IT IS MORE BLESSED TO GIVE.....

In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’  

Acts 20:35

While we were at Disney World during Christmas break, we tried to find a way to do things for others.  Each day, right before we left the parks, we would use our tickets to go get "Fast Pass" tickets to a really popular ride.   I stayed back and snapped a few pictures one day - just to get the reactions.

As we left the park, many others we just arriving.  Our kids would give our "Fast Pass Tickets" to people as they entered.  It was so much fun watching the reactions of the recipients!  One guy said, in a thick Australian accent, "WOW!  You really made my day!"  It was great! Occasionally the language barrier made some a little worried - not sure what was really happening, but for the most part, everyone was very thankful for the generosity.

One of the Sundays we were there, we decided to go to Epcot in the afternoon, after worship and lunch.  By then, there were no Fast Pass Tickets available for the popular rides, so we knew we couldn't ride them or give any tickets away that day.  During the afternoon, two kind boys came up to our two middle boys and gave them tickets for "Test Track" - a car ride!  It was so neat to see the reaction of our two - realizing that perhaps God blessed them because of their generosity during the previous days.  I thanked God for showing that generosity and giving spirit to my boys that day!  I am GRATEFUL for Him showing this truth in such a unique and fun way!

It truly is more blessed to give than it is to receive, but the Bible also teaches that when we generously give, we will be blessed.  It works both ways!

The lesson learned during our vacation was that no matter where you are or what you are doing, you can always, ALWAYS find a way to do good and be a blessing to others.  Maybe it's a kind word to a stranger.  Maybe it is giving something to a stranger.  Maybe it's buying something for a stranger.  Maybe it's just not getting angry when something doesn't go the way you had it planned.  You and I can always find a way to do good.

To see what others are grateful for on this GRATITUESDAY, visit Heavenly Homemakers!

Happy Together

Our family was gone for two weeks during Christmas break.  It was the longest we had ever been gone at one time.  We went to Disney World (WDW), but this time, instead of flying, we decided to drive.  Driving, of course, adds several days to a trip when you're 23 hours away from your destination.  But, we're glad we drove this time.  You see lots of things when you drive - things you can't see from high up in the air.  Seeing God's beautiful creation all across several states is always a treat!

My favorite thing I was excited to see was palm trees!  This is a picture of my husband and I in Pensacola, FL, where we stayed the first night.  The Gulf of Mexico is in the background.  It was COLD that morning!

We added a special thing to our regular WDW tickets this time: Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party. For this party, guests must purchase a separate park ticket.  Upon entering the "party" at Magic Kingdom, we were given special wrist bands that signified you were part of the "party". We attended the Friday, December 22, 2012, party - which was the final night of the event.  It was a lot of fun!

Party guests were served "free" hot chocolate and cookies throughout the night.  Since it was the coldest night of the trip, the hot chocolate warmed us up well!  I loved the little holly bow ties the Disney guys wore!

We rent a house, but couldn't get into the house until Saturday afternoon. A friend told us about this place.  Using our AAA membership, we got a great deal on a suite for one night.  It had a little kitchenette, three beds and a couch bed, too.  It would be a great place to stay at Kissimmee, if you're ever going that way.

We had lots of time to spare on Saturday, so we headed to Downtown Disney to look around.  It gave the kids time to go to the Christmas store there and begin picking out their yearly ornament.  I let them pick whatever they want because some day it will be theirs to take to their own homes.  The very first year I picked them out as a surprise for them.  To save space, we had the ornaments mailed to us. They should arrive this week.  Each ornament is personalized, as well.

To make the time go a little faster, my husband decided to rent a little boat for 30 minutes.  It really was a lot of fun!  Christmas music was blaring on the boat's radio and a skywriting plane was writing sweet messages about God and Jesus!  That is something that is always an inspiration when we are in Florida.  There is a skywriting plane doing that EVERY DAY!  Very, very neat!

We got to our house Saturday afternoon, went shopping for groceries, decorated a little for Christmas, and the kids enjoyed playing in the game room of the house.  

Sunday morning we drove to worship in Kissimmee and that evening we had a family worship time together.  The next Sunday we worshipped in a hotel.  It was AMAZING!  

The Orlando church of Christ sponsors the Main Gate church of Christ inside of the Baymont Inn & Suites in Kissimmee.  Each Sunday one of their elders/shepherd and one or two deacons attending the services held at the hotel. The preacher is always a guest from somewhere, who has been selected by the Orlando elders/shepherds via their website process.  The lowest attendance they had ever had was eight, I think. The highest had be 105 people, BUT on Sunday, December 30, there were 145 people there for worship!  We met people from 7 or 8 different states!  It was wonderful to worship with so many others who were vacationing,  but still took the time to worship God.  WHAT AN INSPIRATION!  What a great work the Orlando church is doing for others!

(Cinderella's Castle all lit up!)

