Do We Store Away Jesus Too?

The past few days brought back yearly jobs of taking down and packing away Christmas decorations that had lit up our home and helped us celebrate the birth of our Saviour once again. I couldn't help but remember the lyrics of a song I grew up hearing on cassette tape.

He braced that old ladder with all of His might

And shouted, "Dad have no fear"

As I stretched high to store the stockings and trim

in the attic for another year.

We were busily packing our Christmas away

While singing a carol we knew

When I heard my son in innocence inquire

"Do we store away Jesus too?"

I smiled at my boy as again I explained

God's longing to reconcile

How He gave to the world the gift of new life

When His yearning became Mary's child

Though surrounded by all of man's goods we embrace

The hope of that Bethlehem night

We will never store this blessed gift away

With the tinsel and colored lights

All year long

We must worship day by day

All year long

Tis the season to obey

May the Christmas tree lights

And the sleigh ride at night

Remind us all to stay in God's presence

All year long

Written by Larnelle Harris, Dave Clark and Nick Robertson, sung by Larnelle Harris

Lyrics from eLyrics.net

The Promise of Summer

Sometimes in mid-winter it is good to see pictures from hot summer days and the flowers they produce.

"While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease." - (God's promise to us recorded in Genesis 8:22)

Winter Lights

 The days are short and often dark in this cold season. 

But we find special ways to enjoy light and color anyway.

I Have Forgot

Sometimes I wake, and, lo, I have forgot,

And drifted out upon an ebbing sea!

My soul that was at rest now resteth not,

For I am with myself and not with Thee;

Truth seems a blind moon in a glaring morn,

Where nothing is but sick-heart vanity:

Oh, Thou who knowest, save Thy child forlorn.

Diary of an Old Soul, January 3rd

by George MacDonald

Snow Day

The Lyme Sisters

We three sisters have always been "different" than most of our peers. This winter is no exception as we enjoyed a sister-outing to the clinic lab, of all places! We are all in a season of frequent blood-draws for our doctor to keep an eye on how we are responding to medical treatments.

Had I mentioned yet that Maren "joined the club" when she contracted acute Lyme disease from a tick bite this summer? Every member of our family has now been treated for this pernicious disease. Maren's case was extra concerning since she was around 4 months pregnant at the time. We saw God work in those first hard days - closing the wrong doors and opening the way to a doctor experienced in treating Lyme in pregnant mothers. 

Praise God, our little nephew tested negative to Lyme disease at birth!

Snowy Perks

Snow has many benefits:

It insulates perennial plants.

It brightens the house on heavy, grey days.

It makes it easy to track footprints of animals and human boots.

And of course it can be pressed into snowballs to entertain playful kittens...

... serve as a high bar for a vaulting kitten...

... and build snowmen of all sizes to bring us smiles!