{ramona williams}

{Happy February!}

For more February holidays - from the wacky to the unique, click here.

{Happy Holidays}

Happy Holidays! Are you having a good holiday season? I wish I could say yes. But honestly, this was not a good Christmas for me. It has been more like the movie, "Christmas Vacation" without the laughs.

Disappointments.

Set Backs.

Hurts.

 

 

 

But isn't that why Jesus came? Isn't that the real purpose of His birth? To be our Savior, Comforter and Friend during the high and low moments of life. I think we sometimes forget and allow the modern day, commercialized version of Christmas influence us -- gifts, merriment, cheer, happiness and smiles. Nothing wrong with that, but that is not always the case.

 

Luke 2:10-11   But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. {NASB}

 

Matthew 1:20-21 But when he had considered this, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife; for the Child who has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.”  {NASB}

 

During Sunday's sermon message at church, the pastor spoke of the messiness and disappointments of life during the holiday season and how God is always with us.  This message was encouraging and gave me hope.  Instead of feeling like I was robbed of the festivities of the season (after all don't we look forward to Christmas all year ), I was reminded that true joy is found in Him. With that, I will keep going. 

 

Happy Holidays.

{Remembering The Brave}

{Happy St. Patrick's Day}

This morning in church, we prayed a section of the St. Patrick's Breastplate Prayer.  It is as follows:

May Christ shield me today.
Christ with me,
Christ before me,
Christ behind me,
Christ in me,
Christ beneath me,
Christ above me,
Christ on my right,
Christ on my left,
Christ when I lie down,
Christ when I sit,
Christ when I stand,
Christ in the heart of everyone who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me,
Christ in every eye that sees me,
Christ in every ear that hears me.

Amen.

 

{Honoring Those That Have Gone Before Us - Memorial Day}

{The following is a repost from  Memorial Day Weekend 2011. These photos have even more significance since my father-in-law, Ed, recently passed away. . . } 

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This past Memorial Day weekend, we traveled to Fort Leavenworth, KS to visit the National Military Cemetery where Marc's great uncle is buried.

 

While in Leavenworth, we also visited The Buffalo Soldiers Monument. The monument (which honors the 9th and 10th Cavalry comprised of African American Soldiers) was dedicated by General Colin Powell in 1992. The calvary earned the name "Bufallo Soldiers" as a badge of honor from the Cheyenne warriors throughout the Indian Wars.

 

Looking for ways to honor the troops on Memorial Day? Check out this list -- 5 Ways to Honor Fallen Troops. 

Thank you to the troops (past and present) that have served and continue to serve our country!!

{2011 Holiday Season}

I can't believe that the 2011 holiday season is coming to a close. It goes by so fast! I'm finally feeling better now after dealing with a cold for the last two weeks or so. (Not exactly fun being sick on Christmas Day, it was more annoying than anything, thankful it wasn't the flu or anything worse, none the less.)

 The 2011 holiday season was very busy and stressful. Busy at work, tight deadlines, heavy workload. We also received news that a family member's illness had taken a turn for the worse. (But, we are still praying and believing for a miracle.) After hosting Thanksgiving, we made the decision to host Christmas Day dinner and gathering.  No complaints - we enjoyed it.  Hosting is a lot of work; it's also fun and gives you an opportunity to serve and share with those you care about.

Earlier this week, I had a few days off.  During most of the day, I slept, ate leftovers and enjoyed the holiday decor that surrounded us. (Marc & I have joked that the decor may still up until the MLK holiday in mid-January. Just kidding.)

Here are a few photos from the season.

 

Marc is adding the finishing touches to the decor in the loft area.

 

The dining room table.

Kitchen decor. (this is a free download from beckyhiggins.com)

O Christmas Tree.

  

Here's a short video of the decor taken on Christmas Day.

{Weekend Lens: Holiday Decor}

Our original holiday plan was to have all the decorations up by the weekend before Christmas.

We didn't meet that deadline.

But, the weekend turned out to be fun (and busy) with Benjamin & Brinkley over visiting us. They helped us with some of the decor, and their visit reminded us to not worry and stress  --  to enjoy each moment of the holiday season.

Christmas decor in progress. . . 

Benjamin is excited to help Uncle Marc put up the lights. Something about staple guns. . 

Future chef Brinkley is hosting a cooking show. Benjamin is the director/videographer.

By the way the oatmeal raisins cookies were delicious! Better than mine. . . :)