sets of Christmas dishes.
I know of folks who have no pictures and no knickknacks and no elements of decor in their homes in honor of God. I respect and admire their sacrifice. For them, it is what they must do to follow their consciences and so long as they do not judge others by that same standard then they are not to be judged.
I have something to think and pray and fast on this year. Is this God calling me to such a sacrifice or is it just my impulsive, over the top nature? Do not get me wrong! I am not saying it is wrong to have pretty things and a well appointed home....unless...God has spoken to you to shed those things or unless you serve those things instead of using them to serve others.
For many years, my stuff was used to serve my family wholesome, nutritious meals, shared around a table of love and laughter. It was used to teach them gracious living because I believe the people of God should be a gracious people of dignity, integrity, and manners. For many years, our home was open to serve the lost, the lonely,the hurting. For many years, on Thanksgiving, we would invite someone who had no family in the area to share our meal with us.
Serving others was a great tradition in our home. At a Women's Conference in Tioga, I once purchased a book on making memories with your children. One idea was to prepare a special meal, get out the guest dishes and linens and tell them someone special was coming to dinner. Then when they came to eat, tell them it was them. What a great idea (I thought)! So I proceeded to put it into play. The kids were all excited and made name cards and helped me cook and clean and decorate.
"Who is coming, Mama??" they would ask excitedly.
"It's a surprise! " I would reply! What I did not realize is they did not hear "surpirse." Bishop Sarin's sister is a lovely, gracious lady named Sis. Price. They heard me say,"It's Sis. Price!"
They were so thrilled and honored to be able to serve Sis. Price. They even went to change clothes before dinner into their Sunday best. I will never ever for as long as I live forget the disappointment on those 4 little faces when they came into the living room, and we told them it was them, that they were our special guests! They actually cried, and went in Andrea's room, bawling, refusing to eat their meal they had worked so hard on. We finally got it out of them that they had heard "Sis. Price is coming!"
I am reminded of a seminar I attended in Baton Rouge with Bishop and Sis. Sartin and people from the church. Several of us sat at dinner, and spoke of how proud we were of our pastor and his wife and their beautiful, gracious manners. I am reminded of a young lady who told me she visited a church that was considering hiring her. Afterward when she went to lunch with the leadership, she said she wanted to slip quietly away because of people being rude to the waitstaff or evidencing poor manners at the table. During that lunch, she made her decision to not be a part of that ministry.
My health of late has negated my serving much these days. My children are all grown now and do not need me to serve them. Perhaps the conviction I am feeling is not over having the stuff but over how I have not used it much of late to serve others in His name. Jesus never condemned Martha for serving others and for toiling to have a well appointed household. The virtuous woman in Proverbs is honored for doing such things.
In years past, we did not have much, but what we had we shared; we tried to make it as gracious as we could. Now I have so much more than I had then, I want to be careful not to shut the doors of compassion and mercy.
Thursday, December 25, 2008
Merry Christmas from the Wilson Homestead
Merry Christmas to all! I hope it is a joyous one for everyone!!!
This year, we decided to go to Andrea's the weekend before Christmas for our family Christmas gift exchange, and each have Christmas in our own homes. Vivian is older, and I sensed they would want to have their own celebration privately this year. Then, I am such a homebody, I wanted to be home on Christmas this year. I missed my Christmas traditions of a table loaded with Christmas punch and "snicky snacks" that were pushed to the side to play games.
I missed not being able to bring out my "Christmas dishes" and use them. I had wanted Christmas dinnerware for ages. One year when Andrea was a teenager, my father-in-law and his wife sent our family each a Kmart gift certificate for Christmas. After Christmas, I took the kids to Kmart to shop. Dean gave me his certificate and told me to buy my Christmas dishes with mine and his. I was elated to find a sale and bought a service for 8. Andrea remembered helping me pick them out.
