Prayer Request: My Aunt and Uncle

Please pray for my Aunt and Uncle and their family today, and every day, especially leading up to Christmas.

My Uncle has been fighting cancer, and a number of complications, since August and in the past week he has had set back after set back.

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God."
Philippians 4:6

Specifically please pray:

•  that my aunt and uncle would feel the Lord's presence and support every minute of every day
• that my aunt and uncle would know they are not alone and that God is with them
• for healing for every ailment in my uncle's body, one by one until he is completely healthy
• for physical, emotional, and spiritual strength for every obstacle that arises
• for my aunt who is by my uncle's side through everything, supporting him, loving him, caring for him, and watching him fight
• for my cousins, that they would know how to support their parents, and be drawn closer to the Lord through this trial
• for the Lord to be glorified through these struggles
• for the struggles and heartaches that my aunt and uncle and cousins are experiencing that only the Lord is aware, and the He would be the ultimate Comforter
• for the Lord's Will to be done

Thank you, in advance, for covering them in prayer.

"In the morning, O LORD, You hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before You and wait in expectation."
Psalm 5:3

A Baking Saturday

Here are some images of my Saturday spent baking Christmas treats.

Lloyd likes to help... especially when I'm baking with peanut butter.  In the below pictures, he's cleaning my measuring cups after I'd added the peanut butter.

 I baked Buckeye Balls.

I baked White Chocolate Drop Cookies.

and I tried a new recipe this year called Chocolate Mint Brownie Bites from The Pioneer Woman.

Here is a picture of HER Mint Brownies

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 None of my Brownie Bites looked like hers... or least photographed like hers.  But some were better than others... here are the "good ones"

Then... there were some disastrous ones... they still taste great, but they look like a toddler helped me, which would be okay if a toddler helped me... but a toddler didn't help me.

Finally, I made some chocolate-covered pretzels... because there was some extra melted chocolate... Hubby helped me with this part of the Christmas baking.

Some people will be getting some homemade yummy gifts from us next week... :-D

Praying about the Tragedy

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A friend of mine posted the below on facebook, which originated with Family Christian Stores. Their words are much better than mine:

"Lord, how should we pray for what took place in Connecticut today?
We don't understand it. Many of us are so far removed from the situation, it doesn't seem real.
But it is. Very real.

So, Father, we come to You in humbled hearts asking that You bring Peace.
Mercy.
Grace.
Comfort.
Be with those families Father. We ask that You cover them with Your wings.
Be with those that don't know You, may You use this to draw them to Jesus.
Be with those that do know You. May they feel Your presence and stand as a beacon of light.
Holy Spirit, we put this whole situation before Your throne. For this what You told us to do. So we trust You in this.
Amen."

My Bride's Heirloom Ornaments

My favorite ornaments this year are a set.

Look at our sweet puppy by the tree!

My mom bought a beautiful set of Bride's Heirloom Ornaments many years ago... sometime when I was in college, or maybe even before... to give me when I was a Bride.  She never showed them to me, but kept them safely in the my dad and her basement with a little note on the box that said "For Brookie when she gets married," in case someone found the box in the basement before they were given to me.

She gave them to Chris and me two Christmases ago, when Chris and I got engaged, but this year is the first Christmas they've made it on our tree.  They are so fragile that I don't store them in the same place as our other ornaments, so I forgot about them last year.  :-(

This year, I was SOOO excited to hang them on our tree and learn about them for the first time.  There are a dozen different ornaments, and each figure represents a blessing for the bride's home.

I LOVE watching each and every one of these beautiful, delicate ornaments dangle from our tree this year.

• An Angel Ornament for God's Guidance in the Home

• A Rose Ornament for Beauty, Affection and the Virgin Mary

• A Rabbit Ornament for Hope, Faith and Peace with Nature

•  A Teapot Ornament for Hospitality

•  A Pine Cone Ornament for Motherhood, Fruitfulness, and Eternity

•  A Santa Ornament for Unselfishness and Goodwill

•  A House Ornament for Family Shelter and Protection

•  A Fruit Basket Ornament for Generosity and Plentiful Bounty

•  A Bird Ornament for Happiness, Joy, and Confidence in the Home

•  A Flower Basket Ornament for Good Wishes and Beauty in the Home

•  A Heart Ornament for True Love in the Home

•  A Fish Ornament for Christ's Blessing and Fertility

I look at each of these ornaments, and I try to remember the blessings and well-wishes that goes with them, and I offer a prayer that the Lord will bless our household with these beautiful sentiments.

What are your favorite ornaments on your tree this year?

The Christmas Shoes

A Christmas Carol

I have many favorite Christmas movies and Christmas shows that put me in the holiday spirit each year.  Everything from The Nativity Story, to It's a Wonderful Life, to Frosty the Snowman, to A Charlie Brown Christmas, to White Christmas, to While You Were Sleeping, to Miracle on 34th Street and many more play in my home in the days and weeks leading up to Christmas.

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A Christmas Carol -- any version -- has never become a tradition in my Holiday movie enjoyment... but the story of A Christmas Carol remains as dear to my heart as the story of the nativity itself.

I do not watch A Christmas Carol every year, or read the book annually (although I did listen to the audio book this year and enjoyed it immensely), but whenever I come upon A Christmas Carol, or deliberately read or watch the story, I am transported to memory as clear to me as this morning, and as important to my life as the Easter story.

When I was a little girl -- around age nine or ten, I was back in my parents' bedroom watching television while my parents hosted a dinner party.  It was late January or February, which I remember because, when I came upon A Christmas Carol on television, I was surprised given that Christmas was over a month past.

I kept watching A Christmas Carol, a story I knew well, and enjoyed it very much.  I thought I was simply enjoying a television show, but I didn't know the upcoming realization that would change my life.

With the Ghost of Christmas Future, when Mr. Scrooge timidly and fearfully walks to the headstone and discovers his own name, in this production of A Christmas Carol, Mr. Scrooge didn't simply pledge to honor Christmas in his heart keep it all year, in this production, he sought forgiveness from the Lord and asked Jesus into his heart.

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At this point in the production, the stage went dark and a minister came on the screen and did an alter call for those who also wanted to invite Jesus into their hearts.

I had asked Jesus into my heart years before, and went to church several times a week; however, during this production, I KNEW, I understood, for the first time that Jesus died for ME.

I will never forget that moment -- a revelation like I had never experienced.

I actually went out to the kitchen in my pajamas, with tears streaming down my face and interrupted my mom from her dinner party because I had to tell her that Jesus died for ME.  I told her, "I've always known he did... but Mom, he died for ME!"

Not every version of A Christmas Carol includes Mr. Scrooge inviting Jesus into his life, but for me, every version reminds me of that beautiful night when the Lord used that one version of A Christmas Carol to reveal, in my heart, His love for ME.

Treasuring the Present: Laundry

I am learning more and more that laundry is one of the most satisfying activities in my life.

Call me crazy, but many activities in which I engage do not go according to plan.
My work days can have unexpected twists and turns.
My recreational activities can be unpredictable.
Family events can have any number of unforeseen elements.
Cooking and baking endeavors can create the most interesting and unreliable results.

Laundry... laundry is so reliable!
I LOVE IT!

Even if the temperature setting if off, or if the loads are bigger or small than normal... whatever the factors are, the result is clean, dry clothes!!!

I have such a wonderful sense of accomplishment when I've done laundry!

In the above picture, some might view a few drying racks... but I see a beautiful laundry tree adorned with lots of beautiful clean clothes!

Laundry is so fulfilling!