Seeing Santa

Yesterday was our annual "Downtown to See Santa" trip. We always go to Neiman's downtown to see Santa. We started about 7 years ago when we saw the featured tree on a HGTV Christmas show.

Anyway, as we were discussing the trees we have seen, we figured out how many Christmases we have been in Texas. More than any other place we have ever lived! WOW!

We always see cool trees there and this years tree was designed by a child, which makes it by far the coolest yet.

And even though I have never purchased one thing from Neimans in all these years, I have to give kudos to them for having a great Santa, a quick line and a good photographer who works until he gets the picture done. I saw him ask Santa to hide, put crying toddlers on Santa's chair and then have Santa sneak in from behind to get the shot! The kids never knew he was there!

It was a fun day and as soon as I can, I will post more pictures!

Will those women ever let me be?

That's the question I asked yesterday...

Since then I have opened my daily devotional and once again read the story of Mary and Martha and opened my Grace to Go and was reminded of the sermon on Sunday. Remember who was talked about on Sunday? Martha!

Jay says God is trying to tell me something. I think I have to agree.

Our house

This is our first Christmas in our new house. HOW EXCITING! I am so busy getting ready for the company that is coming. So busy in fact that I have no idea how everything will get done. But, Jay reminded me today of that devotion (you know, the one that won't go away: Mary, Martha, Proverbs 31 woman????) and told me to quit being Martha. Side note: Thanks Kyung for bringing that up again in church on Sunday! Jay mentioned that I shouldn't worry about the house, the food,or the errands and just focus on being thankful for the family that is coming.

It's been hard. At first I tried to argue with him that he didn't really care (the same way I care) about how the house looks, about what kind of food we feed our guests, or about having the sheets all clean for people when they get here. And not to mention,this IS our first Christmas in a new house and we have to figure out where everything goes. You know, the new SPOT for the tree. Where exactly should one hang the mistletoe so that everyone (and I mean everyone) walks under it at some point? Where do the 20 million lights that we have collected over the years look best? Oh wait, I can answer that last one. If you've seen the pictures, obviously outside! LOL The new neighbors think our last name is Griswald and they are waiting for the RV with our WV family to show up at any time. Luckily our family flies here and leaves the RV at home! ; )

But now, it's time for me to throw in the towel. I give up trying to get it all done. I am going to take Jay's advice (shhhh, don't tell him) and I am going to focus on the real deal from here on out. Blessings! Number 1) Christmas is Christmas because it is the day God gave us Jesus. Jesus, our Savior. Number 2) New house big enough to have family come stay with us. Number 3) FAMILY coming to stay with us (10 days by the time they all come in and out) Number 4) I get another Christmas with my Mamaw (every year I think I won't see her at the next one). Number 5) EVERYTHING ELSE (The list is really too long to write).

So, ya'll hold me accountable. It's time for me to stop being Martha and let a little of my Mary show.

MMMMMMM, wonder if those women will ever let me be?

While you were sleeping

Oh my goodness, this is my new favorite song! I just happened to hear it on KLTY a couple weeks ago and now I am totally addicted to it. It's the words (ya'll know I am all about WORDS). It's not a new song, but after an election year, the words really stand out to me. I guess because during an election year, a lot of questions come out regarding "right and wrong". What's really important and what's not.


Anyway, I love that Casting Crowns just lays it out there for us....it's pretty blunt. I believe when a person hears it, especially a believer who knows that Christ is going to come back, they may want to take the words to heart. We don't want to be caught "sleeping".

Okay, so they have said it all for me...my feelings in a nutshell.

Here are the words:
Oh little town of Bethlehem
Looks like another silent night
Above your deep and dreamless sleep
A giant star lights up the sky
And while you're lying in the dark
There shines an everlasting light
For the King has left His throne
And is sleeping in a manger tonight
Oh Bethlehem, what you have missed while you were sleeping
For God became a man
And stepped into your world today
Oh Bethlehem, you will go down in history
As a city with no room for its King
While you were sleeping
While you were sleeping
Oh little town of Jerusalem
Looks like another silent night
The Father gave His only SonT
he Way, the Truth, the Life had came
But there was no room for Him in the world
He came to saveJerusalem,
what you have missed while you were sleeping
The Savior of the world is dying on your cross today
Jerusalem, you will go down in history
As a city with no room for its King
While you were sleeping
While you were sleeping
United States of America
Looks like another silent night
As we're sung to sleep by philosophies
That save the trees and kill the children
And while we're lying in the dark
There's a shout heard 'cross the eastern sky
For the Bridegroom has returned
And has carried His bride away in the night
America, what will we miss while we are sleeping
Will Jesus come again
And leave us slumbering where we lay
America, will we go down in history
As a nation with no room for its King
Will we be sleeping
Will we be sleeping

The important things in life

In today's world it seems we spend so much time filling our home with "things". I know I am guilty of it, especially after buying a new house. But, do you ever stop and wonder what you would grab if you had to "get out quickly" or if the house was on fire? Since my friends' house burned 10 years ago, I have often thought about it.

