Stories & Presents

Christmas was a low-key affair this year, especially in terms of our tree.  Each year we put up a big tree, usually a real one.  Our first year of marriage, I put up our gigantic fake Christmas tree while Michael was at work & surprised him when he came home.  It took hours!  As you may have heard, I've been dealing with some pretty debilitating morning sickness, so putting in all the effort of resurrecting, decorating, & then tearing down a Christmas tree was rather daunting.  Our solution?  These little trees that normally sit on our porch to either side of our front door.  We placed one on a small table & stacked the presents all around.  The other went on a plant stand in our bedroom.  They turned out really cute & aren't near the hassle!

Michael came home Christmas morning, & I had my attempt at Eggs Benedict waiting for him.  I say "attempted" because we didn't have any butter to make the hollandaise sauce - & Michael loves hollandaise sauce.  Lots & lots of hollandaise sauce!  Also, having never used an egg poacher before, I read a recipe that recommended placing the cooked eggs in warm water.  My thought went something like this, "Well, there's warm water in the pan they just cooked in, so I'll just leave them there!"  Only about 5 minutes before Michael's arrival did it occur to me that the water was more "hot" than "warm" & only then did I get a slight inkling that these eggs might not be "poached" so much as "hard-boiled".  Turns out, my inkling was right!  Michael was a good sport about it, though, & he was able to get that Eggs Benedict the next day . . . by his own hand!  ;-)

After opening gifts - topped off by a nap - we headed up to Beth & Chris' house & spent the rest of the day with them & the rest of the family.  I had my trusty "throw-up basket" on hand, & while everyone was eating, I just sat off to the side & participated in the conversation.  (I did eat later, & it was good!)  Later, we divided into two teams & played a game that Chris dubbed "Charades on Steroids".  Man alive, was that fun!!!  I have to say that, in my opinion, Bradley was the funniest player, & had us roaring with laughter!  So much so that I had to flee the room with my basket!  That game will definitely be a staple in our family from now on!

I wish we had pictures from our get-together, but - sadly - the only ones we have are of our presents & one that I really like of an ornament on our tree.  I hope you enjoy them anyways!  (One present that didn't make it because it was too big to photgraph was also the most unique thing Michael got for me - the Firedragon - because he knows how much I like to play with fire!  In a fireplace/pit, of course!  I just laughed & laughed when I opened it!)

Sigh.  Pretty. 

I always have a hard time deciding what I'm going to read because I have soooo many options!  I've decided that this year, I'm reading all the books that I got for Christmas - & some of Michael's, too! 

Michael got Inheritance for me earlier in December, & rounded it out with the rest of the series on Christmas morning.  Sweet T introduced me to "Anne of Green Gables" this past summer; loving the movie, I of course wanted the books.  Michael very sweetly obliged me! 

Some of my favorite movies!  Notice how "The Sound of Music" is BluRay?  Yeah.  We don't have a BluRay.  Michael says now we can get one.  Sneaky fella, huh?  ;-) 

I've wanted an ice cream maker for 4 1/2 years!  And, I just said in passing one day while we were in Bed, Bath, & Beyond, "Here's a cute cookie cutter!  I need to get some cookie cutters to make cookies with our little one."  I didn't think another thing about it.  Apparently, Michael did!  And I thought the round package must be a hat box!  ;-) 

We saw this in Kirkland's Home, but I didn't think Michael got it.  If it was just the black scroll, I wouldn't care for it as much, but the blue flowers give it just the right pop!

We hope y'all had a Merry Christmas, too!  Love to all!

That's Christmas

That's Christmas (Short Film) HD from St Helen’s Church on Vimeo.

"An Unwed Teen with an Unplanned Pregnancy" ~ Desiring God Blog

"There is a murderous logic to those who advocate aborting children with disabilities. It goes something like this:

     -People with disabilities suffer in this world. Abortion is a kindness that prevents such suffering.

