Oh Come, Oh Come, Emmauel.

It's two days before Christmas. All across the country, last minute shoppers are crowding the malls, the Wal-Marts and countless other big name stores. Some haven't shopped at all - others are looking for gifts that they inadvertantly left off their list. Busy. Busy. Busy.

Also, all across America, (because we can worship God without fear of persecution), Sunday Schools are presenting their Christmas pageants to proclaim the story of Mary and Joseph and a stable in Bethlehem where the Prince of Peace is born. Our church is no exception - even as I type, our parish children are presenting their play, singing their songs, being prompted on their forgotten lines.
Not being there is difficult for me - but being home is necessary. The doctor has me on medication for severe bronchitis or pneumonia...my xray results will be available on Wednesday. Meanwhile, I can do some things here at home as strength permits. The kids will be here soon and although I wanted the house to be spotless and picture perfect, God has also given me the wisdom to know that what matters is the state of my heart. Nothing wrong with my heart physically - it beats as steadily as ever. But I want it to be ready - oh, so welcoming - for Jesus. That the peace He brings to the world will be within me as well - with out question.
Funny, isn't it? How we prepare, the work we do, the gifts we buy, and wrap, and give, when the most important and precious gift we have to give is a child named Jesus. If we give Him - above all else - as God gave Him to us - we have realized that Christmas is truly a season of peace. The region where He was born is now full of fighting and soldiers and killing each day...but the Prince of Peace reigns over all. He is there in the courage of the soldiers, the strength of the people, the hope of the oppressed.

Come, Emmanuel, the hearts of the world are ready for your peace. Again.

God bless our troops and those who wait for them.

Blessings...

Sue

Getting closer - uh oh.

Does anyone have a few extra days they can lend me before Christmas? Yesterday I was going to finish my shopping and get the gifts all wrapped. 3/4 of them are sitting down in the basement all wrapped and ready for their bows. Scott moved them there on Friday before Veronica got here. I won't put the bows on them until they go under the tree because the glue on the bows dry out and fall off. This is the first year I have done this so we'll see if it helps or if the bows will still be scattered under the tree on Christmas morning.

So did I go shopping? Nope - the Binker (that's our nickname for Veronica) was extremely busy yesterday and Ron had a project going so I needed to be here to take care of her. At 3 1/2 she is pretty good, but she is VERY busy so Ron couldn't steam wallpaper off the wall and watch her too. Today I am not in church because this bronchial thing has returned with a vengeance. I coughed all day and night yesterday and don't really want to cough in church all morning too. Lovely.

Today, I will DEFINITELY wrap presents and get my recipes together for some cookie baking during the week. Somehow, it all gets done - doesn't it? When I was a little girl, I used to watch my mom getting ready for Christmas and she used to move from one project to the next with such, I don't know, finesse? You would think that SOME of that would have rubbed off on my sisters and I. No such luck. But as I've said before - I love a challenge.

We feel so blessed that Laurie, Stephen, and Kasey will be home for Christmas this year. Who knows what God's plans are for us all from one year to the next? But we trust that we are safely in His care and that is a wonderful assurance every single day. His will for us is perfect.

Tomorrow is the last day of the Fall semester - LOTS of things to do at work to make sure that all students who are requesting financial aid for just the fall semester will have their financial aid on the system and in place. While this can be a stressful time, it can also be very stimulating for the brain ( I tell myself that's a good thing at my age :).

For those who are traveling this week, Godspeed you safely to your destination.

For my friends who have loved ones in the sand, your loved ones are in the constant prayers of so many - mine included. I know the urgency of those prayers - and the trust with which we pray. Waiting for the answers is where our faith can be revealed - and His grace.

My friends - forgive me if I don't stop in too frequently this week. I'm getting ready for Kasey, and Christmas...and Jesus.

Hopeless cases?

SO, there I was in the church balcony on Sunday morning, singing the opening hymn with the rest of the choir - my dear friend Jan next to me. Jan is a military mom also - her son and daughter in law are serving in the Navy. So as we sang, we looked below to the congregation as latecomers took their place in the pews. One of my friends - a proud grandma to a Marine (Nick) who just returned from the sand - came into church and walked to the front, where most of her family - daughters, sons-in-law, grandchildren - sit on Sunday mornings with regularity. She looked to the back of the church and the next person Jan and I saw walk in was Nick - looking so handsome in his dress blues. I stopped singing and started crying, giving in to the lump in my throat and the immense pride and thanksgiving for this 19 year old man/child we have so often prayed for on Sunday mornings (and many other times as well). Jan shifted her hymnal to one hand, and wiped the tears from her eyes as well.

So I guess you could say we are hopeless cases. As we laughed and cried at the same time - kindred spirits in this life as military moms - we knew it was ok; knew that if the other choir members noticed, they knew why the tears were flowing and why we couldn't sing that first hymn of praise.

It's ok - God didn't mind. After all, He is the one who put these hearts in us, gave us this path to walk, and brought Nick home safely. No hymn of praise, but hearts full of praise.

Hopeless? Well, maybe Jan and I could be considered hopeless by those who don't know what this roller coaster ride is all about. But always - always - it's our hope in Christ that gets us through. If that's what being a hopeless case is all about, I'm a lifer.

God bless our troops - and those who love them.

UH OH - Overdrive Time.

THE weekend has arrived. It's the weekend that you get to say thank goodness there are still two weeks until Christmas. Which translates to: OH man...I think I better get going. Tonight is list night. Tomorrow is shopping. Sunday is wrapping while watching football. Veronica is here - actually behind me, sitting on Papa's lap and watching Frosty the Snowman while eating an oreo cookie. Ahhh - life sure is simple for 3 year olds.

The weather is definitely Christmas weather - it's been cold all week...some snow - lots of it in ski country. This gives people the incentive to buy skis, or ski jackets, and gloves and hats and warm jackets. Tomorrow we are taking Veronica shopping for some good warm boots. Her mommy requested that when she dropped her off tonight. Tomorrow night we are taking her to the Christmas light show - there are several in our area. Or maybe we will just drive around a few of the local neighborhoods and enjoy a free show and save our money for some hot chocolate or a soda at the local ice cream parlor after we've looked at the lights. We're trying to do something special at least one day of each weekend so that Veronica and Scott can do something other than hang around the house. We want Veronica to have an adventure to tell her mommy and brother about when she goes home each Sunday. It's important that Tina knows that we are trying to make sure Veronica is not just spending time here, but is having fun too.

It's my hope that tomorrow morning will find me still in bed at 6:30 - maybe 7 if I'm lucky. And then I will have 2 cups of coffee before I start the shopping trip. THE shopping trip. I think I feel tired already.

Hoping that your weekend will bring you blessings.

God bless our troops and those who wait.