Are you rich?

At this time of year money can be a big concern. How much can I spend on Christmas presents? How much should I spend? Should I charge anything or just buy what I can with the cash I have?
Then I found this quote from George Foreman:
"I've been poor with millions of dollars, and I've been rich when I was broke. Money never gave me any real joy, but with God in my heart I'm a rich man no matter what."

Joy at Christmas, then, (and all year long for that matter) doesn't come from things we buy and give. It comes from the love of God in our hearts that we give away to the others around us. And the best part of all is that God's love never diminishes. In fact, it seems to grow - the more we give it away, the more we receive!

I have great kids!

I am so proud of my kids, and so thankful for all that God has done in their lives. I do not take the credit for what fine people they have turned out to be. All the glory goes to God. After all, He loves them more than I do, and He's able to help them and teach them far more than me.
My oldest son, Brenton, is such a good husband and father - mostly because he realizes he's not perfect, is trying to become a better person, and relies on God for wisdom and strength. His wife, Stephanie, is a wonderful daughter-in-law. She loves Brenton and tries to help him to be the best person he can be. She is very generous and loving, and she's a great mom.
Aaron, my second son, has a very big heart. He calls just to see how I'm doing. He helps his siblings, even when they bug him.
Jeff, my third son, is more mellow than his brothers. He has worked so hard- in college, in hockey, and in his job. This week he is the MIAC hockey athlete of the week.
And then there's Carrie - my awesome daughter. She's had to grow up with three older brothers. She is so smart and courageous, and loves little kids. She is getting an A in her Apologetics class so far this term. She's my traveler. Last year she studied in Guatemala and then worked in L.A. This January she's going back to Guatemala for three weeks. She had her almost-three year old niece over for a sleep over last weekend and thought of great activities for them to do together.
It makes me feel so good that my kids love each other, and are willing to help each other. It is also so nice to know that they all have a personal relationship with God and are trying not only to grow in their faith but alos to reach out to others.
Thank you, Lord, for my family!

Christmas Shopping

Last night I started my Christmas shopping and I found out something. It's not the shopping I dislike, as I had written in my blog yesterday, but rather it's not knowing what to buy that I don't like. I went shopping at the General Store in Hopkins and had the best time looking at Christmas decorations and all the neat stuff they have. I was able to make decisions on a couple of gifts. I continued shopping in Maple Grove and found a couple more gifts. I feel great because I got a good start on my Christmas list, and have ideas on what to get for my family. Tonight I'm going home to start making my Christmas cards, and mayne put up the tree. I really do like Christmas - and maybe I'll like it even more if I don't leave everything till the last minute!

4 weeks till Christmas

The long Thanksgiving weekend is over - and its time to start thinking about Christmas. Craig and I put our Christmas lights up outside two weekends ago - when the weather was warmer - and now I'm so glad we did. We can enjoy them for the whole Christmas season. Now I can turn my attention to decorating inside. Each year I think I simplify my Christmas preparations a little more. I have found that if I try to do too much I am sick by the time Christmas comes and then I don't enjoy it very much. So I put up fewer decorations, and buy fewer gifts. I try to concentrate on the things that bring my family and me the most joy. I still like to make my own cards - and I love getting Christmas cards. I love having the Christmas tree up with all the lights on it. Shopping, however, is way down on my list of favorites. Hopefully I'll be able to put together a short list and get my gifts in just a few trips. After all (even though I now have two boys in the retail business) Christmas is not about spending money. It's about God's love for us - how He loved you and me so much that He sent His Son to earth as a baby. He grew up and experienced everything we do - but He never sinned. And then He gave up His life to die on a cross - to pay for our sins. We just need to find the best ways to share God's love with others - on Christmas and all year long.

A Wonderful Thanksgiving

Today we celebrated Thanksgiving, and it was a wonderful day! Jeff and Carrie came over about noon, and Aaron and Graham came about 2:00. On Tuesday night Craig askede me if we couod have turkey. Thankfully, I hadn't shopped for groceries yet. So I changed the menu. I bought a nine pound turkey, a couple of potatoes and sweet potatoes. We cooked our small turkey in a turkey fryer and I baked the potatoes and sweet potatoes. We added stove top stuffing and corn, and Jeff, Carrie and I had a great lunch.
After Aaron and Graham got here we watched football for a while and then played cribbage. At suppertime Craig's family came over and we had the "football food" Aaron wanted - BBQ meatballs, chicken wings, cheese dip and chips, fruit, etc. One tradition I had to make was pickle wraps - pickles wrapped in cream cheese and corned beef then sliced. I made apple dumplings and pumpkin cheesecake for dessert.
This was a wonderful day. We did a lot of laughing, shared memories, and just enjoyed being together. I hope your Thanksgiving was wonderful too!