     -The caregivers (primarily parents) of children with disabilities also suffer. Abortion is a kindness that prevents their suffering, too.

     -Society suffers. Financially and administratively, the burden on society is significant. Abortion is a kindness to the rest of society to prevent such a burden from existing.

The argument has become more sophisticated over time, but the main point is this idea of preventing hardship. Everybody just wants to be comfortable. We like things easy, and cheap — the American and British eugenics movement in the early 1900s had no trouble focusing on the monetary costs to society as sufficient reason to limit the births of undesirable children.

Now, why such a depressing thought in the Christmas season? Because Mary, the mother of Jesus, shows us a different way to think about hardship.

Her circumstances weren't great. She was an unwed teenager with an unplanned pregnancy. Her betrothed was seeking to divorce her. And more than that, her son was the "man of sorrows and acquainted with grief." She was told that a "sword will pierce through your own soul also" (Luke 2:35).

How did she respond? She trusted in the Lord. She knew she was his servant and she could depend upon his word. She rejoiced in God, her Savior (Luke 1:38, 46–47).

To embrace the sovereignty of God over all things means that we can also embrace his sovereignty over every kind of hardship in our own lives. God gives meaning to all suffering, and only he knows the future. The fact that we can’t understand or see what's ahead can be difficult, but God knows and we can trust him.

May we rest in God like Mary did. For she magnified the Lord,

He has shown strength with his arm;

He has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts;

He has brought down the mighty from their thrones

and exalted those of humble estate;

He has filled the hungry with good things,

and the rich He has sent away empty (Luke 1:51–53)."

~Desiring God Blog

Bad News: Santa Claus Is Coming To Town ~ John Piper

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

Christmas Music

Lots of people are already getting in the Christmas spirit!  Just yesterday morning, I played my first Christmas songs.  I'm hoping that we can get our decorations up in the next week.  In that spirit of Christmas cheer, I want to recommend a couple of CDs to y'all filled with the absolute best Christmas music!  If this doesn't put you in the mood to worship our Savior & celebrate His birth, I don't know what will!  I can't praise these songs highly enough, & of course, you don't have to just play them at Christmas, because it's never the wrong season to celebrate Christ's birth!  Enjoy!

Oh, my goodness, what a wonderful CD this is!  I love each & every song, but I have to say that my absolute favorite song is "Glory Be To God".  Every single time I listen to it, without fail, I start crying at the same point.  When they sing, "Hosanna!  Hosanna!  The Lamb of God has come!  Hosanna!  Hosanna!  He is the Promised One!" over & over, I'm overcome with emotion at this stunning fact.  God promised the Messiah, & He kept that promise!!!  I'm transported back to the manger & am in awe that this Child is the fulfillment of God's promise to us.  He didn't forget us!  He sent His Lamb, just as He said He would!  I'm tearing up even now.  And let me tell you what SGM has done:  you can even download this very song for free on their site!  Get yourself a taste of this incredible CD & stand in awe at what God has done!

Seriously, there is not a bad song in this whole CD!  I have a hard time even picking out a favorite!  "Behold the Lamb of God" takes you through the redemptive history of man, beginning with a song of worship for "the brave little boy who was God, but He made Himself nothing", leads you through Moses & Israel's longing for the Messiah, all the way up to the birth of Jesus.  And Andrew Peterson takes his time singing about Jesus' birth; less than half of the CD is devoted to showing the need & longing for the Savior, while the rest focuses on His arrival.  It's a beautiful journey through the Scriptures in song.  If I have one suggestion, it's to buy the live version if you can.  I normally don't prefer live versions over studio versions, but in this one, I definitely do.  The "Begats", which is already so much fun, is even more so, & the way they do the very last song will give you chills.  And you know what will make you like Andrew even more (& definitely tempt you even greater than I already have to buy the CD)?  You can listen to the entire CD on his site!

Buy, listen, enjoy, praise God!

