I am SO glad to be home! We’ve been home for about an hour now. I’m checking email really quickly, just to see if there’s anything important, and then I’ll be off to bed.

I’ve been sick all week (upset stomach) and right now is no exception. It’s been off and on (like Monday and Tuesday I was very, very sick, but then felt better until Friday and today) so I’m not really sure what’s causing it. Nerves, I guess. Either way, I’m 95% sure I’m not contagious, and I can’t wait to get to bed.

I had 176 feeds on Bloglines! Can’t wait to go read everyone’s blogs…

I’ll be back on the web “full time” on Monday. Just wanted to let you know I’m home!

We definitely got a LOT more information! We had a wonderful visit yesterday with some friends as well. Now we have the information we were seeking. We’re just praying about it, and waiting for God to show us what exactly He wants us to do.

Love y’all! I miss reading everyone’s blogs, and can’t wait until I get home to check up and read everyone’s. But I’m fully enjoying our visit as well, and it will be over way too soon.

See y’all in a few days!

We will be finding out more information about a ministry we are pursuing tomorrow. Please pray that we will be able to see God’s hand in everything and that His Will will be very clear to us.

I don’t have a lot of time for a lengthy update, but I did want to just post a little one.

We are so blessed.

We are absolutely amazed and humbled at how our family reached out and gave and gave and gave and gave. It is so amazing to see exactly how God is providing for our family. So many family members gave us money for gifts this year; we are just absolutely amazed.

God is so good.

My personal favorite? The half-pound dark chocolate bar that my mom put in my stocking, lol!

Nah, not really, but it was the most, um, “funnest” gift I got! HA!

The most suprising one was a beautiful card from my brother. In it was some money, and a note stuck to the money that said, “Ssshh. Don’t say anything.” So I can’t tell you the amount. But coming from Jeff, it was very special. Like I said, we are blessed.

And Andy got me a gift card to Hobby Lobby – I cannot WAIT to go shopping!!!! Yeah!

Little man’s favorite gift was a toy chainsaw. The blade really goes around, and it makes noise. I told Stephen yesterday that that’s probably the one toy I will be excited to see the batteries die on! But Little man really loves it.

Have a great one – I’ll probably return to blogging full-time on Monday or so.

We are leaving tomorrow to spend a week with my family. I am so excited! We only get to see them every few months so each time we get to visit is a real blessing.

I may not be able to blog much this week – so don’t panic if you don’t see any updates!

Have a very Merry CHRISTmas y’all!

Today’s Christians don’t seem to realize how easily they throw away their good testimonies.

We were watching the news tonight as we usually do. I’m about ready to quit watching it – I’m sick of always hearing about the depressing things that happen all around us. On the other hand, I do like being informed about current events.

The program we were watching did a segment on churches closing for Christmas Day. I paid attention to the tv for once (I was making dinner at the time) because I was curious how the liberal media would portray it. I was a little suprised. The news program (and I don’t remember which program it was – Stephen turned it there and I didn’t pay attention to which show it was) basically questioned the “why” of closing church on Christmas Day when for years churches have held services on Christmas Day – Sunday or not.

It really made me think. Churches are closing, urging people to spend time with their families. Even the news announcer questioned putting family before God (That was one of the comments that really suprised me).

Do people realize what this does to their testimonies? Do they realize that closing church for Christmas makes them look wishy-washy – regardless of their reasons? Do they realize that it makes Christians look weak?

I understand that each church probably has their own reasons and that I don’t know the inside “why” for each decision. I also understand that the world is going to look at things quite differently than we are – and in the eyes of the world – Christians are often lumped together instead of saying, “these are liberal, those are Independant Baptist, those over there aren’t really Christians, they just say they are, and these over here – well – we won’t go there.” They just see “Christian.”

That reminds me of a mom I saw in the grocery store this afternoon with her two kids. She just kept raising her voice to her son (he looked 11 or 12) saying, “Shut up! Shut up!” She said it so loud and nasty that another shopper and I just looked at another in amazement. She sounded absolutely hateful. Then in the next breath I could hear their family talking about attending church. How sad. I wonder if she had any idea how she sounded – or the impression she was leaving on those of us who were near enough to hear what she was saying to her children.

It made me really think. Do our actions bring shame to other Christians?

Think about when Jesus was born that night long ago. Think about the stable and the circumstanced surrounding His birth.

I wonder if Jesus ever missed Heaven while He was here on Earth. I wonder if He ever longed for the day He would return home.

I wonder if the poverty He saw around Him ever made Him sad, and made Him long for the riches that waited for Him in Heaven.

I wonder…

…when you hear an ice cream truck coming down your road on December 20!

Sure enough, it’s 1 pm, and the ice cream truck just drove by. What’s up with that? Do they figure that the kids are out of school so they can drive around? Who’s gonna buy ice cream in 30 degree weather? Not me! Well, I might, but I’d rather go to the store and buy a whole bunch rather than pay $3 for one treat.

It always makes me laugh when the ice cream truck goes by anyways – it makes the dog howl every time! It just is too funny.

I wonder if they’ll still keep driving by all through Christmas break too?

Isn’t he the sweetest?

I let Little man have a blue lollipop after lunch today. He just loves them! I had to just giggle as I watched him enjoy it. Blue sticky stuff all over both hands and his mouth and chin…

I played a little game with him as I tried to kiss his forehead without him getting his sticky hands on my face or hair. More giggles.

“Can I have some?”

He offered me the lollipop – then quickly took it back.

How much sweeter does it get? My little boy is willing to share a treat with his mama. Talk about making this mama’s heart melt!

Sharing a blue lollipop with my sticky-faced son – that’s what dreams are made of!