Haven't published a word in 3 years. Geez. Life gets busy.

Today was one of those days I wish would be long forgotten or at least dismissed as "another boring day." Alas, that probably won't happen because the drama and the tears and frustration that defined the afternoon will mark this day for quite awhile as a bit more than boring. Drama is a better descriptor, I think.

There are four females living in our home, otherwise known as Kappa Alpha Estrogen. It seems at times healthy boundaries get blurred, feelings get hurt and one young lady or another begins to spew angry words and accusations that would make a sailor blush.

It's days like today that I figure, what's the use? Who cares anyway if these three girls have mutual love and respect for each other, my expectations must be too high, anyway. Besides, the oldest one is quick to remind me everyone (or no one) else is "doing it or going there or wearing it…" What do I know?

It's not like I wrote the book on Mothering 101: All You Need to Know…and Then Some.

I mean, is it really realistic to want, to truly desire these young women grow into emotionally, physically, spiritually healthy adults that are able to love and be loved? Am I expecting too much to want a great family that honors God first, loves one another and seeks to serve others?

A week or so ago, my friend Joanne was lamenting the same questions, only in her own way.

"Parenting is hard. And when it gets hard and when I'm tired and when it seems like

nothing ever changes, well, I just want to give up. I figure my hopes and dreams and expectations

of what a family should/could be must be just plain unrealistic and that maybe I should just lower the bar."

I thought I was the only one who felt this way…but it seems lots of us feel kind of discouraged sometimes. When I am without courage, when I want to just kick the ground and sort of give up I am reminded of a couple things:

My Lord loves my children far more than I do. He is even more interested in their emotional, physical and spiritual growth than I ever will be. (Whew…that does take a little pressure off.)

The Enemy loves when I get discouraged, sullen, sulky and full of self-pity…he jumps right in and echoes every negative thought I can think.

The Truth: Family is and always will be God's idea…so my desires for my family to be a great family…they aren't selfish, they are biblical. Psalm 128 reminds me that "Blessed are all who fear the Lord, who walk in His ways. You will eat the fruit of your labor; blessings and prosperity will be yours.''

More Truth: This life isn't easy, it wasn't meant to be…but I am not alone as a mom, God is working in and through my heart and in and through the hearts of my girls, too. His plans for them will not be sidetracked by my sub-par parenting nor will they be augmented by spectacularly fantastic parenting, either. I am called to fear the Lord, to walk in His ways, to talk about Him to my children and pray for them dutifully. That's it. I can trust Him to do what He says He can do and that He is sufficient.

so, what's your story?

i began journaling in high school, ostensibly as a class assignment, however my love for words and the continuous flow of teen drama compelled me to continue writing beyond high school and through college. today, i journal in a specially selected notebook...the qualities of the chosen one include a spiral binding, heavy lined paper and a cool retro type cover illustration like the ones found here.

more recently, at least over the last couple of years, i have especially enjoyed blogging.  i feel like the blog format allows me some freedom to have a conversation...even if it is with myself...or to provide encouragement and a morsel of humor to a reader or two that happen to stumble upon"Out of the Mud."

of course, the upside of blogging is that i can write about anything i want, on the other hand my posts tend to be sporadic and not particularly focused on any one subject area. it doesn't take long for the astute observer to conclude i am hard pressed to remain focused on any one 'thing' for any significant amount of time. apparently, there is a term for people like me...a.d.d. or a.d.h.d....back in high school 'airhead' or 'dingy blonde' was fairly accurate... i suppose i could focus all my blog posts on a.d.d....complete with 'how to' and '10 steps to...' articles.

mostly, though, i write about my life as a 'believer' or 'follower of Christ' or the older, less hip term used to describe us Jesus Freaks: 'born again Christian.' terminology aside, i do have other interests, check my facebook info page...i have a plethora of interests, but seriously, i kind of get tired of reading/writing/talking about recipes, cool new kitchen kitche, decorating my house, all the accomplishments of my overachieving husband and kids, will ferrell's latest movie and what not to wear.

