Spiritual Sundays- Snowflakes

My favourite season is Spring however there is beauty to be found in every season. Winter in Canada can be very cold with ice and snow everywhere. I personally can do without the cold weather but if you live in Canada like I do, ice and snow are inevitable in the wintertime. There is beauty to be found in the winter too however. I really enjoy looking at winter scenes for instance and I love big fluffy snowflakes that just float gently down to the earth!

Also, what would Christmas be without snow on the ground?

Snowflakes are beautiful miniature ice sculptures that God creates in the heavens when the weather gets cold.

Little children just love getting outside to build snowmen and snowforts. They enjoy having snowball fights and skating on a pond of ice.

Sometimes I think there is nothing prettier {in the wintertime} than looking outside to find the ground covered with a blanket of snow that glistens and sparkles like billions of diamonds had been thrown onto it. It's almost as though our extravagant God threw His diamonds of nature just for our enjoyment! He makes all things beautiful!

When my boys were growing up we had tons of snow in the wintertime and they had the most fun playing in it. Then they would come indoors, all rosy-cheeked and drink hot chocolate.

Did you know that there are no two snowflakes alike? We are like that. We are each wonderfully made and unique in our own way. The Bible says in Psalms 139:14 "I will praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made."

As I was thinking about what to share with you this weekend, I came across this lovely poem written by Holley Gerth, a writer at DaySpring and thought I would share it with you.

The Meaning of the Snowflake

Every new snowflake comes to the earth as a picture of our Saviour's birth,

Because they are sent from up above and remind us of God's care and love.

Each one is so intricate and small because Christ sees the details of us all,

And just as two are never the same the Lord knows and calls us each by name.

Snowflakes gently cover the world in white and hide what's unlovely in our sight,

Showing us how He covers our sin and His grace when we come to Him.

So may every snowflake bring Christ to mind and in every bit of white may you find

A reason to celebrate anew and a reminder of His love for you.

These snowflakes below are the real thing. Aren't they beautiful? Just like you! Have a wonderful weekend and remember you are unique and wonderfully made just like a beautiful snowflake! The Lord bless you & make you a blessing!

Christmas Centerpiece

I love Christmas and all the decorating, festivities, and music that accompany the holidays! Today I will share a picture of the centerpiece on my coffee table. I change it up every couple of years but because I'm decorating my living room in pinks this year, I decided to leave the centerpiece the same as last year. I just had to fluff it up a bit to make it presentable.

Have a wonderful evening everyone and God bless you!

The Little Drummer Boy & My Wish for A Happy Thanksgiving to All My American Friends!

Hello everyone. This is a little shepherd boy who I've named Yarden, which is Hebrew for Jordan. He is The Little Drummer Boy.




My hubby gave me Yarden for Christmas the year my youngest son Jordan played 'The Little Drummer Boy' in the Christmas Band Concert at school. Jordan played percussion and in the concert that year, he played the drum piece to the song. It was wonderful and Hubby surprised me with the doll. Every time I look at this little guy, I remember that special concert and I can still hear my son playing the drum solo. I love memories like that, don't you?














Isn't he adorable?
He is so intent on doing his best as he plays for the baby Jesus. I love his little shepherd clothes and his head dress.


















































To all my American friends I would like to wish you a Happy Thanksgiving and may God bless each of you and your families. May we all be thankful for all our many blessings!

Gingerbread

Don't you just love gingerbread houses and gingerbread boys at Christmastime? I was going to make my own house this year and then I saw this adorable house advertised on TV from Hallmark. You buy three cards {which is easy for me because I buy so many} and you get this house for half price. It is really pretty & it plays the Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy from the Nutcracker Suite. My grandchildren love it as much as I do!
Now, to decorate my tree...... Have a nice day everyone!

Spiritual Sundays - What Do you Believe In?

Today is rather an off day for me because Hubby and I didn't get out to a service. We are both fighting a bug in our systems and decided to stay at home and mend.

I've been pondering what to share today and the question, "What do you believe in?" keeps coming to mind.

