Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Things I Am Thankful For:

1. My God
2. Adrian and Mali-Bear
3. Family and Friends
4. Cate (My Wonderful Niece and Answer to Prayer)
5. Crest Whitestrips
6. Living in FL This Time of Year
7. Garlic Press
8. Flip Flops
9. Soccer
10. Gas Prices Going Down
11. Mom's Baked Corn Casserole
12. Jumping Off Cliffs at Rock Run
13. Snow Days
14. The View from Rattlesnake Mountain
15. Christmas Claymation
16. The Wood Stove at Mom and Dad's House
17. Mali's Toys Laying All Around the House (Evidence of Her Presence)
18. Coffee
19. Having an Extra Refrigerator for Thanksgiving
20. Sour Patch Kids and Swedish Fish
How about you?

Thursday, November 20, 2008

Christmas Jesus Freak

Maybe its the fact that I am a mom now and we are thinking through what we want to communicate to Mali and forming family traditions, or maybe its the fact I am just becoming more aware of a world in need, but I have all of the sudden become a sort of Christmas Jesus Freak. Now don't get me wrong, I'm not out on the streets of Tampa clad in John 3:16 with a megaphone shouting to passer-byers to "repent." I'm just passionate about making Christmas about why it originally began in the first place: the birth of Jesus Christ "who came to save his people from their sins." (Matt. 1:21)

This is how God showed His love among us: He sent His one and only Son into the world that we might live through Him. I John 4:9 NIV
That said, I found this wonderful little DVD that tells the true Christmas story, so I plan on buying it for all the little ones in my life. Christmas is not about materialism, but about blessing someone's socks off! Last year, our pastor told us that the average family spends $1,000 on Christmas gifts each year (yikes, that's a lot for an average), so he challenged us to spend half of what we normally spend, save a fourth and give away the remaining fourth. So that is what our church did and we sent thousands of dollars to build wells in Africa so the people there could have clean water to drink. That is what Christmas is all about.

Thursday, November 13, 2008

Hello My Little Smart Girl!

This is Mali's latest read and boy does she LOVE this book. We have read it over and over and over and over and over . . . I also love it too, so I don't mind a bit. Yesterday I overheard her talking to herself, so looked over to see her sitting with this book opened on her lap. She was "reading" it by herself from memory!!! I thought to myself, "Oh well, she knows a page or two . . ." but she knew the whole thing!! I've got to get this on video.