:. revelation .:

Here we are, at the end of another year. Like any other, it held the good, the bad, the not-so-great. (There was also The Over The Top FANTASTIC: have you seen Eisley Christine??!??!)

But overall, it feels like the past 12 months for me, personally, have held more down than up. Been a bit of a struggle, shall we say? (It doesn't help that I've been sick for the past 6 weeks. Feeling like crap doesn't add to a rosy outlook.)

The end of the year means I'm finishing up another read-through of my favorite book, the Bible. Since I read straight through, that means come mid-December I hit Revelation. I freely admit, Revelation is a hard book: prophecy, visions, end of the world happenings. If you don't know what I'm talking about, go ahead and grab a Bible, turn to the last book, and give it a go. It's only 22 chapters. It will have your head spinning, I guarantee.

But I'm always struck by John's words at the very beginning of the book:

"Blessed is the one who reads the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near."

So while it might not be easy, it would be foolishness indeed to dismiss it.

But in the first three chapters, before you get to the jaw-dropping end-time scenes, you find Jesus' words to the seven churches. I always ask the Holy Spirit to reveal which words fit my own spiritual condition, which words He would speak to me.

And this year, there was no doubt. He gently held my heart, and said to me (as well as to the church in Philadelphia):

"I know that you have little strength, yet you have not denied my name . . . I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown."

Aaahh, my Savior understands.

But so as not to sound entirely pitiful, let me list some of the highlights of the past 12 months:

• Josh continued to amaze with his dad skills.
• Chris discovered how wonderful it is to be the daddy of a little girl . . . and started honing his dad skills
• Emily continued to amaze with her mom skills.
• Kate discovered how wonderful it is to be the mommy of a little girl . . . and started honing her mom skills.
• Gavin started kindergarten . . . what a big kid.
• Liam went to art school . . . cartwheel school was just too noisy.
• Tate learned to walk . . . and do about everything else big boys can do.
• Eisley decided to join the fam . . . and be the most beautiful girl around.
• Josh continued to amaze with his handyman skills, improving his home for his family.
• Emily continued to advocate for her eldest the way only a mother can, making sure he gets every and all help he needs.
• Chris continued to amaze with his handyman skills, improving his home for his family.
• Kate returned to the stage to use her talent the way only she can, delighting audiences everywhere with her singing and her dancing and her comedic genius.
• Josh finished a mini-triathlon . . . wow.
• Chris ran a half-marathon . . . wow.
• Emily and Kate both chopped their hair . . . and showed young mums everywhere what hip and trendy looks like.
• Gavin continued at Child Serve, working hard at things that come naturally to most of us . . . he's my hero.
• Liam continued to come up with some of the funniest lines in comedy . . . without even trying.
• Tate decided he's crazy about his littlest girl cousin . . . he and Eisie are going to be Best Friends.
• Eisley learned absolutely everything she should learn in her first 7 months of life . . . she's the best.
• my kids continued to love each other and their God with all they've got . . . perfect examples of godly families.
• my grands continued to be the joy, delight and honey of my soul . . . whatever would I do without them?
• and fighting mightily against a very debilitating illness, Benny put in one of the longest, hardest 12 months of work ever . . . because that is the kind of man he is.
  

Here's to a better 2011.

:. good gifts & great darkness .:

I'm so very, very excited for Christmas morning! The bright, shining faces of the little ones; sugar plum visions dancing merrily; that oh, so delicious brunch awaiting! Yes, I love Christmas morning.
Besides all that, this year I seem to have found the perfect gifts for everyone on my list. For instance, I'm absolutely GIDDY, anticipating Gavin's face when he lays eyes on 'dark bunny' (the one thing he keeps telling mommy he really, really hopes he gets for Christmas).
[What is dark bunny, you ask? Doesn't matter. Suffice it to say, Gav has his heart set on it, and dark bunny is exactly what he shall get!]

Isn't it grand to know you've found just the right thing to give? The thing that will show the recipient just how much you love them?

