Out with 2008, bring on 2009 with a give-a-way!

12-30-08 Update: Now come on, and leave a comment...I promise I won't really make you participate. But couldn't everyone use a Chronological Bible:) It's free....no strings attached:-) Pinkie swear! Only one more day to enter!

I had no clue the enormity of my roller coaster emotions. Wow...they were big and all over the place. This Christmas I spent lots of time reflecting on seasons past, seasons present and seasons future. With each thought or memory came either sadness or joy.

I get myself all worked up in the details of Christmas and when it finally arrives...I'm spent;-) Good thing is, I have learned a valuable lesson this Christmas. Stressing over the smallest of details equals disappointment.

Let me introduce you to the only person that will not disappoint.....His name is Jesus! To get acquainted with Him, join me in a little adventure I'm about to undertake in 2009. I just can't seem to find a cute rhyme with 2009:-)

I'm looking forward to 2009! I'm excited to start reading the Bible all the way through. Wendy Pope, speaker from Proverbs31Ministry, is hosting Wordly Wise. I have attempted this feat before, but to no avail. My prayer is that through the support of her blog and you, I will finally have read the Bible from cover to cover. I would love for you to join me and the many others who have purchased these Bibles.

So, please leave a comment and I will randomly pick a winner for a Chronological Bible for your very own. One catch, you must join me in participating with Wendy to read the Bible in 2009! It's been ordered and hopefully will be here by Jan. 01, 2009! Remember the part about me that spells PROCRASTINATE! Better late than never is my motto:) Please forgive me of that flaw....I do mean well.

May God bless you,

Carrie

P.S. The deadline for entry is Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2008. I will announce the winner Thursday, January 1, 2009!

Go Tell!

Christ was born, He died and He rose again the 3rd day!

Sing with me, "Go tell it on the mountain, over the hills and everywhere...."

Merry Christmas,

Carrie

Bon Appetit!

Yes, I survived:) And yes, they are edible.

Now it feels like Christmas.

Anxiously awaiting.....

Food.

Family.

Food.

More Family.

More Food.

More Family.

More Food.

=Blessed! All because of the birth, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ!

Merry Christmas,

Carrie

Happy Birthday Dad!

Today is Dad's 66th Birthday! I'm sure he would be fine with me telling his age. Like he would ever read this:) Those of you who know my Dad, know computer and Dad in the same sentence is just funny:) lol! Dad is not tech savvy at all. How to describe Dad?

Here are a few words that came to mind: .....Faith in God, Mom, kids/grandkids, church, neighbor, cows, competitor, disciplined, right, honest and hard-working. He loves to watch sports and played football on the college level at JSU. Something you may not have known about Dad, he taught school for a brief period at IHS, before he decided farming would be his life. He can squeeze a dollar out of a dime. A quality I didn't get from him:) lol!!! I'm sure Hubby wished I had:) lol!! Anyways, I admire him and His faith in God and how he always seeks peace in every situation. He may not outwardly show his love, but you know by his deeds. I'm proud to call him my Dad. He has really taken good care of Mom, but especially now during and since her heart attack.

And he can fall asleep in a blink of an eye........

Love you Dad! Happy Birthday!

Carrie

God's Gift To Us..

Romans 15:13, May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Merry Christmas,

Carrie

Christmas Tour of Homes

I hope you can forgive the mess and work in progress. I have known about this tour for many weeks now and like always...I procrastinate:) Ever since the day after Thanksgiving, I have tried to finish decorating. Notice the word tried. So, enough whining and on to hosting.

Come in and sit a spell. I went out on a limb this year and tried to mix me some colors. What do you think about the pink with the red? I love to try new things. Sometime it's a hit. Most times it a miss.

This is a nativity set I received from a Sunday School student of mine. I believe it's about 12 years old. It is my favorite Christmas decoration!

Now on to the mantle. Notice the halo in the mirror. I've never saw that before now. It's right over the stable.

On to the tree. My favorite thing about the tree, is the hand made star on top. The kids made it.

I tried a different spin on hanging the wreaths. Ribbon. I love ribbon.


My very first time of purchasing chargers for my plates. And for actually setting a table complete with napkins and everything. You would have thought I have thrown the table out, by the looks I got from the boys when they came home to this. I love to rock their world;-) I just realized that my drinking glasses are not in the picture:) lol!!! I have some pretty crystal goblets...but seeing that I have only 1 table and this being THE one...well, the less you have to move to eat the better:) lol!!!

Hope you enjoyed your stay. Wish I could have served you a piece of pecan pie...maybe one of these days. Please come back ya'll...ya hear!



Merry Christmas,

Carrie

P.S. Thanks BooMama for hosting!

Thankful for Shin Splints?

This is Hubby's current state after a long day at the mall yesterday;-)lol!! I've always told him that shopping was hard work. For it to be a recession, you could not tell it yesterday. The lines were long for checkout and the traffic jams were terrific. I must confess, I broke the law on several occasions.....u-turns...are not legal...right? All in all, he was a trooper and we had a good day. Am I done.....NOT! Will I return to town on a Saturday between now and Christmas....hopefully not;) Shopping is fun, well at least for me it is, don't ask Hubby....he is still recovering, by icing the old shins down.