Disappointments & Blessings

I am an optimistic person by nature.  It's not that I see life & all of its happenings through rose-colored glasses or that I muster up some sort of false cheer that everything's going to end up "happily ever after".  It's more that I think that every situation contains a lesson to be learned or a blessing of some sort.  I believe what God says, that He "works all things together for good for those who love Him & are called according to His purpose" (Romans 8:28).  It seems to me that this is the very sort of situation that we have right now over here at the Bungalow.

It started off I guess a little more than a week ago when Michael realized that this just might be the perfect year to make the trek back to LA for Christmas.  Being a cardiac surgical unit ICU nurse, he's slated to work either Christmas Eve or Day every year on a rotating schedule.  It's worked out so that this is the first year since we married where we could actually be in LA for Christmas!  That means we could be with my family on my birthday.  We could go to the Christmas Eve service, we could sneak over to my brother's house early Christmas morning to watch our nieces & nephew open their presents, & we could have the traditional Christmas morning breakfast with my parents followed by the even more traditional mid-day feast.

We could, but we won't.  Unless you're completely new to our humble little blog, you know that my sweet baby girl - Ginger - has end-stage cancer.  She's getting chemo treatments weekly now, which are becoming less & less effective.  Those weekly treatments coupled with the fact that we are somewhere close to the end sounded the death knoll for our LA Christmas dreams.  And so enters the disappointment.  Not that I begrudge my time here with her, not in the least.  But I am sorry to have to miss another Christmas with my family.

I try not to allow myself much time for wallowing in disappointments.  I find doing otherwise to be completely unhelpful & counterproductive.  So, I search for a lesson or a blessing, & I don't have to look far before I find quite a few here!  Of course, at the top of that list is time with Ginger.  I'm not sure how much longer we'll have her - God has already blessed us with so much more time than we ever expected possible - & I want to enjoy her for however long that will be.  It can be rather stressful to travel almost 7 hours with a dog that loves to bark at motorcycles, 18-wheelers, & bridges.  (Okay, in the name of honesty, I love that & even encourage it, but it stresses everyone else, which stresses me.)  We get to avoid that, as well as the stress of having to watch over said dog in someone else's home.  Another blessing is the ability to celebrate Christmas in our own home observing our own traditions, which are always fun for young families to develop.  In a similar vein, we can be quiet & peaceful rather than running to & fro as we always do when we go back to my hometown.  Of course, we'll get to be with Michael's family - his sister & her family are some of my favorite people - which is always wonderful.  Finally, it's our tradition that I go with Michael to work & sit in an out-of-the-way corner so that we're not apart on Christmas.  With us being here instead of traveling back from LA, we'll both be rested for that.

So!  Yes, there's a little disappointment, but there are lots of blessings to be found, too!  Blessings that I thank God for & am actually really looking forward to!

Advent Conspiracy

Contemplating Christmas - Part 7

We've reached the end of our series on Christmas gift-giving ideas.  We've explored sponsoring precious children in impoverished nations, gifting animals in loved ones' honor, digging wells to bring clean water to those who have none, helping Katie Davis with her many projects of love in Uganda, & working with Drawn From Water to save condemned mingi children from death.  I hope that you consider one or all of these this Christmas.  Including our last one, which is also of utmost importance.

     -Help persecuted Christians. Voice of the Martyrs aids persecuted Christians in all sorts of ways all over the world. Their medical arm performs life-saving surgeries & lavishes care on Christians that have fallen victim to bombings, beatings, & attacks of all sorts. They provide books & Bibles to Christians in countries where Christian literature is illegal. They proclaim God's truth & Christ as Lord & Savior by way of secret radio stations in guerilla territories. They drop Christian material over Communist countries through balloons. They feature stories of unjustly imprisoned Christians in their monthly newsletter, which sometimes leads to their release because of international pressure. They aid widows whose husbands have been martyred. They release families from slavery & provide ways for them to make an income & support themselves through businesses. They realize that the body of Christ is so much larger than what is contained in our church buildings. They minister to our brothers & sisters all over the world in life-saving & faith-building ways. And through them, we have an opportunity to do the same.