I'm certain God the Father gets giddy, giving gifts to His kids. Scripture teaches that:

"Every good and perfect gift is from above,

coming down from the Father of lights."

Can't you just imagine Him being over-the-top excited as He unfolds His gifts in the lives of His beloved children?
I like what Jesus tells us:

"If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!"

And on a similar note, allow me to tell you a little story:

Years ago when the girls were little, we took a very rare (and therefore, treasured!) family vacation to Colorado. We spent a wonderful week in the glorious Rocky Mountains, seeing the sights, visiting with a dear uncle of mine, doing touristy things. One of the things we chose to do was visit Cave of the Winds.

We joined the tour, and wound our way deeeeeep inside a mountain. (It's been a long time, but I remember the tour guide mentioning something about being A MILE underneath the earth. A. MILE.)
Now, what you need to know is that THIS girl is so VERY claustrophobic. Ridiculously claustrophobic. Like the time I pulled up to a stop light, and happened to find myself with a city bus on either side of me. Panic set in, as in: OH MY STARS, GET ME OUT OF HERE!!!!!! Like I said, ridiculously claustrophobic.

But since I refuse to allow fear to dictate my actions, and since I wanted to be a part of this family adventure, I summoned all the intestinal fortitude I could muster, and joined the group heading into the mountain. Sure, we saw stalactites and stalagmites, and whatever other ites there are; sure, it was a very cool and unusual glimpse of creation you don't get everyday. But did I mention we were A MILE under the earth? And at one point, I recall, we had to actually get down on hands and knees and CRAWL through some tiny opening to get to the next point on our tour. SHUDDER!

But here's the whole point: we finally arrived in a largish cavern, and the tour guide very dramatically said she was going to switch off the lights so that we could experience just how dark it was in the cave. Out went the lights . . .

utter darkness. thick blackness. impenetrable night.

Which brings me to my all-time favorite verse of the season:

"The people walking in darkness have seen a great light;

on those living in the land of darkness

a light has dawned."

~ Isaiah 9:2 ~

Most of us aren't even aware of just how great is the darkness in which we live. We squint, we stumble, we get used to the dark. But the Light of the world has come and we no longer need to walk blindly.
God gave His most perfect gift when He sent Jesus into the world. May you know Him, in whom "there is no darkness at all."

Merry Christmas to all!

:. manger people .:

Finally got the house decorated for Christmas last week. Of course the Nativity set is the most important element at our house (Jesus IS the reason for the season, after all). Ours certainly isn't fancy, but it's served well ever since the girls were little. They spent many an hour playing with the figures; we even saw the demise of the angel 'Maranatha'.

My little boys love the Nativity as well . . . they always ask if they can play with "the manger people". Well, of COURSE they can! That's the whole point of Christmas, that God came down to be accessible to His children.

So, here's what the manger looks like after they've spent the afternoon at my house:

(Those are "Santa Claus logs in the fireplace".)

So, what happened to the 'manger people'? Looks like they just went out for a little drive. (And yes, that's Baby Jesus driving the steam shovel.)

"That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched - this we proclaim concerning the Word of life."

1 John 1:1

:. tracks .:

We had that first wonderful, glorious snowfall of the season the other day. Liam was quite excited to report that he saw TRACKS! in their front yard! I asked what sort of animal he thought made them, and after giving it a little thought he said, "Probably a giraffe".
"Really?! A giraffe??!"
"Or . . . maybe it was a camel."

How I wish we grown-ups never lost that sweet naiveté that assumes a camel could show up in the middle of Iowa. (And why not? I remember hearing about a polar bear that ended up in the middle of the Tunisian desert. But that's another story.)

Mommy quietly whispered to me that actually, the tracks were left by a squirrel.

Oh, the faith of a child, where anything is possible!

:. i might be contagious .:

Josh took my picture today using the 'zombie scanner' app on his phone. Evidently I'm 80% infected. In fact, the scanner gave these instructions:

"Infection has gained control of host. Subject should be exterminated."

And here I thought I had bronchitis. No wonder I feel so awful.