It's been a good month of giving thanks and remembering all the special blessings God has bestowed on each one of us.  Now, to continue to be thankful as the days draw near to Christmas might start to be difficult!  Today I spent the day cleaning the house and basically getting ready to decorate for the upcoming holiday.  Do you know how many boxes of decorations there are in our attic?  Seems the number grows every year! 

As I continued to work, I began to think of all the items I needed to get accomplished in the coming weeks. Needless to say, my heart rate started to climb and I realized how quickly we can let the celebration turn into stress and anxiety.  Beginning tomorrow, December 1st, make a concerned effort to enjoy each of the coming 24 days, relishing in the grace and mercy of God.  Because God loved us so much, He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to be born in a manger to save us from our sins.

Wow, I can't believe that it's the end of November and today we celebrated the first Sunday of the Advent season!  I must be getting older, but the time surely does march on at a greater pace than I remember as a child.  It seemed between Thanksgiving and Christmas we would wait FOREVER for the arrival of Santa!  As the years progress, I find I hardly have time to decorate, shop, wrap and enjoy my favorite Christmas CDs before it's time to pack it all away!

Gary and I have taught a wonderful group of individuals in Sunday School for the past several years.  These men and women are the same age as our parents and have brought us much joy and challenged us as teachers each time we stand in front of them.  It has been a blessing on our lives.  Today we enjoyed "breaking bread" together over meatballs and ham!  It was a lovely time of sharing and God smiled upon us He blessed us with 60 degrees in the final days of November!  God is so good!

Now we continue to prepare for the upcoming Christmas season.  As I plan to decorate, shop and wrap, I pray earnestly for God to lay His mighty hand on my head to remind me to slow down and enjoy the reason for this glorious occasion...the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ.  Without fanfare, without sparkles, without exhausted bodies and minds....let's start each day with a prayer that we might touch a life for Jesus and win a soul for the Kingdom this advent season!

Hi Friends....last night Gary and I had the opportunity to attend the Rockettes' Christmas show at the Benedum Center in downtown Pittsburgh.  We started the evening with dinner at Stone Pepper's Grill and then, although a bit early for the show, we decided to ride through downtown Pittsburgh and view the sites of Christmas!

There is simply nothing like riding past the enormous Christmas tree at PPG Place and seeing all the ice skaters circling the tree to the sound of Christmas music!  We then drove past the Macy's department store windows since we had read the individual windows (probably about eight of them) tell the story of a child's letter being followed to the North Pole.  An interesting plot for store decorations, but I don't think I would have readily understood the story if I haven't read about it beforehand....sorry Macy's!

Now, for the show....I had previously attended this show about two years ago with a girlfriend when she found tickets during the week for a matinee.  I vowed that I would try and take the family the next time the Rockettes were in town.  Gary, the only one to be able to go, relunctantly agreed, but ask him about it now!  He was amazed at the costuming, the dancing, the colorful scenes, the music, but mostly the ending.  The Rockettes' Christmas show closes with the Birth of Christ....the nativity with LIVE animals....yes, a couple of camels, several sheep....it's jaw dropping!  Scripture and "One Solitary Life" is read while hymns are being sung to the movement of the shepherds and Wise Men.....and you should see those robes on the Wise Men....gold, green and red....

If you get an opportunity....go....it's a wonderful gift to give to yourself, your family or someone else you love.  I'm so thankful I live in a country that although there seems to be a lot of individuals trying to squeeze Jesus out of our lives, there are programs still proclaiming the true reason for the season....CHRISTMAS....the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!!!

Good morning to all my blogging friends.  It has been a great celebration.  On Thanksgiving eve Gary and I had a date night and went to dinner and a movie.  I would highly recommend the movie, "The Blindside" to everyone!  What a awesome movie for this time of year proclaiming the theme of stepping out of our comfort zones and using the blessings God has given us to do good for others!

Then we enjoyed a ton (literally) of food at my mother-in-law's house.  Lots of relatives make the times together enjoyable, especially with all the nieces and nephews starting families of their own!  We expectantly awaited the late night when we gathered around the table and played games.  Now that's a good time!

Friday morning some of the relatives headed out for "Black Friday" shopping  while others slept in....me, I slept in!  Kimberly drove over from Cleveland and we are sitting around chatting once again and partaking in bagels and coffee.  Gary and I will return to Pittsburgh this afternoon and get ready for the Rockette's Christmas show at the Benedum Center....woohoo!  I am so blessed and I pray each of you had an awesome celebration of Thanksgiving.  Please send me an email using the information on the website and tell me all about your day!  God bless, my friends!

Happy Thanksgiving Day, my friends.  We're headed to my mother-in-law's to have a celebration with Gary's family.  I'm thankful for such a large extended family and a chance to visit with them for the next couple of days.  Happy Birthday to my new son-in-law, Luke!  God bless you, one and all!

Hi, my friends.  So sorry for the delay in blogging.  I subbed at the high school yesterday and today I've had a bunch of appointments.  One of them I'd like to share.  This morning at 8:00 a.m. sharp,  I had a mammogram.  Now, that isn't a big deal for most women, but after being diagnosed with breast cancer in 2003, being able to go a year without a diagnostic xray is a big deal. 