i'm a thinker, i suppose, so i could examine and discuss the Palestinian/Israeli conflict, whether bailing out the banks is really a good idea, i could decry genocide in Rwanda, Sudan, or Congo...i could debate the ethics of late term abortion, discuss different treatments available for pre-, peri- and postmenopause, i could analyze the US Forest Service's current policy on prescribed burns on Forest Service lands or hold a web forum  on parenting and disciplining our children...but--

each of these subjects would eventually lose my interest...unless the discussion, debate, forum or rant had the 'aroma' of Christ...then we'd need to brew more coffee and put another log on the fire. because, not only do i love to share my story...i love to hear yours...i think that is why social networks, blogs, etc intrigue me...

as for me...what i truly love to share with those willing to read or listen is how one Person, the most historic figure ever to walk the earth drew me to Him and in a single moment i realized i am not a caterpillar, but a butterfly...

i love to share the moments i experience in my work as nurse...when i see the work of His hands in the birth of a new family. how it is only because of His spirit in me that i can look upon women and children with His eyes...people whom many would pass by on the street without giving them a second thought, those who live among us who are homeless, jobless, helpless, hopeless...and how this life we live, this very hard bumpy, crusty life is worth every bump and bruise...

in a world filled with contradiction, confusion and injustice, my friend Heather (@ especially heather) describes the One that gives me a hope and a future, One whose mercy is new every morning, Who gives me a joy from within that I cannot manufacture. it's not about prosperity or the good life...it's about a peace from within based upon grace at the Cross. it's about the Greatest Story ever told.

Easter is only the beginning of the Story, will it be the beginning of your story? Everyone has one...will you tell your story to Him, to the One who gives hope and grace?

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!"

2 Corinthians 5:17

f.r.u.s.t.r.a.t.i.n.g....

if you were one of the lucky readers who tried to read my last post and found it disappearing off and on today...blame it on the author's rather lame blogging/computer/html skills. i use word2007 to publish and it is sometimes f.r.u.s.t.r.a.t.i.n.g!

i really enjoy writing and the creative outlet blogging provides is wonderful, it's just that my blogging platform or process or whatever you want to call it is f.r.u.s.t.r.a.t.i.n.g!

i took a break from blogging a while ago b/c i got so f.r.u.s.t.r.a.t.e.d.

i am not ready to take another break...but there has to be an easier, more efficient way to get a blog post out there!
Any suggestions, thoughts or encouragement???

memory monday…or tuesday…no, wednesday

My bloggy friend, Joanne at The Simple Wife hosts Memory Monday…and every Monday I think to myself 'I would sure like to join in the fun.' So, even though it is Tuesday {ok, now Wednesday!} I am going to join in with my verse for this week…and next Monday (if all goes well) I will come back and type it in from memory.





For me there is always the temptation to complain about my situation, then in an effort to dig myself out of the whiner's pit I try to earn favor with God and man through actions or works. However; to the astute observer, my efforts are disingenuous at best, pure hypocrisy at worst. So, as I endeavor this week not just to memorize this group of words, I pray my heart would be transformed by them and my words and actions would reflect what His word has done inside.


Well, that sounds all fluffy and spiritual, doesn't it?


Let's put some modern day meat on this scripture …what does this look like today, NOW?


Wesley's commentary expands on this verse quite well…[modern girl application in brackets]

To do justly - to render to every one their due, superiors, equals, inferiors, to be equal to all, and oppress none

[Easy application: drive courteously on the streets of Lincoln, yield the right of way when applicable.]

[Challenge application: Oppress none…thinking on this one, much less applying it would keep me up for d.a.y.s. No wonder I need Jesus.]

To love mercy - to be kind, merciful and compassionate to all, not using severity towards any

[Easy app: snuggling with my children after school and listening to them talk about their busy day.]

[Challenge app: Not using severity towards any…does that include politicians? No wonder I need Jesus.]

Walk humbly with thy God - keep up a constant fellowship with God, by humble, holy faith.

[Kind of easy app: daily prayer and quiet time, reading scripture and journaling…I love to have my QT with God, but sometimes it seems life gets in the way and I am off and running for the day.]

[Challenge app: Walk humbly with thy God…this means I have to trust Him with everything, doesn't it? No wonder I need Jesus.]

