Movie Monday - Give Me Jesus

Christmas Eve

Art Drawing for Santa.....check

Cookies for Santa....check

Hot Cocoa for Santa....check

Carrots and Celery for the Reindeeer....check

Olivia tucked into bed fast asleep....um....nope.

The Silent Monks Sing

Freedom

The other night, I caught the end of an interview on FOX News with Annie Laurie Gaylor, the Co-President of the Freedom From Religion Foundation. During this interview, they showed a spot in a public space which displayed a Christmas Tree, a Nativity Set and a placard sign which read, "At this season of THE WINTER SOLSTICE may reason prevail. There are no gods, no devils, no angels, no heaven or hell. There is only our natural world. Religion is but myth and superstition that hardens hearts and enslaves minds. - Placed by the Freedom From Religion Foundation on behalf of its State Members"

Wow.

I wish I had seen the entire interview. Obviously, the sign was a big part of the story. Ms. Gaylor shared that she was a third generation "free thinker." She was proud of the fact that her parents did not "indoctrinate" her with with religion. My, oh my....she has no idea what she is missing.

When the interviewer asked if she could pray for Ms. Gaylor, she replied, "You can pray, but it would be a waste of your time because there is no god who is going to hear or answer your prayers." The entire interview was disturbing. I found myself weeping for Ms. Gaylor. She is deceived...and doesn't have a clue. And then I thought about the many people who are influenced by this Freedom From Religion Foundation and then I got angry.

If you're reading this...and you're a Christian, say a prayer for Annie Laurie Gaylor.

Ah ha...I found the interview on YouTube:



Unbelievable.
Pray. We all need to pray - more than we do!

The Majesty...in the details...

This morning while I was spending some time with the Lord, I happened across the following video. As I watched, I was especially impressed with the last two photographs. From the intricate beauty of the flower to the majesty of the stars in the heavens, He created it all. Created for His glory, for us to enjoy. It reminded me that He is a God of details. He cares about the smallest things in our lives, yet is the Keeper of the Stars! Oh, how blessed we are to be called His! Glory in the Highest!

Movie Monday - The Story of the Birth of Jesus

Fun in the snow!

After Olivia made this huge snowball (the beginnings of her snowman), Brillo Man started up the tractor and pulled her around the property on her sled. She had a blast! She told me that her Dad is "The Best Dad in the whole wide world!"

Click on the Image to Read....

The Greatest Gifts....

This morning I woke up and donned my Christmas sweatshirt in anticipation of joining the elementary students at Olivia's school for what I hoped would be a morning full of fun and shopping at Santa's Workshop. Honestly, I wish I could say that I was looking forward to the experience with a joy-filled heart...but I must admit I was dreading it just a bit. Frankly, I didn't know what to expect, having never volunteered at Santa's Workshop in years prior.

When I arrived, the tables were filled to overflowing with gifts for every age group. Bibs and bobbleheads, screwdrivers and ice scrapers, crayons and candles - even a huge stack of T-shirts proudly printed with the Pittsburgh Steelers logo which Wendi, the elf-in-charge, had managed to snag from a JCPenney's sales rack at a mere $1.99 each! (Marked up to $2.50 for the sale - the school makes a small profit and there will be a lot of happy Steelers fans on Christmas morning!) I was amazed at the large variety of items that had been donated and watched quietly from my post as "Elf-in-charge-of-wrapping-breakable-items-to-insure-that-they-survive-the-bus-ride-home" as the children streamed in with excited exclamations!

"Wow!"
"Cool!"
"Look at all those toys on that table, do you think I can buy something for me too?!"
"This is going to be super!"
"My Mom HAS to let me wrap these presents because I'm the one doing all the shopping!"
"I can't wait! How much am I allowed to spend?!"

....those were just a few of the things I heard as the kids got their first glance of the huge array of gifts spread before them.

As the minutes ticked by and I wrapped dozens of breakable ornaments, candle holders, coffee mugs and picture frames, I was blessed by the conversations I had with each child who visited my table. One young boy handed me a Christmas mug with its matching ceramic coaster and said, "I'm buying this mug for my Grandma Sue because she gets up very early every day and has a cup of coffee and reads her Bible."

I stopped and looked up from my wrapping as he continued to name each person for whom he had chosen a gift and shared with me the reason behind each purchase. I don't remember any of the other gifts or any of the other reasons, because I was so struck by his comments about his beloved Grandma Sue. And I wondered if Grandma Sue is aware of the awesome legacy she is leaving in her precious Grandson's heart...teaching him the importance of God's Word through her actions. I wonder if she knows how a simple cup of coffee and time with God and her Bible is touching lives around her. Not just the lives of her family, who see her devotion, but also the lives of others...like those wrapping up breakable items at the school's Santa's Workshop!

Grandma Sue reminded me to pay more attention to the legacy that I'm leaving my daughter, Olivia. I pray that Olivia recognizes, as she observes me, the importance of serving the Lord. I'm afraid that I fall far short in so many more ways than I care to think...

So Lord, thank You, for this reminder to pay more attention to the legacy that I leave behind, for that indeed, is the greatest gift I can give my daughter.

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Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely
so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen
or let them slip from your heart
as long as you live.
Teach them to your children
and to their children after them.
-Deuteronomy 4:9

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Movie Monday - George Winston - Carol of the Bells

Movie Monday - Dancing Dog

My Niece - The Violin Virtuoso

My sister's daughter, Rachel (age 14) playing a solo in the Stow Youth Symphony Orchestra in Stow, Ohio. Lori tells me that my other niece, Julia (10), has been invited to play her guitar with the orchestra as well and will begin rehearsing with them in January. I'm almost as proud of them as their Mom and Dad!