Christmas with Sister and Family

My sister Tracy and her husband Trac joined our family for Christmas. The heavy snow we had last Thursday, was still on the ground and allowed us a White Christmas. It was a fun weekend with lots of laughing and joking around. The Wii kept us all entertained and wore some out. I am talking about you.... Trac and the boxing thing! Ha, Ha. Rhonda (Ricks) Compton joined us for supper on Saturday night along with a game of FARKLE, which by the way I won. I currently reign as the the FARKLE Queen!!!!! Ashley and Wes leave out Thurdsay morning to go to Florida to visit Uncle Greg. Greg, Brian, Ashley and Wes will fly back in the week after New Year's to have Christmas at our house with Randal's family. We are looking forward to a another great time with family. We missed everyone who was not here on my side of the family and hope all who read this have a blessed coming year!

Christmas Spirit

Whew!!! Yey! School is out for the Holidays! It is time to catch my breath. I think I finished up my Christmas shopping today. Who would think the mall would be BUSY on a Monday? I have been wrapping presents for three days now! It's not that I have more than anyone else, it's just my A.D.D. kicks in and I get side tracked. Who would guess that??

The best part of wrapping presents, is playing Christmas music. That really gets me in the spirit! Of course, the Ransom Canyon Christmas Light trip really kicked the spirt in gear. My friend Sarah and I, forced our husbands to drive us to Ransom Canyon the other night to see the beautiful lights. Randal and Dale would never admit it, but they really liked it too! But what really made me catch the sprit of the season, was this story I shared on the Tapestry Talk. It is about a Christmas when Ashley was a little girl. I have provided a copy of the story here in this post. I hope you and your family have a wonderful and blessed Christmas!

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Years ago, when our daughter Ashley was about four-years old, the small town we lived in had its Baby Jesus stolen from the courthouse nativity scene. The absence of a Baby Jesus deeply bothered Ashley very much and she unselfishly insisted her favorite baby doll be used to take the place of the missing infant. This loving sacrifice and deep love for Jesus at such a young age amazed and humbled our family. Sometimes, I find myself caught up in the hustle and bustle of the commercial and secular aspect of Christmas. When this happens, I find the site of a Baby Jesus lying in a cradle in a nativity scene takes me back to this memory of Ashley and her sweet baby doll. This always helps me find my Christmas perspective and remember Christmas is all about the sweet Baby in the manger … our Jesus.

Big D Weekend

Had a great weekend in Dallas with some friends from South Plains Electric Coop. We watched Tech beat Baylor at the new Cowboy Stadium. Go Raiders!!!!! Lots of shopping and eating. Favorite eating place was Babe's. If you are a big fan of grandma's homestyle cooking, then this is the place for you. We highly recommend it to everyone. It really has a great atmosphere.

Ashley was with Wes in Wellington for Thanksgiving and got her first deer. It was an eight point. She is sooooo excited! When I have time I will post pictures.

The house is decorated for Christmas and we have a couple of party's planned for the coming weekend. We are hosting a Neighborhood Snack Swap for the ladies on our street next Sunday afteroon. We can't wait to get better acquainted with the families in the neighborhood.

Tis the Season!

Fall is to Die For

Dear Followers,

The church my family attends has started a women's ministry called TAPESTRY TALK - Reach, Relate, Restore and Release. It is a ministry where a group of women writer's share what they feel God has laid on their hearts to be shared with others. It is a long story, but I have felt the call to write for God for decades now and I feel TAPESTRY TALK is the place to start. I will share my work with you from time to time on this blog. The website for TAPESTRY TALK is http://www.cotrwomensministry.blogspot.com/. Check it out!!

Fall is to Die For

I absolutely, completely, totally, utterly, entirely love FALL! I love everything about it. I love how the colors of orange, gold and red magically appear in the trees every morning. The first sight of a pumpkin ignites my soul with delight. For me, “Punkins” are the official signal that fall has arrived. The fields of maize start doing their orangey-golden thing. While other flowers begin to fade and wither, the marigolds and mums have their colorful days in the sun. Again, did I say I love fall? If you think about it, besides the fall-loving plants such as marigolds and mums, the beauty of autumn is actually a result of death. The beloved colors of fall are a result of plants dying. Fresh green leaves and splashes of splendid colored flowers say good-bye to their former lives. Fall brings to my mind this verse from John:

Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.
John 12:24

In the fall, plants like maize die to turn to seed to be used as feed or to grow new plants for a future harvest. Leaves and flowers wither to reproduce even more vibrant life in the spring. Instinctively, by God’s sweet and precise design they die to come back stronger and more fruitful. As much as I love fall and all its golden glory, I have a difficult time of allowing death to occur in myself. I let pride, materialism, greed and other ugly un-Godly elements flourish. By letting them die, I can become fresh vibrant seed or fruit for God. Happy Fall!