Praising God for Another Year

Today is New Years Eve, and also my 17th birthday. It's so hard to believe another year has gone by! I have been blessed in so many ways--too numerous to count! And these are some things I pray the Lord will bless us with in the upcoming year:

• The Armor of God "Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes." Ephesians 6:11
• Assurance
• Belief
• Boldness
• Character
• Commitment "Your hearts must be committed to the LORD our God, to live by his decrees and obey his commands, as at this time." 1 Kings 8:61
• Compassion
• Confidence "We say with confidence, 'The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?'" Hebrews 13:6
• Contentment
• Courage
• Determination
• Devotion
• Discernment
• Encouragement "Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching." Hebrews 10:25
• Faith
• Family -- To embrace each other daily!!!
• Fellowship
• Health
• Honesty
• Hope
• Hospitality
• Humility "Humility and the fear of the LORD bring wealth and honor and life." Proverbs 22:4
• Identity
• Integrity
• Joy "Be joyful always..." 1 Thessalonians 5:16
• Justification
• Kindness
• Love for God
• Love for others
• Maturity
• Obedience
• Patience
• Peace
• Perseverance
• Praise "Praise the Lord, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name!" Psalm 103:1
• Prayer
• Presence of God
• Priorities
• Purity
• Quietness
• Repentance
• Righteousness
• Salvation
• Self-control
• Serving
• Sincerity
• Strength "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Philippians 4:13
• Thankfulness
• Trust
• Truth
• Will of God
• Wisdom
• Witnessing
• Worship

With my birthday falling on the last day of each year, it makes it easy for me to look back on the past year and thank God for all he's done for me and my family. I have so much to praise Him for! I look forward to what He has in store for 2010 as it leads up to the time when we will one day be with Him in Paradise, day and night never to stop saying, "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and who is, and who is to come." (Revelation 4:8) I pray with all my heart that this be a year filled with fruitful labor and service in Christ.

Now, with the next year just minutes away, I wish you all a wonderful, joy-filled, blessed New Year in our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ--who was... and is... and, praise the Lord, is to come!

Praise the Lord for another year!!

PRAISE THE LORD ALL THE EARTH. :)

...A White Christmas?

Okay, so we didn't exactly enjoy a Christmas quite this white. lol!

This is just a painting hanging on one of the walls in my dad's parent's house. :)

This is more like how our "white Christmas" looked...

Alright, so it was technically Christmas Eve and it wasn't exactly white. We did get about 30 minutes of snow that melted as it hit the ground, though! :D

You must realize this is probably a first for us having snow in December! ...Especially on Christmas Eve!
My sisters and I asked Mom if we could stand outside in it, and she, of course, said yes! We could barely catch the snow on our camera, but we soon realized it showed up fairly well against my black sweater. :)

( A very cold me! :)



Anyway, we had a very lovely Christmas--despite the fact that it wasn't quite "white"! ;)

Our family has been so blessed this year and we are very grateful for all our loving, caring, friends and family--and most importantly, the amazing God who has taken care of us throughout the entire year. His hand has stayed upon us continually and I praise Him for being faithful and for watching over us. "I will praise you with the harp for your faithfulness, O my God; I will sing praise to you with the lyre, O Holy One of Israel." Psalm 71:22
So, how many of you enjoyed a "white Christmas"?!

I hope you all had a blessed holiday!

Wishing You a Merry Christmas

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."

Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he
will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end."

"How will this be?" Mary asked the angel, "since I am a virgin?"

The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month. For nothing is impossible with God."

Luke 1:26-37

So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
Luke 2:4-7


And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good tidings of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger...."

...So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.
Luke 2:8-12, 16-20

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Christmas is a time for celebration and for remembering. I'm so glad that God was merciful to us and sent his son Jesus to such a dark and dying world, that we could have life! The same God mentioned in the Scripture above is the same God we serve today. He still works miracles and nothing is at all impossible for Him! This Christmas (and all year long!) let us remember how blessed we are and take time to thank God for sending us the ultimate gift--Jesus Christ. Without him, we would be lost and without hope... But because he humbled himself by coming to this earth and dying as a ransom for our sins, we now share the greatest Hope! Praise God! I pray you all have a wonderful Christmas. :)

Merry Christmas & God Bless You!