Oh, and this verse is from a cute scripture memory packet from a very creative artist, Jeanne Winters. Her gift collection, simply inspiring
is featured at Hallmark Gold Crown Stores. You can read more about Jeanne at her blog here.


For the joy!


ab

i'm not who i was...

as we get older we all change in one way or another...we get shorter, taller, greyer, sadder, happier...you get the picture. but for me, the most significant change in me occurred in the fall of 1993 when i made the decision to walk away from a former lifestyle apart from Christ into a journey of which i had no idea how it would look or what the experience would be.

so far, i can tell you i am so very glad Christ pursued me with such vigor and persistence as to send His own into my path that i would meet Him in the pages of Scripture over and over again. when i didn't know what to do or what to believe, His people, my new friends would point me to Scripture. there were no long philosophical debates, no deep unanswerable questions posed, no esoteric what if's...just the Truth of the Bible to meet me where i was in the fall of 1993. where was i? i was a single mom with no college education, a checkbook with about $150 and a minimum wage job at the college rec center. i lived in student housing and rode a bike around my college town because i didn't own a car.

clarity...in a moment of clarity i began to understand without God my life would essentially remain the same, even if I had a college degree, my own car and $15,000 in my checking account...i would still be without Hope. so i bent down on my knees, for the first time in my life and spoke to God, confessing every sin i could remember and asking Him to remind me of the ones i had chosen to forget. after what seemed like hours i rose from my knees, and climbed into my bed, exhausted. the next morning i woke early and opened my Bible, sat with my journal and wrote out my first prayer as a new Believer in Christ...the evidence was there...i realized...i'm not who i was.

Mighty to Save...Laura Story

laura and martin's story will encourage you to remember HE is MigHty to SaVE...whatever is on your plate today...the ONe wHO Rose and ConquEREd the gRAve...the One who SpokE the sTARs into place...can handle it. Believe Him...Trust Him.

[vodpod id=ExternalVideo.775696&w=425&h=350&fv=%26rel%3D0%26border%3D0%26]

more about "Mighty to Save...Laura Story", posted with vodpod

Facebook | Casting Crowns

I think is one of the best songs out there right now...all genres, all the time

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more about "Facebook | Casting Crowns", posted with vodpod

Not to do list 2009…

2008 is but a memory...and the new year beckons.  I love January.  To me it is 31 days of possibility....to remake, renew, repurpose.  Each new year offers a moment of beginning, a place to start fresh…many of us start the new year with a clean slate and a TO DO
list.


Traditionalist that I am, I scratched out a simple TO DO 2009
list…but what about the alternative? What about a
[NOT TO DO}
list? I think there's some real potential in a {NOT TO DO}
list.

Here's what I've decided I'm not going to do in 2009:




{NOT TO DO 2009}

1. I am not going to use my credit card for stuff I think I want (but don't really need.)

2. I am not going to forget to return dvds to Blockbuster.

3. I am not going to make a promise I cannot keep.

4. I am not going to miss out on fun activities with my girls because there are dishes or laundry to do.

5. I am not going to say 'yes' when I really mean 'no, thanks.'

Oh, and my TO DO 2009 list…


TO DO 2009

1. Save more than we spend...way more. (like that's a shocker)

2. Choose joy. (because the alternative is yucky)

3. Be inspired. (I'm a labor and delivery nurse...this is an easy one)

4. Believe God. (...why I struggle with this I'll never know this side of heaven_)

5. Give generously. (of my time, talents and treasures...but not my chocolate)

Kind of a broad, rather vague list, I know...the details will come over the remaining days in January.  I do have a few very specific projects I'd like to complete, but it's so much more interesting beginning with a wide, big picture view of the coming year.

Words…

Took a little vaca from blogging per the request of family…they were running out of food and clean underwear. I'm all caught up now and back at it…

I like to visit Joanne at the Simple Wife every so often and I found Wordle. It's the coolest thing ever, especially if you're a Wordie. (Kind of like a Foodie, only with Words.) I come from a long line of educators, many of them English teachers…so reading, writing and doing stuff with words like crosswords and playing Scrabble begins early. Here is my word picture custom made from the words on this blog, just click on the small image to link to the site. This was way fun to make…my mind is going crazy with project ideas…t-shirt iron-ons, wall art, door decorations….

