Happy New Year Darling...

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Worship with God and My Playlist....

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Third Day

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Is God not amazing! As I was replacing my playlist last night, I realized how much I have grown in Christ having teenagers! I know you are thinking.... Hmm... She has probably grown in patience, grace, endurance... In other words, I have FINE-TUNED my skills as a MOM! Well, all of that is probably true, but my children have taught me so much about the Lord and helped me to grow as a Christian who loves ALL people and ALL types of Worship, especially through MUSIC! In the past, I was very narrow-minded, thinking that God only wanted us to worship HIM in one way using music (of course in my narrow-minded way that way was the Southern Baptist way), but watching my children and their love for ALL people, I watched as God could use all types of music to serve HIS purpose of spreading HIS word. Now, I find myself listening to every type of music ~ from RAP to OLD TIME GOSPEL. See, it's not the beat, but the words that will penetrate one's heart. God wants us to reach ALL HIS people and the only way that we can do that is to get out of our comfort zone and experience new ways to reach HIS people.
I hope you take a few minutes to go through my Playlist and experience some of the different forms of music. One of the songs that I find the most incredible is by Toby Mac, Lose My Soul. Sad to say, it was cut off by my Playlist and as soon as the complete song comes back on, I will replace it. I found it on Youtube (performed by what looks like some college kids) and I hope you will enjoy it here. This song is sung by three completely different artist Toby Mac (rapper/rocker), Kirk Franklin (I can't even begin to describe him) and Mandisa (remember her from American Idol). It is an awesome song, with awesome words!

Matthew 16:26 What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul?

James 4:14 Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.

Revelation 3:20 Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.

Please turn off my other music at the bottom of my blog before starting!

Painted Dollies from My Little Girl...

My daughter, Whitney who attends college at Auburn University, has found another side of her creative mind! She has always enjoyed writing (she is in the Journalism dept. at Auburn) but here lately she has started painting, sewing and basically just playing with all forms of art! She made ALL of her Christmas presents and I wanted to share a few over the next few days with you.
This gift found its way under the tree to ME and I love it! She also provided a beautiful little shelf that we had found in a thrift store. She had antiqued the shelf to make it look more vintage just like I like! Three of the dollies are all wood and two are wood and clay. I know these will become a family heirloom one day!

The ART Birthday Party...

Happy Birthday Karis

Yesterday I had the pleasure of hosting a small ART birthday party for one of my babies (one of the many babies that my cousins have that I love and cherish so very much). Karis, who lives out of state, was visiting for Christmas and wanted her AuntE (my nickname) to let her have a small party for her and a couple of her cousins. I feel so blessed to be in a family that loves each other so much that we don't think twice to ask each other to do favors like this. Christmas was wild this year having so many gatherings (we still get together with MY aunts and uncles and all of their children, about 50, counting children) on both sides on my MOM's and DAD's family. It is so awesome that my children know they are so loved and I have to admit..... I love the fact that the children keep me feeling somewhat young!

Anyways.. Back to the party... We had an awesome time painting little boxes that held

Baby Jesus.

Karis, I hope you had a great time and a wonderful party.

AuntE loves you so very much!!!

I won The Great Christmas Giveaway...

I was going to write about the wonderful Christmas I had and as I was checking my e-mail, there it was, "YOU WON THE GREAT CHRISTMAS GIVE AWAY".

I could not believe it, how could I have been blessed with such an incredible Christmas and then wake up this morning to another precious gift?

God is so good..... I can't believe I won this beautiful dragonfly (which by the way I am in love with dragonflies right now) from The Great Christmas Giveaway Hosted by Angelina's Trinkets.

Thank you so much!

My Christmas Wish....

If I could have anything in the world,

I would want everyone to wake up on

Christmas morning with a day of peace,

happiness and laughter for at least that one day.

And MOST OF ALL to know and experince how much

JESUS CHRIST LOVES THEM!

That's my Christmas wish for everyone!