It was kind of funny. I borrowed 4 gold chargers from Andrea since she was not having a Christmas dinner at her home this year for the 2 extended families and did not need all of her 12 that I had given her last year. I set my table with candles and my Christmas dishes and my napkin holders I had picked up at a sale after Christmas the year Vivian was born but was never home to use until now. Jonathan walked in and admired my handiwork, asking me if I had bought the Christmas dishes that day. I laughed and told him they were so old they came from the Kmart that no longer is but once was! He had forgotten ever seeing them so it was like having something new again. :-)
Anyway, last night after we played some cards (games are just not as fun without my entire hilarious family and Steven to tease us about "Wilson rules"), we watched some home movies since we were still sorting out some to put on DVD and to copy for Andrea. Melanie pulled out all the VHS tapes from the armoire that houses the entertainment center. She was so excited when she found one labeled "Christmas, 1990," thinking it was a home movie of her first Christmas.
First off the tape did not work, so Jonathan took it to his "workshop," and came back an hour or so later having repaired it. Proudly he popped it in and lo and behold! What to our wondering eyes should appear! Some family none of us have any clue who they are having Christmas in 1990. We laughed so hard! I told Jon he needed to look those people up because they had some nice looking teen daughters. He said,"Yea! Eighteen years ago! Get real, Mom!"
Tiffany and Andrea will never believe this, though: Dad let us open gifts last night for Christmas Eve!!!! Your dad finally bought be a lovely rocking chair with an ottoman. I have been wanting one for ages but always needed some new computer part or a whole new computer every year before now so had to wait.
Today I have a roast in the oven. Green beans have been simmering in the crock pot for about 24 hours. The 2 "kids" I have left at home wanted a traditional Wilson Sunday dinner of Roast, Macaroni and cheese, salad, vegetable, and rolls. I bought a sugar free pecan pie, and some sugar free carb smart vanilla ice cream for dessert. My weight loss has slowed down over the holidays, but I am proud to say it at least is continuing.
I told Vivian that next Christmas I planned to be as little as her mama. She was asking my why I was eating special food and had to know what each item I had brought was. She looked at me incredulously and said, "No way! You're too fat! " then giggled and ran off before I could kiss that little Sugar Bean.
I hope you all enjoy your families and make beautiful memories!
From the old Wilson Homestead, with love to all my offspring scattered far and wide!
This year, we decided to go to Andrea's the weekend before Christmas for our family Christmas gift exchange, and each have Christmas in our own homes. Vivian is older, and I sensed they would want to have their own celebration privately this year. Then, I am such a homebody, I wanted to be home on Christmas this year. I missed my Christmas traditions of a table loaded with Christmas punch and "snicky snacks" that were pushed to the side to play games.
I missed not being able to bring out my "Christmas dishes" and use them. I had wanted Christmas dinnerware for ages. One year when Andrea was a teenager, my father-in-law and his wife sent our family each a Kmart gift certificate for Christmas. After Christmas, I took the kids to Kmart to shop. Dean gave me his certificate and told me to buy my Christmas dishes with mine and his. I was elated to find a sale and bought a service for 8. Andrea remembered helping me pick them out.
It was kind of funny. I borrowed 4 gold chargers from Andrea since she was not having a Christmas dinner at her home this year for the 2 extended families and did not need all of her 12 that I had given her last year. I set my table with candles and my Christmas dishes and my napkin holders I had picked up at a sale after Christmas the year Vivian was born but was never home to use until now. Jonathan walked in and admired my handiwork, asking me if I had bought the Christmas dishes that day. I laughed and told him they were so old they came from the Kmart that no longer is but once was! He had forgotten ever seeing them so it was like having something new again. :-)
Anyway, last night after we played some cards (games are just not as fun without my entire hilarious family and Steven to tease us about "Wilson rules"), we watched some home movies since we were still sorting out some to put on DVD and to copy for Andrea. Melanie pulled out all the VHS tapes from the armoire that houses the entertainment center. She was so excited when she found one labeled "Christmas, 1990," thinking it was a home movie of her first Christmas.
