An Awesome Christmas Gift

The coolest thing happened this morning. We got a phone call and the caller id said "Wichita Falls" well, I answered the phone and this person wished us a Merry Christmas and insisted that I guess who he was. After talking a few minutes more, I recognized the voice as one of the policemen that we were buddies with in WF. Jerry was Chaplain Commander of the WFPD when we lived there and we would often have several of them stop by for dinner or to visit and Jerry rode with them on patrol on a regular basis.
One of the officers on the phone proceeded to tell us that one of the reasons for their call that day was that he had asked Jesus into his heart! WHOOP! He called to tell us because he is getting ready to share his testimony this next week at church for baptism and that Jerry was a huge part of that story. God had used him to develop a relationship with this man that was bitter at God to open his heart several years ago, as Jerry was his friend and loved him and invested in the friendship even though this man wasn't ready to accept Christ at that point.

What a blessing that phone call was! God allowed us to see how he had used us in Steve's life. God doesn't always work that way. Often he just calls us to live what we believe and love no matter what, but sometimes we don't get to see the fruit of that labor, but we must keep on loving even when we can't see!
Thank you, Jesus (and Steve) for the best Christmas gift of the season!

Ten on Tuesday - Christmas

Ten things I love about Christmas:

1. The real meaning of the season...JESUS!

2. Family time...uninterrupted.

3. Christmas music...especially the oldies, Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby, Nat King Cole, Kenny and Dolly...then always George Strait.

4. Giving...handmade goodies are the best!
5. Playing games and watching Christmas movies (which is your favorite?) with the whole family.

6. Gingerbread and ice cold milk. Hot cider and hot chocolate.

7. Sitting by the Christmas tree at night when everyone else is asleep for my quiet time, reflecting on sweet memories.

8. Christmas cards- catching up with old friends and extended family.
9. The excitement of the children when they open their gifts...don't ya just love it?

10. Christmas lights, driving around in the car all wrapped up in blankets (we don't turn the heat on for effect) and singing Christmas carols, sipping hot chocolate...it's the best.

Gingerbread Day!

I'm so excited. We don't have a ton of Christmas traditions, but the one my children and I look forward to every year is Gingerbread Day! We spend the whole day making gingerbread cookies from my Grammie Murray's recipe. It is an all day process and I can hardly wait. We eat them til we're going to pop! These are some pics from last year...will post this year's pics soon...

Friendships

We moved last week, and as we went through this move, I was reminded that there are all different kinds of friendships. I am extremely blessed with awesome friends. I appreciate their differences...as God has ministered to me through them...they are His hands and feet in my life.

The friends who brought meals just when I thought if I eat fast food again, I'd throw up...
The friend who was there when I was so overwhelmed and exhausted that I cried...she just held me and understood...
The friend who took up the slack at the candle shop so I could pack and paint...
The friend who prayed for someone to come paint with me because she was too far away and couldn't help...
The friend who was the answer to that prayer and came to paint for two full days...
The friend who texted me every morning from TX just to let me know she was thinking of me and praying for me...
The new friends who came over and said, we want to help make this your home, this is what we can do...
The friend who came over and packed my entire kitchen because the movers were coming the next morning...
The friends who came over and unpacked the new kitchen...
And lastly, to my best friend and husband, who has put up with my many meltdowns in this our fourth (and last for a very long time) move in twelve months.

God has been good!