"These are a few of my favorite things..."

lying here on the couch listening to my three kids who are home at the moment, laughing, and playing together
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hugs from my family
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good books like "Johnny Tremain" which Tom is now reading aloud until my throat feels better
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watching Rachel do her school work without being reminded
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hearing Nathanael laugh while he and his sisters play "telephone"
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"Have a Holly Jolly Christmas" sung with Nate's words, loudly and on and on and on
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seeing the creativity in Rachel as she makes up new worlds and their money and figures the exchange rate to Czech Koruna and US Dollars
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Amy taking a minute to sit with me and talk about her day
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Matt playing violin
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hearing the laughing as Rachel gives Nate a bath
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quiet of all kids working on something by themselves
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Tom's voice in the study ( I like that he is near)
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watching snow fall out the window
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smelling my new orange and watermelon candles in their pretty glass flowered holders
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chances for looonnnggg readings in the Bible
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thinking up ideas for what to sew next
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quilting Amy's quilt
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homemade gifts
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check out ladies who don't rush checking you through so that you can actually get things in the bags before they get mashed
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hearing 5 different languages on the way to my dr today
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packages (they don't have to be tied with strings)

sick...with time to reflect

I am working on changing the background...again, but for some reason it doesn't want to change! So, for now it will be like this.

Hannah and I are quite ill with strep throat now. That, however gives time to think and reflect, even if only in that dreamy, weird way that I get when I am sick. I have several ideas for blogs, but will start with this.

Tom and I pray every year for a word/phrase/character trait that God wants to work in and through our lives in the new year. This year I was struck in my reading through the Bible with these verses from Hebrews 12: 12,13 "12 So take a new grip with your tired hands and strengthen your weak knees.13 Mark out a straight path for your feet so that those who are weak and lame will not fall but become strong." New Living Translation

That lead to a cross referencing those words which lead me to Isaiah 35: 3,4 " ³ Strengthen the feeble hands,
steady the knees that give way;

⁴ say to those with fearful hearts,
"Be strong, do not fear;
your God will come,
he will come with vengeance;
with divine retribution
he will come to save you." New International Version

The words that seem to be the theme for 2010 are along these lines: strengthen, renew, revive, revitalize, restart...

Pray with me that I would indeed be ready to be strengthened, renewed, revived, etc. and that I would seek that from Him. What a loving God who has continued to carry me through all of life situations and lovingly seeks to refresh me along the way. I am a truly blessed woman!