Last night when the tornado sirens went off, I wasn't really thinking my house was going to be destroyed, but I guess Hunter and Jayson were. I grabbed Katie (who was of course already in my bed), Jay grabbed Hunter and Jayson. Those were OUR "most important things". Katie kept screaming for the dogs and Hunter wouldn't leave her room without her blankie (now that's important stuff).

Jayson took the longest, he ran back into his room and grabbed something (Jay didn't know what) and then ran downstairs. The moment he arrived I knew what it was....but Jay really had no clue.

After all the turmoil was over, Jay finally asked him what was so important that he had to run back into his room during tornado sirens. Jayson showed it to him and I think Jay was actually speechless. It was a scrapbook that we had made for Jay on Father's day last year. It contained all our pictures of VT (from VTs youth to the days before he died) and our memories were written all through out it. Jayson actually keeps that book beside his bed and looks at it almost every night.

Just when the teen years make me want to scream, I get to see a glimpse of the true heart of my child. When he shows us that he knows what the important things in life really are! He could have grabbed so many things that we think he loves above all else: cell phone, video game, paintball guns. But he didn't.

Home

There was a video clip sent to me via a friend on Facebook a couple days ago. Needless to say the clip stirred some chatter among the people from my high school. It was the Governor of WV asking people to "come home to WV". The words really spoke to me. I am sure my fellow WHS classmates would be suprised to hear this, but sometimes I really long for home.

First, let me start by saying that home is where my family is. Jay and I have moved so much that I have come to the conclusion that as long as my family is safe, healthy and together, that is all that matters. We have lived in great cities and we have been back to WV. No matter where we were, we were happy.

I think about home and my thoughts immediately go to the morals and values that Jay and I were raised with. I think about the drive my husband has to work hard and to teach our children that life doesn't always come easy. I wonder if my loyalty to putting my family first would have come if I were raised in a different place. And I also wonder if I would be the compassionate and generous human being I am today if I didn't truly know the devastation poverty can bring.

But the longing I have for home may be from the simple fact that "home" isn't really there for us in the sense it used to be. Jay's parents are gone and now it's just not the same. My kids won't ever again get to play on the same lawn that my husband took his first steps on. There will be no more cook outs by Grammy and Papaw's pool and no more parties where all the family could come and hang out with us when we came for a visit. Oh, and no more snipe hunting up on the hill in the back yard. =( I didn't have the same upbringing as Jay did, so the memories of spending time in that house (especially with our children) are some of the best I have. And, losing that house is like losing a link to our families heritage.

I doubt we will ever have the desire to return to WV, but we have said that once before and God had another plan for us. When he led us back there for 3 years, we went kicking and screaming. But those 3 years were a blessing. We got to spend valuable time with family and my husband got to be there for his sick father. My kids had the same privilages there as they do here (we lived in the city then). But, to be honest, shooting bbs in the creek and riding 4 wheelers in the mountains can't be beat! Oh, and sledding behind jeeps in the 6 inches of snow rocks! Texas is great, but let's face it, we don't get that much snow here. =(

So, even though you will hear me crack a joke or two about being raised in WV (like the phones!), know that the saying "you can take the girl out of WV but you can't take the WV out of the girl" probably applies to me. And to tell the truth, I like the WV girl that I am and I really love the WV boy that I married!

So, luckily we still have some family there and we have an excuse to go visit. It's a different way of life there, but my kids need to experience that. Sometimes walking around the hill and looking at "snake valley" with your Great Gran or shooting bbs in the creek behind Papaw's house is way more educational than what my kids can learn in these wonderful (and I mean that, I really do) Texas schools.

More Proverbs 31 or Mary

I mentioned in my previous blog that I didn't think that Hunter was really paying attention to our discussion and was proven wrong. Well, it didn't even dawn on me that Katie would be listening and taking it in.

Last night after our dinner devotions Katie grabbed the Bible and started thumbing through it. I said "what are you looking for sweetheart" and she said "that story about Martha Martha Martha so we can talk about that again!"

Luckily for me, this was a good thing she was overhearing, but now I am thinking about the OTHER things she has heard. Uh oh!