All pictures from our church's Christmas drama 2007

And Mary Said...

"My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me— holy is his name. His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation. He has performed mighty deeds with his arm; he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts. He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble. He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful to Abraham and his descendants forever, even as he said to our fathers."

LUKE 1:46-55

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What Child is This/Mary Did You Know

What child is this, who, laid to rest

On Mary's lap, is sleeping?

Whom angels greet with anthems sweet,

While shepherds watch are keeping?

This, this is Christ the King,

Whom shepherds guard and angels sing:

Haste, haste to bring him laud,

The Babe, the Son of Mary...

Mary, did you know that your Baby Boy would one day walk on water?

Mary, did you know that your Baby Boy would save our sons and daughters?

Did you know that your Baby Boy has come to make you new?

This Child that you delivered will soon deliver you.

Mary, did you know that your Baby Boy will give sight to a blind man?

Mary, did you know that your Baby Boy will calm the storm with His hand?

Did you know that your Baby Boy has walked where angels trod?

When you kiss your little Baby you kissed the face of God?

Mary did you know...

The blind will see.

The deaf will hear.
The dead will live again.

The lame will leap.

The dumb will speak

The praises of The Lamb.

Mary, did you knowthat your Baby Boy is Lord of all creation?

Mary, did you know that your Baby Boy would one day rule the nations?

Did you know that your Baby Boy is heaven's perfect Lamb?

The sleeping Child you're holding is the Great, I Am.

This, this is Christ the King!

Whom shepherds guard and angels sing:

Haste, haste to bring him laud

The babe, the son of Mary

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It's hard to believe that Christmas is finally here. Praise God for sending us his son, Jesus! What a precious, precious gift. He has most definitely done great and mighty things.

And holy is his name!

What Child is This written by: William Chatterton Dix

Mary Did You Know written by: Mark Lowry

Blessings A*p*ound?!

"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ."

Ephesians 1:3

Last Sunday while we were at home we heard a loud knock on our front door. Mom went to answer it and the man standing there said something like, "Hello ma'am, my name is pastor " " from " " church. (Names not given for the purpose of anonymity.) We heard about your family and we're hear to give you a pounding!" ...Okay, so that is honestly the first time I ever heard of such a thing! lol But I quickly found out the meaning of it! :) Two children started bringing sacks and sacks of groceries into our house... The bags just kept coming and coming until our entire kitchen table was full! Mom even took a couple of pictures because we were all blown away at how much they brought!

I was overwhelmed by all the food that I decided I had to pull everything out of our pantry, clean it top to bottom, and the put everything back into it neatly... along with all of the new groceries we just received. It took me two hours to get it all done! Yes, that's a long time, but I was really pleased with the result! :)

Oh, and do you remember a tag I did pretty recently that asked for three of my favorite drinks? I listed "Water, hot chocolate, and Dr. Pepper... if I could have it!" Well, guess what I found while looking through all of the food the church brought us?

Yes! Can you believe it?! lol

My jaw dropped and I just had to get a picture!!

God is just so amazing and it's exciting to see him working through his Church as a whole to provide for one another's needs. ...So maybe Dr. Pepper and hot chocolate aren't really condsidered "needs", but what can I say? With God, blessings just... abound. :)

"And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work." 2 Corinthians 9:8

Birthday Blessings

Yesterday we celebrated Sister #3's eleventh birthday! On Friday, she and a friend of hers got to go to a Family Fun Center nearby. They had a really good time together. Then that evening we had our grandparents come over for presents and cake and ice cream. This year she decided that she wanted an ice cream cake... so we bought one! (No, we didn't make it ourselves!) It was very delicious, though! :)

This is one of the gifts she got from our grandparents:

... Isn't he so cute?!