I'm sure there are many more organizations of which we are unaware that deserve time, attention, & resources. If you know of any, please let us know.

Going without a new bottle of lotion from Bath & Body Works, or a new purse, or another necklace, or any of the other countless presents that just add to my already overflowing stash of possessions in order to help others is a trade-off that I am more than willing to make. It's not that these things aren't nice - or are even inherently wrong. But the joy that comes from knowing that God is using the resources that He has entrusted to us to change someone's life - both here & for eternity - is a joy that knows no bounds & easily trumps getting something for myself! We do none of this under our own strength or for ourselves, but we pray that we are being faithful stewards & that God is glorified through our celebration of His birth, our greatest gift.

Contemplating Christmas - Part 6

We're almost at the end of this series.  Follow the links to read parts 1, 2, 3, 4, & 5.

     -Save mingi children.  Drawn From Water is an organization that I've highlighted before that saves children believed to be cursed (mingi) from certain death by decree of their tribe's elders.  Once these children - who would be drowned or starved - are discovered, these folks go to work convincing the families & elders not to kill the children.  They want them to see that these children are not cursed, that they are instead a blessing.  When they are successful, they bring the children to their orphanage, where they are provided with safe shelter, clothes, food, schooling, love-love-love, & Christ.  They have sponsorships available, too, or you can just donate generally.  This is also a very worthy organization who is not just attempting to save these children from physical death, but also from spiritual death.  And their tribes, too!  They have a church plant in at least one of the tribes, & are striving to not only eradicate the practice of mingi, but preach Christ crucified to people who are dying in sin, for the glory of His holy name.


"It Began with Bale" from Drawn From Water on Vimeo.

Contemplating Christmas - Part 5

So far, we've discussed sponsoring children, buying a goat (or other animal), & digging wells to meet the needs of people around the world.  Our next suggestion is honestly one of our favorites.  Let me reiterate that our desire to replace traditional Christmas gift-giving in these ways is born from a passion to shine the light of Christ in the world.  We love Him & want to bring Him glory, we want to see Him receiving the worship He's due from all peoples the world over.

     -Help Katie help Uganda.  Katie has myriad projects & people that she serves.  She adopted 14 girls before her 21st birthday.  She brings grandmothers & babies into her home to nurse them back to health.  She sits all night at hospital bedsides praying for people she barely knows but loves intensely.  She has a school that teaches & provides necessities for 400 children through sponsorship, while also having a weekly Bible study for them.  She's part of a necklace program that helps Karamajong women attain financial stability through the sale of magazine bead necklaces.  She has a chicken program that helps not only the initial families, but also the community as the families commit to "pay it forward".  She has a community garden.  She feeds 1,200 children in a slum community.  She does all of this (& more, incredibly) because she loves Christ & wants to see His name glorified among the nations.  She & her ministry (Amazima) are so very worthy of your help.



If you know me at all, you know my reaction to this video.  Yep.  I cried.

Contemplating Christmas - Part 4

In case you've missed them, here are parts 1, 2, & 3 in this series.

    -Dig a well.  When we want water, we turn on the faucet.  And when we do this, we are confident that we aren't going to get sick or die from the water we're drinking.  All over the world, millions upon millions do not have this luxury.  When they want water, they have to hike miles away with jugs multiple times a day just so they can have something to drink or to wash clothes or take a bath in.  Many don't even have this option; these people only have dirty, parasite-infested water to give to their already malnourished children.  Children aren't able to attend school because they're sick.  Children who aren't educated become adults who are unemployable, so the cycle of poverty continues.  Water-borne illnesses are devastating to families & communities, & they're completely preventable!  We gave money toward the digging of wells in Uganda through Give Uganda Water, which is an organization founded & run by members of Covenant Life Church.  According to their site, just $23 provides clean water for one person for the rest of their life!  How awesome is that?!  They've already built 3 wells, bringing life-giving water & eradicating water-borne illnesses & death.  They have 3 more scheduled, which need funding.  They aren't the only ones digging wells, either!  World Vision has a way to donate towards wells also.  It's a wonderful feeling to know that we're helping give clean water to those who haven't previously had access.

