Big Papa's Celebration

This past weekend we celebrated Big Papa's (my Papa's) 80th birthday!



We kicked off the weekend with a dinner at our house.



Papa ate up the time with his great grands!



and gigi enjoyed the time she had with baby shep!



Big Papa read a Christmas Story to Emily about the birth of Baby Jesus.



We all enjoyed the time we were able to spend with each other!



After dinner we went to Flowers to look at The Christmas Lights. Christian enjoyed his view very much! He was very attentive.



Here are Kevin & Cousin Chad showing off their pride and joy!



Tyler enjoying his Big Papa!



And uncle Keith enjoying sweet Emily!



Here is my cowgirl!



And Uncle Rick Loving up on His Kaitlin Jane!



Papa eating up time with Emily Grace. I wonder how old she will be when she gets her first horse!




Emily is a natural horse lady for sure!



Who doesn't love Chad? Emily asked for him all week long!



Big Papa with his great grand Emily Grace



The coolest thing about last weekend was we had so many baby sitters! Including Ty Ty!



Christian & Daddy got some quality time!



And the whole crew got to hang out!



I even got to ride with Emily for the first time!



I nearly had a heart attack when I saw this! Emily was two before she rode for the first time!



This is after Chad, who promised to lead Chrissy, left her riding solo with Tuffy leading the way back to the barn. Chrissy is a better spirit than I!



Here are all the great grands minus Aiden.



This is back at Mom & Dads where we had our low country boil! These are the brothers with their proud Daddy!



These are the grandkids minus Alisa (we missed you Alisa!) with Papa



Here is Papa as we had a time of honoring him.




Here is Baby Aiden with his Big Papa!



Here are the men getting lunch ready!



And here is the low country boil!



More of Daddy and Baby Shep!



Look! Its Emily with a coke! Just kidding~ That was Ty Ty's!



Beautiful Kaitlin!



Tyler is going to be such a great Daddy!



Handsome!



Dad going back for seconds!



A Good Ole' Reunion!



Mama Love!




A unique perspective!



Hey Good Lookin!



Big Papa Getting Love!



Reunion!



Chads the greatest!



Daddy & Emily wrestling!





Papa and all the great grands!

We had a great time and look forward to our next gathering!

We Love You Papa!

A Multitude of Heavenly Host

"And behold, an angel of The Lord stood before them, and the glory of The Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid.

Then the angel said to them,

'Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people.

For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.

And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.'

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying:

'Glory to God in the highest,
And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!'"

Luke 2:9-14

Last night we celebrated my Father in Laws birthday. As we were sitting in Papa Don & Mama Donna's living room, Papa Don called to my attention a scripture that I had read many times, but never caught the magnitude of the words.

Did you notice in the above scripture, a multitude of angels were in the sky praising God. Can you even begin to imagine what this must have looked like?

Emily's Bible says it well, in The Jesus Storybook Bible...

"They (the shepherds) turned around. Standing in front of them was a huge warrior of light, blazing in the darkness. 'Don't be afraid of me!' the bright shining man said. 'I haven't come to hurt you. I've come to bring you happy news for everyone everywhere. Today, in David's town, in Bethlehem, God's Son has been born! You can go and see him. He is sleeping in a manger."

Behind the angel they saw a strange glowing cloud- except it wasn't a cloud, it was angels...troops and troops of angels, armed with light! And they were singing a beautiful song:'Glory to God! To God be Fame and Honor and all our Hoorays!"

Can you even imagine standing in that field and seeing such a sight?

Lets not let the familiarity of this Season drown out the magnitude of the event.

JB Phillips puts it well when he said,

"By far the most important and significant event in the whole course of human history will be celebrated, with or without understanding, at the end of this Season, Advent. The towering miracle of God's visit to this planet on which we live will be glossed over, brushed aside or rendered impotent by over-familiarity....Does he (the believer), for instance, as he daily treads the surface of the planet, reflect with confidence that 'my God has been here, here on this earth'? Does he keep his faith wrapped in a napkin as a precious thing and apart; or does he allow every discovery of the truth to enlarge his conception of the God behind this immensely complex universe? And does he then marvel and adore the infinite wisdom and power, which so humbly descends to human stature? We rejoice in the fact that God has actually been here- and that is one half of the meaning of Advent."

WOW~

Are you as convicted as I?

JB Phillips mentions the one-half of advent...what is the second? It is Christs return. Let us prepare our hearts for His Coming once again.

Join me this Christmas Season. Invite the Lord Jesus into your heart again and again. Let Him examine your heart. Humbly receive correction. Gratefully receive instruction and let us prepare our hearts for His Glorious arrival onto this planet earth once again. For we know not the time nor hour, but we know for certain of its existence.

Carry your Cross

"Then Jesus said to His disciples, 'If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross, and follow Me.'"

Matthew 16:24

It seems difficult to read such a statement.
Immediately what is brought to my mind are the daily struggles I face each day.



Which indeed are miniscule compared to what they could be!



The battle of time. I move from caring for the kids, to caring for the home to preparing meals, washing dishes, folding laundry and calculating finances.

