It IS a wonderful life.............

Well, here it is after 10:00pm and I just finished watching the movie "It's a Wonderful Life".  Unfortunately, it was cut up with tons and tons of commercials, but I still enjoyed it very much.  I don't think I ever actually sat and watched the entire movie until tonight.  I think I really needed it today. 

This was supposed to be my last minute shopping day and I had many, many plans and "expectations" for today, but alas, things did not turn out as planned.  First of all, I woke up with a headache.  This doesn't happen to me very often, but I decided to just take it very slow this morning.  So I didn't actually leave the house until around 11:00.  The weather was less than wonderful - a steady rain (but thankfully not the ice that was happening just to the north of us).  But I got soaked walking into the first store.  I also got very wet at the ATM doing my deposit.  Then, at my last stop before coffee with a friend, my car was totally dead.  I mean nothing when I put the key in the ignition.  Now this was extremely unexpected!  We just got a new battery and less than two months ago, a new starter.  I thought I was set for the winter.  Thankfully Ken could leave work and come to the rescue.  When he opened the hood to "investigate" he found that the battery connection was so loose that it just slipped right off!  The car started right up!  I was extremely grateful!  While I was waiting for Ken to arrive I sent off a prayer request to my praying friends and I know that those prayers helped make this situation less of a problem. Thank goodness for praying friends! 

By the time we got home with the car and got the battery cables tightened and the battery charged, the day was over.  We really didn't want to leave the house this evening since we were expecting a couple of packages for Christmas via UPS.  This morning both packages were tracked as "out for delivery".  By 6:00pm we were slightly worried that they might not arrive.  Fortunately, at 7:05 our doorbell rang, and there were our two packages.  Yes, I am thankful for those UPS drivers who work long hours during this season. 

And then, I decided to put on the movie.  So we watched this Christmas Classic.  And, once again, I was thinking about "expecting the unexpected".  I just hadn't realized that I would need to be doing this in my day to day life.  Funny isn't it that it seems easy to think about things from a spiritual perspective but much harder to think about them in regular life.  Today I learned that I need to roll with the bunches and go with the flow.  I also feel so thankful for the reminder of all the blessings in my life.  I am ending the day looking forward to our family Christmas celebration tomorrow. 

Jesus, thanks so much for friends, for movies, for Ken, for reminders to be grateful, for the UPS drivers, for the warmth of home and the sparkle of the Christmas tree.  Thank you that in this unexpected day, I was able to keep looking at my "leader" and see the path that you  for me today.  Thank you for the message of the movie "It's a wonderful Life".  Thank you for the plan and destiny that you have for each one of us.  Amen

The end of a "sugary" day.... good food, good work, good friends!

This is going to be just a really quick post about my very long day........ It was the kid's Christmas Party today at my work.  So we had a room full of over excited, over stimulated, over junk-fooded, crazy kids!  Yes, it was a busy, busy day that sure had some "moments"!  Here is a shot of the "snacks" at the party!  Yep, cookies, donuts, chips, more cookies, cheese and crackers and yes fruit.

Most of the kids only ate a cookie or two and some of the fruit, but there were several that cleaned their plates!  It was most certainly a "sugar overload".  (And most of the kids hardly touched their lunch either).  But hey, Christmas only comes one time a year, right?

Okay, I have been working on "expecting the unexpected" and I sure had some more "unexpected" things happen today. 

1.  I started the morning by dropping a container of white finger paint onto a tile floor.  The lid popped off and I had GLOBS of thick white paint all over me!  Down my pants leg and covering the front of my fleece and the right sleeve.  And did I mention that I was wearing BLACK corduroy pants and a BLACK fleece?  And I was "dressed up" for the parents who would be attending the party that started at 9:30.  The unexpected part of this story is that with lots of water and paper towels, the white finger paint vanished from my clothes.  I mean totally gone!  Now THAT is really unexpected!

