Celebrate

I don't usually pull out the Christmas decorations before Thanksgiving. In fact, I never do. However, I am hosting a jewelry party tomorrow and I wanted to have the house decorated. Also, we will be doing plenty of travelling over the holidays, so it's kinda nice to enjoy the decorations now.

I'm so excited to have a mantle this year! Several years ago, my mom gave a nativity set to me. I love it, and it just might be my favorite Christmas decoration (along with the stockings...I am a "gifts person" after all). The other day, I placed the nativity set on the mantle. I am loving this sweet reminder of the birth of the Messiah, the Savior, the Christ. I am so thankful for God's gift. So thankful.

More from "Beloved"

Long before any human being saw us, we are seen by God's loving eyes...
Our preciousness, uniqueness, and individuality are not given to us by those who meet us in clock-time - our brief chronological existence - but by the One who has chosen us with an everlasting love, a love that existed from all eternity and will last through all eternity.

Henri J.W. Nouwen

Journaling

I am selfish.
I am sinful.
I am sorry.
I am saved.

The Sense of...

...smell is a wonderful thing.

It's Saturday. We slept in today. It was WONDERFUL! I wanted to go out to breakfast, but it was definately a want and not realistic for the budget. So I pulled out the good ole Pancake Factory.

The what?, you ask.

The Pancake Factory. I bought it from the clearance section in Walmart while I was in college. It's one of those random kitchen appliances that practical people never buy. However, it makes perfect pancakes! So this morning, I started with mixing up some batter, but before I poured the batter into the Pancake Factory, I grabbed some blueberries from the fridge. Then I poured, adding a BUNCH of blueberries to each perfect pancake. What a sweet and pleasant aroma for this beautiful, lazy morning (they sure tasted great too).

Now a new aroma is lingering in the house. Not long after we had finished our breakfast, I started on dinner. :) Slow-cooker french dip sandwiches. The roast has been in the cooker for a few hours now, so the home-cookin' aroma of this meat in beef broth with onion soup mix is beginning fill the house. It had just hit me in the living room minutes before I started this blog post. I'm really looking forward to dinner. :)

I'm thankful for the sense of smell, for God's provision, and for my family.