Alex

Today my 2 yr. old nephew came over. I took him outside and we played some basketball & soccer and then we petted horses, came inside and had a lot of fun together . He is so much fun. And funny too! He runs around the living room screaming "ARARGH" and makes all of us laugh. My prayer is that I will be able to influence him in some small way for the Lord. I know that He has great plans for him and it brings me joy knowing that I might play a part in his life. Children are truly a blessing from the Lord. They give me a new view of life by showing me how to find joy in the simplest pleasures of life. This reminds me of what Jesus said:

"At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, "Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?"He called a little child and had him stand among them. And he said: "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me. But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea. " Matthew 18:1-6

"Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it." ~Provers 22:6~

Scrooge and First Snow of the Year!

Sorry I haven't posted anything since Thanksgiving. I will offer no excuses though. A week ago we went to see "Scrooge" at the Roanoke Civic Center with our youth group and we also got our first snow of the year in Hardy, VA!

Marley Visits Scrooge

Scrooge with the Ghost of Christmas Past (in the right corner)

The Ghost of Christmas Present

The Ghost of Christmas Future

And we all know how the story ends...Scrooge has a change of heart! And for the snow, we ended up getting 5 in...

Close Up of Trees

The Front Yard

The Back Yard

I am just so amazed by our God! At His creativity in creation especially. For none of the snowflakes are the same! Lord, I am truly amazed by You!

Happy Thanksgiving

Well, today is the first day that I start blogging, and since it falls on Thanksgiving Day, I found this poem that I thought would be appropriate. I believe it really reflects the spirit of Thanksgiving.

"Thanksgiving is a
time of gratitude to God,
our Creator and Provider,
whose guidance and care
go before us...
and whose love
is with us forever.
Thanksgiving is a time
to reflect on the changes,
to remember that we, too,
grow and change
from one season of life to another.
Thanksgiving is a time
of changing seasons,
when leaves turn golden
in Autumn's wake
and apples are crisp
in the first chill breezes of fall.
Let us remember the true meaning
of Thanksgiving.
As we see the beauty
of Autumn, let us acknowledge
the many blessings
which are ours...
let us think of our families
and friends..
and let us give thanks in our hearts.
~~Author Unknown~~"

I believe that Thanksgiving is about the providence of our holy and gracious God. The pilgrims had been blessed and they wanted to share the blessing with the Indians and each other.