“When is the heart in a better case than when it calls, inquires, runs, weeps, sighs, and cries after God?”

-Joseph Symonds

“If it be not strong upon thy heart to practice what thou readest, to what end dost thou read?”

-Thomas Brooks

“Common knowledge is that which floats in the head but does not influence the heart.”

“It is a great deceit to measure the substance of our religion by the bulk of our profession, and to judge of the strength of our graces by the length of our duties.”

-Matthew Mead

Happy Birthday to my Dad!  It’s hard for me to describe the gratitude I have to God for my Dad-what I feel in my heart goes far deeper than words.  

“So shall my walk be close with God,
calm and serene my frame,
so purer light shall mark the road
that leads me to the Lamb”
William Cowper

I loved this quote on Books:  “I am still in the thrall of one insatiable desire, which hitherto I have been neither able nor willing to check…I cannot get enough books.  It may be that I have already more than I need.  But it is with books as it is with other things: success in acquisition spurs the desire to get still more.  Books indeed have a special charm.  Gold, silver, gems, purple rainment, a house of marble, a well-tilled field, paintings, a steed with splendid trappings – things such as these give but a silent and superficial pleasure.  Books delight us through and through; they talk with us, then give us good counsel, then enter into a living and intimate companionship with us.  What is more, not only does a book win the reader’s affection for itself, but it mentions the names of other books so that one stirs the desire for another.”

http://www.apuritansmind.com/SuggestedReading.htm

Did you read today?

It’s our favorite leisure activity!

 Merry Christmas!  I wanted to share a few pictures from our morning.  We plan on staying home all day, relaxing.  The kids each have lots of new things to play with!  Enjoy your day. Love, Shanda

“One of the most
glorious messes in the world
is the mess created
in the living room
on Christmas day.
Don’t clean it up too quickly.”
-Andy Rooney

Merry Christmas!

I always admire this tree when we drive by it.  Isn’t it absolutely gorgeous?  And it’s HUGE, much bigger than it looks in the photo.   

Till, ringing, singing on its way
The world revolved from night to day,
A voice, a chime,
A chant sublime
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

~Longfellow

I woke up this morning to a beautiful sight:  a sunrise so stunning that I had to go outside to take some pictures. 

I was filled with excitement all day yesterday, waiting for church at 7pm so that we could do the voting on our new pastor.  My husband has been on the pulpit committee since last February but this process has been mine also, since he was so involved in it and I care deeply what happens to our church.  I have felt so burdened.  I have wept, prayed, begged and pleaded with God for a resolution to our problems.  The stress I felt was like a heavy weight–which drove me to my Bible for relief (a good thing!).

If you read my post for Sunday you know that the sermon Pastor F. preached was above and beyond what I had hoped, “O ye of little faith” am I. (always trust Him and have faith!)

We had the vote and the pulpit committee went out to count.  They returned with the news that the vote was very close to being unanimous, Pastor F. was called and he immedietly accepted the Pastor “under-shepherd” role for our church.

What a relief after years of unrest at our church!  I hope and pray (with faith!) that the Lord is leading us to a fresh, green pasture. (see Ps. 23)

I read this in my devotions this morning and thought it was applicable to me personally but also to our church:

“Every difficult task that comes across your path–every one that you would rather not do, that will take the most effort, cause the most pain, and be the greatest struggle–brings a blessing with it.  And refusing to do it regardless of personal cost is to miss the blessing.
Every difficult stretch of road on which you see the Master’s footprints and along which He calls you to follow Him leads unquestionably to blessings.  And they are blessings you will never recieve unless you travel the steep and thorny path.
Every battle field you encounter, where you are required to draw your sword and fight the enemy, has the possibility of victory that will prove to be a rich blessing to your life.  And every heavy burden you are called upon to lift hides within itself a miraculous secret of strength.”  J.R. Miller, from the devotional STREAMS

Tonight is the vote at our church.  We are voting on a Pastoral candidate that was here for 6 days preaching, teaching, and getting to know us.  Please, if you read this pray for God’s perfect will for us.  Pray for our church.  Thank you!  It truly means a lot to me.

Friendly’s with my Children
Sunday, December ?

When did you get so big?  When did we start to laugh together and talk intelligently?  Can I try your milkshake?  Yes, it is the best I ever had.  Sure, I’ll try yours, too.

Daughter o’mine

Other times other days. . .this would’ve stressed me out. . .go ahead and make a mess tonight, Grace!

Where do you put all the food you eat?  Which sauce is your favorite?  Ketchup of course. 

The clam chowder is for mommy. 

Vanilla ice cream with hot fudge sauce and m n m’s and whipped cream and a cherry on top please.

“Quality time with them
is never regretted”

I made my russian tea cakes on Saturday morning and by the time Saturday was over I

smelled like cookies,

felt like a cookie, and

was filled with cookie.

Cathi had a cookie exchange at her house.  She had her table all nicely decorated and when we arrived we put our plate of cookies on the table with the recipe.  After the majority of us were there, we started sampling them all:  no-bake cookies, sugar cookies, butter meltaways, butterscotch, candy-cane, spritz, chocolate kisses, cranberry white chocolate. . . .etc. . . . .

There were festive blank recipe cards and pens so that we could copy down our favorites.

It was fun to sit and talk and munch.

Amy, Mary (our candidate Pastor’s wife!), and Karen

My sister Amanda and our hostess Cathi

Bridgette

Me (working on my last cookie) and Jenny-poo

Courtney and Kathy

We each left with our plate filled with a variety of yummy Christmas treats.

I don’t know about everyone else.  But, mine are gone.