First off the tape did not work, so Jonathan took it to his "workshop," and came back an hour or so later having repaired it. Proudly he popped it in and lo and behold! What to our wondering eyes should appear! Some family none of us have any clue who they are having Christmas in 1990. We laughed so hard! I told Jon he needed to look those people up because they had some nice looking teen daughters. He said,"Yea! Eighteen years ago! Get real, Mom!"
Tiffany and Andrea will never believe this, though: Dad let us open gifts last night for Christmas Eve!!!! Your dad finally bought be a lovely rocking chair with an ottoman. I have been wanting one for ages but always needed some new computer part or a whole new computer every year before now so had to wait.
Today I have a roast in the oven. Green beans have been simmering in the crock pot for about 24 hours. The 2 "kids" I have left at home wanted a traditional Wilson Sunday dinner of Roast, Macaroni and cheese, salad, vegetable, and rolls. I bought a sugar free pecan pie, and some sugar free carb smart vanilla ice cream for dessert. My weight loss has slowed down over the holidays, but I am proud to say it at least is continuing.
I told Vivian that next Christmas I planned to be as little as her mama. She was asking my why I was eating special food and had to know what each item I had brought was. She looked at me incredulously and said, "No way! You're too fat! " then giggled and ran off before I could kiss that little Sugar Bean.
I hope you all enjoy your families and make beautiful memories!
From the old Wilson Homestead, with love to all my offspring scattered far and wide!
Monday, December 22, 2008
What a Lovely time
We just returned home from Alexandria from our Buy Nothing Christmas celebration with Andrea, Steven, and Vivian. What a wonderful time of love and sharing we had. Of course family holidays are never complete without the prickly times and bit of arguing so we had a touch of that as well this morning. However, I have to say, there was a tranquil spirit of love and harmony that prevailed throughout most of the visit.
I LOVED MY GIFTS. Andrea and Vivian made me some lovely pot holders and a decorated tin to put my Chinese fortune in from our dinner out on Sunday. Tiffany sent me a key holder from Alaska with a picture of Vivian and I on Andrea's front porch swing, taken last Easter. I also received my Family Calendar with family pictures sprinkled throughout. Andrea never should have made me one in 2005, if she did not want to make them for me until the day I die! They are my favorites!
Miss Tiffany was the super creative one of the bunch though! Andrea, Melanie, and I "oohed" and "aahed" over her brown bag wrapping paper upon which she had drawn whimsical pictures and her creative items she used to make bows. Steven observed that when you live in the wilds of Alaska that if you do not get paper and ribbon on your yearly trip to Walmart, you do without. When Tiff called from Alaska, we complimented her, and she laughed and said "Being poor is the mother of invention!" and let us know Steven was right.
What a great tradition that I look forward to for many years to come! Thanks, Andrea! My head is already spinning with ideas for next year!
I LOVED MY GIFTS. Andrea and Vivian made me some lovely pot holders and a decorated tin to put my Chinese fortune in from our dinner out on Sunday. Tiffany sent me a key holder from Alaska with a picture of Vivian and I on Andrea's front porch swing, taken last Easter. I also received my Family Calendar with family pictures sprinkled throughout. Andrea never should have made me one in 2005, if she did not want to make them for me until the day I die! They are my favorites!
Miss Tiffany was the super creative one of the bunch though! Andrea, Melanie, and I "oohed" and "aahed" over her brown bag wrapping paper upon which she had drawn whimsical pictures and her creative items she used to make bows. Steven observed that when you live in the wilds of Alaska that if you do not get paper and ribbon on your yearly trip to Walmart, you do without. When Tiff called from Alaska, we complimented her, and she laughed and said "Being poor is the mother of invention!" and let us know Steven was right.
What a great tradition that I look forward to for many years to come! Thanks, Andrea! My head is already spinning with ideas for next year!
Friday, December 19, 2008
Pralines
So to titillate Andrea, this is what I made today. I cannot taste them to see if they are good, and I fear the humidity messed me up.