WFMW: Ubiquitous Capture…

u·biq·ui·tous (yōō-bĭk'wĭ-təs) adj. Being or seeming to be everywhere at the same time; omnipresent.

cap·ture (kāp'chər) v. To enter (data) into a computer for processing or storage.

If you've ever wondered what it's like be ADD, think about it this way…your brain processes like a Pentium but has 2 MBs of RAM. I don't really know what that means in computer speak, but in my reality it means I am constantly thinking and processing information, but am unable to capture and remember most of what I have been processing and thinking about.

This is what is going on in my brain over a period of say…30 seconds: I need to remember to drop off the library books…where's my library card?...Since Hobby Lobby is near the library I can pick up a Valentine's craft for the girls…but I get so distracted in there, I'll have to set the timer on my watch…what time is the Brownie meeting tonight?....I should wash the sheets from Lily and Emily's beds today…I'm out of detergent…I'll remember to pick some up at big box discount store…On my way to big box discount store I'll put gas in the van…but the checkbook needs balanced first…I can do that tomorrow after the meeting at work…what time is that happening?...When does my RN license renew…do I have enough continuing education hours?...does graduate coursework count?...…AND this stream of thoughts goes on and on all day.

How does a mostly stay at home mom of three girls who are involved in school and various activities and whose dear husband travels frequently keep her act somewhat together when her mind is racing like this? I have an especially useful tool for
ubiquitous capture of pesky thoughts, imaginings, wonderings and reminders: a small notebook.


I keep my notebook with me at all times and capture my ideas, thoughts and thinks in one place to be processed further or deleted. Result: mind like water. My mind is cleared of thoughts, ideas and junk so I can think about what is important now. I don't have to tell my children to "be quiet so Mommy can think" anymore…I say "Let Mom write this thought down real quick, then I can give you my full attention."

For more on ubiquitous capture and Zen to Done, see Leo's blog Zen Habits.

Shannon at Rocks in My Dryer sponsors WFMW where you can find more ideas that work!

Simplify and Organize…

I have been on this mission from the Lord…literally…to gain some sense of order and simplicity in our home. I have spent the last several weeks decluttering, cleaning, sorting, organizing and thinking about the systems I have in place to help my family and me to function well. I have learned so much…I am so thankful somebody out there invented flickr! For those of us that are visual learners, flickr is a blessing! My favorite groups are Work Spaces, Craft Rooms, Pretty Organized and Corners of My Home.

This whole organize my home/life/family journey began last fall when I began to seek out my calling as a wife, mother and keeper of the home. I have so much to tell about what I've learned…but for now I'll just post this and scooch my tired body to bed. Tomorrow I go to work…and on a labor and delivery unit on a Friday it promises to be a busy day…I'll need my rest!

The picture above of my journal, planner and notebook. I would like to throw some link love to Leo at Zen Habits. My favorite post, Zen to Done is probably one of the most influential productivity/organization resources I have come across. Basically, Leo has synthesized David Allen's process of Getting Things Done + Flylady's concept of routines + Stephen Covey's values based priorities into his e-book ZTD (Zen to Done.) The system is perfect for me…fits all the aspects of my life and is implementable. On a personal note…I have ADD, Type 1 and being organized, focused and productive focused is practically impossible very challenging for me…ZTD allows for my personality quirks and gives me freedom to be the creative, spontaneously sidetracked person I was created to be…and still get the laundry done and pick my kids up from school on time!

A Special Birthday Celebration…

Works for Me Wednesday…BACKWARDS Edition!


Here's how it works…The tables are turned and instead of me giving advice or resolving a problem I get to ask you to help me with a question or problem! And just in the nick of time, too!

Here's the mission: Help me plan a memorable 16^th birthday celebration for my firstborn daughter!





The vision: A fun celebratory event that marks her passage from girlhood to young womanhood.