I leave you with this story from my dear friend Sue's blog

Merry Christmas my dear friends~ Yvette

A Baby's Hug

We were the only family with children in the restaurant. I sat Erik in a high chair and noticed everyone was quietly sitting and talking. Suddenly, Erik squealed with glee and said, 'Hi.' He pounded his fat baby hands on the high chair tray. His eyes were crinkled in laughter and his mouth was bared in a toothless grin, as he wriggled and giggled with merriment.I looked around and saw the source of his merriment. It was a man whose pants were baggy with a zipper at half-mast and his toes poked out of would-be shoes. His shirt was dirty and his hair was uncombed and unwashed. His whiskers were too short to be called a beard and his nose was so varicose it looked like a road map.We were too far from him to smell, but I was sure he smelled. His hands waved and flapped on loose wrists. 'Hi there, baby; hi there, big boy. I see ya, buster,' the man said to Erik.My husband and I exchanged looks, 'What do we do?'Erik continued to laugh and answer, 'Hi.'Everyone in the restaurant noticed and looked at us and then at the man. The old geezer was creating a nuisance with my beautiful baby. Our meal came and the man began shouting from across the room, 'Do ya patty cake? Do you know peek-a-boo? Hey, look, he knows peek- a-boo.'Nobody thought the old man was cute. He was obviously drunk.My husband and I were embarrassed. We ate in silence; all except for Erik, who was running through his repertoire for the admiring skid-row bum, who in turn, reciprocated with his cute comments.We finally got through the meal and headed for the door. My husband went to pay the check and told me to meet him in the parking lot. The old man sat poised between me and the door. 'Lord, just let me out of here before he speaks to me or Erik,' I prayed. As I drew closer to the man, I turned my back trying to sidestep him and avoid any air he might be breathing . As I did, Erik leaned over my arm, reaching with both arms in a baby's 'pick-me-up' position. Before I could stop him, Erik had propelled himself from my arms to the man..Suddenly a very old smelly man and a very young baby consummated their love and kinship. Erik in an act of total trust, love, and submission laid his tiny head upon the man's ragged shoulder. The man's eyes closed, and I saw tears hover beneath his lashes. His aged hands full of grime, pain, and hard labor, cradled my baby's bottom and stroked his back. No two beings have ever loved so deeply for so short a time.I stood awestruck. The old man rocked and cradled Erik in his arms and his eyes opened and set squarely on mine. He said in a firm commanding voice, 'You take care of this baby.'Somehow I managed, 'I will,' from a throat that contained a stone.He pried Erik from his chest, lovingly and longingly, as though he were in pain. I received my baby, and the man said, 'God bless you, ma'am, you've given me my Christmas gift.'I said nothing more than a muttered thanks. With Erik in my arms, I ran for the car. My husband was wondering why I was crying and holding Erik so tightly, and why I was saying, 'My God, my God, forgive me.'I had just witnessed Christ's love shown through the innocence of a tiny child who saw no sin, who made no judgment; a child who saw a soul, and a mother who saw a suit of clothes. Sometimes, it takes a child to remind us of what is really important. We must always remember who we are, where we came from and most importantly, how we feel about others. The clothes on your back or the car that you drive or the house that you live in does not define you at all; it is how you treat your fellow man that identifies who you are.

'It is better to be liked for the true you, than to be loved for who people think you are......

Chocolate Marshmallow Punch...

Chocolate Marshmallow Punch
*This is one of my most requested recipes.

I have used this at youth functions and many different winter gatherings!!

This recipe can easily be doubled or tripled for large gatherings.

3 (13 oz.) Cans Evaporated Milk
2 Cups Chocolate Syrup
2 Cups Water
12 Large Marshmallows
1 Tablespoon Vanilla

Combine milk, chocolate syrup, water and marshmallows in large saucepan. Heat over medium heat, stirring until marshmallows are melted. Stir in vanilla. Pour into cups.

You can easily use a crock pot for this recipe!

Garnish with marshmallows, grated chocolate and candy canes.
12 cups

The X in Xmas....

