Christmas

I'm glad I decided to let Christmas be good, even if it wasn't perfect (see my last post), because that's the kind of Christmas it was.

It begins with good news: Don got a job!  He's working at Vanderbilt Hospital and seems to like it so far.  He started last Monday, but . . .

He was REALLY sick that day, and all week, so it was a rough first week for him, trying to adjust to a new schedule, learn a new job and find his way around a HUGE hospital, while feeling terrible.  Thankfully, he only had to work 3-1/2 days last week.  He is mostly, but not completely better now, and still trying to find his way around the hospital.

Since business at hospitals doesn't stop for weekends and holidays, he will have to work some of both but, thankfully, he got to be off on Christmas.  However, Cooper had a temp of over 102 most of Christmas day, and I wasn't feeling too great myself.  We had planned to go to my mom's house, but decided to just stay home, which was kind of nice, to just relax.

My brother and his family came to town that night.  I was worried we wouldn't get to see them, but by Friday, Cooper was fine, so they, as well as my parents, came over (even though Don was still feeling pretty puny and ended up going to bed right in the middle of it).

We had a fun visit with them.  Cooper loves hanging out with his cousins.

I had done some genealogical research on both of my parents' families and put that in books for them for Christmas.  I am hoping that Cooper and my nieces and nephew will be interested in this too.

We had a nice meal which my mom, my niece Hannah and I prepared.

On Sunday we all went to church and then out to lunch together before they drove back to North Carolina last night.

All in all, it was a good Christmas, and I am thankful for the family I have to share it with.

An Imperfect Christmas

You may have heard the phrase, "the good is the enemy of the best."  I think the opposite is also true, at least in relation to Christmas, at least for me.  The best, or perfect, is the enemy of the good.

I went to a funeral today for the mom of a friend of mine.  I find myself wondering how she will have a good Christmas, this year or ever again, for she will probably forever associate the season with losing her mom.

We want Christmas to be perfect in every way, but the sad truth is that for most of us, at least by the time we are adults, this is never going to happen.  Maybe we have loved ones who are no longer alive to celebrate with us, or broken relationships in our family.  Perhaps our troubles are financial, and we are unable to give the gifts we want to give.


For a number of years, I had a strong dislike for Christmas.  It always reminded me of what wasn't right in my life.  There were a few things I still liked about it, like the music and going to church on Christmas Eve, but as a rule, I dreaded the whole thing intensely, and couldn't wait to get past it.  (Some of you may remember the year I posted a "grinch" counter on my blog, reminding me of how many days were left until Christmas was OVER.)

I'm not completely past that.  I'm not sure I ever will be, but I've come a long way.  Having Cooper has helped a lot.  He doesn't have the "baggage" that I have, and to him, Christmas is nothing but pure joy.

I don't want to rob him of it, so I am continuing to try to focus on those things I do like, and I find more to like when I see it through his eyes.  Driving around at night and seeing Christmas lights has never brought me such joy as it does now that I get to witness his excitement.

Oh, I still dislike the materialism and the feeling of obligation to give gifts.  And the expectations of perfection that I can't completely get past still stress me out sometimes.

But in my heart I have realized something: Christmas isn't going to be perfect.  Not this year, not ever.  But it can still be good.  It can still be a time to stop the routines of life and just spend time with loved ones, laughing together and making memories.  It can be a precious time of focusing on the one perfect gift: the gift of God's Son. 

Jesus didn't come because we were perfect.  He came because we weren't; we can never measure up to God's standards, so He sent Jesus to die for those imperfections.  And we don't have to be perfect to receive that gift; we just have to be humble and acknowledge that we're not.

So this Christmas, I'm going to try to get past the need for a perfect Christmas and just focus on having a good Christmas.  And I wish the same to you.

Who Knew?

To most of the world, He was just an ordinary baby.  Apparently there was nothing about his physical appearance that would make anyone think otherwise, but in truth, Jesus was anything but ordinary, though it seems to have taken some sort of supernatural experience for people to recognize that.