Contemplating Christmas - Part 3

This is part 3 in a series on how Michael & I have changed the way we celebrate Christmas through gift-giving.  If you haven't read parts 1 & 2, you might be somewhat confused.

     -Buy a goat.  This will get you some humorous reactions!  Last year, we bought 2 goats from World Vision.  Not for ourselves or our families, but for 2 families that we will most likely never meet - at least this side of heaven.  These goats - & the plethora of other farm animals that you can buy - help to lift families out of poverty.  Families are helped by the food supplied by the animals (milk from the goats & eggs & meat from the chickens, for instance), they are able to multiply the animals, they sell the animals for money & feed, the manure fertilizes their crops - which brings in even more income . . . it's simply amazing how much just one animal helps!  We watched a video featuring a widow - & mother of 6 - whose life was completely transformed by just one goat (which became 14)!  Of course, I cried to see how we could impact the lives not only of these families, but of their surrounding communities as well!  And telling family & friends that you bought a goat in their honor for Christmas is wonderfully fun!  Check out World Vision's gift-giving catalog; animals aren't the only option available.

 

Contemplating Christmas - Part 2

Yesterday, I told y'all that we're changing the way we celebrate Christmas, mainly in that we're not buying gifts for ourselves or the adults in our lives.  We have some other ways to give gifts that don't stuff our already overflowing closets & drawers, ways to give to others who are in need.  Doing this has warmed our hearts.  We hope you'll join us in . . .

     -Sponsoring a child.  We sponsor two precious children - a beautiful boy & girl who live in Ethiopia - through Compassion.  There are other organizations that have child sponsorship programs as well, like World Vision.  We chose Compassion (& fully endorse World Vision) because of the connection to the local church & because of their financial transparency.  We love that these organizations aren't about giving hand-outs, but extending a hand-up, not just financially, but educationally, & - most of all - spiritually.  Our babies are learning about Christ while their families are being helped out of dire poverty through education.  We spend $38 a month per child, which is completely doable, even for a one-income family like us!  And I have to tell you, I cried when we got our first picture from our boy, Abel.  To see the drastic difference in his hair, his skin, even his eyes from his sponsor picture took my breath away!  To think that we have a hand in saving these precious children & making sure they know of Christ - well, it's a gift from God to us.


Compassion International from Student Life on Vimeo.

Contemplating Christmas

The onslaught of Christmas has begun. Or at least, what society has put in the place of Christmas. Last year, I explained my reservations with all of the secular trappings of Christmas & the way this holiday is celebrated, despite growing up as a Christmas fanatic.

This year, I'd like to share with you one major way we've decided to change things. I want to make it clear, though, that I'm not prescribing this for anyone else. How we celebrate this precious holiday has come about through a lot of introspection & evaluation of our hearts in light of God's Word. You must do the same, too, & if you genuinely come to a different conclusion, don't expect to face judgment from us because it's not our way. We all desire to live in a way that reverences & glorifies Christ, & that will sometimes work itself out in different ways for different families. The goal is to honor & glorify the One whose birth we are celebrating.