Bethel Hockey

Last weekend Jeff and the Bethel men's hockey team played St. Thomas. Craig and I have decided that this year we are going to try harder to not worry about the outcome of the game, but just to enjoy watching Jeff play. We were so proud of him this weekend. He played so well - he played the complete game. He played the body when he needed to, he made great passes( and got 3 assists), he rushed the puck well, back checked, had a couple of good shots... he was just fun to watch. ti was a great weekend. Bethel lost both games- Friday night 4-1 and Saturday night 6-5 in OT - but we won because we got to enjoy watching Jeff.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Two days from now we will be celebrating Thanksgiving. Have you noticed that in the retail world Thanksgiving is almost invisible - as Christmas decorations have been out since before Halloween?
I love Thanksgiving because...

• I love the smells of turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy cooking. However, my kids have requested a different menu. We're having spaghetti, and "football food." Football food is all the things you eat while watching football - you know, finger foods like chicken wings, meatballs, chips and dip, fruit, etc. This leads me to the next reason...
• I love getting together with family. When I was young we always got together with my cousins. I loved the food - but I loved being with my cousins all day even more. Now that I have my own family, I love when the kids all come home and we eat together, watch football, and play card games and board games.
• I love watching football.
• God has been so good to me - I love having a special day to be thankful. Not just my thanks as I go about my day, but a whole day to focus on just how much I have to be thankful for.

So here's the beginnings of a list of things I'm thankful for: my husband, my children and grandchildren, my parents and extended family, my job and Craig's job, our cabin, my health. I'm thankful that I have two eyes that see, hears that hear, two legs and two arms that work, teeth to chew with, food to eat, a home, clothes - enough so that I have a choice of what to wear each day. I'm thankful for the freedoms we have in America- the freedom to choose what job I want, the freedom to go to church, the freedom to be me. I'm thankful for friends and good neighbors. I'm thankful for the gifts and abilities that God gave to others that we can all appreciate - composers, musicians, artists, writers, doctors and nurses, pastors, hockey players (and other great athletes), etc. this list could go on for pages. What are you thankful for this Thanksgiving? take some time to count your blessings, to look around you and express your thankfulness to God and to the others that bless your life.

Happy Thanksgiving!

50 things I want to do next year

This morning I read the devotional from Proverbs 31 Ministeries and I was so inspired. The devotional was about giving thanks, and showing my thankfulness for the people around me. The writer started off, however, by telling how she made a list of 51 things she wanted to do the year she turned 51. A few things on her list were just for her. But others were things she wanted to do to show her thankfulness - like cooking dinner for the firemen in her town. You can read the whole devotion at the end of this blog if you'd like.
My birthday isn't until March but I think I'll start thinking about my own list. What do I want to do next year that I've always wanted to do? Who do I want to thank, and what special thing can I do to show my appreciation?
I think this would be a great thing to do as a family on New Year's Eve - make a list for the new year. Then, once a week or whenever you have time, take out the list and pick one item to do.
When I get my list complete maybe I'll share it on my blog!


November 8, 2007

Thanks and Giving
By Zoë Elmore

“From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.” Luke 12:48b (NIV)

Devotion:
Okay, I’ll admit I’m no spring chicken, but I’m still full of life; so I decided that I would spend this year doing 51 things I’ve never done before (yes, that’s one thing for every birthday I’ve had). I wanted to do things I’ve always talked about doing, but somehow just never got around to doing.

It’s been fun to use the good china & crystal everyday, as well as the nice towels. I light my favorite candle each evening when I get home from work and I even drove a Jet Ski in the Atlantic Ocean while dolphins raced beside me. I’ve checked off many things from my list this year but there are still things to do before the year is done. Not to give the impression that I’ve only been doing things for myself this year, I also have a few items on my list that will allow me to “give back” to our community. For instance, I’ve always wanted to make dinner for the firemen at our local fire station.

When a neighbor’s home recently caught fire I was so impressed with the firemen who put out the fire and the care they gave to the gentleman living in the home who needed some minor medical attention. After the hoses were rolled up and the ladders stowed I spoke to the shift captain and volunteered to cook dinner for the men of the fire station. He replied “Thank you mam, people are always dropping off cookies; but no one has ever volunteered to feed all thirty-one of us”.