Mary knew.  She probably knew it first (except for the prophets who foretold it),  and no one could have been more sure than she was.  To have been visited by an angel, and then to become pregnant and give birth while still a virgin leaves little room for doubt.

And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God. And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.  Luke 1:35, 38

Elizabeth knew.  Somehow Mary knew she would know.  She is the first person on record that Mary discussed her situation with (possibly even before Joseph).  She didn’t even have to tell her; Elizabeth already knew!  Had she “heard it through the grapevine”?  No, Elizabeth had apparently been told by the Holy Spirit.

In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a town in Judah, and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. . . . And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, and she exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!  And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me?  For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.”  Luke 2:39-45

John the Baptist knew. Even as an unborn infant, he apparently recognized that Mary’s arrival, with the babe in her womb, was something special. 

And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. Luke 2:41

Joseph knew, but not right away.  How would anyone expect him to react when his betrothed shared the news with him that she was expecting a child?  He would have known with certainty it wasn’t his child, and Mary’s story was hardly believable.  But then he received assurance that her story was, in fact, true, and, in following through with their marriage, became the man who had the honor of raising the Son of God.

But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.  She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” . . . When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus.  Matthew 1:20-21, 24-25

The shepherds knew, unsuspecting though they were.  It was just an ordinary night until the sky was filled with angels, announcing that a Savior had been born.  They were compelled to go see this baby for themselves, and once they did, they wanted everyone else to know about it too!

And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.  And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” 

When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them.  Luke 2:8-18

The wise men knew.  We don’t know who they were or exactly where they came from.  We don’t know how they knew, but they did.  Why else would they journey through the desert for weeks, months or even years, with nothing to guide them but a star?  Why would they bring expensive gifts to present to a baby they’d never even met?  Why would they worship Him?

Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” . . . After listening to the king, they went on their way. And behold, the star that they had seen when it rose went before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. And going into the house they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh.  Matthew 2:1-2, 9-11 

Simeon knew.  God had promised him he wouldn’t die until he saw the promised Messiah, and he knew when he saw this baby that God’s promise had been fulfilled.  The Holy Spirit came upon him, and he prophesied:

He took him up in his arms and blessed God and said, “Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel.”

And his father and his mother marveled at what was said about him. And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, “Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed  (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), so that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.”  Luke 2:28-35

Anna knew, an elderly prophetess who apparently lived in the temple.  She too, wanted to tell everyone.

And coming up at that very hour she began to give thanks to God and to speak of him to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem.  Luke 2:38

What did all these people have in common?  They were males and females, young and old, Jews and Gentiles, but they all knew.  They knew because they found out in some supernatural way.  God used some method to open their eyes and allow them to see something that others didn’t.

To most of the world, He was just an ordinary baby.  This world will soon celebrate Christmas, but what are they celebrating?  The birth of a baby boy over 2,000 years ago, but do they really know that He was anything but ordinary?

Only if God has revealed it to them, if through the Holy Spirit, He has opened their eyes to this fact.  Only then, do they know that this baby was God in human form, come to earth to bring them salvation through His death on the cross.  Only then will they believe.

I know.  And I am forever thankful for my salvation, which came through this baby born in Bethlehem.

Do you know?  

At that time Jesus declared,“I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. . .”  Mt. 11:25-26

These things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. For who knows a person's thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual.  I Cor. 2:10-13

Three Years Old (and then some)

Hi.  Remember me?  I haven't forgotten about my blog; I've just been involved in some other projects and have been neglecting it.  So . . . I'll try to cover two months in 1 post.

My baby boy is three now!  Since our birthdays are only three days apart, we did most of our celebrating together.  We went out to eat, and Daddy made us a chocolate pie for dessert.

Cooper got a bicycle helmet, which he LOVES, and a dump truck, which Don is a little jealous of.