See you in a few hours, girly!
| Recipe: | Microwave Pralines |
| Author: | Carol Wilson |
| Source: | Val Blanchard |
| Ingredients: | In a large microwave bowl mix: 2 cups sugar 3/4 cup buttermilk 1 1/2 cups chopped pecans 1/8 tsp salt 1 Tbsp butter. |
| Directions | Microwave on high 12 minutes, stirring every 4 minutes. Remove and add: 1 tsp baking soda Stir until foamy then microwave 1 minute longer. Remove and stir in: 1 tsp. vanilla extract Stir until mixture is thick and tacky. Spoon out onto aluminum foil to cool. |
See you in a few hours, girly!
Thursday, December 18, 2008
In for a dime, in for a pound!
http://www.pfpchallenge.com/AboutPFP.aspx
Biggest Loser and General Mills are sponsoring a challenge. For ever pound you lose between now and April, GM will donate 10 cents (which will purchase a pound of food) to a food bank. Since I am on a quest to lose weight any way, I signed up. More motivation!
Biggest Loser and General Mills are sponsoring a challenge. For ever pound you lose between now and April, GM will donate 10 cents (which will purchase a pound of food) to a food bank. Since I am on a quest to lose weight any way, I signed up. More motivation!
Set of Nativity Figures...10 cents. Lifetime of Memories...Priceless!!
I read in a magazine the other week about a mom who bought these cardboard nativity figures at a dime store for her daughters years and years ago and how they became a priceless treasure. It is amazing how the things that cost so little in money create the most priceless memories.
I was reminded of a Nativity set that I had, and the plastic figurines had all been broken except the cow. I still had the wooden stable in great condition. One day I was in Woolworth's after Christmas to look for Christmas deals because they were going out of business as well. Everything in the store was 90% off. I found some unbreakable plastic Nativity figures that had been reduced to 10 for a dollar. I selected a Mary, Joseph, baby Jesus in the manger, 1 shepherds, an angel, 3 wisemen, a donkey, and a cow....10 pieces in all and I only had to pay a penny each for them, so with tax 11 cents.
Some 2o years later, the year after Katrina had hit our area, we were cleaning and purging. I had finally bought myself a lovely porcelain Nativity set since all the kids were grown. I asked Andrea and Tiffany if they were interested in any of the homegrown family ornaments because I had also been able to finally color coordinate a themed tree with breakable ornaments. I was amazed that they both wanted that old plastic nativity set.
It seems that old thing was one of the favorite Christmas memories. It always sat on the table in the foyer, and it seems my crew each had different ideas about how it was supposed to be set up. Every time one of them passed by, they rearranged the figures. Once one of them even put the cows on the roof because they had read something about cows in other countries grazing on thatched roofs.
After some discussion, we decided it is with Andrea now because she is the oldest and has a child and also is settled in her own home. But we never know when she will pass it on to one of the other siblings, until it makes its rounds and then starts all over again with her.
It is amazing the jungle gym sets, bikes, computers, radios, nintendos, and whatever else are not in their top Christmas memory. Those things are all gone with time. Yet, 10 cents worth of figurines from a dime store are priceless!
I was reminded of a Nativity set that I had, and the plastic figurines had all been broken except the cow. I still had the wooden stable in great condition. One day I was in Woolworth's after Christmas to look for Christmas deals because they were going out of business as well. Everything in the store was 90% off. I found some unbreakable plastic Nativity figures that had been reduced to 10 for a dollar. I selected a Mary, Joseph, baby Jesus in the manger, 1 shepherds, an angel, 3 wisemen, a donkey, and a cow....10 pieces in all and I only had to pay a penny each for them, so with tax 11 cents.
Some 2o years later, the year after Katrina had hit our area, we were cleaning and purging. I had finally bought myself a lovely porcelain Nativity set since all the kids were grown. I asked Andrea and Tiffany if they were interested in any of the homegrown family ornaments because I had also been able to finally color coordinate a themed tree with breakable ornaments. I was amazed that they both wanted that old plastic nativity set.
