HOLIDAYS AND THE TRUE MEANING

Yesterday Clark and I celebrated our 46th wedding anniversary! For dinner, we ate at a nice restaurant, and our daughter Bethany & son-in-law Kurt went with us to help us celebrate--then they paid for our meal :). How sweet. They will be leaving us soon, but this month with them has been fabulous.

And, here are my anniversary roses from Clark:

We've had quite a ride in our 46 years as husband and wife, but the Lord has blessed us tremendously with our lives together. I thank Him daily for bringing us together.

Now, go and celebrate Christmas, enjoy your time with your friends and loved ones, and never forget the "reason for the season"! Merry CHRISTmas!

CHRISTMAS DOXIE #19: HOWLELUIA!

Less than a week until Christmas--are you ready?  I wrapped the last of our presents yesterday.  Hey, I even wrap the stocking stuffers because it's more fun for the grandchildren that way!

We always get the animals in our family something as well:  the two doxies, Shadow and Duke, and the four cats:  Aslan, Piper, Tate, Joey, and Winston.  Oh, Clark and I don't have any of them except Duke; the others belong to our daughters and their families. 

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

CHRISTMAS DOXIE #1

I will be posting a "doxie a day" in the days leading up to December 25.  Isn't this little fella cute in his Santa hat?

Of course, ever mindful of the true meaning of the holiday (Jesus is the reason for the season), our family always celebrates our Lord's birth on Christmas Day.  Oh, we don't think there's anything wrong with Christmas trees, holly, stockings,  etc.--the traditional favorites--we just want to put HIM first in our celebration.

So . . . with my own personal kickoff of the season, MERRY CHRISTMAS!

BEYOND THE HYPE AT CHRISTMAS

 

Christmas is even more under fire this year - elements are pushing to have it renamed, calling its trees "holiday" trees--but if Christ had not been born in that stable in Bethlehem, we wouldn't even be discussing this holiday today.

I haven't seen any protest over the holy days of other faiths, have you?  

In our family, we say "Merry CHRISTmas" because that's what it is.  What could be more joyous than the fact that the Son of God was born - in order to die in my place - so that I could have the opportunity to receive Him as Savior - and by doing so, obtain eternal life?

Celebrating His birth respectfully is the LEAST I can do.  MERRY CHRISTmas!!

"For God so loved the world that He gave his one and only son that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.  For God did not send His son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world  through Him."  John 3:16-17 NIV