I've been brainstorming and here's what I've come up with so far:

• The whole event could actually stretch over a weekend…her birthday is on Sunday.


• Friday evening I have given to her to plan…she is thinking of going to the high school basketball game with her friends and then maybe out to dinner, home by 11pm curfew.


• Saturday at noon I am going to "kidnap" her and two of her closest friends and we are going on a surprise road trip to Kansas City for a girlie weekend…but what to do, where to go in KC…on a fairly limited budget? Maybe I'll splurge for special hotel accommodations, like on the Plaza or Crown Center…but what else could we do?


• After church on Sunday and a delicious breakfast…but where?


• This is where everything gets fuzzy…I want to have a special family time birthday dinner on Sunday evening when we return home…but maybe that's too much.


• Kaylie is the first of three girls…so I want to establish some sort of faith centered tradition with this birthday. I didn't do so hot with 13…it was pretty lame.


• I would like to make a special memory book. This week Birthday Girl is to compile a list of people who she feels have thus far influenced her life in one way or another…either spiritually, academically, athletically or even artistically. These are people she knows and who know her…teachers, mentors, fellow students. I plan to scan the list and will be sending letters to these individuals to write a special birthday note of encouragement and wisdom to Kaylie. Some of these individuals will have a strong faith, others not so much but have loved her and walked with her in some way…it's just that I am not sure what to write in this letter of invitation. Should I just email them or snail mail? What do I do with them when I receive them? Should I make a special scrapbook with them?


• Gift ideas: a hope chest and/or a charm bracelet. Both could be utilized as external signification of this milestone.


• Another idea: writing a special prayer for her and presenting it with the letters and scrapbook.


• 
  
  Finally…how do I organize all these thoughts and prioritize them…then how do I actually implement the plan!
  
  
  
  
  Help! Do you have any ideas to share? Were there special moments you created for your daughter or maybe that you remember from a special birthday?
  
  
  Shannon and other bloggers at Rocks in My Dryer could use your creative insight into the many problems and dilemmas that plague the internets…find them here.
  
  Oh, and I vote that Shannon tosses the empty DVD cases in the trash…call it a 27 thing Boogie and move on girl!

Christmas Greetings

May the hope and peace of Christmas be yours today and always.

It’s 4:28 a.m. and…

…for some Blessed reason I am awake…not that I have been sleeping and am now awake…but that I am awake because I have not been sleeping.

I knew it, I knew it, I knew it!

I stumbled on Confessions of a Pioneer Woman last week, bookmarked it to come back to when I had time because I knew I would need time to read it. I knew if I started reading I wouldn't be able to stop…so when I started reading at 1am I foolishly promised myself I would "stop" after "just a couple entries." Liar. I am a sucker for a good love story…but even more so when it is a real one. I like real. I like authenticity and I like practical. Being awake now and not having been asleep when I should have been is not exactly practical…but just one more entry…


I have discovered the Holy Grail of love stories in the blogosphere and because you are my friend, you one reader out there, I'm going to tell you about what I have discovered…Confessions of a Pioneer Woman's story of how she met and fell in love with her Marlboro Man…Black Heels to Tractor Wheels: A Love Story. It's the epic saga of 'city girl finds love in the Oklahoma prairie':

As our eleventh anniversary approaches, I find myself reflecting on the circumstances that brought Marlboro Man and me together. So grab a Diet Dr. Pepper, hang on to your hat, and come along for the ride!

I started with the beginning sans Diet Dr. Pepper (eww), and read all the way to here. The best place to begin is with the archives, though. All the posts are in one spot and you can read 'til your heart's content. Just so you know…she's not done, it's a work in progress and you'll have to wait patiently for the next installment…and you don't know when she'll write…or how long it will be…but it's worth the wait.

If you decide to jump in…a few words of caution:

1. If you love good photography, especially of cattle, cowboys, kids, horses and prairie…make sure you have ample time to visit her site…you'll be there a while.


2. If you have a rich sense of humor, enjoy good writing and witty redheads…make sure you have ample time to visit, you'll be there a while.


3. If you are (even in the loosest sense) a 'foodie' you will find yourself compelled to visit P-dub's other site The Pioneer Woman Cooks…make sure you have ample time to visit, you'll be there a while.

