My Christmas Miracle

The money was burning a hole in my pocket...

Christmas was right around the corner and buying anything but socks and long john's for gifts looked slim ta none. Oh, I wasn't complaining (I try to practice what I preach), it's just that it's kinda hard when things are tight at Christmas time. I told Sweet Guy all I wanted for Christmas was the trip to spend it with my sister.

I had lost a good paying job on the 7th, but what I haven't told you is that around that same time, God gave me another one! It's not full time, but it's a job and I was so thankful!! So thankful in fact, that when the Elder talked to us about our Christmas for Christ offering, it came to me that I should put the money I made from the first month of my new job in that offering. So, that was my plan. Then, job finished, there lay that money I had promised God; Boy, I sure could use it I thought... maybe I'd just put an I.O.U. in the box and give the next month's pay so I could use it for Christmas gifts. Na, I didn't feel right about that, I had promised. I wanted to give the money, couldn't wait to give it, but man-o-man it was burning a hole in my pocket! I stuck it with some other papers in my purse so I wouldn't keep seein' it every time I opened it. But for two long weeks that-money-burned.

Finally, it was the night to take up the Christmas for Christ offering. With the money in the box there was no more temptation, what a relief! It made me feel real good! I love it when Elder reads the letters from the home mission pastors, and how what we give them has helped them so much. What a blast! I have always had a soft spot in my heart for missions.

Then Monday morning rolls around and I drag my ol' carcass to work. Thank God for work! I go in and there on the counter is a nice gift from Bath&Body Work's and a card. Cool, I think, I love stuff from that store. I leave it there and start to get busy but something tells me to go open the card. Well, as you've probably figured out, there was a check inside the card. I must admit I looked several times at the numbers to make sure I had read them right. And I had. Needless to say, I was shocked! Then I started crying like a baby. In all the nine years I have cleaned for this client, this is the first time they have ever given me a monetary bonus for Christmas! They have always given me very nice gifts, but never extra money. Let me just tell ya, that in less then 24hrs, God had given me three fold what I had given to Christmas for Christ! Oh my! now I have more money burning a hole in my pocket! Not to worry tho, it will stay put, and, in the very near future I will be sporting a new pair of specs! Yippeee! And, there just might be a few more wrapped up things come Christmas morning. God is so amazing! I can't thank Him enough for all He does for me!

To all my faithful readers,

Have a Very Merry Christmas!

Could We? A Christmas Poem

I was inspired to write this poem after I heard MJ Thompson this morning, exclaim with joy in her voice, " I think we should have Christmas for a few more months"!  I've yet to come up with a title for it so all suggestions are welcome!

????

Do you think our love for Christmas would simply fade away,
if we tried to have more of it, more weeks, more months, more days?
Would that special feeling that we get a few weeks every year,
become a loathsome hassle, or would it grow more dear?

We love to sing the Christmas carols and give the gifts we give,
and wish a Merry Christmas to the neighbors where we live
 And don't forget the tinsel and the glowing lights that wow,
and how it fills our eyes with tears, when the shepherds bend and bow.

Angels we have heard on high, the little children sing
and our hearts fill to overflowing as the bells of Christmas ring.
The cards and letters the we get are hanging by the door,
while we hope with great anticipation, that there'll soon be many more.

The preacher reads the story of the Christ child born that day.
And we give thanks to God above for sending Him our way.
We marvel that He sent His son to save us from our sin.
The greatest gift one ever gave, bringing hope and peace to men.

But could we do this all year long--Have Christmas everyday?
Could we keep the joy bells in our hearts that make us act this way?
Could we sing the joyful carols, while keeping tears at bay,
Giving gifts that keep on giving and be merry all the day?

I think I know the answer to the question in my heart,
the answer is the Savior and from us He'll never part.
Yes, Jesus is the reason and He'll never fade away,
And if we keep Him in our hearts it's Christmas everyday!

 Written by Caroline 12/19/2010

Edited by A.L.

A Top Christmas

A TOPS Christmas that is. Today we had our annual (the second for me) TOPS Christmas party and dummy me forgot to take pictures... :( But I had a grand time! I got to play the steal the gift game for the first time and really enjoyed it. There was tons of food--all low-fat...that is if you held your plate real low. One would think a weight loss club would eat nothing but carrots and salad at these parties. Well, we did, we just added some real good "dressings" on the side! I made my infamous Hash-brown potato casserole, only I didn't flambe' it this time. The party was a nice beginning to the Christmas Holiday for me, and I'm looking forward to spending some more good times with my family soon.

p.s. The scale was kind to me this week.

Blessings to all, and to all a good night!

Remember this Song?

This morning, after I got up from prayer--before I knew what was what, I was singing this old chorus. Where did that come from, says I. Reminds me of the verse in John 7:38 that says,  He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. The song flowed up from within my soul and made my heart so glad! God is soooo good!

