Happy New Year!

I'm watching the "Nightly News". There are saying how glad a lot of people are to have 2008 behind them. I'm inclined to agree. There is much from 2008 that I would love to forget! It was a rough one. But, I look forward with hope to 2009. I know that God is in control of all things and my challenge is to truly trust Him and believe that all that He does is for His glory and our good (to those who love Him and are called according to His purpose).
We have spent the last few days watching "The Lord of the Rings". On Monday we watched "The Fellowship of the Ring". Last night we watched "The Two Towers". Tonight we watch "The Return of the King". There are so many good "lessons" in these movies as I watch them. My favorite quote from the first movie is this... an exchange between Frodo and Gandalf:
"Frodo: I wish the Ring had never come to me. I wish none of this had happened.
Gandalf: So do all who live to see such times; but that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us. There are other forces at work in this world, Frodo, besides the will of evil. Bilbo was meant to find the Ring. In which case, you were also meant to have it. And that is an encouraging thought."
There are so many things that "I wish had never come to me..." but need and want to believe that these things were meant to be. It also is a challenge to me "to decide what to do with the time that is given to [me]."
My goal is to glorify God... it is to honor Him, to say "yes" to whatever He asks me to do. I'm encouraged that in these stories of Hobbits, Elves, Dwarves and Men, that, "Even the smallest person can change the course of the future." (spoken to Frodo).
I am just one person. But, in the hands of God... well... who knows what could happen?!
Happy New Year!

Safer Than a Known Way

"I said to the man who stood at the gate of the year,
"Give me a light that I may tread safely into the unknown",
and he replied,
"Go out into the darkness and put your hand into the hand of God,
that shall be to you better than light, and safer than a known way."
~M.L. Haskins~

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas everyone!!!

Miss Glass Is Half Full: 1st Corinthians 13 - the Christmas one

Miss Glass Is Half Full: 1st Corinthians 13 - the Christmas one

I saw this on another blog and loved it!!

I finally have a day when I don't have to go out until this evening. That doesn't mean I do nothing today. I have about 5 loads of laundry waiting to be done, 6 loaves of bread, a few dozen cookies, gifts to wrap, phone calls to make for the weekend, preparations for Sunday, planning for Christmas dinners next week...
For this morning, though... I'm taking it easy for a little while. Ah... feels good.

He Knows My Name

Our family watches lots of movies. Every Friday night is movie night (and sometimes in between Fridays). The day after Thanksgiving we watched "Jingle All The Way". It's a fairly funny movie... considering our Governor has the main role. One of my favorite parts of the movie is when the main character, who has been trying all along to find this one particular "doll" (action hero) for his son, ends up (through all kinds of crazy circumstances) portraying the action hero in the Christmas parade. The action hero guy is supposed to pick a kid out the crowd to give him a special edition "doll". He spots his son in the crowd and calls his name. The son doesn't realize it's his dad and is amazed that the super hero guy knows him. He says to his friend, "He knows my name!!". That one line really struck me. There's a song we sing at our church called "He Knows My Name", talking about God, who created us and knows us! He is intimately acquainted with us. Psalm 139 says "...You know when I sit and when I rise; You perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; You are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue You know is completely, O Lord... You created my inmost being; You knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made..."
In thinking about this today, I'm comforted that He (God) knows my name. "I have a Father, who calls me His own. He'll never leave me no matter where I go. He knows my name. He knows my every thought. He sees each tear that falls and hears me when I call."

I'm starting to think that I am too (is it one "o" on to, or 2?) dependent on the Internet. For a few days my laptop wasn't working and I had major attitude problems. Good grief... how could something become so addicting? It's back up and running now, obviously. But while it wasn't working I did find (hmmm "find"?) more time to read or practice or do household chores than when my computer was working. While the computer and the Internet are wonderfully fabulous tools which enable me to do research, buy Christmas gifts or connect with dear friends on the other side of the globe, I have allowed it to take over much of my time and energy. Sometimes my family suffers ("not now, I have to finish this one thing online..." "wait a few minutes until this email is done" "I'm coming to bed in just a minute"... "Daddy can read you a bedtime story, I'll be there soon..." Sigh.
I hope to make some changes in this.