Great Niece Turns One!

I love birthday parties! Any Ages! But I must confess, I do love the ones where they turn just one. I still remember my daughter's first birthday party. At that age, they are just in awed by everything. People, party hats, presents and especially the birthday cake. What a beautiful cake Brielle had. And let me tell you, she enjoyed every bit of it. No, she didn't eat it all. But she had fun having it all to herself.

When it was time for her to open her gifts, she had two little helpers. Aiden who often is very shy when he first enters a room full of people was more than happy to help Brielle open her presents. And did you know that Aiden is turning 3 years old today. "Happy Birthday Aiden!" These great nieces and nephews sure grow up too fast for this GREAT AUNT.

The afternoon was just fun watching Brielle enjoy her first birthday. Grandpa aka Pappa and Grandma gave the very most useful gift...a pink training potty. Then came the usually clothes and great toys that Brielle will truly enjoy...especially the musical set of instruments that Mommy Candice got her. And as you will see from the slideshow below so did Aiden and a girlfriend of Brielle.

So just sit back and enjoy the slideshow below. And indeed it was a Happy Birthday for Brielle.

Fun In January

Not much going on lately. But my sister, Jan did come down and as always we cleared out the two places we went on their January clearance...not really. But we did load up for next year's gifts.

Then we picked up fast food at Culver's and headed to Riverbluff Nursing Home to have a small Valentine's Party with our mother. I called ahead to Ann-Marie to see if she could join us. And of course, she would not want to miss out on seeing her Aunts in action. Especially when they start talking about their childhood memories...like fist fighting. One of them remebered the incident and the other one didn't. But we sure laughed about the event.

It's always fun when I can get together with some of my sisters and of course they were so happy for Ann-Marie and enjoyed her new ultrasound pictures.

DUMB, DUMB SAYINGS

Has God ever allowed you to hear bits of conversations that make you boil inside? For instance:

Once upon a time I was just coming into the narthex, when a little boy ran pass me. Then I heard these words. "You don't wear blue jeans to church." I looked up and saw a young mother taking hold of her son's hand. I watched while shaking her head and looking at her husband said, "You put blue jeans on him?"

In the meantime, I wanted to bend down and tell him that it was okay to have blue jeans on. And to add that God looks on the inside not the outside.

I then sat down in one of the pews with another older couple. They had to leave and get ready for choir. While waiting for church to start, a younger man, perhaps around forty came and sat in the same pew. During conversation, I found out that this was their son. Nice looking man with two children. He was dressed in a nice turtleneck top with a sportcoat and OH MY blue jeans. Someone forgot to tell him when he was young that he not suppose to wear those things in church.

Now my mind is really having a hay day! I'm trying to process all of this in one day. Then our special speaker says something like..."I'm was so glad that while driving in from the Chicago area that Rockford has such great Christian radio stations. You just can't find any good stations around the Chicago area." Oh my, here goes my brain again! Have you not hear of WMBI!!! Then I realized if he had, he probably would not have listened to that radio station. Now you may say "Why Not?" or maybe even, "What's that station?" It's a story for another time. Another time I would like to do a post entitled: WHO'S WHO'S IN YOUR CIRCLE?

Now comes the morning message found in Micah 6:8. "...what doth the Lord require of the thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with they God." To love mercy is what I remembered the most about his message. Perhaps because he said it is something us Baptist seem to lack. Then we also went to Deuteronomy 4. I read further down the chapter and my eyes stopped at verse thirty-one...(For the Lord thy God is a merciful God;)

I stopped and thought of all the dumb, dumb things I have said through my life and I'm sure glad for His mercy. And then I also knew that I'm still learning and trying to be more merciful when I hear what I think our dumb, dumb sayings.

My Desire for 2009!

I'm am almost finished with that wonderful beloved Mitford Series by Jan Karon that my friend Jackie got me started on awhile ago.There are so many spiritual truths that you pick up in these books.(Nine books in the whole series.) Below is a song that I have never heard of but the words,(Thanks to Pastor Aniol who taught us to think about what we were singing.) are just what I need to remember everyday. This is found in her book, Light from Heaven.

Come, Holy Spirit, heav'nly Dove

With all thy quick'ning powers

Kindle a flame of sacred love

In these cold hearts of ours.

See how we trifle here below

Fond of these earthly toys

Our souls, how heavily they go

To reach eternal joys.

In vain we tune our formal songs

In vain we strive to rise

Hosannas languish on our tongues

And our devotion die.

Come, Holy Spirit, heav'nly Dove

With all the quick'ning powers

Come, shed abroad a Savior's love

And that shall kindle ours.

Perhaps you know this song. But as I read these words, I want to be more controlled by the Holy Spirit this year than I was last year. May I find myself less fond of earthly toys...there are alot out there.