If you peeked inside the parsonage today this is what you’d find in my room…

Why all this?  Some time ago I told you that our church is sending my husband and me on a trip to Israel.  We are going on a pastors/wives teaching tour.  I am so excited about it!  We leave this coming Sunday morning and will be gone until January 20th. 

To be able to see the places I’ve read about in Scripture all my life, will be thrilling, to say the least.  I’ve heard that the Scriptures come alive once you visit the Holy Land, and that’s exactly what I’m asking the Lord for.  I want it to have an impact on my personal devotions, as well as my future opportunities to teach. 

We covet your prayers as we go.  Please pray for:

1. Safe travels.
2. Ability to sleep on the plane
3. Luggage to stay safe and arrive when we do =)
4. No migraines
5. Sweet fellowship with the other pastors and wives
6. Special times of worship while there

Well, I better get back to packing…or removing a certain kitty from my bags!

Thanks for taking time to peek in!

From my parsonage window,

We love our sweet iced tea here in the south. I always say I hate drinking my calories. In keeping with that, I have sweetened my tea with Sweet and Low for years.  Last year I switched to Stevia, a natural non-calorie sweetener, but have found that it left my tea with a funny taste.  I thought maybe we’d get used to it, but nope –  we didn’t. 

So, in an attempt to improve my iced tea, I recently tried a product I hadn’t seen before – Domino Light.  It’s half real sugar and half Stevia.  It has half the calories of real sugar and it doesn’t take as much to sweeten as real sugar would.  I used about half a cup in a half gallon of tea.  It tastes like “the real thing” ladies and gentlemen!  Yum!  It is expensive, but I had a coupon, and like I said, it doesn’t take as much as regular sugar.  I’m going to save it just for iced tea. 

If you’re looking for a way to sweeten your tea and save on calories, you need to try this!  This will freshen your tea and your diet plan (we all have one at the end of the year, don’t we?).

Have a glass of sweet tea and
Be refreshed,
Denise

Here we stand on the brink of a new year.  Turn around and look behind you.  How will the life you lived last year be remembered by others?  I didn’t ask how your circumstances pleased you, nor how good your year was, but I asked about your life.  How will you be remembered for the way you lived your life last year? 

As I was recently reading through Mark 14, I read about Mary pouring the costly ointment on Jesus’ head.  Judas reprimands her, saying that the ointment could’ve been sold for much and then the money given to the poor.  However, Jesus answers him in verse 9, Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached throughout the whole world, this also that she hath done shall be spoken of for a memorial of her.  Mary will always be remembered for this act that she did for Jesus.  It showed her great love for Him.  That is how we remember Mary of Bethany…she loved Jesus!

This passage made me stop and ask myself, “For what do I want to be remembered?”  Knowing that God’s Word reveals His Son, and that it is the Mind of Christ, my answer is that I want to be remembered as a woman who loved, knew and obeyed the Word of God.  After answering that, I realized that there has to be a plan of action in order to accomplish that goal.  How will I gain a greater love, knowledge and desire to obey the Word?  I am asking God to reveal the process so I can follow through in the year to come.

We can’t do anything about the time that has already passed.  If we have regrets about last year, we must let go of it and look forward to 2012.  We must each ask what we want to be memorialized for in this next year, then set about a plan to accomplish that, with God’s help.  What will be spoken of as a memorial of you next year?  Today is the time to plan for that!

I’ve shared my desire for my memorial, now, tell me – for what do you want your life to memorialized?

With love,

Christmas celebration at The Cunningham’s started the week before Christmas.  We celebrated early with Alli before she left for Antigua.  Here she is getting dishes for the table from the china cabinet…

We came home from church and finished getting dinner ready.  I don’t know what I would have done without my two assistants – Whitney and her dad!  I’m really good at giving orders asking for help.

 One evening this week I was in a store and I overheard two couples who were friends and had bumped into one another in the aisle chatting.

“How are you doing?” one woman asked.

“I’m worn out, just like everyone else at this time of year!” came the answer in a disgusted tone of voice.

This woman looked and sounded like Scrooge.  “Ba-humbug!”  She had let everything crowd in on her instead of focusing on what was most important.

Today is Christmas Eve’s eve. How are you feeling, friend? Tired? Stressed out? Overwhelmed?  Has there been so much busyness going on that you’re just ready for Christmas to be over with?  If so, can I encourage you to take time today to just stop and be still?  Refresh your heart for Christmas by getting your Bible and finding a spot to be alone with the Lord, perhaps in front of the Christmas tree.  Open to Luke 2 and slowly read the Christmas story.  Ponder what sights and sounds you would hear as you join the shepherds on the starry hillside.  Would a cold wind be blowing through the stable where Mary and Joseph were caring for baby Jesus?  What baby-like sounds would come from his mouth?  Can you hear Him?  Think about the awe of stooping over the manger to peek inside, and rejoice as Simeon and Anna did at His coming.

The devil would love for us to be so sidetracked with our preparations for Christmas that we never stop to behold the Babe.  Be refreshed in your heart and  your Christmas spirit by spending time adore Him. You’ll leave that place ready to finish things up with a right heart and a sweet attitude.  A crabby woman at Christmas isn’t such a pretty package!

Merry Christmas!

With love,