Here she is (on left) playing the "ticket version" of Deal or No Deal with her friend at the FFCenter. They ended up with about 1,500 tickets to spend on prizes! Good job, girls! (Sister #2 helped them out a lot with that! ;)

Anyway, it's hard to believe the youngest in our household is now 11 years old! My goodness how time flies. :) She has been one of the biggest blessings to our family and I love her so very much. May the Lord bless you and keep you, dear sister, throughout this next year!

I love you!

Be Seekers of Wisdom

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"Blessed is the man who finds wisdom, the man who gains understanding,
for she is more profitable than silver and yields better returns than gold." Proverbs 3:13-14

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"But where can wisdom be found? Where does understanding dwell? Man does not comprehend its worth; it cannot be found in the land of the living. The deep says, 'It is not in me'; the sea says, 'It is not with me.' It cannot be bought with the finest gold, nor can its price be weighed in silver. It cannot be bought with the gold of Ophir, with precious onyx or sapphires. Neither gold nor crystal can compare with it, nor can it be had for jewels of gold. Coral and jasper are not worthy of mention; the price of wisdom is beyond rubies. The topaz of Cush cannot compare with it; it cannot be bought with pure gold.

"Where then does wisdom come from? Where does understanding dwell?
It is hidden from the eyes of every living thing, concealed even from the birds of the air.
Destruction and Death say, 'Only a rumor of it has reached our ears.'
God understands the way to it and he alone knows where it dwells,
for he views the ends of the earth and sees everything under the heavens.
When he established the force of the wind and measured out the waters,
when he made a decree for the rain and a path for the thunderstorm,
then he looked at wisdom and appraised it; he confirmed it and tested it.
And he said to man, 'The fear of the Lord—that is wisdom, and to shun evil is understanding.' " Job 28:12-28

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"His wisdom is profound, his power is vast."

Job 9:4

*A Christmas-y Post*

Lindsay tagged me today with a "Christmas-y" kind of tag. :) Thank you so much, Lindsay! I've also taken a few pictures lately of some different Christmas decorations around the house, so I figured now might be a good time to share them. I hope you enjoy...

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1. Do you like sugar cookies?

Yes... If they are soft and moist. :)

Although, I do prefer desserts with chocolate!

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2. Do you like a LOT of lights on your Christmas tree,

or just a few?

Hmmm... well, I love having lights on the tree, but it always seems

to be such a hassle to mess with untangling them and making sure

they still work, etc.... so maybe just a few. :)

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3. Do you prefer a real tree, or an artificial tree?

I'm not really sure! Our family has never had a real one before.

We've always used an artificial tree. It sounds like it would be

fun to get a real tree, though. But I've heard a lot of people talk

about how messy they can be! :)

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4. What's your favorite Christmas carol?

Oh, my! This is going to be hard. How about I list a few? ;)

O Holy Night

What Child is This

O Come, O Come Emmanuel

Away in a Manger

...Just to name a few!

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5. Do you like egg-nog, or boiled custard?

Hmmm... I don't really care for egg-nog, but I've never had

(or even heard of!) boiled custard before. lol So I guess

that would be egg-nog. :)

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6. Do you want a lot of snow for Christmas, or just

enough to sled in?

It would be nice to have a "white Christmas" but it doesn't

really matter to me either way. If I got to choose, I'd probably

go with "just enough to sled in". :)

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9. If you could spend $1,000,000 what would you buy?

Wow, if God blessed me in such a way I would know it wasn't

primarily for myself! I would use that opportunity to

bless others! :) (And by doing so, I would be just as blessed!)

Okay, so it doesn't look like that answers the question exactly.

Let's just say if I had that much to spend I would definitely be on

my knees in prayer about it because it must be something pretty

important God wants me to use it on! lol

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10. What is your favorite name of Jesus?

Obviously, all of them are important but I think "Shepherd"

(Psalm 23:1) & "Great High Priest" (Heb. 4:14) are my two

favorites. They mean a whole lot to me. :)

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That was fun! Thanks again for tagging me, Lindsay!! :) I enjoyed this one a lot. Now I will tag three people:

*

Moriah

*

Kayla

*

& Hannah*

I hope everyone is enjoying their "week-before-Christmas"!

