New Years Meditations

UPDATE: Click HERE to see the winner of the Spectacular Giveaway!!

Happy New Year everyone! I hope everyone has gotten their greens & black eyed peas today! Or is that only in the south? I'm not one to make New Years Resolutions, but when I saw that Lori (formerly known as Laurel Wreath) was doing a New Years Meditations, I knew this was something I wanted to participate in!

I have been reading and re-reading the book Spectacular Sins, by John Piper, preparing for a book club with Lisa. I don't normally get to do a lot of extra reading these days, with two little ones, but I do love a good book when I get the chance! To say this is a good book is a huge understatement! It's a fantastic book! It's deep, but written in a manner that even the newest of Christians (or someone with Mommy-Brain) can understand.

This book along with other things in the world and in my own life have given me new insights, renewed hunger to hold as close as I possibly can to God. I look at the world today and it scares me to think about what it will be like in 10 or 15 years when my babies are stepping out into the world as teenagers. I pray that we can instill in them knowledge and faith in God that will be unshakable no matter what they face.

....and by "we" in that last sentence I mean God, my husband and myself, our families, church, community. I mean everyone that comes into regular contact with them.

I hold myself accountable to those I come into contact with as well. From my Sunday School class, Awana class, nieces, nephews, family, community, and anyone I come into contact with.

The saying "it takes a village" is more true now than ever before! So I guess that would have to be my New Years Meditation. I want to be the best I can be in every area of my life with the understanding that every breath I take is for the sole purpose of bringing glory to God.

My goodness, how I fail Him.

I am also starting to read The One Year Chronological Bible with the start of the new year and I'm excited about reading the Bible in this way! There are several studies going on using this Bible and I look forward to gaining insight from each of them.

I am also challenging us to become more self-sufficient, more "green", more "live off the land", if you will, as a family. After all, God created this beautiful world for us to live on, the very least we can do is take care of it!

I will stop right there on that topic for fear of getting more "resolution" than "meditation". I'm sure you'll hear more about that as the year progresses! Especially considering the fact that every year when I start talking about "my garden" my husband wants to know how many acres I want to plant. I start having flashbacks of the summer he talked me into planting "acres" of watermelons. Guess who had to help hoe them? Or the summer we planted "acres" of sweet corn. Guess who helped pick it?

Didn't I say I was "stopping right there"?


Anyway! In the spirit of the new year and the wonderful book I have been reading I am going to be giving away a copy of Spectacular Sins. It is truly a great book and a must read for every Christian today.

All you have to do is leave a comment on this post to be entered to win. I'll announce the winner on January 7th!

In the meantime, head over to visit Lori, formerly known as Laurel Wreath, to join in her New Years Meditations . You can join until the 6th!

Thanks for hosting this Lori, and I totally think you should go by Lori, formerly known as Laurel Wreath.....haha!

UPDATE: Click HERE to see who won the Spectacular Giveaway!!

Fa La La La Auld Lang Syne...

...La La La Laaa!

.....because I know that you are all just hanging on the edge of your seats, wondering when o' when am I ever going to blog again, I knew that I just couldn't let this last night of 2007 pass by without one final blog post on my first ever year to blog...(actually, the first year I knew what a blog was!)


Anyway! I hope you all had a very merry Christmas! I did! The holidays are my favorite time of year. I love to get together with family, and catch up on what's going on with everyone I don't always see as often as I'd like throughout the year. We had two different family get togethers at our house this year, which was different, but fun! I'm pretty sure I wowed my nieces and nephews with my Dance Dance Revolution skills! Even Rachel, who I play that game with often, was impressed that I could do it in my current prego state. I think my niece, Hannah who just turned 15, thought she'd smoke me on the DDR.......wrong! Maybe next year Hannah! None of us could touch Rachel and Tyler on the Karaoke though, those two have some serious star power flowing through their veins!



In this past year at my dad's we have had two new additions to the family, so this Christmas was extra special! Landon arrived in February, and miss Maggie entered the world in April! Carter arrived the year before, so our family Christmas has changed quite a bit in the last couple of years! They are all at such fun ages! Max is 5, Carter 18 months, Landon 10 months, and Maggie, 8 months. I look forward to next year when Landon and Maggie are keeping the fast pace of Max and Carter, and our newest addition (who still doesn't have a name!) looks on with fascination! ........I'll pause here for a note to my sister Crystal and bro in law Chris...if you hurry, we can squeeze in one more new arrival for next Christmas..:)))

Then we have the big Christmas blowout at my grandmothers on Christmas afternoon. All of my aunts & uncles, great aunts and great uncles, cousins and their children gather for an afternoon of food and fun. And as long as uncle Manson is there, (and he always is, 'cause, you know, there's food!) a good time is promised to be had by all! My grandmother is a feisty 72 and still insists on having every Christmas collectible she has ever owned out for display or on the tree by Christmas day. And sometimes she barely makes it! With help! But it is truly a blessing to be able to spend time with her anytime, but especially during the holidays. She is my only living grandparent. Same thing goes for Kyle's grandpa. Kyle's only living grandparent. He's 86, and not in the best of health, not always in the best of moods, but always glad to see us bring Carter to see him. Another Christmas eve spent in his company is a blessing indeed!

Carter got the gift to end all gifts this year...(at least in his eyes!) Santa brought him a battery operated John Deere tractor with a loader and a backhoe! He was so excited! Although, I don't know that he was much more excited than we were, we knew he was going to love it....and he does! That battery has been charged daily since Christmas! On warm days he can ride outside, but when it's cold, we cleaned out the garage especially for the purpose of him having somewhere to ride. I couldn't bear to give it to him, then have him barely ride it until spring!

He also got a hay baler like daddy's and a rocking chair, and a few other things from Santa, but the tractor would have been enough!

So now with 3 hours left in 2007 my thoughts turn to 2008. With excitement I look forward to the coming year. I look forward to meeting my new daughter. I look forward to each and every moment with my husband, son, family, and friends, and pray that I remember to treasure them....each and every one!

Most importantly, I look forward to strengthening my relationship with my Lord and Savior. I pray that each day throughout the coming year I allow Him to guide my steps. I pray that I will be a faithful servant who puts Him above all else in my life. It is so easy to forget that our purpose on this earth is to worship and serve Him.

I don't know that I'll be able to stay awake to watch the ball drop at midnight...I wonder if it would have the same effect if I DVR it and watch it tomorrow?.....Probably not! Meanwhile, we don't really need fireworks, I think my neighbor is sighting in his new automatic assault rifle! He has been firing that thing off all day and night! It really makes for a bright night sky!..(yeah, I know, I feel a redneck joke coming on too!)

I wish you all a Happy, Healthy New Year! I will leave you with a few pics from Christmas.....

Papa, Gran, Carter, Max, Landon, & Maggie Matthew, Rachel, & Carter
Grandpa Smith
My Dad, Uncle Kenneth, Aunt Laketa, Uncle David, and my Grandmother