Christmas!!

Christmas flew in and it flew by! Would anyone else agree? I think the anticipation is half of the fun. We had a blessed and sweet Christmas this year. Things were very different for us...not nearly so many gifts were purchased and not one single Christmas card was sent from my family. However, we didn't die and it was still wonderful. Shep and I did something that we had never done before...we opened our gifts to each other at midnight on Christmas Eve. We just spread all the gifts out on the bed and had such fun opening them and enjoying OUR time together without the kiddos. (I will never forget that and I hope it continues to be a tradition)
We were up early and the kids had such fun with their presents. Ava was in awe...how did her living room become transformed into a Toys-R-Us??? She kind of didn't know what to do. We captured her expressions as best as we could on camera. It was bittersweet, though. Zeke, of course, is too young to care about Christmas. Caroline, on the other hand, knows what is going on but it is so hard for her to play with anything so her excitement level is hard to determine. We try not to concentrate on that and just pull her in to all that Ava was doing.

Time with our families was great too. My family seemed closer than we have been in a long time. Shep's family was definitely in the Christmas spirit as well. We are so blessed!! We are loved, prayed for, encouraged, and guarded by our amazing families (and amazing friends).
The food...........oh, my...my...my.... I don't even have words......
Ham, turkey, dressing, breakfast casserole, fried pies, butter beans, hash-brown casserole, mac-n-cheese casserole, sweet potato casserole, coconut cake, cream cheese/crescent rolls casserole, apple pizza, sausage balls, haystacks, pecans, and chocolate. I am gaining weight just typing the words.

I had several moments to pause and think of my Jesus. He was my best and favorite gift. He loved on me Christmas day just like every other day. He lets me just talk and cry and laugh with Him whenever I want. His Holy Spirit residing in me is His seal and promise....He will never leave nor forsake me.


Now- here I am two days later. Sometimes the after-Christmas blues set in. I feel so silly sometimes in my walk with the Lord. I have said before that the closer I get to Him the more I feel I have to learn...
Today I feel like my 7 month old Zeke. He reminds me about every 4 hours during the day that he needs to be fed. Just like him, I have found myself running to God every few hours (sometimes minutes) needing Him to feed me....

This is how He did------------------------------------------------------------------------

Words from Streams in the Desert

"Never run from suffering, but bear it silently, patiently,and submissively, with the assurance that it is God's way of instilling iron into your spiritual life. The world is looking for iron leaders, iron armies, iron tendons, and muscles of steel. But God is looking for IRON SAINTS, and since there is no way to impart iron into His people's moral nature except by letting them suffer, He allows them to suffer.

Are the best years of your life slipping away while you suffer enforced monotony? (Yes!!) Are you afflicted with opposition, misunderstandings, and the scorn of others? Do your afflictions seem as thick as the undergrowth confronting someone hiking through a jungle? (Uh-yeah!)

Then take heart! Your time is not wasted, for God is simply putting you through His iron regimen. Your iron crown of suffering precedes your golden crown of glory, and iron is entering your soul to make it strong and brave." F.B. Meyer

Psalm 105 was the scripture reference for this devotion. The theme of this psalm is about God's mighty deeds in bringing Israel to the promised land. Remembering his miracles encourages us to keep living close to him.

He knows exactly how to encourage me for He knit me together and knows me better than anyone.

Be still my soul and trust only in Him...