It seems that old thing was one of the favorite Christmas memories. It always sat on the table in the foyer, and it seems my crew each had different ideas about how it was supposed to be set up. Every time one of them passed by, they rearranged the figures. Once one of them even put the cows on the roof because they had read something about cows in other countries grazing on thatched roofs.
After some discussion, we decided it is with Andrea now because she is the oldest and has a child and also is settled in her own home. But we never know when she will pass it on to one of the other siblings, until it makes its rounds and then starts all over again with her.
It is amazing the jungle gym sets, bikes, computers, radios, nintendos, and whatever else are not in their top Christmas memory. Those things are all gone with time. Yet, 10 cents worth of figurines from a dime store are priceless!
Sugar Bean!
Tomorrow night I get to see my little Sugar Bean, Vivian!!! I am so excited. I have been sewing and cooking and typing and recording and all kinds of other things for our Christmas weekend with our "younguns."
Melanie is my gift wrapper. She has done an excellent job this year. Everything is all nice and color coordinated.
Melanie is my gift wrapper. She has done an excellent job this year. Everything is all nice and color coordinated.
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Sounds about right!
Your fairy is called Thorn Goblinshimmer
She is a bringer of riches and wealth.
She lives in brambles and blackberry bushes.
She is only seen when the first flowers begin to blossom.
She wears purple and green like berries and leaves. She has gentle green wings like a butterfly.
~~
Yup that sounds about right...Thorns and Goblins...that's me! Never ever do I get to be the dainty, gossamer type, even on these games!
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Ghost of Christmas Past
I am quite bad at photshopping. I need my youngest to fix these for me, but she is not here.
Here is Jonathan in his Christmas outfit at Church. Notice how he stepped down from the riser, not wanting to be so close to the 2 girls?
Here is Andrea at 5 in a church Christmas performance. Yes, she was still a prim and proper lady even then. Notice how she is the only one holding her "candle" correctly? I was going through the piano bench the other day and found a copy of her first piano recital piece,"Joy to the World," from when she was about 10.
Four of the 5 kids one Christmas. Look at Andrea's smile, then go to her weblog and look at her picture of Vivian in her Christmas decorating blog. Vivi had an "Andrea smile," which is so unusual for her.
Mother of 5 smooth Stones (origin)
Andrea was about 6 when she came home one night from Children's Church and announced that Goliath had 4 giant brothers. I had never heard of this before and had her show me in the Bible. She was right! She said that is why David chose "5 smooth stones" from the brook when he went against Goliath. It was not because he was afraid he would miss the first time. He knew God would guide his aim sure and true against Goliath. He was preparing in case those 4 brothers came after him, and he would have to slay them, too!
When we told Pastor Mike Sartin that Melanie (our fifth child) was on the way, his immediate response was,"Now you will have your 5 smooth stones to sling at the devil's kingdom!"
My husband and I are first generation UPC. I used to weep because I did not have the godly heritage so many have. One day, the Lord spoke to me and said,"Be the heritage you always wanted!" We now have a little 3rd generation UPC: Vivian Abigail Warren. We could not be prouder!!
When we told Pastor Mike Sartin that Melanie (our fifth child) was on the way, his immediate response was,"Now you will have your 5 smooth stones to sling at the devil's kingdom!"
My husband and I are first generation UPC. I used to weep because I did not have the godly heritage so many have. One day, the Lord spoke to me and said,"Be the heritage you always wanted!" We now have a little 3rd generation UPC: Vivian Abigail Warren. We could not be prouder!!
Monday, December 15, 2008
Southern Comfort (not the whiskey!)
He's my comfort when I'm lonely.
He's my shelter from the storm.
He's my manna when I'm hungry.
In the cold, He keeps me warm.
For the past couple days, I have been singing this little tune (under my breath since my family tells me to be quiet if I sing aloud!) I have just been caught up enjoying the amazing "I am-ness" of Jehovah!