On a better note......

As I sit here this morning I feel blessed.

I am thankful that we are able to do those things such as shopping; it means we have jobs. Nowadays that is truly a blessing. Mostly, I pray that I will spend the remaining weeks in awe and wonder of what this Christmas season is all about. JESUS!

Blessed that God sent His only Son to be born of a virgin birth, in a manger, so long ago.

Blessed with a peace that surpasses galaxies.

I pray for our service today and for all churches across the world. Now is the time to come together and lend a hand to those in need. Be that light to the world. Be God's hands and feet. Get the Message to all of what Christmas is all about. JESUS!

Merry Christmas,
Carrie

Thanks Crazykidteacher!

My very first award! Thanks crazykidteacher...right back at ya! I'm speechless;-)....NOT. lol! I have no idea how to even pronounce this award, seeing it's not in my language and if it's Spanish...that's been uhmm...years ago. But very sweet indeed. I hope to always use this blog to be a friend and seek new ones. I love you all so much!

Here is the award description:

This blog invests and believes in the PROXIMITY - nearness in space, time and relationships! This blog is exceedingly charming. This kind blogger aims to find and be friends. This blogger is not interested in prizes or self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to writers like this one and those nominated below! The rules...Deliver this award to eight bloggers who must choose eight more and include this cleverly-written text into the body of their award.

I'll add three, to crazykidteacher's five, to make the eight.

Consider It All Joy

Karri's Blog

Holly's Blog

Merry Christmas,

Carrie

26 Questions you are dying to know about me....

As I was visiting with crazykidteacher yesterday, she had participated in a Christmas tag. I thought it would be fun, so here it goes....



Here are the rules:

1. Post the rules on your blog.

2. Fill out the questions.

3. Tag 5-7 people at the end of your post.

4. Pass on the tag!



1. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate? Hot Chocolate.

2.Do you wrap presents or just sit them under the tree? Wrap, wrap, wrap with lots of ribbon.

3. Colored lights on house/tree or white? White lights on tree. Not attempting the house:)

4. Do you hang mistletoe? Yes! The real thing; not store bought. The redneck way...we shoot it down out of the tree tops. Fun! Nothing like a trip with Hubby and boys, in the woods, with loaded guns:)

5.When do you put your decorations up? I'm still trying to get it done:)

6. What is your favorite holiday dish (excluding dessert)? Sweet potato casserole

7. Favorite holiday memory as a child? Our neighbor Mr. Crabtree coming over to see our toys.

8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa? 3rd grade......cried

9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve? No way. Make 'em sweat:)

10. How do you decorate your Christmas tree? white lights, snowmen and red, green and gold ball ornaments. The last 3 are my new favorite things...Sam's Wholesale!

11. Snow. Love it or dread it? It's a love/hate thing:)

12. Can you ice skate? Attempted it..but...No, it involves limbs...mine tend to go their separate ways;-)

13. Do you remember your favorite gift? A long leather coat...I still have it...going on 20+ years

14. What is the most important thing about the holidays to you? God,Family & Friends...sorry couldn't keep it at just one.

15. What is your favorite holiday dessert? Pecan pie

16. What is your favorite holiday tradition? Reading the Christmas story with the kids.

17. What tops your Christmas tree? A glittering star that my kids made

18. Which do you prefer giving or receiving? I love giving!!

19. What is your favorite Christmas song? O Beautiful Star of Bethlehem

20. Candy Canes. Yum or Yuck? Yummy!

21. What do you want for Christmas? Mom to get a heart

22. Do you attend an annual Christmas party? Yes, work.

23. Do you dress up for Christmas Eve or wear PJ's? PJs.

24. Do you own a Santa hat? Yes!

25. Who do you normally spend Christmas with? Family!

26. Favorite Christmas Movie. I love them all.



That was fun! Now, you try!



Merry Christmas,

Carrie

Common Courtesy

Everyone knows what common courtesty (CC) is, but do we really? Am I teaching my children to be nice at all times? Hopefully I can mark that a check yes on my list of parenting musts. But....do I? I hope I do. Bro. Steve mentioned in his sermon many times Sunday the old cliche of, "if you are going to talk the talk, then we need to walk the walk." Ooooohhh...ouch....



Needless to say I still have me some sore toes after that sermon.



In this world today, with all the hustle and bustle of life, then you throw Christmas in the mix...well, it seems it brings out the worst in me. That is a shame. Shame on me for letting what humans have capitalized on, get the best of me. Christmas is the season of new birth. A gift from God of........

Hope.

Humble beginnings.

Meekness.

Silent.

Rejoicing.

Peace.

Among all of these, the greatest being LOVE.

As I take a deep breathe and gather my bearings, I hope and pray that I will always go with a smile on my face and a kind word to say. And not let the stresses of the season sabotage my walk. Most importantly I do not want to disappoint my heavenly Father who came to earth to die for me.

I want to leave with a few good CC Rules that I read across this week.