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7. What's your favorite part of the Christmas story?

Wow, that's hard to answer! All of it is amazing. Without

everything involved it just wouldn't be perfect and complete!

Each circumstance is highly significant.

My favorite part is where God appears to Joseph in a dream and says,

"She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name

Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins."

I love that verse so much because it includes me in the story!! :)

Christ was sent to do the will of his Father in heaven...

Thank you, Lord, for sending Jesus!

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8. What's your favorite Christmas movie?

I love the "Nativity Story"!

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^^^ Tee Hee! ^^^


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A Really Long Post :)

I wanted to let everyone know

that Abby at His Sparrow

is having a nice giveaway.

To enter, you can click HERE.

------------------------------------

Also, Hannah awarded me, and I've been meaning to post about it! Although I've received this one before, I thought I would do the tag part because it's a bit different than it was for the last one I did. :)

So here are the rules:

1. Do a post about the person who awarded you, and their blog.

2. Give the award to 7 of your favorite blogs, give a reason, and leave a comment telling them they have been awarded

3.Give us ten Scripture verses/passages that are especially dear to you

4. Paste the award on your blog
5. Have fun!

First off, Hannah has a very lovely blog where she posts many exciting things. I met her recently through the "blogging world" and I have really enjoyed getting to know her! :) Thank you so much for awarding me, Hannah!

Now, for my ten favorite Bible verses... (And just so you know, this is going to be quite lengthy! So don't feel like you have to read all of it, of course. I really wanted to write out all of the verses, though, instead of just posting the addresses.) Anyway, here goes!

#1

JAMES 4:8

"Come near to God and he will come near to you."

#2

HEBREWS 9:11-15

(Really, the whole chapter!)

"When Christ came as high priest of the good things that are already here, he went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not man-made, that is to say, not a part of this creation. He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, having obtained eternal redemption. The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean. How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!
For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance—now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant."

#3

ISAIAH 42:1-9

"Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him and he will bring justice to the nations. He will not shout or cry out, or raise his voice in the streets. A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out. In faithfulness he will bring forth justice; he will not falter or be discouraged till he establishes justice on earth. In his law the islands will put their hope. This is what God the LORD says--he who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread out the earth and all that comes out of it, who gives breath to its people, and life to those who walk on it: "I, the LORD, have called you in righteousness; I will take hold of your hand. I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people and a light for the Gentiles, to open eyes that are blind, to free captives from prison and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness. I am the LORD; that is my name! I will not give my glory to another or my praise to idols. See, the former things have taken place, and new things I declare; before they spring into being I announce them to you."

#4

PSALM 37

(Yes, the whole chapter!)

"Do not fret because of evil men or be envious of those who do wrong; for like the grass they will soon wither, like green plants they will soon die away. Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun. Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes. Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret--it leads only to evil. For evil men will be cut of, but those who hope in the LORD will inherit the land. A little while, and the wicked will be no more; though you look for them, they will not be found. But the meek will inherit the land and enjoy great peace. The wicked plot against the righteous and gnash their teeth at them; but the Lord laughs at the wicked, for he knows their day is coming. The wicked draw the sword and bend the bow to bring down the poor and needy, to slay those whose ways are upright. But their swords will pierce their own hearts, and their bows will be broken. Better the little that the righteous have than the wealth of many wicked; for the power of the wicked will be broken, but the LORD upholds the righteous. The days of the blameless are known to theLORD, and their inheritance will endure forever. In times of disaster they will not wither; in days of famine they will enjoy plenty. But the wicked will perish: The LORD's enemies will be like the beauty of the fields, they will vanish--vanish like smoke. The wicked borrow and do not repay, but the righteous give generously; those the LORD blesses will inherit the land, but those he curses will be cut off. If the LORD delights in a man's way, he makes his steps firm; though he stumbles, he will not fall, for the LORD upholds him with his hand. I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread. They are always generous and lend freely; their children will be blessed. Turn from evil and do good; then you will dwell in the land forever. For the LORD loves the just and will not forsake his faithful ones. They will be protected forever, but the offspring of the wicked will be cut off; the righteous will inherit the land and dwell in it forever. The mouth of the righteous man utters wisdom, and his tongue speaks what is just. The law of his God is in his heart; his feet do not slip. The wicked lie in wait for the righteous seeking their very lives; but the LORD will not leave them in their power or let them be condemned when brought to trial. Wait for the LORD and keep his way. He will exalt you to inherit the land; when the wicked are cut off, you will see it. I have seen a wicked and ruthless man flourishing like a green tree in its native soil, but he soon passed away and was no more; though I looked for him, he could not be found. Consider the blameless, observe the upright; there is a future for the man of peace. But all sinners will be destroyed; the future of the wicked will be cut off. The salvation of the righteous comes from the LORD; he is their stronghold in time of trouble. The LORD helps them and delivers them; he delivers them from the wicked and saves them, because they take refuge in him."

