Our area received about 4 inches of snow Sunday night, which means our rural schools are shut down until the thaw.  Living in the Southern Midwest, we’re not as apt to dealing with above an inch of snow as our Northern neighbors.  For life truly lived in snow, check out my friend Angie over at Messy Cars and Muddy Shoes.  The first day we got up late and the boys, upon seeing the snow, immediately ran to grab coats and head outside.  Mama sort of squelched the initial enthusiasm by telling them that we first had to get dressed, put on boots, and find gloves and hats.  We played for awhile, the boys blanketing me with snow.  Stephen had never had a big snowfall before, so he was literally throwing himself into the drifts and rolling around!  Hot chocolate soon followed, as did baking, neighbor visiting, story-telling and cuddling.

The second day, I gave up all pretense of productivity and simply spent the day engaging with my boys.  We played all day, both inside and out.  I was in awe, again, at Garrett’s imagination.  The kid can literally create an epic story from a pencap and a chopstick!  As we sat down to dinner that evening (my husband is in Chicago for two weeks at school), I looked at my boys’ bright faces and smiled.  “We had a lot of fun today, didn’t we?” I asked.  “Yeah,” Garrett replied.  “We did have a lot of fun.”

Sometimes, as a parent, I miss the “having fun” part.  I do the laundry, give baths, pour juice, redirect, but I don’t always have fun.  I don’t always just bask in the joy of my children being the wonderful, high-spirited, imaginative, rambunctious kids they are.  My kids are my biggest gift.  I should’t just wait for a snow day to enjoy it.

Blessings and Peace,
Sara

P.S. My friend over at The Domestic Fringe has opened an Etsy store.  Check it out!  And while you’re there, stop and read a bit.  You won’t be disappointed!!

I’m in the process of re-reading Jane Austen’s Persuasion. It is, perhaps, my favorite of her works.  It is a novel about second chances, and who doesn’t love a second chance?  I found a quote last night that stuck with me, for it is absolutely true to life.  Mrs. Croft, an Admiral’s wife, is discussing her life lived at sea with her husband and remarks, when the idea that women are too delicate to live life aboard a naval ship is presented, that “none of us expect to be in smooth water all our days.”  One of the problems with living in the human world is the absolute human-ness of it all.  Life can be challenging, unexpected, scary and even cruel.  There are times in each of our lives where the waves begin to swell and swamp us and we feel like we’re going to capsize.

I remember a time in my life several years ago when I felt I was on the verge of capsize.  I remember the exact moment, sitting on the edge of my bed, tears streaming down my face, when I envisioned myself flailing about in a raging sea.  I even remember the words I cried out to God in that moment–“I’m drowning here!  You have to help me.  Throw me a life line or something!!”  In the months that followed, God not only sent me a life line, he sent me a new life!  You’d think I would have learned a little something about trust and the “power of the Almighty to do great things for me”.  Yet, the reality is, when life gets rough, I still find myself calling to God to save me from drowning.

The disciples found themselves in a similar boat, quite literally.  Jesus wanted to cross the sea.  While he slept, a storm developed and the boat became unstable.  Needless to say, the disciples freaked out.  They ran to Jesus and pulled him out of his sleep.  “We’re going to drown!” they cried.  Jesus, in true Son of God fashion, said nothing but rose from his rest and calmed the storm.  It was over in a matter of seconds.  The water calmed, Jesus turned to his disciples who were huddled together with their mouths hanging open and said, “Don’t you have any faith?”

Don’t you have any faith?  I am struck as mute as the disciples in the face of Jesus’ words.  It’s convicting, isn’t it?  To realize how little faith you actually have in the Creator of the universe to see you through the storms of life?  The truth of the matter is that God, our FATHER, is not  going to let us drown.  That’s not to say that life won’t throw in some pretty good punches.  We’ll lose our footing, lose our breath, maybe get a little sea-sick, and we will definitely have some water to bail, but God, our God, who formed us in the womb and has counted each hair on our head, will NOT let us drown!!

I took down the Christmas tree yesterday.  There was no real thought in the decision to do it.  I was simply looking at it and realized that I was ready for it to be gone.  My husband thinks, as much as he hates the trappings of Christmas, that the bareness from the decorations being gone is a bit sad, but I like it.  It is winter and I am ready to abide in the sparseness of it.  It is time to pull out the fleece blankets and hunker down.

This time of year in the liturgical calendar is referred to as Ordinary Time.  Ordinary Time consists of the weeks surrounding Lent-Easter and Advent-Christmas.  Typically, there are 34 weeks of Ordinary Time throughout the year.  The color for Ordinary Time is green.  Don’t ask me why.  Maybe green was an ordinary color for the Mediterranean men who created the church calendar.  Personally, I would have chosen brown.  And, while Ordinary Time does not have the pomp and circumstance of Christmas and Easter, it is the time in which we live out the majority of our lives.  How ironic, then, that we would call it ordinary!  The early church fathers were, of course, almost a full millennium before Thornton Wilder’s Our Town in which the deceased heroine is granted one more precious “ordinary” day on Earth and cries out before departing, “Do any human beings ever realize life while they live it–every, every minute?”

