Wish I Were There

Is it too soon to be dreaming about a beach trip? Knowing how hectic the first few months of 2012 are going to be for me, work-wise, I have no doubt that my mind and body will desperately need a relaxing getaway. Maybe I should go ahead and put a deposit down on my favorite condo before it gets booked...

A Child Is Born

The people walking in darkness
   have seen a great light;
on those living in the land of deep darkness
   a light has dawned. 

For to us a child is born,
   to us a son is given,
   and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
   Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
   Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 

(Isaiah 9:2, 6)

Merry Christmas to you all!

Do You Hear What I Hear?

These folks take flash mob to a new spiritual level, surprising holiday shoppers at a mall with a medley of Christmas hymns. What an amazing and touching way to remind everyone of the true meaning of the season: Christ's birth. Sit back and enjoy. By the way, you might want to keep some kleenex handy. 

Book Review: Nearing Home

My latest Booksneeze review is of Billy Graham's new book, Nearing Home. In the book, subtitled Life, Faith, and Finishing Well, the iconic evangelist discusses the challenges of growing old and the desire to finish his life as God intends.

Although I suspect the book will find its widest audience among those in their senior years, it is not directed solely at them. Graham emphasizes the fact that God has a plan for each of us at every age and stage of life. Using examples from Scripture of men and women who God used to fulfill His purposes even in old age, Graham makes the point that some of God's greatest plans for us are fulfilled in our later years. He also shares from his own experiences of growing old, losing friends and family members, and looking forward to Heaven.

This was the first book of Graham's that I'd read. I think I expected something a little more challenging from such a legendary preacher, but I found the book to be a quick and easy read. It was a good reminder to make the most of each day and to trust that God has more in store for us than we can imagine.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through theBookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Lost and Found and a Little Perspective

Lost: My voice

For the past few days I've been dealing with my usual annual upper respiratory infection, aka The Crud. And as is typical for me with such infections, last night I lost my voice. I was out of town at a meeting with one of my co-workers, and my voice started to get really hoarse during the meeting. Thankfully I didn't have to say very much. On the hour and a half drive home, my voice went from hoarse to practically non-existent, and it wasn't much better today.

It usually takes losing my voice to remind me of how much I really talk on a typical day. Even at home, I find myself talking to my dog quite a bit, so I wonder if she's noticing (and confused by or even perhaps enjoying?) the silent treatment I'm having to give her. I'm on antibiotics now and actually feeling better than I have the past few days, so the laryngitis is more of an annoyance than a discomfort. Still, it's frustrating at times to not be able to speak up; no drive thru meals for me until I regain my voice.

We do have an event at our office tomorrow with lots of guests who I've been looking forward to seeing, so I'm praying that my voice will recover enough by tomorrow afternoon to carry on conversations without straining my vocal cords. Feel free to say a prayer on my behalf if you feel so moved. :)


Found: A new book

On a happier note, yesterday I got a nice little surprise. Not too long ago I stumbled upon a new (to me) blog, Peak313 Fitness. Clare, the author, is an aerobics and pilates instructor who writes about health and fitness from a Christian viewpoint. With a mix of practical guidance and spiritual insight, her blog has become one of my favorites.

She recently held a giveaway of a new book by Gary Thomas, Every Body Matters. Yesterday I found out that I was one of three readers randomly selected to win a copy of the book. As an avid reader, winning a new book is like Christmas for me, so I was thrilled. I've never read any of Thomas' work, although I have heard rave reviews for an earlier work of his, Sacred Marriage, and based upon Clare's own review of his latest work, I think this will be a great read. I'm looking forward to receiving it soon.



And a Little Perspective


For the past few weeks I've been part of the Praying for Karlie community on Facebook. Karlie is a little three year-old girl who has been at Children's Hospital in Birmingham for several weeks now with kidney failure and a host of other related problems. I don't know Karlie herself but I do know her father through work; he is one of our main contacts at one of our local printers.

This afternoon I read the latest update on Karlie, and was sad to see that she has had a very rough day, perhaps one of the roughest yet. The doctors seem to be baffled by what is causing her myriad of problems and unsure how to treat her. Of course, we have a Great Physician who knows exactly what's wrong with Karlie and can provide total healing.

Please join me in praying for this little girl, who has been through so much in such a short time. Pray also for her parents and her big sister, as well as her extended family and friends. You can read more about Karlie on the Praying for Karlie page on Facebook; it is a "public" page so anyone (including those without Facebook accounts) can access it.

Hearing of others who are going through such difficult times really helps puts things in perspective for me, and reminds me to not take my blessings for granted. Furthermore, I'm reminded that this life, no matter how wonderful or how difficult it may be, is a mere warm-up act for what God has in store for us in the life to come.

WFMW: Christmas Art on the Cheap

I recently determined that it was time to change out the artwork above my stove. My old artwork consisted of a floral print cut from an old Georgie O'Keefe calendar inserted into an 8x10 yard sale frame (for which I probably paid a whopping 25 cents). It was pretty, but after a few years I was ready to look at something new without spending much money on it. 

With Christmas approaching, I decided to find some Christmas-themed subway art to put into the frame. There is an abundance of subway art on the internet, and I chose this one. I simply saved it to my desktop, scaled it down to 8x10, and printed on my home printer. 

The yard sale frame originally had a white crackle finish, so I spray painted it a glossy black using paint I already had on hand. Here's the finished project:

Voila! New Christmas-themed artwork for just a few pennies. Now THAT works for me!

Find other projects and ideas on Works for Me Wednesday at We Are That Family.