Gifts

 The gifts are wrapped.

 They are waiting to be placed beneath the tree.

 

The cookies are baked.

The decorating is complete.

Of all these tasks, the most challenging is finding the perfect gifts to give.

This year as I pondered my Christmas list a thought came.  Why not give what I would like to receive.

Monetarily they have no value but spiritually they are priceless .

So sweet friends I am sending you what I want to unwrap Christmas Day. 

 I hope you will find them waiting under your tree. 

 Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness and Self-Control.

Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas and a blessed coming New Year!  See you in 2022!

Hugs

Debbie

"On coming to the house they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him.  Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, and of incense, and of myrrh."  Matthew 2:11 (NIV)    

  

Valentine's Day

Whew it is hard to believe Valentine's day is just around the corner.   Where did January go??

The winter has been kind here in my "neck of the woods".  Not much snow.  The temperatures have been - for the most part - above normal for this time of the year.

By February 14th one can see that the days are beginning to grow longer. This does not make me sad :)!


The above photo is of last year's poinsettia re-blooming.  For many years I have kept these flowers alive but have never successfully had one bloom red again.  How appropriate - just in time for Valentine's day.  Hope everyone has a lovely one.

Hugs

Debbie

P.S. I want to thank each of you who visited last week and left an encouraging word.  God Bless!

"Love is patient, love is kind, it does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered.  It keeps no record of wrongs.  Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.  It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.  Love never fails."  1 Cor. 13:4-8a (NIV)

Trust

I trust that all of you had a blessed Christmas season and a great start to 2020.

As always with the beginning of another year a particular word becomes my focus.   Last year it was peace.  Did I practice it perfectly?  No but I experienced in the midst of the ups and downs of life an acceptance of things that I could not change and therein peace found me.

Someone once said  "life is a journey not a destination".  In my humble opinion one doesn't learn good things at once.  They come to us in stages.  They appear in adverse circumstances.  They show up during a storm.   It would be grand if we learned spiritual virtues while the sun shone, the birds sang, and the flowers bloomed.   Unfortunately we don't grow and mature when life is easy...it takes tough challenges to strengthen one's muscles of faith.
   
With the beginning of a new year as well as a new decade my perfect word is "Trust".   Perhaps those of you who also have a perfect word or words will share yours.

God Bless

Debbie

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your understanding."  Proverbs 3:5 (NIV) 

 

December

Wishing everyone a lovely start to December and the blessed Christmas season.  Have a wonderful day.

Hugs Debbie

"In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David.   The virgin's name was Mary.  The angel went to her and said, "Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you."  Luke 1:26-28 (NIV)

Merry Christmas

Wishing all of you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Will look forward to seeing everyone in January.


Hugs Debbie

Remnants

The decorations are down and put away.   The gifts are unwrapped.   Those that did not fit have been returned.  

There are only a few remnants of Christmas that remain.

A blue poinsettia...

some leftover cookies....

 and best of all...

 loving memories that will live on until Christmas comes again.



Hope all of you have some remnants to enjoy as well.   God Bless and Have a Very Happy New Year!