Find, steal, beg or borrow the time…and enjoy. 

What We Did on Our Snow Day

Make a scrapbook!

Works for Me Wednesday…Holiday Music on Pandora

Do you love music?

I do!! Can't sing much, can't play much, but I do listen much. I especially love holiday music playing in my home while I busy myself with crafts, cooking and kids! As much as I love holiday music, how many versions of "O Holy Night" can there be? And how many ways can "What Child is This" be arranged and performed…tastefully? And my poor Amy Grant holiday CDs are so scratched from being drug from the van to the house to the playroom…do I really want to buy another copy (my 3^rd) only to listen to it for about 13 more days? Hmm…how to solve the dilemma?

Dilemma solved…Pandora radio from the Music Genome Project is a free internet radio site I discovered last summer:

Pandora is a music discovery service designed to help you enjoy music you already know, and to help you discover new music you'll love. It's powered by the most comprehensive analysis of music ever undertaken, the Music Genome Project: a crazy project started back in early 2000 to capture the complex musical DNA of songs using a large team of highly-trained musicians. Just tell us one of your favorite songs or artists and we'll launch a streaming station to explore that part of the musical universe. The name Pandora means "all gifted" in Greek. In ancient Greek mythology, Pandora received many gifts from the gods, including the gift of music, from Apollo. She was also, as we all know, insatiably curious. Unlike those gods of old, however, we celebrate that virtue and have made it our mission to reward the musically curious among us with a never-ending experience of music discovery. It's also important to note that at the bottom of Pandora's box was Hope...

I have had the pleasure of listening to many of my favorite musical genres…folk, country, contemporary Christian, '80s, classical, alternative, jazz. Registration is free, I don't receive tons of annoying emails or spam and if you hear a song you absolutely have to own Pandora has links to itunes and amazon. Register (for free) and begin creating your own radio station. No commercials, family friendly and only the music you like! You guide Pandora with thumbs up or down to the next song! The FAQ link here can answer any questions you might have regarding registration, music licensing, software or hardware requirements, etc.

And Pandora's latest and greatest addition…holiday music!! I don't have to purchase anything, yet I am able to enjoy my favorite holiday music from Amy Grant, Michael W. Smith, Josh Groban, Manheim Steamroller, John Tesh and other favorites while discovering new artists…commercial free. I am hooked!

Rocks in My Dryer hosts Works for Me Wednesday…this is my first time participating, although I have lurked for a long time. Follow the link to see other creative ideas from Works for Me Wednesday bloggers. You will soon see why this blog carnival continues to grow and grow and grow…

Advent Conspiracy…

There's a conspiracy underway…and I don't think it will end anytime soon.

I think we could agree we are all on a journey, searching…and it seems the holiday season exacerbates this searching feeling inside.

Unless the searching feeling has been satisfied. By the One who satisfies.


The One who satisfies came to us as a babe in a manger over 2000 years ago; today we celebrate His birth as Christmas. Maybe it's me, but somewhere along the way celebrating Christ's birth (aka Christmas) was hijacked by the searching monster. In the United States the "holiday season" begins at Halloween (or before), is punctuated by the Big Feast (aka Thanksgiving) in which we gorge ourselves on scandalous amounts of food and ends with the grand finale on Christmas Day. For many, Christmas Day has become a fest of consuming…of spending scandalous amounts of money on stuff we don't really need in search of something we really do need. We make our lists, check them twice and head out to Wal*mart in search of…something.

Christ's birth (aka Christmas) was meant to transform the world…not our credit rating. Why all this consuming during the holiday season? And it's not just about buying gifts, either. There's the new pots and pans to be purchased to cook all the extra food we are cooking, the new furniture for the people who are coming to visit…there's the new clothes to buy for the parties we have to attend…there's the wrapping paper and tape and ribbons to buy to wrap all the gifts we've purchased. And the $29.99 gallon of peanut oil to fry the $10.00 turkey. But you can use the oil over and over. Who fries food these days besides McDonald's?