He got a number of other things, including a new wagon (a hand-me-down from a friend of mine) . . .

. . . and a new "big boy" bed!

We also celebrated on Cooper's birthday by bringing cupcakes when we had lunch with our friends that we go out with after church most Sundays.

On the Sunday before Halloween, we went to "Awesome Autumn," which was a Halloween alternative at a local church.  Cooper wore the same costume he wore last year, which he had almost, but not quite, outgrown.  He still looked pretty cute in it (at least in his mom's opinion).

We've been going to "craft class" at my friend Debby's house every other Monday, which has been fun for both of us.

We also went to Pump It Up one day with some friends from my MOPS group, where we climbed and bounced and slid down slides and did all sorts of things that reminded Mommy that she is not as young as she used to be.

The weather has been mostly nice (though we did have our first snow a few days ago -- the earliest I ever remember, but it was short-lived).  We've been making the most of the nice weather, though, and getting outside as much as we can.

We've been working on potty training.  It has not been as easy as I had hoped, but we're making progress, slowly but surely.

Don is still unemployed.  This has been a longer journey than we ever expected it to be, but we're surviving.  Hopefully something will come along soon.  As we celebrate this season of Thanksgiving, we are thankful that, though this year hasn't turned out like we expected it to, God has provided for our needs, and we are all healthy and doing okay.  Life comes with bumps in the road, and I think we will look back on this one and be able to see the good in it.  God doesn't always do things according to our plans, but His plan is far better, and we are holding on to that knowledge.

Bradford, Tennessee

Cooper and I had an interesting day yesterday.  At least it was interesting for me; I'm not so sure what Cooper thought about it, but anyway, he behaved pretty well.

We went with my mom and her sister, my Aunt Gene, to Bradford, Tennessee, to research our family roots.  It's north of Jackson, a little less than 3 hours west of Nashville.

Our first stop was in Skullbone, just a few miles east of Bradford.  This is Skullbone.

We had some family who lived in this town, including a cousin who was the second postmaster there, probably around 1900.

Then it was on to Bradford, for just a brief drive through town on our way to Trenton, to meet my fifth cousin, Tom, who I tracked down while doing some genealogical research.  He is a public defender there.  My mom had contacted him beforehand, and he was able to get off of work and meet us for lunch.  We had a nice 2-hour visit with him and learned more about the family still living in the area.

After that, we went back to Bradford and found my great- and great-great-grandparents' graves at a little cemetery out in the country.  By this time Cooper had been riding in the car and sitting in a restaurant for way too long, so I let him run around in the cemetery.  I know, it is sort of disrespectful, but I turned around at one point and caught him doing this.

In Bradford we found the house my grandmother grew up in and met the lady who lives there now.

We also saw the building where the drugstore once was where my great-grandfather was a pharmacist in the late 1800's and early 1900's.  His dad, my great-great-grandfather, had been a doctor in the area.  He had his office in the front of his house and made his calls on horseback.  After he died, in the 1860's, his wife, my great-great-grandmother, took over his practice.

We got back, exhausted, around 9:00 last night, but it was a really fun day, and I'm glad we got to do it.

Thirty-Five Months Old

Wow -- I can't believe the big 0-3 is just around the corner!

We've been enjoying the waning days of summer.  We've had a little cooler weather, but still mostly warm, and we've been getting in all the water play we can, which is especially nice when Cooper gets filthy "working" in the garden.

Speaking of my garden, it is still doing well.  We've got quite a few things still coming in, including my experiment for the year, loofah.  Yes, just like the sponge you may have used for your bath.  This is what they look like, growing on a vine.  If all goes well, I'll soon pick them, peel them, and wash them, and we'll have lots of loofah sponges . . . probably more than we'll be able to use for the rest of our lives.  Oh well.