Driving down that familiar highway that I traveled many times for xrays and radiation treatments, I listened to K-Love radio and prayed that God would just take over the situation.  To say the least, I get pretty scared.  Today was no different, but I entered the Women's Clinic with an attitude that God had it all under control. 

The technician was wonderful and my favorite radiologist, whom I plan my visit around, was ready to read the xrays.  With twenty minutes the mammogram was done and Dr. Aracri was at the door smiling and relaying to me the news, "everything is good....remember to do your self-examinations and if nothing comes up, I'll see you next year!"  I grabbed her for a big hug with tears in my eyes and said, "thank you so much!"
To God be the glory, He has given me good health and I treasure it for as long the journey lasts.  Now, I humbly pray that I can be used in the service of my Lord every single day. 

NOTES:
Cathy, so thankful the squirrel has been returned to nature instead of rooming in your house!  Sue, take care and I can't wait to see the progress with the "chicken coup" in a couple of weeks (hang a Christmas wreath on the door), Duane, happy belated birthday....so sorry your sister didn't remember, but I think I can blame most things on age now!  To my Virginia family....Happy Thanksgiving...I love all of you.  God bless all my faithful readers and may they all enjoy having a day to reflect and be grateful for all God's many kindnesses and mercies!   Have a wonderful Thanksgiving Eve, my friends! 

I've been blessed beyond measure. Driving home from church on Sunday with my son, Nicholas, we began a conversation on what he taught to the middle school students during Sunday School.  The examples he uses in getting across a point to these kids is "right on".....it applies to where they are in life and what's going on in today's society.  As I sat there listening to him explain the how he related the story of Adam and Eve's sin in the Garden of Eden, I was in awe that the stories of faith and those individuals written about through divine intervention, were being passed on.

It's one thing as a parent to wonder if you've adequately taught God's Word to your offspring and quite another to hear them in adult bodies speak those truths.  I take no credit....I just feel privileged to have been an instrument through which God moved and taught my children, just as my parents have taught me.

During this week of celebrating Thanksgiving, remember to actually give thanks to God for his goodness and mercy.  List those blessings and verbalize them in prayer to God.  I know he will be a willing listener.  God bless, my friends!

It has been an outstanding weekend.  Our daughter, son-in-law and son all came for a visit and stayed over on Saturday night. Around dinner time on Saturday some of their friends came to our house for a game of cards and to share a bowl of wedding soup.  One of the couples have a one-month old baby boy and Gary and I were delighted to have access to a baby again.  We had another newly married couple to join us on Saturday who will be leaving for Sudan in about a week for the mission field. 

We had the most fun with these young people.  Gary and I have always been thrilled that our children and their friends enjoy coming over and spending time in our home.  They are all adults now with lives of their own, but their energy and enthusiasm for life is contagious.  By the way, these "kids" are Christians....that makes it even sweeter!

Our son-in-law, Luke, is having a birthday on Thanksgiving Day and since he and Kimberly will be celebrating the holiday with his family in Cleveland, we had an ice cream cake for him on Saturday.  It makes my heart grow proud as we have added this wonderful young man into our family.  I'm just full of blessings and I thank Jesus for each and every one!  God bless, my friends!

Here's something we probably forget to be thankful for....our imaginations.  Remember back when you were a child and how you imagined role playing?  Whether it was cowboys and Indians; cops and robbers; or being a mommy, play acting was fun.  In fact, being raised as a Baby Boomer, I used my imagination to a greater degree than kids today.  Today Play Station and a variety of video games employ technology unmatched in the "good 'ol days" of the 1950's.

As I taught middle school in a private sector a few years back, I tried to instruct the students on the importance of engaging their imagination.  In fact, as soon as I told them about a novel we would be reading, the first question asked, "is it out on video?"  I tried to explain that the beauty of reading the written word was to activate your own pictures, painting portraits of the characters and various scenes for yourself before allowing Hollywood to do it for you.

Today I attended a movie for which I had previously read the book.  Again, I was a bit disappointed that my imagined characters and the storyline written surrounding them, came up short.  Bottom line...your imagination cannot be accurately told by another.  Regardless of your age....engage your beautiful gift of imagination..go places and see things through the eyes of your mind!  God bless!

It has been a little overcast in Pittsburgh for the past couple of days.  As I was running errands I happened to glance up at the sky and there was a small opening in the cloud coverage where a beautiful blue sky was peeping down on the world below.  It made me smile as I was once again reminded that the "Son" always shines upon us regardless of our current circumstances.

Then I continued on my way running errands.  Stopping off at my hair stylist to purchase a couple of products, I looked over at the next person in line and there stood an old friend that I haven't seen in a very long time.  It was such a pleasant surprise.  The time spent apart simply melted as we shared an update on our families and current activties.  It truly was a blessing that peeped out from under the ordinary and laid before me a beautiful blue sky of remembrances. 

As you go your way today remember to look up and thank our Lord for the many blessings we are given.  Maybe you will be pleasantly surprised with a "blue sky moment!"  God bless, my friends!