Friday Favorites & Merry Holiday Cheer!

This bitstrip comic is very true.

While my home looks nothing like this picture - & probably never will - & my friend JM said I looked like I was about to go crazy on those reindeer, I haven't totally felt this excitement this year.

I attribute this lack of holiday love to being busy. I preached on Psalm 46 at the end of November & I shared then that we - all of us - are SO good at being busy.

In fact, Advent/Christmas is often figured to be the busiest time of the year. And really, this is nobody's fault, but our own. We pick & choose what we say yes to & no to & what we actually accomplish.

I'm a people person. I come from a very social family & we like to talk & visit & we are filled with the holiday joy by spending quality time with people. However, when that time is limited, it becomes a stressor of how we will spend that time together.

Sometimes its hard to enjoy all the things that go along with Advent/Christmas. But I urge you - as I'm urging myself - enjoy the time, take in the lights, play a game or in the snow, bake some cookies - or buy them from the store - & indulge. For this is a holy celebration time of the year.

No matter what you believe, there is something for everybody in Christmas. Sweets, lights, butter, cheesy tv shows, cold weather, hot weather if you live in or near the Southern hemisphere, songs, angels, crazy decorations, & a more focused vision of giving to & being with others.

Sunday Snippits!

Happy Sunday!

In lieu of the holiday season, please forgive me for my lack of blogging. All has continued to be good & busy. SO busy that I think I will take a break - since I've already unofficially started - from blogging three times a week through the end of the month. Be expecting little blurps here & there.

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!

Tuesday Tea Time!

Happy Tuesday Tea Time!

We woke up to a sea of white fluffy snow this morning. You might think this would be obvious considering I live in Northern MI, but the last week had been rare late Fall rain. It's hard to believe it's still Fall for another 10 days!

Last week I watched the people line up for the local food pantry (across the street from our home) in the rain & this week in the blowing snow.

I'm inspired by their perseverance & by the many people that come together to make the food pantry possible. I'm inspired to start a ministry of serving coffee & tea for those standing out in the cold.

Maybe this will be a new sort of tea time!

Sunday Snippits: Good, Bad, & Ugly!

GOOD: Life is good & busy. This last week was filled with work from my many jobs. I really would love to have one job that incorporates all the things that I do some day. I believe this is possible, it just has to come in time. The highlights of the week included buying our first real Christmas tree, finishing decorating the tree & the house & plenty of puppy time. Oh & we also visited The Journey to Bethlehem at the Stutsmanville Chapel with lots of people from church & the next night was the Christmas parade in downtown Chebooboo! Like I said, good & busy!

BAD: The snow melted because of rain. When it's this cold outside, I want a pretty layer of snow, please. And I don't think I'm alone in this.

UGLY: Watching people compare Paul Walker's death & Nelson Mandela's death. Both were people, both did good things, both were known for different good things. Comparison isn't necessary when people are grieving on both sides.

BONUS: It's clementine/citrus season!

WORD: Isaiah 35:1-10 - What are you waiting for?

Coming up: Hopefully snow! Also more work from my at least 3 of my different jobs. Probably more like 4 of my different jobs this week. And next week is the Christmas pageant!

Saturday Surprise!

I have gotten SO bad at posting my Friday Favorites on Friday!

Here it is, though, the first ever real Christmas tree for Z & I.

We went to the tree farm that everybody recommended, but there was nobody there during the week day. That's what ya get when you take a day off in the middle of the week 'cause you work weekends!

So we drove into town to check a few other locations, pulled into the first site we saw, & purchased this beauty. AND it just so happens that it was from the tree farm we had gone to.

We spent the afternoon filling it with lights & decorations & listening to holiday music on Pandora. Thanks to Momma P, we had NO problem filling the tree with decorations. She has done such a great job at saving and preserving all my ornaments over the years.

The house is decorated, the gifts are mostly bought, the menu for the Holiday Hop is planned, & the puppy is pretty well adjusted to her new home.

What Holiday ADVENTures have you been on lately?!

Tuesday Tea Time!

Drinks Time or TeaTime?! 

I know it's just icing, but I wonder if these fun treats taste good. They remind me of something from Alice in Wonderland!

Today's Tea Time includes 

Coconut Chai!

And I'm sitting here waiting for the snow! 

Last week I got to briefly see my bff BGEG when we were both in our hometown for Thanksgiving. Being one of the only non-family members that I still gift with,  I asked her what she would like for Christmas & she gave the most perfect answer.

"A coffee date with you!"

BGEG & I live 8 hours from each other, so we don't see each other very often, but we share a lot of favorites in common, such as tea. Neither of us are really coffee drinkers, unless it's super "weak" or super sugared.

As the holiday season is in full gear with Thanksgiving behind us & Advent just starting up, don't stress about "the perfect gift." The "perfect" gift may just be quality time with your friends & family. Even if it is quality time using Skype, FaceTime, or GoogleHang (check out their props next time you use it, very entertaining). And if I may make a suggestion, send each other a card with your favorite tea (a tea bag fits nicely inside a card) & enjoy tea time together!

Sunday Snippits: Good, Bad, & Ugly!

Happy Sunday!

GOOD: Meet Michi Gander Nelson! We finally bought a puppy. We'd been wanting to for nearly two years, but didn't want to spend the money. We also thought we'd get a miniature schnauzer, but here's our sweet little shih tzu who will grow to be 10-12 pounds (maybe 15-20). This is definitely the highlight of the last week, but overall it was simply great. We traveled to IN & surprised Ma & Pa P, bought a dog, celebrated Thanksgiving with family & friends, did a little black Friday shopping (for the dog mostly) & got sent home with 8 pounds of butter. Yes, 8 pounds of butter, which currently totals 12.5 pounds of butter in our house. We better get to baking some holiday treats! AND today starts my favorite part of the church calendar - Advent!

BAD: Playing catch up after a few days away. Organizing e-mails because somewhere down the line people have gotten my personal, shared, & work e-mails confused, not to mention my former school e-mail which gets forwarded to my personal.

UGLY: Knowing people are hurting because of illness & poverty & hunger & there's not much one can do to help. This is more specifically for my good friend BMG who has dengue fever & a slew of other complications & is across the world with her husband of nearly 5 months & they're supposed to be there till next August. Prayers for healing are greatly appreciated.

WORD: Do you ever stop & wonder how God is at work in the world or in your life? Today we used the Old Testament reading as the Gospel reading & will be doing the same thing for all the Sundays in Advent & man o man it confused the readers. The Gospel is present through all of scripture. God is at work through all of us & all of creation.

Coming up:  Work, decorating, maybe some baking with all that butter! And of course some play time & snuggling with Michi!