#5

ISAIAH 55:8-9

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the LORD. "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts."

#6

JEREMIAH 33:3

"Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know."

#7

COLOSSIANS 4:6

"Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone."

#8

ROMANS 8:28-31

"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified. What, then, shall we say? If God is for us, who can be against us?"

#9

JEREMIAH 29:11

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart."

#10

REVELATION 17:14

"They will make war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will overcome them because he is Lord of lords and King of kings--and with him will be his called, chosen, and faithful followers."

AND...

REVELATION 22:12-13, 20-21

"Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and Last, the Beginning and the End... He who testifies to these things says, "Yes, I am coming soon." Amen. Come, Lord Jesus. The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God's people. Amen."

Okay, so that was really long! ...Let me know if you read all of it! ;) Oh, and I'm not going to tag seven other people since I've already done that before. So if you want it, feel free to take it!

Have a blessed Sunday!! :)

A Beautiful Song

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~How Deep the Father's Love for Us~

written by Stuart Townend

How deep the Father's love for us

How vast beyond all measure

That he would give his only son

To make a wretch his treasure

How great the pain of searing loss

The Father turns his face away

As wounds which mar the chosen one

Bring many sons to glory

Behold the man upon the cross

My sin upon his shoulders

Ashamed, I hear my mocking voice

Call out among the scoffers

It was my sin that held him there

Until it was accomplished

His dying breath has brought me life

I know that it is finished

I will not boast in anything--

No gifts, no power, no wisdom

But I will boast in Jesus Christ,

His death and resurrection

Why should I gain from his reward?

I cannot give an answer

But this I know with all my heart:

His wounds have paid my ransom

"And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God." Ephesians 3:17b-19

Picture taken at our church's Christmas drama 2008

The Name of the Lord Be Magnified

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"Oh, magnify the LORD with me,

And let us exalt His name together."

Psalm 34:3

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I know I haven't done any updates on my Dad since October, so I thought I would write one. :)

The entire month of November was very good for us. (Aside from my Dad feeling somewhat tired at times and a few other minor things.) We had a very good month! But, unfortunately, a couple of weeks ago we noticed he was starting to feel badly again. About 10 days ago he started having a major headache that would not go away, which has always been the first sign of a new lesion growing. Also, now this week the right side of his face is numb and the left side of his body isn't working properly. He has a few other symptoms, too. He went to see one of his doctors on Tuesday and the soonest they could schedule an MRI was for Friday (today). Anyway, we feel pretty sure that he has another lesion growing on the right side of his brain stem because his symptoms are affecting him on the left side of his body and the right side of his face. (He's had three lesions: the first on the left of the brain stem, the second on the right, and the third directly in the center.) We'll see what the results for the MRI are, and if he has a new lesion they want to do another lumbar puncture (this will be his 5th, and he dreads them!) to see if they can find anything indicating what this is... because he still hasn't been given a diagnosis! We've been dealing with this since May of this year and all the doctors are stumped. They also want to try not to give him any steroids if possible, because he's had them every time and they want to see what the lesion does without them. (That is, if they really do find a lesion.) The steriods have been the only thing to take away his symptoms, though. So if he gets as bad as he did last time he will most definitely have to have them.

