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As I set here,listening to Alabama Christmas, its much different than even a year ago. I look out the window, the sun is brightly shining. Rather than several inches of snow coming down, its sunny.We are not having a Christmas program shut down for second Sunday in a row, We will be presenting our third evening of Journey to Bethlehem.  Something about the songs I am listening to reminds me of good times with friends and family in times past. This music takes me back to when I was a child. About 13 years ago, I was very homesick. A brother preached a sermon on the Joy of Christmas. He said you may not get what you want for Christmas. You may not have money or means to get or do what you want.  But don't loose the joy to be found in Christmas. I realized I needed to give God my homesickness.  I need to gift the baby Jesus with what I was troubled by.  I needed Jesus take my burden to be able to find that Joy.  As I surrendered that heartache, I discovered a joy that replaced the homesickness.

Since then, I have had to say good bye to many. Sometimes just for short times,sometimes as I watch them cross over to their eternal home. I knew I would see them again. Sometimes, I have had to say good bye but yet knowing a phone call or card is there to give and receive.

I can look back and see how each person that I have crossed my life have left their fingerprints on me.  People who will have forever changed me.  Friendships that remain a part of me.  Those friends, that you pick up the phone,its like your just across town.   And nothing has changed.... The love and memories are still there. The concern for each other is still there.

May God bless you this year with his love and joy

How babies, teenagers and other beings change your life

We moved here in June, little did I know that in less than one month the supposed landlord moved in too.  The landlord is shorter than us.  Shorter than John but a force to be listen to. Its her way or the highway as far as she is concerned. Her needs and her comfort comes way before us. Every morning she expects clean fresh litter box,fresh water, food in that order .( yes the landlord is a bit OCD ) Than I may sit down for my cup of coffee. She will than come and tell me what a good job I did.

 She is fearless. She feels it her job to be our protector and defender from all known flying and crawling bugs.  She will not leave her post, should she catch sight of one.  We are feeling much safer in this large and dangerous world we live in.

She has been known to take down grown adults without them knowing what happen. Only a flash of fur did they see as they lay puzzled  face down on the ground.( Yes it was me. She was trying to race me to other end of house.

I believe she has control issues.  She likes to think she knows your every minute schedule and beat you to there before you get there. She can open cabinet doors and drawers.  She meets you at the door( will not surprise me if she will open front door for guests too.)

She loves housework. Folding clothes,especially towels she shines in.  She feels I really don't know which pile or bathroom to put them in.

She loves rubber bands. she is practicing for the Olympics .  she keeps in shape by chasing them, throwing them in the air and catching them.  she also likes my ponytail bands.  I think she would appreciate it if I would wash them first. I found one soaking in her water dish. Paper sacks, she loves.  So many games she can do with them.  Yes, she expects me to shop at winco, so I will use paper sacks to load groceries.  I tell you, she is demanding landlord

This year, I am not hanging all my favorite bells and angels on my tree. We are going for the soft unbreakable favorites.  As it is, she does not think I arrange that right either! She is constantly coming behind me and redoing it.

Six months ago my grand daughter Jordyn  convinced me to keep her even if he was a she. ( somebody was pretty sure the kitten was a boy).  Joy thus came into our life. Right away she taught us to belly laugh. She put smiles on our faces after a long  move across the country. She was a stress reliever and still is.  Some days she is our teenager and some moments she is our darling baby.  She can worm her way into the most harden heart. I have heard more people say" I am really not a cat person, but this one ,I like"  Thus she is living up to her name.

This Christmas I hope you find that joy of Jesus in the manager.  In the busyness of the season, take time to kneel at the manager and than revisit the cross.

ways my life has changed in last six momths

This year we will be having Christmas morning fun with our family that has over double since we moved away 12 years ago. Only the 5 oldest were the ones that would chase  and play catch through the dinning room to the kitchen take a turn through the office and down the hall and be back at the dining room where the adults were eating and visiting after a meal. these 5 preschoolers, 1 has voted this year,1 planning to graduate next fall;2 that drive, 1 will be driving next summer. These preschoolers now have jobs and responsibilities.  Where has time gone? I still see them as I did that fall morning in Sept 2004.

I have a job I love. A job that I get up and drive myself to everyday. Seems strange after 10 years of working a job for the bus company with my Husband. Kinda got use to having him with me! A job that challenges me physically and mentally.  God has been so good to me. He, for sure is my great physician.

One would think the weather would not be a big deal, after all ,we lived here for 45 years.  I must remember cold here is not frigid back from where we came.

Small things like: my daily life is consists of passwords. Passwords to work, to get gas. My lists keeps growing .
My key ring has doubled.  Seriously, I am thankful for my friend;Tanya that made me a key ring. Its big enough to hold them all.

Life is full of changes.  But the biggest change in my life was when I gave my life To Jesus.  He is my password for all I need or should want.  This Christmas, we will look to that manager holding a small baby. Let us remember that same Jesus will be returning as king.   We don't want to be caught sleeping as many were when Jesus was born.