The truth is that the Ordinary Time in our lives is, in fact, the sacred stuff life is made up of.  Kathleen Kenison, in her book The Gift of an Ordinary Day, refers to these moments as “charmed moments, all the time, in every life and in every day, if we are only awake enough to experience them when they come and wise enough to appreciate them.” (pg. 224) 

It is the peaceful quiet that comes in the early morning or late night hours when you can hear the gentle breathing of your spouse, your children and your pets safe under one roof.  It is the time spent together around a dinner table, noisy and rambunctious as toddlers would rather play than eat, but time together, nonetheless.  It is a deep breath of crisp winter air that expands the lungs and clears the head.  It is a hot shower, it is the smell of warm yeast bread baking in the oven.  It is time shared with friends and family to celebrate nothing except the fact that we enjoy one another’s company.  Our Ordinary Time is, perhaps, the most beautiful gift we are given in this life and we should live each of our “ordinary” days in gratitude for it.  We need to, as Kension writes, “pay attention to what’s worth caring about, to read the sacred in everyday life…” (pg. 207)

Yet beyond our gratitude for our “ordinary” days, we must learn to live each one with the purpose for which it was intended.  As the apostle Paul writes in Ephesians 2, “we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”  As the majority of our lives are lived in Ordinary Time, so the majority of our work to build the kingdom of God should be done in this time as well.  It’s easy to be generous at Christmas time, but is it as easy in March or August?  And, are not these ordinary times the times that people need the most help, love, support, care?  As Christians, we need to take the gifts of our “ordinary” days and give them to those we meet along the way.  They are simple gifts to give; gifts of presence, gifts of time, gifts of food, gifts of acknowledgment, gifts of comfort, gifts of encouragement, gifts of love. 

Ordinary Time is our time to realize life while we live it–every, every minute–and to share that life with those around us.

Blessings and Peace,
Sara

Just received word that my dear friend Penny over at Living Above lost her husband Thursday in a hunting accident.  I am deeply shaken and saddened over this news.  John was a pastor at a church in New Orleans and he and Penny have two very young children.  Please pray for them all that they would find strength and comfort during this time.

Blessings and Peace,
Sara

I have a confession to make.  For all of my talk about the true meaning of Christmas and fighting the commercialization/materialism/secularism of the Christmas season, I have some expectations for Christmas that really have nothing to do with the birth of Christ.  I love Christmas!  I love the warmth of family get-togethers.  I love the cookies and candies and cheeseballs and ham and green bean casseroles.  I love listening to my dad read the Christmas story each year before digging into presents.  I love the joy, the laughter, the tales that get-togethers bring.  So, when the flu hit our household over Christmas, I was not a happy camper!  My husband, with the grace of God, made it through all three services.  I missed most of the first as I was doing clean-up for my youngest who was on an antibiotic which his body was expelling at an alarming rate!  Then my parents called–no Christmas dinner.  Mom was sick. 

“Well,” I told my dad on the phone.  “This Christmas certainly….”

“It sucks!” he finished for me.

Needless to say, my heart was not where it should have been as we drove to our second service of the evening.  Fortunately, my in-laws were in town and had the kids, so it was just Chris and I.  As the service started, I became more and more convicted of my negative Christmas attitude.  I needed to hit the refresh button, and fast!  I bowed my head in prayer for a moment and asked God to forgive me my negativity and to remind me again of the true reason for this night and this celebration.  My husband’s message was titled, “The Greatest Gift Ever” and the message was simple: “Boy, do I have good news for you!!”

I’d like to say that I hit my refresh button and my attitude was suddenly, miraculously transformed so that I, like Ebeneezer Scrooge, was yelling out the window as we drove through town, “Merry Christmas!!”  However, as I am human and not a figment of Charles Dickens’ imagination, it wasn’t that easy.  But my attitude after our second service was slightly improved, and by the time we were singing “Silent Night” in candlelight at the end of the third service, I was almost there. 

Christmas day provided a much needed opportunity to relax and unwind, and, we ate the ham my loving in-laws fortuitously brought with them from St. Louis.  I napped for a few hours and that evening we took a drive to see some lights and deliver gifts to my parents.

And so, I’m thankful this Christmas for family, for health, for rest.  And, most of all, I’m thankful that I worship a God who hit the biggest refresh button ever!!

Blessings and Peace,
Sara

As my two year old is smacking his brother with a dinosaur, I don’t have a lot of time to post.  However, I thought I’d leave you with these images of Christmas peace.  Many blessings!! 

Well, it seems as if our holiday tradition of illness or injury continues this year as my youngest, myself, my dad and I all came down with the flu this weekend and my in-laws are trying to work off colds.  Luckily, the icky part of the flu seems to be past, leaving behind a persistent cough that’s about to do me in.  I took about 2 and 1/2 shots of whiskey last night before bed thinking that should take care of the cough.  Not sure it did much there, but I did get a great night’s sleep and woke up very refreshed this morning!  Not wanting to start a bad habit, however, I decided to forgo Mr. Seagrum’s for Mr. Robitussin tonight.  The result, wide awake and still coughing at a quarter to midnight.  I think I need some codine.

