Merry Christmas - The Best Story Ever

Howdy y'all! Merry Christmas Eve!

I hope the rest of your week is superb and you get lots of blessings---presents and otherwise. :)

Today I'm over on Stitches Thru Time sharing about The Best Story Ever. Hope you can join me.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving y'all!!!

Today I'm over on Castle Gate Press's blog sharing a bit of what I imagine a perfect Thanksgiving would be and how I used that in my story Win, Love, or Draw. Would love to have you stop by and share what you're thankful for today.

http://www.castlegatepress.com/cultivating-an-attitude-of-gratitude-by-author-crystal-l-barnes/

It's Here! It's Here!

The Year of our Lord 2015 is here! How are you planning to use this new year? Have you made resolutions? Goals perhaps? However you spend your days, please spend them wisely. Here's a poem I read yesterday by an unknown author that made me stop and think. Hope it touches you too.

This is the beginning of a new day.
I have been given this day to use as I will.
I can waste it or use it for good,
but what I do today is important,
because I am exchanging a day of my life for it.
When tomorrow comes, this day will be gone forever,
leaving in its place something I have traded for it.
I want it to be gain, and not loss;
good and not evil;
success and not failure;
in order that I shall not regret the price I have paid for it.

What plans do you have for the New Year?

Merry Christmas to All!

Happy Thanksgiving

Wishing you and yours a very happy Thanksgiving!

Merry Christmas!

Amidst the hustle and bustle may we not forget that Jesus is the reason for the season.

Don't know the true story behind Christmas? Read Matthew 1 & Luke 2.

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved." ~ John 3:16,17 (KJV)

Happy New Year, Y'all!

As this new year dawns, a verse my pastor shared with us on Sunday rings in my head.
"So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom." ~ Psalm 90:12
Oft times, people make so many plans and resolutions for the new year they forget the value of today. My desire for this new year--take each new day the Lord supplies, live it to the fullest, and remember we're not guaranteed tomorrow. Only then will we learn not to take what we've been given for granted and use what we have and who we are for His glory.

Happy Birthday America!

What is 236 years old, 125 times larger than it's original size, and celebrated through the years by a host of activities from greased pig racing to watermelon seed spitting contests to fireworks?

The United States of America!

Happy Independence Day everyone!

(P.S. The 125 times larger is our population growth.)

Heartfelt Thanks

"Why do we have Mother's Day?" I actually had this question asked of me this past weekend. My mother and I came up with the response, "Someone must have really loved their mother and made a day to celebrate it." In a way this is true, but now I wonder what is the real history on the subject.

From what I gather, many countries celebrate mothers. Although, they do not all celebrate on the same day. My count came to 79 countries (including the U.S.) who will celebrate on the second Sunday in May. The push for a "Mother's Day" began in the U.S. as far back as the 1870s, but not until 1914 did it become a national holiday. Anna Jarvis is given credit for finally convincing others, including President Woodrow Wilson, that we should have a day for celebrating mothers.

I, for one, celebrate the gift of my mother. She is an amazing woman of God who loves me unconditionally. I am grateful she taught me God's Word from a young age. I am truly blessed to have her in my life.

How about you? Are you thankful for the mother figures in your life?

New Year's Jumping Jacks

Ever had any of those crazy moments with fire crackers?
Well, I did on New Year's Eve. My niece and nephew invited me to share the joys with them, and it was quite an experience.

The honor of lighting the first bottle rocket fell to me, but everyone else got the most zing from the show. You see, I just happened to grab the one that was broken on the end (my fault :\). It lit. It fell. It shot toward the house (where everyone waited), brushed over the rooftop, and burst in a shower of sparks in the backyard. (The dog didn't like that - lol :D )

But I got my own dosage later. I took a string of jumping jacks. Lit them. Tossed them. Well...most of them. A few broke off and popped between my feet. I did my own form of jumping jacks which set the whole porch to laughing. My mom's oh-so-worried comment - "How'd that go again?" :)

What's your story?

Christmas Chuckles

Hope ya'll had a very merry Christmas. I enjoyed having some time off from the old wind-n-grind and getting to spend time with my family. My very numerous family. One of the best things about this is the laughter that we share and since "a merry heart doeth good like a medicine" (Proverbs 17:22a), I vote we share the laughter and joy of this season.

One short humorous moment came upon first entering my grandmother's house. You see Christmas Eve in my neck of the woods was quite wet and (for Texas) quite chilly. Which means - no standing outside chewing the fat, no sending the munchkins ranging from knee to shoulder height outdoors to run off that extra energy. No it means you're stuck within four sound-bouncing walls for the duration of the evening.

Thus, the humor of my grandmother's comment when I entered the food-loaded kitchen to the sounds of a couple handfuls of chattering children. "Who ordered the rain?"

Not me. :)

So when did you find time to laugh this weekend?

The Christmas Story - Digitalized

Howdy ya'll! We had our church Christmas banquet this month, and they shared a hysterically funny video that I will share with you now.

Merry Christmas and remember to share the true reason of Christmas with those around you (in whatever way you can :) )

T-I-R-E-D

With Christmas approaching and Thanksgiving past, it seems we are going and going and going and ... you get the picture. :) I know I'm not the Energizer Bunny, so there's got to be others out there who are as tired as me. When you get this way, here's a few tidbits to help.

T - Take time for you and God (Isaiah 40:31)
I  - In everything give thanks (I Thessalonians 5:18)
R - Remember, this too shall pass (Ecclesiastes 3:1)
E - Enjoy each day and (Psalm 118: 24)
D - Don't borrow trouble from tomorrow. (Matthew 6:34)

Do you have any other advice for others this Christmas season?

What's on Your List?

Okay, today I am succumbing to curiosity. I've really been pondering what ranks at the top of your favorite Christmas song list. I know, for me, it's very hard to narrow down the plethora of choices, but I'd say mine would have to be ...

• Mary, Did You Know? by Mark Lowry
• O Holy Night
• Strange Way to Save the World by 4Him

What about you?