Christmas Cheer and Crisis

We had an especially good Christmas this year. I can't really put my finger on why, especially since so much of what I had planned didn't happen. Hubby had an emergency at work that began Thursday afternoon and lasted for three and a half days, and he got only seven hours sleep in 91 hours (I only had 11 hours sleep). We didn't get the gingerbread house done (for the second year in a row), we didn't have the usual homemade cinnamon rolls or dinner rolls, we had salad out of a bag (gasp!), we skipped some crafts the kids wanted to do, and the house wasn't sparkling clean like it usually is by Christmas Eve.

What I do know is that we worshipped God. We were grateful. We shared the gospel with our neighbors. The kids and I had opportunities to serve Daddy and minister to him. We weren't sure we'd be able to have him home Christmas Day, but we did and were so thankful for that. We had a warm and dry house to celebrate in. We were all healthy (despite lack of sleep). We rejoiced in knowing Jesus. We even had some snow! It was a memorable Christmas, and I know hubby and I will remember it fondly in years to come.

The Love Chapter for Christmas

If I decorate my house perfectly with plaid bows,
strands of twinkling lights and shiny balls,
but do not show love to my family,
I'm just another decorator.

If I slave away in the kitchen,
baking dozens of Christmas cookies,
preparing gourmet meals and arranging
a beautifully adorned table at mealtime:
but do not show love to my family,
I'm just another cook.

If I work at a soup kitchen,
carol in the nursing home,
and give all that I have to charity;
but do not show love to my family,
it profits me nothing.

If I trim the spruce with shimmering angels
and crocheted snowflakes,
attend a myriad of holiday parties
and sing in the choir's cantata
but do not focus on Christ,
I have missed the point.

Love stops the cooking to hug the child.
Love sets aside the decorating to kiss the spouse.
Love is kind, though harried and tired.
Love does not envy another's home
that has coordinated Christmas china and table linens.

Love does not yell at the kids to get out of the way,
but is thankful they are there to be in the way.
Love does not give only to those who are able
to give in return; but rejoices in giving
to those who cannot.

Love bears all things,
believes all things,
hopes all things, and endures all things.
Love never fails.

Video games will break,
pearl necklaces will be lost,
golf clubs will rust,
but giving the gift of love will endure.

--Author Unknown

(Okay, I swiped this from Ann who has a knack of posting brilliant things.)

Local Flooding

This is the cute little town of Vernonia where Eddie often goes fishing.
Photos from KATU.com.
I am so grateful to wake up to a dry and warm home this morning. Not everyone I know is so blessed. I found out yesterday that one of the families in my homeschool group has been displaced from their home due to flooding. They have three children, one of whom is a darling little two-year-old boy they just adopted two months ago (Ryan LOVES this little boy who was being fostered by a friend of ours until the adoption).

I'm told the watermark goes about eight inches up the walls of their home, and to make things worse the sewer backed up during the flood and contaminated all the water so there will be few things able to be salvaged. They think they were able to get the beds up off the floor in time, but they lost everything else that touches the ground: their dressers, sofas, chairs, bookcases full of books, homeschoooling supplies, anything in the lower kitchen cabinets, etc. They will have to replace walls and floors and cabinets and who knows what else...and they had no flood insurance.

I am writing this not just to express my gratitude for the blessings I have but to ask those of you who are able "to go boldy before the throne of grace," to pray for the S****a family. They are believers and appear to be holding up well, but they will need strength and peace in the coming days, weeks, and months it takes to rebuild. I don't know what their church is doing for them, but I know our homeschool group is making meals, offering labor and childcare, and trying to do anything we can to help them.


Flooding of Highway 30 about 30 miles northwest of where we live.

Weather Report

I have had a couple of inquiries this morning about how we "weathered" the storm yesterday. We're doing fine, thankfully! Eddie came home from work pretty early yesterday morning since the only highway to our little town was flooding quickly and was closed in several locations. He did manage to get home, and this morning the roads look much better. We have a big branch down in the backyard, and Abby was up all night afraid of noises she was hearing. However, I'm very grateful we still have power and a warm, dry house!