When I am always asking... when is there time for me!

To read a book (on parenting none the less!) or go for a walk or simply...wash my face!



And yet these beautiful faces are always there. Looking up to me beckoning me to take up my cross and follow after Him!

The daily grind of dog hair and unending dishes. Diapers and water on the bathroom floor. No showers and temper tantrums...these are my daily crosses that I have been called to bear.

What a beautiful family God has given me to care for!



A wonderful godly husband and two beautiful children. More and More I must learn to deny myself, my needs and my wants to serve my family. The world preaches a much different message. The world tells us to look out for number one... which is you. The magazines, the self help books, the popular talk show hosts, they all preach self preservation.

But imagine the impact this will have on our families, if we are all looking out for number one? One thing I have learned recently is that conflict is sure to come when we demand our rights. But peace comes when we surrender and trust God to provide our needs.



Yes, The Lord of This Advent Season proclaims~ you've got to deny yourself if you are to follow me.

This is no easy task. (Even now, I feel guilt ridden because my husband is in bed alone reading star wars while I am typing on the computer!) I find myself each day at some point carrying my cross but grumbling and complaining all the while so that those around me must suffer too.

But this is not the cross Christ has called us to carry. If we are to carry His Cross, then it is requisite that we do so with a willing spirit. Yea, readily and gladly we must embrace the Cross He has given us to bear. For it is a glad heart that brings Him joy!

Thank You Lord for The Cross You Carried. Please help me to bear my cross each day with joy as an act of worship & service unto Thee.

"Then Mary said, 'Behold the maidservant of The Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.' And the angel departed from her."

Luke 1:38

"My eyes have seen Your Salvation"

"For my eyes have seen Your salvation Which You have prepared before the face of all peoples, A light to bring revelation to the Gentiles, And the glory of Your people Israel."

Luke 2:30

These were the words spoken by Simeon about 40 days after the birth of Christ, when Jesus was brought into the temple by His parents to fulfill the Jewish custom described in Leviticus 12.

Can you imagine carrying your newborn into the quiet of a temple and suddenly, a man approaches you and proclaims your son is The Messiah bringing Salvation to a nation?

During this Christmas Season, we must ask ourselves, why did He come?

According to Simeon, Jesus was a light, Jesus Is a Light, bringing revelation to the Gentiles, bringing light to us.

We were once aliens, once strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, without God...

"But now in Christ Jesus you who were once far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ...For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation..." Ephesians 2:13-14



Simeon goes on to say in Luke, now speaking directly to Mary,

"Behold, this Child is destined for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign which will be spoken against (yes a sword will pierce through your own soul also) that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed."

This was no subtle statement spoken to Mary who was probably only a teenager.

Yes her Child would be the Peace of a lost nation, The Source of Reconciliation, but her Child would also be spoken against and cause the fall of many in Israel.

A Light shining in the darkness, exposing the hidden thoughts of many hearts ~ revealing the emptiness ~ revealing the corruption ~ revealing the hardness and pride that would ultimately bring death.

Fellow Sojourner ~ please do not allow Christs Light to ever push you into a corner of condemnation. For this was never His plan nor His intention. Only The Enemy would do such a thing.

Read His Word to you, study and praise Him as the scales fall from your eyes. As the conviction comes, fall on your face before Him ~ He will receive you with loving open arms. Receive healing and walk away, sinning no more.



"Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?

She said No one, Lord

And Jesus said to her, Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.

Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying 'I am The Light of The World. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have The Light of Life."

John 8:10-12



Jesus came as God's Chosen Deliverer. To rescue mankind from sin and death to enable them to experience eternal life to know a new quality and dimension of existense.

Jesus came to reconcile us to our Creator by bringing light into our lives.

As the light comes it will no doubt reveal darkness in our lives, but we musn't let the darkness drive us to despair. Let the darkness drive you to the restoration of The Light.

During this time, when we remember the Birth of Our Lord and Savior, draw near to Him and yet nearer still. Receive the peace that only He can offer. His arms are open wide, waiting for you, yes even longing for you to return to Him, your Abba Father.

Stronghold

"I will love You, O LORD, my strength. (power & vigor)
The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer;
My God, my strength (power & vigor), in whom I will trust;
My shield and the horn of my salvation, my STRONGHOLD (a well fortified place)
I will call upon The LORD, who is worthy to be praised;
So shall I be saved from my enemies."

Psalm 18:1-3

Love Him today.
For He is your ultimate strength, power & vigor, pure & clean.
Let Him be The Rock on which you stand.
Let Him be a fortress surrounding you, protecting you from worries, fears, doubt & hopelessness.
Let Him deliver you from yourself unto a life of submission to His liberating ways.
He is your God, Your strength, power & vigor.
Trust in Him and in Him alone!
Let Him be your shield, a broad piece of armor as a defense from the ways of this world that eat away at your spirit.
Let Him be your stronghold, a well fortified place, lifting you above the defeat you feel you cannot rise above.
Call upon The LORD!
He IS worthy to be praised!
He will save you from your enemy!

Bless The Lord O My Soul and all that is within me Bless His Holy Name.