The Answers On The Way

  
Cho.

Oh yes, the answer's on the way this I know

Jesus said it, I believe it, and it's so

Our heavenly Father knows the need before we pray

And we can rest assured, the answer's on it's way

It's been a "hundred" years since I've heard or thought about that song and I couldn't remember the verses so I asked Mr. Google to help me out. Here they are:

verse 1

Many times I'm bowed beneath a heavy load.
On bended knees to God a prayer I prayed. As I knelt there
on the floor. He reminded me once more. That the answer was already on
the way. 

 verse 2

Our Heavenly fathers no respecter in this world.
For whosoever will his word does say.
If to him you take your trouble, your blessings he will double
And you'll know then the answers on the way. 

verse 3

If there's a special need within your life my friend

and you're seeking for an answer everyday

If by faith you'll start believing

mighty soon you'll be receiving

for the answer in already on the way 

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 I have been young, and now am old;

yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, 

nor his seed begging bread.

Psalm 37:25
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P.S. Thank you Sandra D. for the song you sang last night. What a blessing it was to my soul!

Melts in your Heart, not in your Hands.

"Nim-nim, Gram, peas."

Good thing I'm not superstitious!

12/07 Update: Oh my goodness, I think someone's done made the Devil mad. I just lost one of my cleaning jobs today! Oh well, good thing God is my source! ;-)

Sweet Guy got home a little late this evening. He said he would have been home sooner except some wiseguy had a dog kennel (6ftx6ft!) fall off the back of his truck on the freeway and SG hit it. It torn a hole in in the side of the top part of the cab, broke the windshield, and put lovely scratches and dents the rest of the way down the front fender. He said if he hadn't been able to swerve the way he did he would have hit it head-on and no telling the damage or injury that would have caused. I'm sorry it torn his truck up, but I am SO thankful he didn't get hurt! The "nice" guy that lost the kennel drove off before he had to except responsibility for all the the cars that were damaged! Yes, there were several other cars that hit the kennel (one guy almost rolled his car!) before SG could go out and pull it off the freeway. It's so dark out on 180--no street lights--that people just couldn't see it to stop in time. But thank God for His protective hand! I wonder if that "nice" guy will sleep well tonight not knowing or caring that someone might have been killed?

Then, a little later, Kate was putting lights around an old Hall Tree mirror my dad made me years ago and it fell off the wall! Good Grief! Thank the Lord the glass didn't break and cut her. I'm also glad the fall didn't hurt the mirror (except for one of the hooks) because it means so much to me. I think it might be a good idea for the folks in my house to just take the rest of the night kinda easy-like and then go to bed early!

G-night all!

Exchanging Christmas Cards

We've all had to exchange things that didn't fit right?  Most stores have a 90 day return/exchange policy.

Today's Exchange Policy: Must be exchanged (with a sleight-of-hand) within 90 seconds.

I got a chuckle at my Tops Club meeting today. Judy pasted Christmas cards out to everyone with their names on the front. (I like cards that have my name on them, it means the card-giver had me in their forthought and that I didn't just happen to be standing around while they were passing them out. Just saying...) So, after meeting I was talking to Dr. Ron, and as we were talking he opened his card and read it. Inside, after the greeting, it said, "And play lots with that baby". He looked at me kinda puzzled (he and his wife are in their late seventies I think) and said, "What baby? We don't have any baby." I said maybe they accidentally put the wrong card in the envelope with your name on it. He agreed that it could well be and asked me to open mine. Mine was just the usual generic greeting of good wishes and so forth. He said, "Well, I don't' have any use for a card that says stuff about playing with babies and you have one (meaning my grandson), lets trade. So we did. Judy need never know. ;-)

What I'm Reading

(This summary taken from inside the back of bookcover)

With deft humor and a sharp eye, Laura Bush lifts the curtain on what really happens inside the White House, from presidential finances to the 175-year-old tradition of separate bedrooms for presidents and their wives to the antics of some White House guests and even a few members of Congress. She writes with honesty and eloquence about her family, her public triumphs, and her personal tribulations. Laura Bush's compassion, her sense of humor, her grace, and her uncommon willingness to bare her heart make this story revelatory, beautifully rendered, and unlike any other first lady's memoir ever written.

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I am finding this book to be fascinating. It's so interesting to get an inside look at the White House and the lives of the Presidents and Politicians who have lived and worked there. From all the thousands of little details that go into the clothes they can wear, to the parties and celebrations they give, vacations they take, what they eat, the dishes used, etc, etc... There's quite a bit of White House history in it also, which I really like to read about. It's the next best thing to being there! If I ever get it back to the library (it's a week or do overdue..oops) you might want to check it out.