So, the major change in our household is that we won't be buying presents for each other or the adults in our lives. We're still buying for our nieces & nephews, but it has to be things that point to Christ & guide in the worship of Him. Gifts like The Big Picture Story Bible, Pilgrim's Progress, or "I Want To Be Like Jesus" are excellent! Why have we ditched presents? Well, we Christians celebrate this day as Christ's birth, right? You can sometimes even hear us say, "Happy Birthday, Jesus!" If it's His birthday, why are we getting presents for ourselves? Especially presents that have absolutely nothing to do with Christ. After all, we don't get presents on others' birthdays at any other time of the year. But, all gifting isn't off-limits. We asked ourselves what kind of giving would glorify Christ, what kind of giving would be done in His Spirit? Christ gave of Himself in ministering to others when He was here on this earth. There are so many ways for us to follow in His stead! People are all familiar with visiting nursing homes & serving in soup kitchens. These are wonderful ways of ministering to others, & we highly recommend them, but we'd like to take this next week to share with you some other ways that you may not be as familiar with.  Each day, starting tomorrow, we'll highlight a particular ministry that we've substituted for traditional gift-giving.  We hope you'll search your heart & consider doing the same.

Jesus is the reason for the season...or is He?

"Jesus is the reason for the season". At least, that's what we say. But - like my mama always taught me - actions speak louder than words. Lately, I've been looking around - at others & at myself - & wondering how true this sentiment really is. Is Jesus really "the reason for the season"?

I've always loved Christmas, always been a bit of a fanatic, in fact. There was a time when I started playing Christmas music in July. (Seriously, you can ask my mama.) When I was growing up, I decorated my room, complete with my own little Christmas tree. Santas & snowmen, colored lights & snowglobes...the whole deal. I've always loved the idyllic Christmas. You know, the one with old-fashioned dresses, sleigh rides, church bells, snow. Of course, growing up in Louisiana, I never got that. Except the year we went to Wisconsin for Christmas, but I digress.

Do you see what's missing here? I (& I would suspect, a lot of other people, possibly even you) have thrown out the little rhyme above, along with a sprinkling of "Happy birthday, Jesus" throughout the years, but the main event involved the tree & the food & the company & the presents & looking at lights &...you get the idea. Oh, I would have never said that, but my actions did. We all, Christians & unbelievers alike, scurry around all in a flutter about what we're going to buy for our spouse & children, extended family, & friends. Where's dinner going to be? Are we going to have turkey or ham, dressing or stuffing? After Christmas, the customary query is "What did you get?" I could go on, but surely you see where I'm going. If Jesus is really "the reason for the season", then why don't we focus more on Him? Why is it that we can go even to Christian homes & see Santa & Frosty displayed prominently en masse & one little nativity scene set on the mantle or coffee table? And I'm not just pointing fingers here; I've been guilty of the very same thing for years! It seems to me that this sends a mixed message. Especially to children & unbelievers. If Christmas is about Jesus, then why does Santa have such a prominent role? How does opening presents for ourselves celebrate Jesus' birth? I mean, be honest, as you take your children to see Santa, are you thinking about how much Christ is glorified in that? As you shop for & open presents, are you thinking, "This is for You, Jesus!"? Hardly.

Christmas is not about presents or any of the other things that we, along with the world, strive so hard to make it about. Christmas is about Jesus. He came down from heaven & became incarnate for our sake. Think about this! He, the Lord of glory, chose to be born to an unwed teenage mother in a stable filled with animals...for us! So that He could live the one & only perfect life & die the one & only sin-atoning death in our place to save us from the deserved wrath of God! How could we, who claim to love Him & be His disciples, possibly make Christmas about anything less than this? Does this mean we throw out all of our Santas & snowmen, don't decorate a tree or the house, & don't buy presents? I can't answer that for you, because it's a heart issue. I think the question we need to ask ourselves is, "How does this make me focus on & glorify Christ?" If it doesn't, it should go. And again, we should ask, "How does this show others that I value Christ supremely?" As much of a kick as I get out of my "Jingle Bell Rock" Santa, for the life of me, I can't figure how he helps me glorify Christ or how he shows others that I love Christ supremely.

I guess the main question I'm asking myself this year is, what are my actions saying about my heart? What are yours?