2.  I received so many wonderful cards and gifts from the children today..... I was totally overwhelmed.  I have only been working at this job since mid-October and was not expecting this at all.  I am not the "teacher" in the room, just the assistant.  This was an unexpected thing that makes me so thankful for this job!

3.  It is very hard not to get excited and happy about Christmas when you are surrounded by 15 or 16 little faces, all filled with joy and happiness over a simple little party.  Yes, I was not expecting to feel so HAPPY today.  It was a surprise.  A very pleasant surprise, I might add.

4.  Tonight I got to spend the evening with some very dear friends.  You know that feeling that you are so tired and you don't want to go anywhere or do anything?  Well, I had that feeling earlier tonight.  But I pressed through, went out to meet with my friends and I was so blessed!  The unexpected part of this is that, on the way home I had several very clear revelations and answers to prayers that I have been seeking for weeks.  This was an unexpected ending to this day.  (I am sure I'll be sharing more about this in the days ahead!)

Jesus, thank you for the "miracle" of finger paint that dissolves away with water.  Thank you for the kindness and generosity of the families I work with every day.  Thank you for joy, for wonderful sugary snacks, for Christmas time and for children.  Thank you for good friends, amazing prayers, and wonderful revelations.   Amen

Where did the time go???

This evening I was finishing up wrapping Christmas presents and I don't know why, but I was suddenly hit with the passage of time.  I was sitting on the floor in the room that actually was both Gwen and Doug's at one time or another.  My scrapbooking room was the nursery - and also was both Gwen and Doug's room.  I looked around the room and flashed to what the room looked like at various points through out the years.  I was remembering when we moved Gwen into that room as a young toddler - about 2 1/2 years old - when Doug was expected.  I could see the little wooden kitchen that sat in the corner, as well as the kids picnic table.  Then I was flashing to the later years when Gwen had the walls covered with photos.  And then the last years when Doug had a full drum set and a futon as well as other various musical instruments.  I guess it was one of those "mom" moments when I got a little teary thinking about the kids. 

The Christmas Ornaments above are some of my very favorite.  Gwen's has a picture from her Baptism in October of 1979.  Doug's has his 7 month picture from November of 1982  I am glad that I have these ornaments on my tree.  I get to look at their sweet faces every Christmas.  I am very thankful that I get to be with my children and grandchildren on Christmas.  But, still, where did the time go??

There are times when it feels like just yesterday that Ken and I moved into this house...but gee it was 36 years ago.  And is it possible that Lia is 7 years old?  I have heard it said that the passage of time seems to accelerates as you age. And I guess I am suffering with that adage today.  Time flies when you are having fun.  Yep, I guess my life has been lots of fun since the time has been flying! 

Remember my post of a couple of days ago?  Expect the unexpected!  Yes!  So I am going to look ahead to what is in store in the next years.  Yes, it is good to celebrate and remember and reflect on the past, but it is important to keep on looking forward.  And not only looking forward, but walking forward.  This has been an unusual season in my life.  Things are changing and shifting in many areas.   But tonight I am feeling excited and expectant for the new and different and amazing things that are in store for me. In the 15 days left in 2013, I will be taking a deep breath (or two or three) and just being expectant!  I encourage you to join me in taking a breather in the next couple of weeks.  And during that breather, look ahead and expect the unexpected with me!

Jesus, tonight I celebrate that you are the God of yesterday, today and tomorrow!  Thank you for all of the amazing ways you have blessed me and my family.  Holy Spirit, speak clearly to me in these next weeks and quiet my spirit so that I can grab hold of the new things you are showing me. Bless all of those who join me in this breather time and give them wisdom and discernment for their own lives.  Jesus, thank you for your plans for me and my family.  Amen

Interesting follow up on yesterday's post!

Today, Lyn, we believe God wants you to know that .

when you expect nothing, you always receive a lot.

No matter how much you receive, if you expected even more, you will be disappointed. No matter how little you receive, if you expected even less, you will be happy.