Recently I have heard so much about the use of the term Xmas... So, before I said to much I wanted to do a little research and was I surprised! Now, I still will never use the term Xmas but, for those that do, I will tell them a story that I read on a friend's blog. She told her children in Sunday School Class that Jesus was the original "X-man," and the most powerful one too. She would tell the children to put an X on a page just like the people of the early Church, then ask them to turn the page 90 degrees. When they did, the X became a cross and they were reminded not only of the beginning of Christ's life on earth, but the end as well. What a wonderful testimony! Here is the following information of Xmas, copied with permission~

Xmas is not of modern coinage. The Oxford English Dictionary documents the use of this abbreviation back to 1551. Undoubtedly it was employed before that. Now 1551 is fifty years before the first English colonists came to America and sixty years earlier than the completion of the King James Version of the Bible! Moreover, at the same time, Xian and Xianity were in frequent use as abbreviations of Christian and Christianity.
You see, the X in Xmas did not originate as our English alphabet's X but as the symbol X in the Greek alphabet, called Chi, with a hard ch. The Greek Chi or X is the first letter in the Greek word Christos. Eric G. Gration claims that as early as the first century the X was used as Christ's initial. Certainly through church history we can trace this usage. In many manuscripts of the New Testament, X abbreviates Christos (Xristos). In ancient Christian art X and XR (Chi Ro—the first two letters in Greek of Christos abbreviate his name. We find that this practice entered the Old English language as early as AD 100. Moreover, Wycliff and other devout believers used X as an abbreviation for Christ. Were they trying to take Christ away and substitute an unknown quantity? The idea is preposterous.
Some may use Xmas today as an unchristian shortcut for Christmas, but the ancient abbreviation by no means originated as such. The scribes who copied New Testament manuscripts had no intention of taking Christ out of the New Testament. They used the abbreviation simply to save time and space. We use abbreviations for the same purpose today, as witness FDR, HST, JFK, LBJ, and a host of others. Xmas is a legitimate abbreviation. I do not use it because of the possible misunderstanding it often causes as a result of its misrepresentation or abuse. But by no means can the use of the abbreviation be a valid objection to the observance of Christmas itself! Is God against abbreviations?

Answers In Action

P.O. Box 2067

Costa Mesa, California 92628

(714) 646 9042

Scented Cinnamon Ornaments...

Many of you have ask for the cinnamon ornament recipe that I use to make the ornaments for my kitchen tree. Here it is.... Have fun, this is a great one! ~

Scented Cinnamon Ornaments
*Not to be consumed by tasting, only by looking!!

4 oz. can (approximately 1 cup) cinnamon
1 tablespoon ground cloves
1 tablespoon ground nutmeg
¾ cup applesauce
2 tablespoon white glue

In medium bowl, combine cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg. Add applesauce and glue. Stir to combine. Work mixture with your hands until the dough is thoroughly mixed and of a smooth consistency. Divide into 4 portions. Roll out each dough portion to ¼ inch thickness. Cut dough with cookie cutters into desired shapes. Using straw or toothpick, make a small hole in the top of ornament. Place cutouts on wire racks and allow to dry at room temperature for several days. To help dry, turn every day.

This will make about 30 ornaments.

Christmas Simmering Potpourri....

Christmas Simmering Potpourri
*Not to be consumed by tasting, only by smelling!!

1 Quart Pineapple Juice
1 Quart Water
1 Quart Apple Cider
3 Sticks of Cinnamon
16 Cloves
1 Teaspoon Allspice
2 Teaspoons Pickling Spice

Simmer over low heat – just enough for the smell to permeate through the house.

This will be enough to use for days.

Just cut it on and off during the season and add more water as needed.

WONDERFUL!!

Creating with Bottle Brush Trees....

Have you ever purchased a package of bottle brush trees and half of them be so messed up you wonder why you even purchased them?? Well... today I will tell you how to spruce up those little trees so they look like new! All it takes is a little hot water. You can just stand there and run the hot water over each one of them (which is actually better for each tree) or be lazy like me and stick all of them in the sink at one time and run hot water over them like crazy! This does take more of the color out of the tree! After you do this, just lay them out to dry on a towel. If the bottom comes off, just hot glue it back on or better yet make another project out of it! When they dry you have a bushy little bottle tree for a fantastic project like mine!

Perfect Recipe for Dough Ornaments...

Dough Ornaments
*Not to be consumed by tasting, only by looking!!

4 cups flour
1 cup salt
1-1/2 cups water
Cookie Cutters
Toothpicks or something to punch a hole to desired size
Acrylic Paints and Brush if you wish to paint
Glossy Spray Varnish

Mix flour, salt, and water until smooth. Roll out dough about ¼ inch thick. Use Cookie Cutters to cut out desired shapes. Make a hole in the top of the ornament with a toothpick. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Let ornaments cool, and then paint or spray with varnish. (Food coloring can be added to make solid color ornaments)

I always leave a few without holes so that I can use them to

hot glue on top of my gifts with raffia!