(1) Go out of your way to speak to people. Proverbs 16:24
(2) Try to remember their names - it shows you value them.
(3) Smile; it increases your "face value."
(4) Be friendly and helpful. If you do, people will return it. Proverbs 18:24
(5) Show genuine interest. You can find something good in almost anybody, if you try. Php 4:8
(6)Be generous with your praise and cautious with your criticism.
(7) Be slow to judge. There are three sides to every story - your side, their side, and the right side.
(8) Instead of "using" others, serve them. Gal. 5:13
(9) Start trusting people-it builds lasting relationships.
(10)Be humble.

Results.....
(a) It speaks well of your parents. Mt 5:16
(b) It determines your level of blessing. I Peter 3:9


Just to clarify, I have 10 fingers pointing back at me, so in no way am I making accusations towards any specific person needing a lesson on CC. I know I am preaching to the choir, just sing along with me. It just seems when I look around, myself included, I see despondent faces everywhere. There is HOPE people! We are entering into a wonderful season where HOPE abounds. I pray that today I will lift my face toward the sky and remember this special time of the year as the most wonderful time of the year!

I just needed a refreshers course:) lol!!!

Merry Christmas,
Carrie

Fphoto Friday

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!

Thanks to marriedtothepreacher for hosting Fphoto Friday!

God is so good,

Carrie

Prayer Request

Update below....

Today a very dear friend of our family is having open-heart surgery to replace a valve. BB is the kind of neighbor who will take care of you. He and his wife are so thoughtful and kindhearted. If you want to know who is sick and how they are, just call them. They are God-fearing, praying servants, who will visit and bring you the BEST EVER peanut brittle. As they face this crisis today, I would appreciate your prayers for him and his family today and the coming months of his recovery.

We lost a precious soul in our church family last week. Precious was her name. Very fitting for such a lady. BB and Ruth have taken such good care of her and her family, as did her niece. I know that each of them will wear an extra crown in Glory. God is faithful to them that love Him and care for His own. I am reminded today, and would love to share a little story that touches me every time I hear it.

During the funeral of Precious, the preacher shared a story she had told to him about her and her husband. I grew up next door to this couple. I loved them both so much. When you saw one, you saw the other. They shared over 60 years together! She told the preacher that when his eyesight was gone and she was on a walker, they would still try and make a garden. She would hold her cane next to the plant, while he would hoe around it. Now if that ain't teamwork!

God promises us if we have faith, even mustard-seed-size faith, He can move any mountain standing in our way.

Today as BB is having surgery and his wife anxiously awaits, I'm reminded of another couple just up the road, who faced such mountains together and with God's love, overcame each one.

I will post an update later on this afternoon.

Thank you for your prayers,
Carrie

Update.......BB made it through surgery okay. Praise the Lord! He will stay in ICU for a few days. Thanks for your prayers!

Hanging Out To Dry....

Remember the time when clothes lines were actually a must? Think about it, who used a clothes dryer back when? Around our neck of the woods, those appliances were used only when it was an emergency/have to situation. I used a clothes line up until just a few years ago. Between my job, the boys and their extracurricular activities the clothes line came down. That was a sad day. It was almost as sad as the proposed memorial/burial service we were to have for my friend, KT's, beloved Esprit flip flops;-) ROFL!!!!!!!!!!!!

I miss it. There is nothing like the feeling of trying to step into a stiff pair of jeans straight from the clothes line. NOT! But the sheets....aaahhh those days.

I cannot believe I just said that.

But.....seeing that when I went to get a load out this morning and they were still wet...makes me reminisce about the good 'ole days. I'm contemplating reverting back to my old friend the clothes line. Not! Yet!

I refuse, well I prefer not to buy an appliance here at Christmastime. My sister C can sympathize with me;-) Right sis? lol!! I knew when Hubby was poking fun at you over the Thanksgiving house swap, that we would suffer the consequences:) Stuff always comes back to you. lol!

Something will have to give, 'cause I'm running out of clothes hangers and door facings:) lol!!!!!!!!!

Dear Santa,
My Mommy needs one of these.

A girl can dream...right?

Carrie

Update on Mom...

Mom had a doctor visit yesterday with the transplant team. They did an ultrasound on her chest/neck to see just how small her arteries are in those areas. This is where the port will need to be, once the transplant takes place. The arteries are very small, but thankfully no blockages. Praise the Lord! A couple of months ago they tried to move her current pic line to her chest and could not, due to being too small. Please pray that when the time comes, and she needs the port, those arteries will support it.

Other than that, she is doing okay.

Thanks for your continued prayers and support!

Love,
Carrie

Lordy, Lordy KT is 40!

There is nothing like getting up at the crack of dawn in search of a bargain. We shopped until we dropped....physically. There is only so much I can take on zero sleep, adrenalin rush, and mobs of people:) Really. But we managed to have a laugh or two at my friend KT's expense. She needing a little "cracking up" and "instructions" on how to get through the next 40 years:) lol!!!

Ya'll she's 40 today! Over the hill!

The 40 Club....

And other soon-to-be members......

Join me in wishing KT a very Happy 40th Birthday!

Carrie