Many years ago, I remember listening to a marriage/family seminar on tape.  It was the Breechen and Faulkner series.  Maybe you've heard them, yourself.  I remember Mr. Faulkner saying how great family vacations were - specifically he mentioned camping trips.  Mr. Faulkner was right.  Family vacations are wonderful.  You don't have to spend lots of money.  You don't have to drive to Florida.  What is important is that you spend time together.  Really together.  For our family, it takes going away somewhere to be really together.  If we stay home, there is too much to do to be together totally.  It's hard to say no to things when you're at home.  Getting away - far away - is very nice and very needed for us.

Someone teased that our 14 day trip was a lot of "together time".  I joked back that on days 10 - 14 we got on each others nerves.  That wasn't totally true, because after I thought about it, it was only days 10 and 11!!! (ha ha!).  Yes, there was one day we were tired and cranky and even tired of the togetherness.  BUT, it didn't last long and we got some rest and all was good again.  We had some GREAT conversations with our kids.  It was fun just relaxing and playing and seeing great things.  We ate some really good food - both purchased at restaurants and also prepared at our rental home.

This morning my  mind is humming the Carpenter's song, "Happy Together".  Our family time during Christmas break was just that:  A "Happy Together" time.  What great memories we'll have of Christmas Vacation 2012!!!  

Thank you, God, for the wonderful blessing of family and the time we had together during our vacation.

Recipe for a Happy New Year

A Recipe for a Happy New Year

Take twelve whole months.

Clean them thoroughly of all bitterness,

hate, and jealousy.

Make them just as fresh and clean as possible.

Now cut each month into twenty-eight, thirty, or thirty-one different parts,

but don't make up the whole batch at once.

Prepare it one day at a time out of these ingredients.

Mix well into each day one part of faith,

one part of patience, one part of courage,

and one part of work.

Add to each day one part of hope,

faithfulness, generosity, and kindness.

Blend with one part prayer, one part meditation,

and one good deed.

Season the whole with a dash of good spirits,

a sprinkle of fun, a pinch of play,

and a cupful of good humor,

Pour all of this into a vessel of love.

Cook thouroughly over radiant joy,

garnish with a smile,

and serve with quietness, unselfishness,

and cheerfulness -

You're bound to have a happy new year.

-- Author Unknown

But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 3:13-14

God has blessed us with this new year.  Let's use this new year to serve Him, to glorify Him, and become more like His Son.  Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas!

From my family to yours!

Seeing Their Faces

It was horrible enough hearing about the tragedy in Connecticut....knowing so many young ones were killed, but something about seeing their little faces made it even worse.  I made myself watch it long enough to see their faces and hear some of their stories, but then I turned it off.  Seeing their faces made it even more real.  Hearing their stories was both heartbreaking and heartwarming.  I could imagine that I would want to tell my child's story if in that same situation - anything to help remember my loved one and share them with the world.  I didn't want to see their faces, but knew I should.  I needed to because I felt like I owed it to them and their families - to help remember and not forget.

Think about "seeing their faces", my husband mentioned abortion and how perhaps if the babies' faces were seen people would realize that it really is murder.  I think he's exactly right.

It's not just a blob of matter without a soul.  It is a baby.  A human. A life.  A little precious child from God who has no choice whether to live or die.  That decision is in the hands of the doctor and up to the decision of  the parents or grandparents - mostly the mother.

I'm thankful for young mothers I know who may or may not have their child's father in their life, and may be mostly or solely raising their child on their own, but who chose life for their baby.  They chose life when, in some ways,  it could have seemed easier to abort.

I am also thankful for those who unselfishly have given their child life, but loved the child enough to realize they weren't capable of parenting for whatever reason and decided to give their child to a loving home to be raised.  Several friends have adopted children and what a special thing to do - to give a life to someone wanting a baby to nurture and love.  That seems like an ultimate sacrifice of unselfishness and love.  Yes, it would be hard, but choosing life is still the best choice.  It's the right choice according to God's Word.  Life would always be the choice in God's Word.  Destroying life is murder.  There's just no way around that fact.

Would it make a difference if a mother or dad saw the face of their unborn child before making the choice to abort?  Would a grandparent be less likely to encourage or demand abortion if they saw their grandchild's face.   I'm pretty sure it would make a huge difference, but I am fairly confident that isn't going to happy.  It would be too hard.  Too difficult to see.  It would be protested.  To know that God knitted together that precious life would certainly pull at the heartstrings of a parent - even a parent who doesn't seem to have any feelings for the life within.

Seeing their faces would make it real, but just maybe that's exactly what it would take to stop abortion.

For you created my inmost being;

you knit me together in my mother's womb.

I praise you because

I am fearfully and wonderfully made;

your works are wonderful,

I know that full well.

My frame was not hidden from you

when I was made in the secret place.

When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,

your eyes saw my unformed body.

All the days ordained for me

were written in your book

before one of them came to be.

Psalm 139:13-16