28 Dec White Christmas 2009!

Friends – this is a long blog, but I hope you’ll read through it to the very end!

Wow!  We had the most beautiful white Christmas here in Big D!  The first since 1926 and only the 3rd time in 150 years that there has been snow on Christmas!  It started Christmas Eve afternoon and kept falling until about 9:00 that night.  I felt like the Lord did it just for me!!  In fact He woke me up so early on Christmas morning so I could take it all in and get some pics.  I think snow is one of the things He does best!! Here’s a little bit for you to see…

My “He is Risen” Easter Cross is still in the front yard!!

A view from inside — with crown of thorns at the top of the tree!

So, John took off Saturday afternoon with the Cowboys for the Redskins game in DC on Sunday night (Yea… another win!  We’re in the playoffs!).  I was home, alone, trying to clean up all the Christmas wrapping stuff that has taken over the guest bedroom.  “Taken over” is a gross understatement.  You can’t see the bed.  But before I tackled that I thought you wouldn’t mind me sharing some of my favorite creative Christmas gifts from this year.

Let’s start with my stocking that “Santa” stuffed with all sorts of … things.  I bet you didn’t get anything like this: Zebra striped binder clips in a zippy pouch!!!  Santa said he knew I liked animal print shirts.  Now I have binder clips to go with them!  That Santa sure is stylish!

OK, how ’bout a multi-colored set of Sharpie pens – the kind you can use in your Bible and won’t bleed through the page – my personal faves.  That Santa is so thoughtful.

A spiral bound index card book in PINK!  Seriously!  And Santa had no idea that I was about to start a new Scripture memory book with my Sistas at the Well on Jan. 1st!

And… a shwanky new black and white pen that Santa said looks like me.  ?   I think Santa made a last-minute stop at Office Depot… just for moi!!

Oh, and every girls “must have” of the year: the new Starbuck’s key chain card for those quick dashes into the Mother Ship for my favorite coffee or tea!

Take a look at what Santa left for JT.  Lots of cool stuff.  Really cool stuff like “luxury” soaps; his all time fave Altoids in two sizes; some “Peace of Mind” gum (another fave); an iTunes gift card that I’m almost certain he doesn’t know how to use.  Oh yes – the “No Puffery” Cooling Mask for Puffy Eyes from Origins.  🙂  And, uh oh… a bag of cocoa “coal” kettle corn!  You can’t find any of that stuff at Office Depot – that’s for sure!  That Santa is CRE-A-TIVE!

Now this is absolutely the cutest thing ever!   It’s “Nana” the French cheese grater that our daughter, Christin, picked up for me when she made a trip to Paris in the fall.  Darling!  Love it!

This one brought me to tears.  Christin had this made for me.  It’s the acrostic that I used for CHEMO during my treatments:  Christ Has Eliminated My Opponent!  Can’t believe she did that for me… sweetest girl!!   Love it so much!

Another fave: my new key chain with caricatures of the grandgirlies!  It’s such a very official grandmother kind of thing!  I just love, love, love it!!  Just put my keys on it.

The 3 grandgirlies!  Adriene, Josie & Adair (L-R)

And my sweet Mother made me a beautiful and sentimental scrapbook (with the help of my Aunt Jody) that also brought me to tears!  Yes, I am 51 years old, but there is never a better time to get a scrapbook of your childhood memories than now… when you can hardly remember your childhood, and when you’ll actually sit down and read it and cherish the memories!  Thank you, Mother (and Jody).  That just takes the cake!!

Yes.  That is me.  In the ruffles.  (I think the Michelin Tire man was my twin.)

Such wonderful, thoughtful and creative gifts.  But the most wonderful… the most thoughtful and the greatest gift of all is the gift that God gave to each of us over 2000 years ago in Jesus!

“For God so loved the world that He gave His One and Only Son that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16

The question is this: Are you a whosoever? Have you accepted this gracious and loving gift of life?

There is never a better time than right this very minute, at the end of one year and the beginning of the next… as a brand new decade awaits you, to accept the gift of love that God has made available to each of us in Christ Jesus.  It’s the most important decision you will ever make… and you will never regret it!  This generous and loving gift of God will do more for you than you can imagine; it will set you free, give you hope, bring you peace and remove the burden of sin from your life… forever!

“Come now, let us reason together,” says the LORD.

“Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow…”

Isaiah 1:18

Don’t just dream about a “White Christmas” – you can experience it for real… in Jesus!   And you can do that right this very minute wherever you are.  He is knocking, waiting for you to answer and accept His gift.  Oh, dear friends, it would be my great joy and honor to lead you to His arms with this prayer:

Dear Lord,

I admit that I am a sinner in desperate need of a Savior. I have done many things that don’t please you. I have lived my life for myself and I am truly sorry.  I repent of my sins, I ask you to forgive me and wash me white as snow.   According to Your Word, there is only one Name by which a man or woman is saved, and that is the Name of Jesus (Acts 4:12, Romans 10:14).  I know that if I confess with my mouth that Jesus is Lord of my life, and if I believe in my heart that You have raised Him from the dead, I shall be saved.   Jesus, I believe that You died on the cross for me, to save me. You did for me what I could not do for myself.   So I come to You now and ask You to take control of my life; I give You all that I am and all that I am not.  I give You permission to come into my life, clean me up, fill me with Your Spirit, and to empower me to live the life You died to give me.  Help me to know You better and to live every day in a way that pleases You.

I love You, Lord, and I thank you that I never have to wonder again where I will spend eternity, because I know that I will spend it with You (I John 5:13).

In Jesus’ Name I pray.  Amen.