Now, I may be preaching to the choir…or maybe I'm just talking out loud to myself…you may have all this figured out. But way back in early October, I was shopping the local *big box discount store* for Halloween candy and I noticed Christmas décor and stuff in the aisle next to the princess and fairy costumes. The confused look on my face must have mirrored that on my children's. "What's the Christmas stuff for Mommy?" "Oh, it just wouldn't be Halloween without a few Christmas decorations, would it, honey?" I decided I had had enough of the whole holiday consumer scene.

What if, as followers of Christ we would treat the holidays as the Holy Days they are? What if we would consider stopping the busyness…to slow down and listen to the One who satisfies? What if our transformed hearts would focus out on others, sharing the Hope that satisfies? This sounds great; you say…I want something different this year…but how?

Advent Conspiracy is a great place to start. Advent Conspiracy is an international movement restoring the scandal of Christmas by worshipping Jesus through compassion, not consumption. This page has some specific ideas for relational giving.

What Would Jesus Buy? is a secular docu-comedy about the commercialization of Christmas. It's from producer Morgan Spurlock ("Super size Me") and has received very positive reviews from Christianity Today and Beliefnet.com among others.

Catalyst Church in Kent, Ohio has taken the Advent Conspiracy to a new level…check out Christmas in Kent.org.

Rick McKinley's blog (Imago Dei Community) is here…read The Baby is Coming and check out Imago Dei's site.

Darryl at DashHouse.com has posted his column from Christian Week.

Here in my town three churches have formed Christmas on 84^th Street…here's the site for inspiration.

Inspiration for Celebrating Christ in Your Home:


What about Santa Claus? We began celebrating Saint Nicholas Day many years ago. Pastor Ralph Wilson at Joyful Heart Renewal Ministries has written a lovely article about Nicholas, find it here. Many of you may already know the story, I had never heard "the truth about Santa" until I was a Christ follower! For details on our family St. Nicholas celebration see Treasured Traditions.

And this link to Simpleliving.org is a wonderful Epiphany resource…a great way to signify the close of the Christmas season.

Joanne at The Simple Wife has an Advent Countdown with daily treasures to share with her children. The project page has the how-to. I love the simplicity and the message…this project reminds me of Resurrection Eggs…but that's for another special Holy Day!

A Season of Gratitude

Over the past weeks I have been writing down what I am giving thanks for this season…

I am thankful for God and all that He is…I am thankful for His gift of grace and mercy to me… for family and friends He has provided…my husband and our daughters…a healthy holiday for our family…our home…for financial provision to pay off debt…for my calling as a mother and wife and nurse…for being part of a church home here in Nebraska…I am thankful for the friendships we have made along the way and praying for new, deep friendships to walk along the road with…I am thankful for the first snow! and the firewood we were able to gather this summer to enjoy this winter…for being able to work part time so I can be home for the kids as much as possible…for the few days we were able to spend at Disneyland just before Christmas last year (before Emily's surprise surgery)…and for Christmas Day '06 with caring staff, nurses and doctors at Children's Hospital Orange County taking care of Emily (and us)…and for the love and warmth we received from Orange County Ronald McDonald house…I am thankful Emily has recovered fully from surgery and she has remained free from any further complications from the tumor…I am thankful we have had the opportunity to give to others in need…and I am thankful this season of gratitude is not just a day or moment or calendar event, but an attitude of the heart. It is a heart attitude that's not "gutted out" or from following the latest three step self improvement plan, but a heart attitude graciously provided by a loving God who lives in me.

Check out these promises…

 “I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean;I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols.I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you;I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.And I will put my Spirit in you and move youto follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.You will live in the land I gave your forefathers;you will be my people, and I will be your God.”Ezekiel 36:25-28

Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire…

I am very excited to be participating in BooMama's Christmas Tour of Homes this year. There's going to be lots of folks joining in on the fun…how about you? I have placed the bloggy button in the sidebar so you can click on over to BooMama's site to see what all the fuss is about!

There's going to be lots of laughter and fun, to be sure! Save the date…December 17^th and see what the internets are doing to celebrate the season!  Better yet, grab your camera, shoot some shots of your home and be a part of a blogosphere celebration!