 

When I got home from work tonight and started checking my email and facebook, this was a "notification" on facebook account.  At first when I read the header line.... when you expect nothing, you always receive a lot... I was thinking how strange this was after just posting yesterday that I am going to make my new motto "expect the unexpected"!  After I read the detail following the quote, I realized that this was saying just about the same thing!  If you EXPECT to get something great and very specific and you don't get this, you are disappointed.  HOWEVER,  I really don't agree with expecting nothing.   Like so many things, balance is important when talking about "expecting".

 

I don't want to expect nothing since then I may well miss out on what is out there.

I don't want to expect MORE since then I may well be disappointed.

So.......I think I will stick with "expecting the unexpected".  I just love the confirmation! 

 

Today I finished my work day with a little "unexpected" surprise.  I actually got off half an hour early.  This rarely happens - since the kids usually do NOT get picked up early.  But for some strange reason, the room I was in today cleared out and by 4:55 there were only 2 kids left.  So instead of working till 5:30, I was able to clock out at 5:01.  Yep, this was an unexpected treat. 

 

Jesus, thank you for all the ways that you speak to me, including through this crazy Facebook application "God wants you to know".  Thank you for using the things in our life to show us that you are the provider of all things.  Holy Spirit, help us all to keep on expecting the unexpected. And remind us of who the provider is for all those amazing surprises!   Amen

The best "last minute", wasn't on the list, Christmas Present....

I am assuming that I am not the only person out there that struggles with trying to "top" that "best ever" Christmas present from years past.  Well, today I was thinking about the year I bought these crazy strap on skis for the kids.  I remember  being at the Stride Rite shoe store in the mall picking up some new shoes for Doug.  Then I spotted these plastic skis on a rack near the cashier.  They were ridiculously cheap - about $5 a pair.  So I just couldn't resist them.  Ken told me that they were junk and would never work.  There were plastic straps that Velcro closed over the kids boots.  I sort of thought that they might just be a novelty that got a few spins around the house.  The picture above doesn't do justice to the hours and hours of fun that Gwen and Doug had with these ski's.  They were actually really great.  They lasted through 2 winters and so many runs up and down the hill in the park behind the house.  And I think every parent in our neighborhood asked me where I got those skis.  Yes, it was the best "last minute", not on the list, Christmas present that I ever bought. 

I've done really good this year sticking to my list.  And, as I just blogged about this week, I've even made a few of my gifts.  I don't have much time to wander the stores so I am not apt to see that "special" item, either.  While I was doing my Bible reading today (yes, I am still managing to sneak in a few precious moments of quiet time each day, in spite of my new schedule), I was reading in Luke and there was the familiar Christmas story.  Oh, how I just love that scripture.  Today, I was taking it very slowly, and really looking at every verse.  There is so much in that chapter.   During my drive to work today I had the memory of those skis along with Chapter 2 from Luke running through my head.  Both of these had an "unexpected" quality about them.  Now I am not, in any way, saying that any Christmas present can compare to Jesus coming as a baby.  But, for all of us, this unexpected baby is the best present we could ever receive.  And I will continue to celebrate all of those times when we delight someone else with a great unexpected present or when we are surprised by someone else giving us a great gift!  And part of my thought process today was that having a list may not be the best thing at all!  I have been wondering how many amazing "best, last minute, not on the list" items I might have missed because I was so focused on my list! 

All of this is just another reminder that we need to be EXPECTING the UNEXPECTED!  I think that will be my new motto in the months ahead.   And it is a good one. I want to keep an expectant heart for all that Jesus might have in store for me.  I think that this thought might be the best, not on my list, thing that I can both give and receive! 

Thank you Jesus for prompting me to buy those skis for that long-ago Christmas.  And Holy Spirit, thank you for showing me that I need to EXPECT the UNEXPECTED in every way and in all of the days ahead.  Please slow us down and remind us to see what you did for us in the birth of Jesus.  Thank you for the Christmas season and the lights and the joy and the music.  Amen