Beautiful!

Target to Family Heirloom.....

I was so incredibly blessed by a knock on the door a few days ago by my sister's Mother-In-Love! In hand, she carried a jewelry box and a plastic bag full of old vintage jewelry! To some I am sure it would be considered junk, but to me it was a treasure chest of gold and jewels. She could not have given me a better gift! Vintage jewelry is the one thing that I search low and high for in flea markets and antique stores. First of all it has to be reasonably priced so that I can use it in my art. But you know, Sister's Mother-In-Love is so in touch with God why should I be surprised that if she had this and knew I needed it, her love for me would not send her right over with it! That is just the kind of person she is! She has a very kind heart and is always looking out for the needs of others. Wanting to do what God wants her to do.... to serve HIM. Anyway.... the only way that I can thank her is to take the pieces and make a family heirloom from them. So here we are..... From a simple Target glittered deer to a Festive family heirloom!! I hope she enjoys it! I will be making several and letting her choose one and my two nieces.

Santa's List Banner...

I had to make a Santa's List banner with all of our families babies on it!

I know they all have to be on the NICE list!!!

The Feathered Nest Tutorials...

Some of my favorite tutorials come from The Feathered Nest. Dawn, is the best at explaining how she puts everything together and she is great to give you many images. Visit Dawn at
http://the-feathered-nest.blogspot.com/.

Paper Bella Studio...

I am having a great time learning and creating at the Paper Bella Studio E-Zine with The 12 Days of Comfor and Joy. If you want to create great holiday theme home decor and gift projects go to http://teresamcfayden.typepad.com/ and join us!

Christmas Tour 2008...

Thank you for joining my family on the virtual tour of our home.

I hope you enjoy it and are blessed by being on our blog.

I will remember YOUR MIRACLES... Psalms 77:11

Merry Christmas

When looking at our Christmas Tree, you will find handmade ornaments made by our children at Vacation Bible School to Christopher Radko. I love having all of them mixed together and having my tree tell a story of our adventures. Reid and I had been dating two weeks when I gave him our first ornament. I knew the moment I met him we would be together forever!
Sweet Baby Jesus!
A gift from my husband's sister the first year we were married!
A worm in the tree made from toilet paper rolls! So Fun!!
The Christmas Moose and the following Santa were handmade by a local artist. They were gifts to my children from their grandmother. She collected a fur hat from my husband, my sisters bridesmaid dress that she had used in our wedding, jewelry from our grandparents, a blazer from their grandfather ... Well, you get the picture! Both pieces are full of heirloom pieces from their past! What a great gift!

Norma DeCamp Santa

Some of the light fixtures in our home are actually outdoor fixtures. I really liked them and decided to use them. We hung this one upside down to take advantage of the loop.

My mother, knowing how much I love Christmas,

is always starting me a new collection or either buying me a new Santa!

This is the Lenox Collection...

A few of our hand carved Santa's...

My new JOY banner...

The Beach Study Room.....

My son's Nutcracker collection...

Using an old trunk for the Santa bears...

Dee Gann Santa in an old sled...

This is a handmade Santa that is amazing!!

Recycled Art to the fullest!

This is in my bathroom and I am amazed at how many

people drop coins into the bucket at Christmas!

After stumbling on my breakfast room chairs,

I decided to hang them and place a Santa and bear on them!

Finding a place to hang a snowman wherever I can, on the edge of my kitchen door.

My son gave me these beautiful snowman spoons for Christmas two years ago.

I decided I need to show them off this year!

This poor Christmas tree had seen its day, but I decided to keep using it.

I decided to place my handmade "antique looking"

Santa's in the places where the limbs were missing.

You could never tell there was a problem with the tree! Using an old ironing board to show our Family Village!

This is a great project ... all you need is scrap wood, paint and someone to cut the wood for you!

I picked up the gumdrop trees and the village people at the dollar store.

This was really a fun tree. I ran slinky's all through it and

then I let red and blue cable lights start at the top and fall where they may.

A very dear friend made me this throw! It stays here all year long!

This Christmas tree holds all of the ornaments that my grandmother gave me.

Bear, our helper is ready to go!

Our Favorite Nativity!