Thirty-one hungry firemen, oh my goodness! What have I gotten myself into? Oh well... numbers aside I said I wanted to do this and do it I will. I think a Thanksgiving dinner would be an appropriate way to say thanks and one way to give back to the men and women who serve my community.

As Thanksgiving approaches and thoughts turn to the food and the whirlwind of details associated with that holiday, I’m reminded that my blessings are too numerous to count or even measure. So this year as the turkey roasts and the marshmallows melt on top of the yams I will rejoice in this new Thanksgiving tradition. I indeed have been given so very much and now I want to find ways to give thanks to those who give of themselves everyday. I hope my list of fifty-one things to do will inspire you to find a way to give thanks to those who serve your community. I can’t think of a better time of year to do just that.

Dear Lord, You continue to lavish your blessings upon me and I am grateful. Help me to find ways to give thanks to those who serve and protect my community. Bless them and their families with Your grace and protection. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Related Resources:
Small Acts of Grace by Alice Gray

Sponsor a child through Compassion International

Do You Know Him?

Application Steps:
Make a list of the blessings you have received this year.

When you see a fireman or policeman, do like my husband Tom does; go over and say “Thank you for your service to our community.”
Finds ways to involve your small group, Sunday School class or neighborhood in giving thanks to your community.

Reflections:
What are you doing to give thanks?

How can you encourage your family to become active in giving thanks?

Power Verses:
Acts 20:35b, “Remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.'” (NIV)

Proverbs 28:20, “A faithful man will be richly blessed, but one eager to get rich will not go unpunished.” (NIV)

Romans 10:12, “For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile--the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, “(NIV)

Wonderful Wednesday

This Wednesday was wonderful because I spent the evening with my grandchildren. When I rang the doorbell all three came running to the door crying, "Nana, Nana!" It made my heart glad. From that moment until I left I had at least one on my lap - which was just fine with me. I colored with Jake and Izzy. I read a book to Andrew. We sang songs. Izzy asked me to wrestle, so we did. She showed me her room, we ate strawberry shortcake, and did a lot of cuddling. They told me about about their preshool in Monticello, and the new house they are moving to in Northfield this weekend. It was a wonderful Wednesday!

Green Eyes of Envy

As I have thought more about my son and daughter-in-law moving, I have realized a sad fact about myself. I am envious of them. It must be so exciting to be moving to a new town, a newer house, new opportunities. I wish I was the one moving!
Twenty some years ago, when I was about the age of my son, my husband and I began to talk about moving to Seattle. After talking and praying about it, we finally decided not to move. There have been times, however, when I wish we had taken a leap of faith and moved. I know my parents would have been sad, although I know they would have visited us often.

I have decided to confess my envy, and just be happy for my son and his family. I know that although things will change, we will still be a part of their life. (Life is all about change, though, isn't it?)

So, I wish you blessings in your move, Brenton and Stephanie. I am so glad that you will only have an 18 minute commute, Brenton! You deserve that after the last two years. I am excited about your coaching job, Stephanie - you will be a great basketball coach! I thank God for how He continues to meet your needs as you continue to seek Him. I continue to pray that He would bring a buyer for your townhouse, and I know He will.

It's hard to be a parent

I thought that once my kids were grown I'd be able to let go of them easily, and to get on with my own life. Boy, was I wrong.
My oldest son called last Friday to tell me that they are moving about 1.5 hours away. They have lived just 20 minutes from us for the last 5 years. I have kind of been expecting this news. My son is starting a new job down that way and I knew he wouldn't want to be commuting 3 hours each day. My daughter-in-law's parents live in the town where they are moving. It will be nice for her to be closer to her parents. Still, I am so sad about their move. I will miss them - I will miss having my grandchildren just stop by for a visit. I will miss being able to run over to their house to see them or babysit after work. I know that God is leading them but it doesn't make me any less sad.
Today my daughter is moving to a house nearer college. I am so happy that she will not have to drive 45 minutes each way to school, especially with winter coming. But I am sad because she won't be around home- even though she most often came home when I was going to bed.
I am glad that my kids are growing up and away from us. I know that they have a solid relationship with Jesus Christ, and He will watch over them. I have done my job as a mom, and my kids are ready to be on their own. However, I find that I may not be as ready to be on my own as I thought. Thankfully, Jesus is with me too. I will just have to wait and watch for what He has planned for this new season in my life.