Throughout the stores this time of year, we see the words Believe, Hope, and Love among others, on the shelves and it got me to thinking about that; the word Believe, I mean.

When I was a little girl, my parents, my father in particular, made Christmas a very magical time. They decorated the house to the hilt and my brother and I were especially well behaved at that time of year so that the big jolly fellow dressed in red would be sure to leave presents under our tree.

I was eight when I found out there was no such thing as a real Santa Claus and I was devastated! My mother tried to convince me that the little neighborhood boy who told me there was no Santa, was actually telling me a fib and to not pay any attention to him.

Well, the bubble had been burst and from that day on, Santa was only a figment of my imagination. The disappointment in finding out the truth however made an indelible impression upon me. I felt that my parents had betrayed me. My beloved grandmother had passed away so I couldn't go running to her with my million questions. I had to reevaluate all of my beliefs. I had to search for truth on my own.

From the time I was a little girl, we had gone to church and I believed in God and wanted to live for Him. Somehow I knew in my heart that He was real and that He loved me and cared about everything that happened in my life.

I remember I was nine years old when I wrote a poem to Jesus telling Him how much I loved Him. It was Christmas Day, after all the gifts had been opened and my mother was getting dinner ready. I was lying on the floor in front of the tree, penning the words to my poem when my mother walked in and found me doing that. She didn't understand why a nine year old would be doing such a thing; it wasn't normal behavior! She thought I should have been colouring in my new colouring book or playing with my new doll; anything other than what I was doing. The truth of the matter was, Jesus was real to me and I somehow knew He would never disappoint me, lie to me, or leave me. I BELIEVED in Him and I wanted to tell Him so in my poem.

So, what does the word believe mean? The dictionary defines believe as: to accept, to rely upon, to have confidence in, to have faith in. The scripture verse Hebrews 11:6 says, "And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him."

We never promoted Santa in our home while our boys were growing up. We wanted them to know the truth from the get-go. At Christmastime, our focus was on Christ and why He came. My children did not suffer from not believing in Santa Claus but instead they valued the true meaning of why we celebrated the season. They believed in Jesus and in His miraculous birth.

Christmas isn't about presents, eating fruitcake, and going to concerts although those are all a very enjoyable part of it. So my question today is, "What do you believe in?"

Our Bridge Builder

A Baby wrapped in swaddling clothes,

Lying in a manger-

To some He is the Son of God,

To others, He's a stranger.

It's sad to think that all don't know

His true identity-

That He is both true God and man

Who came to set us free.

If only they would recognize

The power of His name,

It would change their lives forever,

They'd never be the same.

For only He can bridge the gap

Left open by our sin.

He alone can welcome us

To heaven from within.

How blessed are they who understand

The reason why He came.

How blessed are they who put their trust

In Jesus' precious name. - Frances Gregory Pasch

The Lord bless you and make you a blessing this week!

Christmas Decorating...

Yesterday I went to Summerside and stopped into The Homestead, which is my favourite store. Ohhh, they have so many lovely things. I picked up a few things, including some little houses to put around my small Christmas tree. I don't have that set up yet but thought I would share what I've done so far in the way of decorating. We got hit with a snowstorm over night and it's bitterly cold today. The weather promises to be stormy for the rest of the day. Meanwhile, I'm going to decorate!








































































You probably can't tell from the pictures but these magnolias are all sparkly and beautiful!









This is the swag which I refurbish every year to suit my decor. This year, it hangs over the mirror in the bathroom; a matching magnolia in the center of it.

Have a lovely day everyone!

Dolls

Ever since I was a little girl I have loved dolls; dolls & tea sets. I loved playing house and couldn't wait to grow up and have my own house with real dolls and tea sets. Today I will share with you a couple of my dolls.
Both of them hold a special place in my heart because they were gifts from my loved ones.
The first little girl is Anne. She is known around the world as Anne of Green Gables and she is very important to me as she was the last gift my father gave to me before he passed away. I will always treasure her.