He is my Savior, my Provider, my Healer, my Helper, my Friend, my Everything!
What do you need Him to be for you today? Ask Him. His answer is always "I Am!" Wrap yourself up in Him. You are the present He likes to give Himself!
He's my shelter from the storm.
He's my manna when I'm hungry.
In the cold, He keeps me warm.
For the past couple days, I have been singing this little tune (under my breath since my family tells me to be quiet if I sing aloud!) I have just been caught up enjoying the amazing "I am-ness" of Jehovah!
He is my Savior, my Provider, my Healer, my Helper, my Friend, my Everything!
What do you need Him to be for you today? Ask Him. His answer is always "I Am!" Wrap yourself up in Him. You are the present He likes to give Himself!
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Buy Nothing Christmas
Last year, we got emails from Andrea about how she was thinking about what she wanted to instill in our granddaughter, Vivian, and was requesting we all agree to Buy Nothing Christmases in our extended family from here on out. She sent us this link:
http://www.buynothingchristmas.org/
So all through this year, we have been giggling and plotting and planning what we are going to make for do for each person on our list. It has been a real joy for me to be a part of this. It gets us all back on the focus of what Christmas truly is about.
May your Christmas be merry and bright and may you remember Jesus is the reason for the season!
http://www.buynothingchristmas.org/
So all through this year, we have been giggling and plotting and planning what we are going to make for do for each person on our list. It has been a real joy for me to be a part of this. It gets us all back on the focus of what Christmas truly is about.
May your Christmas be merry and bright and may you remember Jesus is the reason for the season!
Southern Ladies
There is a song by LaRue called New Orleans Ladies where they sing:
All the way, from Bourbon Street to Esplanade,
They sashay by. Oh! they sashay by!
I think the South is the only place in the US where ladies still "sashay."
I have spent most of my life yearning to be the embodiment of a gracious lady. Miss Melly of _Gone with the Wind_ fame is a standard I dare to hope to achieve in my life. Real life women I admire include Sis. Gloria Sartin, Sis. Sandy Sartin, Sis. Vesta Mangun, Sis. Micky Mangun, the late Sis. Mildred Lewis, and the late Sis. Charlene Savoy. Each of these women remind me of what a lady is admonished to be like in the Bible. Yet, I find myself always more of a Scarlett O'Hara with my temper and my independence.
My daughters are my heroines as well. I see in each of them that perfect blend of graciousness and independence. Ladies of strength and dignity and graciousness. Andrea's quiet graciousness and unwavering integrity reminds me of that saying, Gentleness is a brick, covered in rich velvet. Tiffany is my fairy peacemaker, always wanting everyone to be comfortable and happy, ever eager to forgive, and quick with a smile and laugh to chase the blues away.. Melanie is my compassionate hostess, with a heart bigger than she is, who embraces all she meets and wraps them in her cloak of warmth.
All the way, from Bourbon Street to Esplanade,
They sashay by. Oh! they sashay by!
I think the South is the only place in the US where ladies still "sashay."
I have spent most of my life yearning to be the embodiment of a gracious lady. Miss Melly of _Gone with the Wind_ fame is a standard I dare to hope to achieve in my life. Real life women I admire include Sis. Gloria Sartin, Sis. Sandy Sartin, Sis. Vesta Mangun, Sis. Micky Mangun, the late Sis. Mildred Lewis, and the late Sis. Charlene Savoy. Each of these women remind me of what a lady is admonished to be like in the Bible. Yet, I find myself always more of a Scarlett O'Hara with my temper and my independence.
My daughters are my heroines as well. I see in each of them that perfect blend of graciousness and independence. Ladies of strength and dignity and graciousness. Andrea's quiet graciousness and unwavering integrity reminds me of that saying, Gentleness is a brick, covered in rich velvet. Tiffany is my fairy peacemaker, always wanting everyone to be comfortable and happy, ever eager to forgive, and quick with a smile and laugh to chase the blues away.. Melanie is my compassionate hostess, with a heart bigger than she is, who embraces all she meets and wraps them in her cloak of warmth.