We had a visit this month from my Aunt Gene, my mom's oldest sister, and her husband, who live in Richmond, Virginia.  They are both in their mid- to late-eighties but are doing remarkably well.  This is my mom on the left and Aunt Gene on the right, at McNamara's, the Irish restaurant where we ate with them, one of our favorites.

We started back to Community Bible Study a few weeks ago.  Cooper, who had been really looking forward to going, decided when we got there that he was going to be shy and laid down in the doorway of his classroom, refusing to go in.

In the end though, with a little coaxing from Mommy, he went in, and had a wonderful time.  I am loving watch him grow and develop a heart for Jesus.

He also loves music and goes about the house singing and playing his keyboard or whatever other instrument he can find.  Don and I are glad of this too and look forward to seeing what musical talent he will hopefully end up developing.

For Labor Day, we had a church picnic at Long Hunter State Park.  We went on a 2-mile walk around the lake with a few friends from church and saw lots of cool wildlife, including several deer.

My friend Debby decided to do an art class for preschoolers at her house.  We have just been one time so far, and Cooper really enjoyed it.  We will probably do that twice a month.

  

Whew!  It's been a busy month, but a fun one, for the most part.  Don still doesn't have a job, though he has a few possibilities in the works.  This has definitely become a lesson in relying on God.  Hopefully he'll have something soon.  Meanwhile, we're making the most of his time at home and enjoying the extra time we are getting to spend with him.

Wilson County Fair 2013

Wow -- two posts in one day!  What is the world coming to??

We've been doing a project with Cooper where we have him put a marble in a jar every time he obeys the first time we tell him to do something.    We told him when he got his jar filled up, we would do something special.  We didn't say what it would be, because we didn't know how long it would take him to fill it up.  You can read more about this here, if you want to.

So, his jar was almost full, and he has been talking about going to the Wilson County Fair ever since we went last year.  This week we were down to just a few marbles, so I told him if he could get his jar full by today, we would go to the fair.  He worked extra hard, and dropped his last marble in last night.

This morning it threatened to rain, but in the end it was actually pretty nice weather for the fair, so we went and had a good time.  He got a few extra indulgences, like a ride on a "stagecoach" (I'm not big into fair rides) and some cotton candy. 

His favorite part, I think, the thing he most remembered from last year and wanted to do again, was this:

Whatever.

There were lots of animals which he enjoyed petting,

and some big tractors for him to climb on too.

All in all, it was a fun day for all of us.  Even Nash, though he didn't get to go, got a special souvenir from the pet exhibit.

I think Cooper considered it a good prize for his efforts, and hopefully the new skills he has learned through this project will carry on for a long time.

Thirty-Four Months Old

Summer has been in full swing, and we have been making this most of it.  We've spent time with friends, going to water parks and other fun places.  Cooper is shown here with my friend Laurie, at the Bicentennial Mall.

Don's parents came for a visit, and we spent a nice weekend with "Mimi and Granddad."

Cooper and I went to Memphis with my mom to visit her college roommate and longtime-friend, Alice.  While there, we went to an orchard and picked peaches, which Cooper loved!  We are still enjoying them.

My garden is giving us lots of goodies, and  Cooper's sunflowers opened up.  We have since cut them down and are drying them so we can hopefully eat some of the seeds.  We've gotten some potatoes too, squash and LOTS of tomatoes.  We've had so many cherry tomatoes that I am just having to let some of them rot because we can't eat them or even give them away fast enough.

Cooper is so inquisitive, learning new things every day.  He is going through a very sweet stage that we are enjoying (almost) every minute of.

Still no news for Don on the job front.  Prayers are appreciated as he continues to search and fill out applications, waiting for a phone call or e-mail.  He gets very frustrated and discouraged some days.

We are looking forward to starting back to Community Bible in a couple of weeks.  I am so thankful that Cooper loves learning about the word of God.  He goes around the house singing Bible songs and loves our Bible story time each morning.  We pray daily that he will grow to know and love Jesus and live for Him, and we are blessed to see that happening.