She is outfitted in her little green dress with her pinafore over it. On her head, she wears her hat to cover her long red braids which most little girls wore back in the day. She has green eyes and her nose is sprinkled with an abundance of freckles. She is charming just like Anne in the story that made her so famous.

She really is a cutey! I'm sure you'll agree.

This little girl is out walking her puppy on a cool winter's evening and she carries a lantern to light her path.

She was a gift from my son Joel and his wife Carina one Christmas. Her name is Carina, named after my daughter-in-law, of course. She wears her green velvet coat trimmed with fur to keep her warm while she walks her puppy. Underneath her coat is her tartan dress and petticoat. On her pretty head sits her fur hat which keeps her long chocolate brown tresses from blowing in the wind. She has deep brown eyes and she is very sweet; just like my daughter-in-law!

I hope you enjoyed hearing about my dollies. I have several others which I will show you at a later date. Hope you have a nice day.

Spiritual Sundays

Waiting in line can be hazardous to your health.... or your testimony!
It's the middle of November and the checkouts in the department stores are getting heavier every day as shoppers try to get their Christmas shopping done. You're getting sneezed on and stepped on. Sometimes you almost get run over as shoppers in their hurry, brush past you and almost knock you off your feet.

Every year, I promise myself I'm going to get an early start and as usual, I break that promise. Believe it or not, I start thinking about Christmas in July or August and really concentrating on it by September, yet I always manage to put off the shopping. Why is that? Well, one reason is because I'm decorating my house in my head! Then I head for Michael's and other stores where one might find beautiful ornaments and other festive frivolities. I so enjoy the decorating part. It is the one time of year when I can decorate to my heart's content with all the glitz and glitter I want.
But I find the closer we get to December, the more obnoxious people become.
Where has the Christmas spirit gone?

Years ago, especially in small towns, people were feeling pretty jovial as the holidays approached. Today, you don't want to be in a mother's way if she is after that last dolly on the shelf!
I still recall with shame, the behavior of parents back in the early eighties as they tried to buy Cabbage Patch dolls for their little girls. I'm glad I had boys!
I always feel sorry for the cashier at the check out. They are the ones who have to stand for hours and make sure everything is computed correctly into the machine. They are the ones who have to put up with the complaints and smart remarks from the customers this time of year. They can't wait for the rush to be over and they most definitely are not feeling the joy of the season!

So, I guess what I'm leading up to is this: During this 'most wonderful time of the year', do you offer the flustered cashier at the checkout a smile or a kind word after standing in line too long, or do you frown and complain like everyone else? A smile goes a long way. It only takes a second to smile and that just might make someones day!
Hebrews 12:1 tells us that we are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses. Our witnesses are both seen and unseen.

MY PRAYER- "Help us dear Lord to be a light in our world and offer those around us a smile even when there is chaos all around us! Help us to be gentle, loving, and kind even when others aren't. Help us to represent You well; after all, it is because of Your coming to us that we celebrate in the first place. I ask this in Jesus' name. Amen."

WORDS TO PONDER
Watch your thoughts; they become words.
Watch your words; they become actions.
Watch your actions; they become habits.
Watch your habits; they become character.
Watch your character; it becomes your destiny.

May the Lord bless you & make you a blessing. ~ Sandi

A New Teapot

It's Saturday morning and I'm shuffling around in my robe and slippers. I am full of the cold and did not sleep well last night but it's that time of year and these things are to be expected I suppose. I curled up on the couch in the den with my large coffee which Hubby brought me before he went to the gym. The wonderful elixir felt good going down my sore throat as I sat sipping on it and watched a Magnum PI rerun on TV.
Saturdays are my lazy days; and today is no exception. Today, I'm just a little lazier than usual.
Anyway, a couple of weeks ago I went to the hospital to have x rays on my shoulder and they have this wonderful little gift shop at the hospital which I am always tempted to go into. That day I saw so many things to drool over! But one thing in particular caught my eye and I could not bring myself to leave the shop without it....a teapot! I have a penchant for beautiful teapots and I couldn't resist this one. It's a pretty thing; I'm sure you'll agree! Oh, did I mention I got it on sale? Tea anyone?