Christmas 2008

It's Christmas day...and here I am sitting at home with the stomach flu!! Yuck! Definately not the way I wanted to spend my day...but I had an amazing Christmas eve and Christmas morning with Max! I held it together long enough for Max to open his gifts - but was in bed the rest of the day. Max is hanging out with his Daddy...opening gifts from the Toy family and getting spoiled, I'm sure!!

Just wanted to talk about Christmas for a few minutes...I got an awesome devotional from Rick Warren again - and feel like I have to share part of it:)

As this precious day comes to and end, Mr. Warren warns us to remember that it's "not about you."

He says "It's not about you. That's exact opposite of what our culture says. Our entire culture says "It's all about you."

"You'll never find satisfaction and significance by living for yourself because God didn't wire you that way. You were made for God. There will always be a hole in your heart because you need something greater than yourself. You need God's purpose. You've tried everything else. Why not try God?"

So this Christmas, don't let it become about you...don't focus on what YOU get, what YOU look like, what YOU eat, how sick YOU are (that one's a reminder for me)...but put the focus on GOD and his precious SON!!

I'll leave you with a few pictures I have taken within the last few days:

My family
Max and his Uncle Clay

My little spiderman!!

Merry Christmas, everyone!!

God's embrace...

My heart is just singing today...I can't stop thinking about the awesome sermon I heard this morning at church. It was just one of those sermons that put me at ease, calmed my heart. I just love when that happens!! I have been going to the Odon Christian Church lately with my family, and it just feels like home. Richard, the preacher, is the father of one of my best friends from high school - Beth:) He always puts things into perspective for me and I just seem to "get" everything he says...it always hits home!

I'm going to try to summarize what Richard said this morning...because it meant so much to me and I want to share it - but just know that it was so much better in person:) Richard directed us to Matthew 1:23 Listen! The virgin shall concieve a child! She shall give birth to a Son, and he shall be called "Emmanuel " (meaning "God is with us").

Richard said that during this Christmas season we should know that "God is with us," and accept his embrace. When someone hugs you, it isn't an embrace until you put your arms around them and hug them back. That's what God wants us to do, he wants to embrace us and have us embrace him back. That's what it means for God to be "with us..."

Then Richard started talking about some of the difficult times we go thru and how God is still with us. I am also gonna try to do this in the same format - only with things that pertain to me and my loved ones this Christmas.

When it feels like you don't have a friend in the world...and lonliness overtakes you - just remember, God is with you.

When addiction has torn apart everything you have ever held close to your heart - just remember, God is with you.

When you are faced with January approaching and the possibility of no job, nothing to support you - just remember, God is with you.

When the balance in your checkbook is negative and the bills are piling up - just remember, God is with you.

When you've lost someone that held your heart...that lifted you up and held your world together - just remember, God is with you.

When you are sick and growing weary...not sure what tomorrow brings - just remember, God is with you.

When you are left here on earth to deal with an unexpected death of someone who was so important in your life that you don't want to face another day without them - just remember, God is with you.

Accept God's embrace...let him really be "with" you this Christmas season and everyday after that - He is waiting with His arms open.

Hands off my mom, Santa!!

Tonight I was in the kitchen making cupcakes and my mom was flipping thru the channels on the T.V. to find cartoons for Max. She stopped on one channel and said "Oh look, I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus!"

Max yelled "Where?"

He thought my mom REALLY saw me kissing Santa...I thought that was so cute:) I think he was a little jealous!!

Merry Christmas, everyone!!

Thankful heart...

Last night I got a chance to meet one of my friends for dinner at Los Bravos - it really did my heart good to sit down with Andrea, catch up, watch our kids interact, and talk to her about some of the more serious stuff in my life. It's crazy to me that we haven't really been friends all that long...about 4 years, but she is just one of those people who just "gets me." Everytime I talk to her, it feels like we've known each other forever - I can talk to her about anything and I know that she will listen with an open and honest heart. She doesn't judge me, doesn't look down on me, she just takes me for who I am - and I LOVE having a friend like that.

Last night as we caught up on what is going on with the "me and Gil' situation - she truely listened to me and I knew that she understood...she knew my heart. Tonight I found a verse in the Bible, and it made me think of the "Christ-like" friendship she offers me. 1 Chronicles 28:9 says ...serve Him with wholehearted devotion and with a willing mind, for the Lord searches every heart and understands every motive behind the thoughts. Andrea knows the motives behind my decision, but even more importantly - Christ knows my motives, and that is all that matters.

This post is a "thank you," an "I'm so grateful for you," and a "what would I do without you" to Andrea:)!! I'm sooooo thankful she is there for me during this season of my life!!

Ecclesiastes 3: 1-4
There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under heaven:
a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance...

Christmas is in the air...

Hi everybody - hope everyone is getting into the Christmas spirit!! I know we are around here - last weekend we had our first family Christmas gathering...Santa even showed up:) Things have been going good here, I'm just super busy at work (tomorrow I am covering a second grade class - pray for me:)!!

Max had another ear apt. with Dr. Moss in Jasper - and they have decided that he needs a second surgery to put tubes in, because recently the Dr. and I have both noticed significant hearing loss. Max is constantly asking me "What, mom?" and sometimes he has to ask 2 or 3 times in order to understand what I'm saying. Also, if I'm upstairs and yell for him, he never hears me. It is soooo scary to me to think he might have to deal with hearing loss for the rest of his life - I just want to do EVERYTHING I can to take care of this sweet boy...I never want to let him down!

Here are some pictures from the last couple of days...

Max getting into the Christmas spirit and helping decorate Nana and Papa's house!

Max sitting on Santa's lap during the Christmas party - he was terrified, even though Santa was just Nick E.:) Max caught on pretty quick!
Max and his sweet cousin, Nick Coy...they are two of a kind!!
My grandma Grace and my brother Clayton Lee...

Me and Max at the Christmas party - Max has the craziest look on his face!

Max and Nick - Max's present from Santa was an Iron Man mask! Just what he wanted!!

Me with my cousins Chasity and Lauren, Jess had to leave early:(!

Max eating his cookie after decorating it - at Chas's annual Cookie Decorating Party!!
All the kids after decorating cookies: Nick, Max, Hannah, Katie, Emily, Molly, and Maddie!

Well, that's enough for tonight - time to snuggle into bed with my little man...Goodnight!

Patience...

I have had a really rough week - times like these remind me why am I sooooooo thankful for God's forgiveness! All week I have struggled with being patient. I have been "short" with my family and with Max...lost my patience and said things I don't mean. Patience has always been something that I didn't have an overwhelming amount of - but it seems that with a 3 year old, all the stress of my marriage falling apart, and money being tight has just put me into overload. I just seem to let impatience take over, and it ends up ruining my whole night with Max, or my family. I know it is something I have to address...and something I can't do on my own. So I turned to the Bible and found some scriptures about patience. Here is what I found:

Romans 15:4-5 - For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope. Now may the God of patience and comfort grant you to be like-minded toward one another, according to Christ Jesus.

Colossians 3:12-13 - Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Make allowance for each other's faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.

These two verses are going to drive me during the next few weeks as I work on being more patient!! If you know anymore verses - please let me know:) I need all the encouragment I can get:)!!

I have to go, but before I do - I have to share a couple pictures from tonight. My brother, Clay, was in Evansville tonight for school and brought home some donuts and a cute hat from Krispy Kreams for Max:) Here they are - aren't they cute??

Uncle Clay and Max with the yummy donuts:)!! My little donut man in his jammies!