More important than my bout with the flu, this weekend saw the passing of one of the patriarchs of our church.  With six children and scores of grandchildren, he took his last breaths surrounded by over 20 family members, hearts full of love and gratitude for the life he lived.  Just before he passed, one of his grandsons called out, “We love you, Grandad!” This afternoon, the man’s daughter told us how it seemed as if her nephew, in that moment, was cheering her dad on to the finish line of a race.  This family is so remarkable, so full of love, of life, and so full of gratitude for the lives they’ve shared with one another.  Although they have suffered loss, both now and previously, their hearts seem always full of joy and graciousness abounds from them.

And this thought also came to me: this is what Christmas is really about.  Christ came to conquer death.  When those who know Him leave this earth, they are welcomed with shouts of praise and acclamation on the other side.  While we gather to mourn, the company of heaven gathers to celebrate the return of one who has come home.  These are the great tidings of glad joy the angels brought that night.  It wasn’t just a celebration of birth, but of re-birth, of reconciliation.  It was a homecoming, and because of Jesus’ homecoming, we will be welcomed home too.  O come, all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant…

Blessings and Peace,
Sara

The Personal Finance kids in the class I’m subbing for are watching the movie Confessions of a Shopoholic as a fun end of semester treat.  I’ve never seen it before, and although it’s not as bad as I initially thought it would be, I’m suddenly finding myself wanting to go into film making.  I’ve decided on a title for my as yet to be released (written) film: Not Another Dumb Girl Movie!!  You see, I’m tired of the ditzy portrayal of younger women in our society–girls who have no common sense, make the wrong/dumb choice at every turn, and yet still end up with the “perfect” guy because they’re just so darn cute and cuddly!  Seriously?!  Where’s Katherine Hepburn when you need her? 

I have to confess, I’m a huge classic movie buff.  My husband thinks it’s ridiculous that I would choose to watch movies that were made before our parents were even born, but I love them.  And it’s interesting to me that in a time when women did not have the opportunities that we have today so many of the classic film heroines would be such strong, smart, and witty chicks.  Look at the lineup: the aforementioned Kate, Bette Davis, Joan Crawford, Barbara Stanwyck, Myrna Loy.  These women weren’t pushovers, at least not on screen.  And, they weren’t insecure.  I can’t think of a Katherine Hepburn movie where her character would invent some crazy story about herself to avoid dealing with the honest truth of a difficult situation.  The female leads in these classic films were funny, but not stupid.  They could play the coquette without being vapid. They didn’t play dumb, they played tough.

I can’t help but think of the Proverbs 31 woman.  Strong, smart and self-reliant, she is praised above all women.  With her life she honors God. The Psalmist shows her taking care of her family, elevating her husband’s status in the community, making profitable business decisions, and being brave in the face of life’s calamities.  Verses 25 and 26 have this to say:

I’m a big fan of free stuff, especially since our funds are limited.  So, when a friend told me about a free Christmas card offer from the online photo shop, Shutterfly, I couldn’t resist!  In all honesty, I love online photo shops. You get to control every aspect of your photo buying experience, customize all of your purchases, and get it for at least half of what you’d pay at a portrait studio.!

My husband and I have used online photo shops quite a bit over the past few years, designing our own Christmas cards and making unique gifts.  I’ll share three with you here.

1. Christmas cards.  Shutterfly has a plethora of options when it comes to customizing your photo Christmas card.  With 803 choices starting at $.32 a card, you’re bound to find something unique to you at a price you can handle!  And, the quality is fabulous!  I just received a new Shutterfly card in the mail from a friend, and it looked like something you would custom order at at a fancy printing company. The paper was not flimsy photo paper, but sturdy, quality, textured paper. And, there are lots of options for customizing.  My favorite are the collage cards where you can put several different pictures on one card.  Very cool!

2. Calendars.  My husband and I have found that custom made calendars are inexpensive, personalized gifts that last all year long!  Shutterfly has many options there as well. One of the great things you can do with Shutterfly calendars is to customize dates.  For instance, when my husband and I made a calendar we were able to include all of our family’s birthdays and anniversary’s on the calendar.  We were also able to include a small photo of our boys with the person whose birthday it was in the date box on the calendar.

3. Photo books.  Both my parents and my in-laws have made online photo books to commemorate vacations they have taken. Again, you customize and personalize everything.  My in-laws have two big photo books they made, one from Yellowstone, another from Alaska.  The first time I saw the book, I thought it was something they’d picked up from a bookshop on their trip.  When I opened it and saw the reflections of my mother-in-law, as well as ticket stubs and trip information, including maps, I was amazed.  It’s truly an awesome thing to have!  We’re going to be taking a big family trip this summer and will definitely look into Shutterfly’s photo book page!!

So, go to Shutterfly and see what you think.  They have tons of great products at reasonable prices to meet all of your Christmas needs.  They even do stocking stuffers with magnets, notecards, magnets and playing cards–all under $10!

Blessings and Peace,
Sara