Saturday, December 13, 2008
Dragon Princesses
"We must assume our existence as broadly as we in any way can; everything, even the unheard-of, must be possible in it. That is at bottom the only courage that is demanded of us: to have courage for the most strange, the most singular and the most inexplicable that we may encounter. (...) But fear of the inexplicable has not alone impoverished the existence of the individual (...) But only someone who is ready for everything, who excludes nothing, not even the most enigmatic, will live a relation to another as something alive and will himself draw exhaustively from his own existence. (...) We have no reason to mistrust our world, for it is not against us. Has it terrors, they are our terrors; has it abysses, those abysses belong to us; are dangers at hand, we must try to love them. And if only we arrange our life according to that principle which counsels us that we must always hold to the difficult, then that which now still seems to us the most alien will become what we most trust and find most faithful. How should we be able to forget those ancient myths that are at the beginning of all peoples, the myths about dragons that at the last moment of our lives are princesses; perhaps all the dragons of our lives are princesses who are only waiting to see us once act beautiful and brave. Perhaps everything terrible is in its deepest being something helpless that wants help from us."
Rainer Maria Rilk (German poet) : "Letters to a Young Poet."
~~~
When I come across writing (such as the passage above) that moves me, I love to mull over it a few days.
Rainer Maria Rilk (German poet) : "Letters to a Young Poet."
~~~
When I come across writing (such as the passage above) that moves me, I love to mull over it a few days.
My Sister's Keeper
I started a new book today: _My Sister's Keeper_ by Jodi Picoult. I am not sure if I am ready emotionally to read it so it might take me longer than how I usually devour books. This is the story of Anna, a 13 year old girl in good health. She has been through repeated surgeries though. It seems Anna was "created" to be a donor to save her sister's life. Her sister has leukemia. Anna seeks to be emancipated from her family and the burden of saving her older sister.
With a Christian world view, my reactions to this are pretty strong. As a parent and as an advocate for children with special health care needs, my reactions are pretty strong. I wonder how this will all play out.
I have seen many siblings of those with special health needs, including those in my own family. The responses to being in such a family are varied. However, I can say the majority of those I have met in and out of the Christian mindset, all would do anything to help their siblings get better or do better. Many have given of themselves. Four of mine made several trips to the National Institutes of Health for brain scans and blood tests, participating in studies to understand brain disorders (mental illness) in children and adolescents. They knew their efforts could not help their brother, but their desire was to help other children and other families so maybe they would not have the sorrows we endured.
I cannot even imagine the pain of the parents in this book, and I will not judge their choices, having never walked in their shoes. I am thankful that cord blood banking makes such decisions less necessary.
I know Anna did not ask to be born or to be her sister's savior. That is a heavy burden for anyone, much less a child. The emotional pain of growing up in that spectre must be traumatic.
I have sat in genetic conferences where the ethics of genetic testing, genetic predesign, etc, have been debated. I have sat with parents who have had a child prediagnosed in utero as having a chromosomal anomaly and have been counseled by geneticists to abort. Being pro-life myself was not a good enough argument for these seeking parents. The best advice I could ever come up with was that having a child was a roll of the dice for anyone. You never know what you are going to have. The best you can do is pray for the strength you need to love them whoever and however they are, unconditionally.
I once told God if children with special needs had to be born, to please give them to me, because I would love them unconditionally no matter what. He must have thought I was nuts when I cried out in prayer years later with my son, "Why me?" He had just answered my prayers.
Though the path has been long and rocky at times, I do not regret it. Bishop Sartin often said suffering will put things in you and get things out of you that nothing else will. I can now say with my whole heart not just an "Amen" but also a "Selah."
With a Christian world view, my reactions to this are pretty strong. As a parent and as an advocate for children with special health care needs, my reactions are pretty strong. I wonder how this will all play out.
