Follow Christmas Eve Friday!

I am up early and ready to start baking, but first things first...Follow Friday is here courtesy of Java!  Welcome, and please introduce yourself!  I'm new at this and could use some blog decorating tips if you'd like to share! 

Merry Christmas Eve, everyone! 

FA LA LA LA LA....

It's time to load up on vitamins because the holiday officially starts for me at 4:01 today.  I get off work at 4 and will hit the ground running. 

I'm already tired and the real work hasn't begun!  We have been so busy this week.  We will have a house full for the weekend and although I love it, it is stressful because I am somewhat anal of a perfectionist.  I really do just need to relax and not get overwhelmed.  I think my MIL will love me whether my house is clean or not but I would like things to be just right for her first ever Christmas at our house.

My hubby is cleaning the bathrooms (I know, he's a saint) so there's a step in the right direction already.

We will start the holiday tomorrow night at my mom's.  We're keeping it casual with chili and baked potatoes, and lots of laughs courtesy of a White Elephant gift exchange.  My family has never done this but since we are now without little children around (ahem, Ashley?) we needed something to liven things up a bit.  A few whacky gifts and a glass of wine should do the trick.  We played this at a party last weekend and it was hilarious.

All of our kids will be at our house Christmas morning along with my mother in law and sister in law.  We will have deep dish banana nut french toast, breakfast casserole, mimosas and bellinis.  Later in the afternoon, my parents and friends will arrive and we will have pork tenderloin and all the trimmings.  We live in the south, and as of right now there is actually a chance we'll have a white Christmas, which would look a little like this:

This picture is from last February.  We actually had three snowfalls earlier this year, which is more than we usually get.  It's exciting, but most southerners don't know how to drive in the stuff so it might mess up road travel plans for my already wary parents, so I almost wish it would wait until Sunday.  Anyone have a sled I can borrow?  : )

Merry Christmas, everyone!

Wordless Wednesday

No matter how old he gets, Mason still loves to get under the tree at Christmas! 

Meet me on Monday

Questions:

1.  What will your Christmas dinner consist of?

Marinated pork tenderloin on the grill
Pineapple dressing (yes, ask me for this recipe!  So easy and delicious!)
John Legend's recipe for baked mac 'n cheese
Whole green beans with sliced potatoes
Hoppin' John (Black eyed peas with spicy tomatoes)
Sister Schuberts Parker House rolls
then...
Chocolate pound cake, courtesy of my MIL
Something decadent from the bakery at BJs

2.  Do you watch commercials or flip through the channels?

If I'm not watching them, I'm up doing laundry or going to the kitchen.  It drives me nuts when my husband flips back and forth between channels. 


3.  How long will you leave your Christmas decorations up?

They will start to come down on the 26th!


4.  What movie makes you cry every time you watch it?

Sleepless in Seattle?  I'm sure there are more but I can't think right now.

5.  Do you have a Facebook?

I used to but I quit cold turkey two months ago.  I've realized it is better for me not to know what everyone is doing at every moment in their lives. 

Meet me on Monday!

I'm not sure if I'm doing this right, but I'm attempting to be a part of a BLOG HOP!  Here we go...

Questions:

1.  How do you order your steak?
2.  Are you superstitious about anything?
3.  Who is your best friend (not including your spouse)?
4.  When is the last time your wore a dress (for the guys...a suit)?
5.  Do you have any trips scheduled?

My answers:

1. Medium, and usually only from Longhorn Steakhouse.  Have never enjoyed a steak from anywhere else!

2. Ummm, I have two black cats so I can't be too superstitious!  You will see me knock wood from time to time!

3. My daughter.  We 'grew up' together!  I am immensely proud of the woman she has become and love being her mom and friend. 

4. Yikes...it's been a while.  It was a cute little black wrap dress I wore to a funeral in 2009.  (I work at home so I need to find more reasons to dress up!)

5. We are going to Greenville, SC for a Christmas party this weekend.  We don't know yet if we will be able to take a trip in 2011, but in 2012 we hope to go to London for our 10th anniversary!

closing a door

Yesterday was a good day.  Almost two months after our business closed, all of our furniture and equipment was finally purchased and is gone from our storage unit and garage.  This is a praise, as the proceeds will pay off not all but much of the leftover debt.  What we are left with can be managed.

The JOY that my life has regained since the closing of this business is priceless. 

Standing on the Promises

Have you ever thought about why God did and does some of the things that He does?

This is a thought we had daily over the past 1 1/2 years as our business was struggling.  We started the business to do good in our community, not to make a living for ourselves.  We  followed what we thought was a path that God had laid out for us.  When we first started, doors opened wide and flew open quickly.  Things happened so easily that we never doubted that our venture was blessed by God.

But as it turns out, three years later the business has failed...even though we thought we were being obedient to His will for us.  Does this mean that God has failed US?  Why did He choose to allow us to face these circumstances? 

Or, did He just answer prayer in a way we weren't expecting? 

My pastor says God is a risk taker. 

A risk taker?  I never thought of Him in that way. 

Think of the circumstances put before Mary and Joseph all those years ago.  Mary and Joseph both had free will but placed their faith in God and followed His will for their lives to bring Jesus into this world.  God put before them an adventure that they could have never dreamed before, and that adventure changed everything.

I think its the same way with us.  He gave us all free will.  He's taking the risk that if we let Him, He will provide an adventure for us unlike anything we've ever dreamed.  It doesn't mean that life will always be easy, or happy, or without grief, but if we believe God's promises, then what have we to fear?

God's promises:
To supply every need we have
That His grace is sufficient for us
That His children will not be overtaken with temptation, that an escape will be provided
That we have victory over death 
That all things work together for good to those who love and serve Him faithfully
That those who believe in Jesus and are baptized for the forgiveness of their sins will be saved
And that His people will have eternal life

It's not easy.  I have to remind myself daily that 'God is good'.  Satan is always there trying to make me believe otherwise...and he wants me to believe that it is the things of this world that matter.

So, has God failed us?  I don't believe so.  I believe He took a risk on us that we would remain faithful, banking on His promises and not on our circumstances.  And, He has kept his word.

And no matter what we face in the future, He will be there to lead us into a new adventure.