the weekend

Before I even get started on this light hearted post, I was shocked to hear of Friday's events in Paris.  I'm not terribly surprised at yet another terrorist attack, but my heart breaks for them.  I remember how I felt after 9/11, and I wouldn't wish that on anyone.  But one thing I know:

"For God gave us a spirit not of fear, but of power and love and self-control."  2 Timothy 1:7

These are not the days to be timid in our faith, my friends.  We need to be bold and we need to get serious about things with eternal value.  I see apathy and warfare all around me~in church even~and I know that the enemy is after us.  Not the enemy as in terrorists, but the enemy as in Satan.  I am praying for my unsaved family members, I am praying for the apathy I see all around me, and I am praying for this world and our country and leaders.

God bless them all.

On a MUCH lighter note, it was a good weekend around these parts.  I got it started by doing one of my favorite things~Christmas decorating!  This wasn't at home, though, but at our church.  It was a choir work day, and I was excited to not be the only one there.

We had fun, even though we all got a little cut up.  We all look like we've been in a cat fight.  We did this for two hours, while listening to a Christmas music station on Pandora.  :)

And since Jonah and Noah were with me and worked so hard at helping one of the men in choir, I took them to lunch at their favorite place.  (Chick Fil A.)  But look at what I was dealing with on my mirror as I was trying to order.

Yuck.  It was a spider on the top right corner of my mirror.  I was ready to poke him with a pen if he came any closer than this.

I went out to dinner with my best friend Friday night, and we had a great time catching up and spending time together.  Even though she gave me news that I didn't want to hear, it was a fun night.  I never get pictures with her, because we're always so busy catching up.

Saturday morning the boys and I loaded up and picked up my sister and went out to Dad's for the second Saturday in a row to put out his Christmas lights.  It was so much fun!  We are fast and were all finished in two hours.

Drew took a picture of all of us when we'd finished.  My dad and Sandy had laid down all the lights at the base of each tree that we decorated, so they made it easy for us by doing that earlier in the morning.  And all the chords are always laid down a couple weeks in advance as well, so there is no last minute scrambling.  I am telling you, my dad has this thing down to a science, and Trish and the boys and I have our routine by now and always do the same things each year.

Graham figured out that we strung over five thousand lights.

It was a fun day, and by one thirty, we were all back home and chilling out watching football.  Well, not me.  I was staring at the backs of my eyelids.

That night we went to my in-love's house for dinner, then back to my dad's to see the lights all lit up and sparkly.

It was beautiful.

We were back at church on Sunday morning, early, and then home for a quick lunch and then we all split up for the rest of the day.  Todd and Graham had a technical meeting, Jonah and Noah had a party and I had a Hallmark Christmas movie to finish.

I was at church again at 3:45 for choir practice, then at five, I was with our Children's Worship Choir, practicing and sound checking for their six o'clock performance.  I was back home by six fifteen for community group and for our taco bar.  I love when we have something OTHER THAN pizza on these nights!  It was delicious.  I was hot after cleaning up in the kitchen, so I took the dogs and went out to the back porch.

While there, I was so blessed in watching what was unfolding before me.

These girls are so loved by their community group leaders.  For this group each week, I am only the provider of the home, but these girls know that no matter what they face, we are all only a phone call away.  One of their friends is going through a really hard time right now, and they were talking about struggles they face each week, and they ended in prayer.

My heart was so full at the end of the night.

I am so fortunate to be involved in our youth at church.  I pray over these girls every single day.  There are some REAL struggles in our youth, and it's something I am always talking to God about.  I love all the girls in our youth, not just the ones I'm involved with.  We have an upcoming retreat with the girls this weekend, and I would love your prayers.  For softened hearts and for some of the girls' eyes to be opened.

Thanks in advance.  And thanks for reading this ole blog.  Again and again.

Love to all.