I have seen many siblings of those with special health needs, including those in my own family. The responses to being in such a family are varied. However, I can say the majority of those I have met in and out of the Christian mindset, all would do anything to help their siblings get better or do better. Many have given of themselves. Four of mine made several trips to the National Institutes of Health for brain scans and blood tests, participating in studies to understand brain disorders (mental illness) in children and adolescents. They knew their efforts could not help their brother, but their desire was to help other children and other families so maybe they would not have the sorrows we endured.
I cannot even imagine the pain of the parents in this book, and I will not judge their choices, having never walked in their shoes. I am thankful that cord blood banking makes such decisions less necessary.
I know Anna did not ask to be born or to be her sister's savior. That is a heavy burden for anyone, much less a child. The emotional pain of growing up in that spectre must be traumatic.
I have sat in genetic conferences where the ethics of genetic testing, genetic predesign, etc, have been debated. I have sat with parents who have had a child prediagnosed in utero as having a chromosomal anomaly and have been counseled by geneticists to abort. Being pro-life myself was not a good enough argument for these seeking parents. The best advice I could ever come up with was that having a child was a roll of the dice for anyone. You never know what you are going to have. The best you can do is pray for the strength you need to love them whoever and however they are, unconditionally.
I once told God if children with special needs had to be born, to please give them to me, because I would love them unconditionally no matter what. He must have thought I was nuts when I cried out in prayer years later with my son, "Why me?" He had just answered my prayers.
Though the path has been long and rocky at times, I do not regret it. Bishop Sartin often said suffering will put things in you and get things out of you that nothing else will. I can now say with my whole heart not just an "Amen" but also a "Selah."
Friday, December 12, 2008
Southern Delights
I need only open my mouth and anyone who can hear me knows I am Southern!
So I decided to make my blog about things which delight me...hence the name Southern Delights.
Yesterday it was the snowfall here in New Orleans...a rare delight for sure! I hate the early onset of night in the winter, but I love the cold weather. I love snuggly things and being able to wear scarves, hats, and gloves. Another treat I love is being able to have a nice roaring fire. The first year we owned our home, it was a warm December where we had to run the air conditioning. I cranked it as high as my husband would let me, just so I could enjoy a nice fire and a pot of hot cocoa. I know he just shook his head at me in disbelief, but I was happy!
So I decided to make my blog about things which delight me...hence the name Southern Delights.
Yesterday it was the snowfall here in New Orleans...a rare delight for sure! I hate the early onset of night in the winter, but I love the cold weather. I love snuggly things and being able to wear scarves, hats, and gloves. Another treat I love is being able to have a nice roaring fire. The first year we owned our home, it was a warm December where we had to run the air conditioning. I cranked it as high as my husband would let me, just so I could enjoy a nice fire and a pot of hot cocoa. I know he just shook his head at me in disbelief, but I was happy!
Hook Line and Sinker!
Thanks, Andrea! I needed another hobby! Or so your sister Melanie tells me. I think she is tired of being the focus of my life since all of you grew up and left her here as the "baby" for the last what 7 years?
Anyway! This looks fun. We shall see!
~~
In other news, I am down 28 pounds after 2 months on Nutrisystem! Yay! There was even a lovely Thanksgiving holiday at Andrea's plus a day after feast at her Mother-in-Law's home to survive! I only gained 1 pound that weekend, but quickly lost it and a couple more! Now to survive Christmas. But I am ready with my sugar free goodies and hot cocoa, so bring it on!
Anyway! This looks fun. We shall see!
~~
In other news, I am down 28 pounds after 2 months on Nutrisystem! Yay! There was even a lovely Thanksgiving holiday at Andrea's plus a day after feast at her Mother-in-Law's home to survive! I only gained 1 pound that weekend, but quickly lost it and a couple more! Now to survive Christmas. But I am ready with my sugar free goodies and hot cocoa, so bring it on!
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