Anyway, as I've said before, we know God is in control and we trust all things to Him! Here is an excerpt from an email my Mom sent out in October, during my Dad's last lesion. Since it still applies, I thought I would share it...

"Please pray that the new lesion will not continue to grow and cause his symptoms to worsen more than they are now, and that he will be able to go without steroids until after all the testing that needs to be done. You can also pray for answers and go right ahead and pray for complete healing too. Just don't forget to pray that the Lord's will be done because He has all the answers, not us."

Thank you, Lord, for your protection and provision! We know you hold us in the palm of your hand. You know all things, and we trust in you completely. Let your name be magnified in all the earth!

"Thus I will magnify Myself and sanctify Myself, and I will be known in the eyes of many nations. Then they shall know that I am the LORD.” Ezekial 38:23

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We really appreciate all of the prayers for our family. May the Lord bless you and keep you always. :)

"I will praise you forever for what you have done;

in your name I will hope, for your name is good.

I will praise you in the presence of your saints."

Psalm 52:9

A Couple of Awards...

Each of these awards came from my dear friend, Lindsay! Thank you so much for thinking of me Lindsay! :)

Now, I will award this one to:

Allison at Daughter of the King, Shannon at Below the Plateau, Hannah at Hannah of Marilla Heights, Leah at The Narrow Path, Abigail at A Light to Follow, & Haley at Haley's Happenings

And this one goes to:

Anna at Sisters in the Savior, Allison at Strength and Dignity Are Her Clothing, Kayla at The Lord is King of Kings, Chloe at Blooming in Christ, Jess at Hope, Light, and Love, & Buttercup at Soaring on Wings Like Eagles

In case you would like to know what to do with the awards... here are some directions:

• Right click on the award and select the "Save As" option
• Place the award as a picture in a post
• Say who awarded you...
• And then write the names of the people you'd like to give the award to, leaving a comment on their blog letting them know they've been awarded!

Thanks again for awarding me, Lindsay!

May the Lord bless you all and keep you... and make His face shine upon you!

I've Been Tagged

I was tagged by Tessa! So here I go...

• Six names you go by
  

1. Taylor
2. Tay
3. Taydee (By my family only, lol!)
4. Tay-tay
5. Tator-tot (Also by my family only!)
6. Tay-bay (This one too!) :D

• Three things you are wearing right now
  

1. A long purple skirt
2. My houseshoes
3. And my "Speak, Hear, See, Fear No Evil" t-shirt w/ "Psalm 23" written on it

• Three things you want very badly right now
  

1. My Dad to be healed completely
2. Good weather for our Christmas drama these next two weekends
3. And God to be glorified!

• Three things you did last night/yesterday
  

1. Missed church
2. Watched two movies
3. And wrote a blog post :)

• Two things you ate today
  

1. A bite of my dad's "Strawberry Fields" cereal
2. And some chicken salad

• Two people you last talked to on the phone
  

1. My mommy
2. And... probably my mommy! lol (Or possibly my Nana... I just don't talk on the phone that often!)

• Two things you are going to do today/tomorrow
  

1. Work
2. And read my Bible

• Your three favorite beverages
  

1. I guess I kind of have to say water... since that's all we drink!
2. Hot chocolate
3. And Dr. Pepper, if I could have it! :)

NOW TAG EIGHT PEOPLE

This is going to be hard! Okay, I tag:

Chloe

Grace

Hannah

Emily

Rachel

Tsavah

Maggie

and Jennifer

Thank you for tagging me, Tessa! It was a lot of fun. :) Have a blessed Monday, everyone!

Name Above All Names

Jesus, Name Above All Names

hymn by Naida Hearn

Jesus, name above all names

Beautiful Savior

Glorious Lord

Emmanuel, God is with us

Blessed Redeemer

Living Word

"While the beggar held on to Peter and John, all the people were astonished and came running to them in the place called Solomon's Colonnade. When Peter saw this, he said to them: "Men of Israel, why does this surprise you? Why do you stare at us as if by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk? The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified his servant Jesus. You handed him over to be killed, and you disowned him before Pilate, though he had decided to let him go. You disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked that a murderer be released to you. You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead. We are witnesses of this. By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong. It is Jesus' name and the faith that comes through him that has given this complete healing to him, as you can all see." Acts 3:11-16

"Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name." John 20:30-31

"Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved." Acts 4:12

The hymn above is one of my most favorites.

