1. Good To Be Home
Aslan and I arrived safe and sound to our humble little apartment last night. And no matter how much this may not be my most favorite apartment, it's ours~ with our Christmas tree, our two little gifts, and all of our other things that make it our home. I walked in to the smell of cinnamon mixed with beef stew cooking on the stove. I have a very thoughtful husband who is also a great cook, he made sure the house looked perfect for us and was smelling good and homey. You have no idea how grateful and blessed I feel to be his wife. We had a nice time and we actually had to borrow a large suitcase from my mom just to pack all the toys she bought him. But, it's a great feeling to come home after a week of being gone and curl up on my own couch with my sweet husband, and then nestle into my own bed with my own pillows. I love being home. I love the comfort of my family. I love the fact that the Lord has blessed us so richly.
2. Christmas: A Divine Babe or A Fat Man... and Can You Do Both?
I just read a very humorous and very real blog entry by my dear friend
Shai on the place of Santa in their home. When we had Aslan, Clint and I went through the same holiday questions. It seems as though we have a culture bent on counterfeiting anything having to do with the celebration of Christ. But since the beginning of time, our arch enemy has been desperately trying to surpass the supremacy of Christ in all things. So I don't suppose the most precious Christian holidays would be exempt. So we decided as a family, not to decide whether santa and the easter bunny are evil creatures trying to steal our souls, but to ask ourselves~how can Jesus receive the most glory through our observance of His most miraculous works. We have currently come to the conclusion that we won't ignore santa~but on the advice of my aunt~ we would instead talk about St. Nick in his place. The legend of St. Nick was that he was a devout Bishop devoted to Christianity, who was persecuted for his faith and endeavored to help save others being persecuted, speculated to be present at the Council of Nacaea, and was named the 'secret gift giver'. The story goes that he would toss bags of money or gold in needy peoples windows that would be found in socks hanging to dry by the fire (hence the hanging of stockings). But even as noble as that story is, it is and should always be entirely secondary to the beauty of The Ultimate Gift of God in Christ Jesus. This should be the most precious of times for us as believers as we humbly remember our majestic, mighty God~ who was born in a stable among animals and poor people so that we might see the glory of God through His redemptive power on His future cross. But I think that is a fight among our world today because we have all grown up with the commercial glitz that culture has to offer. So as we begin our families, and ask ourselves how we will teach our children to pursue the Glory of God in all things, while experiencing all the joy and cheer that God intended His Son to bring ~ we are right to put santa in his rightful place. He belongs in the very back ground of our festivities, a side note, a funny fictional thing that belongs on cartoons with snowmen and glowing reindeer. And we are compelled to allow Jesus to take His rightful place as the central King of Glory reigning victoriously and joyfully over all our celebrations. That is a joyful thing, full of peace and happiness and ultimate fulfillment that will last through all eternity.
3. My Sweet Babies
Aslan has come down with a yucky little cold that he caught from me :( But he has been so precious and has just wanted to cuddle and sleep with me and on me. And while I absolutely hate when he is sick, I love to just cuddle and hold my baby.
Abraham is a little live wire... hahaha imagine that. He moves around so much and he packs a serious punch. Already, he can totally surprise me with an unexpected kick. He is certainly growing!
Love you all!
This is going to be a fun Christmas because it's the first time Aslan understands how to open a present. He loved opening the packages more than the toys I think :)
Sorry this is not the right way, but Clint is working and I have no idea how to fix it :) But it was 73 degrees when we arrived in Florida so we had fun outside enjoying the weather~it was beautiful!
This is my boy being absolutely adorable and playing peek-a-boo with my mom. So cute!