There is power in the name of Jesus... Praise the Lord all the earth!

Picture: from our church's Christmas drama last year.

Abigail's Giveaway

Hi Everyone,

I just wanted to let you know that Abigail over at A Light to Follow is hosting her very first giveaway! Click HERE if you'd like to see what she's giving away. I know she would love for you to enter!! :) God bless! Picture by: David Davis

A Giveaway and a Tag

I just wanted to be sure and let everyone know that Kayla is having her first giveaway over at her blog. If you're interested in finding out more.... you can get there by clicking HERE. :)

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Also, I saw this short tag on Chloe's blog so I thought I would do it. It looks like fun!

1) Why do you have a blog? Just read the "Welcome to my Blog" paragraph on my sidebar! ;)

2) Do you have more close online friends or offline? I'd say it's about the same, but most of my "offline" friends I communicate with online as well.

3) Do you correspond? With my friends? Yes! (Same as Chloe!)

4) Do you have a best friend? Not really. I have a few close friends, though.

5) Do you play April Fools Day pranks? No. I usually don't even realize when it's April Fools! lol

6) Have you watched a movie and then regretted it? I'm sure I have.

7) Do you generally prefer books or their movie adaptions? That really depends on what it is, but usually I would say I enjoy the movies most.

8) How many siblings do you have? 3 sisters

9) Do you want more? Ummm... sure! :D

10) Do you have any married siblings? Nope (I'm the oldest!!!) (Same as Chloe!)

11) What is your favorite branch of the military? I don't really have a favorite... but if I have to choose I guess it's between the Army and the Air Force.

12) What do you hate most in books/movies? Anything dishonoring to God.

13) If you had to name just one book (other than the Bible) to call your favorite, what would it be? That's really hard! My favorites include "Peace Child", "The Cross and the Switchblade", "Bruchko", and the "Love Comes Softly" series. I also like some books by Francine Rivers. So I guess that doesn't really answer the question, lol!

14) What book/series/movie have you been the most wrapped up in? Can't think of anything in particular at the moment. I know there's something, though!

15) What music are you listening to right now? Nothing at this very moment, but lately we've been listening to Christmas music on the radio!

16) What are you having for dinner? I don't know! Tonight is a church night so we'll probably just "fend for ourselves". :)

That's it! I tag anyone who sees this and wants to do it. Let me know if you do... I'd love to see your answers!

Start at the Manger

I'm so excited now that Christmastime is here. I can't believe how quickly it has come! The whole month of December has always been my most favorite time of year! I just love the feeling it brings! But the greatest significance is definitely the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. I am so thankful that God saw fit to send His son to the earth to save mankind from sin. We have great reason to celebrate all month (and year!) long. I thought I would share a song that came to mind. We sing it at church, but when I searched for it online I couldn't find anything about it at all. Hmmm.... therefore, I have no idea who wrote this song! Oh, well. I'll have to type the words from memory! :)

Start at the Manger

Start at the manger on a cold winter night

Look for the star in the sky and follow its light

It leads to a Savior for a world that is lost

Start at the manger, then go to the cross

Start at the manger at the child in the hay

The gift from our Father in heaven, the price he would pay

To save all his children no matter the cost

Start at the manger, then go to the cross

Imagine that you owned the wealth of the world

All of its silver and gold

But what will you do if tomorrow arrives

And your heart is empty and cold?

Start at the manger where redemption began

When Jesus stepped down from his throne to die as a lamb

All of our riches, we will count them as lost

If we start at the manger, then go to the cross

I hope you all enjoy the month ahead, as you celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ! Praise the Lord all the earth! :)

"This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins." 1 John 4:9-10