Tuesday, December 25, 2007

Merry Christmas

Just a quick little post - to tell you all what happened this morning...

We had just finished opening up all of the gifts. Paper and stuff still all over the room. And in the quietness of the moment, I said, "it would be PERFECT if Jonathan could call right now." It was only a minute (if that long) and the phone rang and IT WAS HIM. Calling from Iraq!!!! Now, how wonderful is that?





He had a 1000 minute phone card - a gift sent to him and we are so thankful! - (which in reality is only 90 international minutes from Iraq) - and I think we used the whole card. We all talked and passed the phone around. He could not be here with us... but we were able to talk to him.

Once again...so thankful for technology.... and the gifts that allow us to connect across the miles.

Blessed beyond measure!

Merry Christmas!

Monday, December 24, 2007

What Can I Give to the King

So I join the ranks of sharing a song...

Today is Christmas Eve... full of the excitement... and anticipation of Christmas morning. Under the Christmas Tree is full and running over with gifts for the ones we love the most on this earth. Family is sooo precious and the time that we get to spend together is priceless.

But this is the song on my lips today...one that my children sang in a musical when they were little. It has always been a favorite of mine....so I share it today (if I can remember all the words)... and want you to respond with more answers to the question that is posed in the song...

What can I give to the King?
Give to the One who has everything?
What can I give?
What gift can I bring?
What can I give to the King?
What can I give to the King?

Give Him a heart that's opened up wide...
Give Him a life that's got nothing to hide...
Give Him a love that's faithful and true...
and He'll give it all back to you!

What can I give to the King?
Give to the One who has everything?
What can I give?
What gift can I bring?
What can I give to the King?
What can I give to the King?



Think about it... what is your gift to the King?
Does he have your heart...fully?
Do you live your life with nothing to hide (not that you can hide anything from Him anyway)?
Do you really love Him more than anything?

My prayer for me and for you too...
is that this year we will desire Him more than anything this world has to offer. That we will give him every part of our lives.

Now this is not my New Year's post...
Just today and tomorrow...
ponder...
What will we give to our King?

Thursday, December 20, 2007

Multi-Emotions

Often you hear people talking about multi-tasking... especially women/wives/mothers.

Well... my newest feat is MULTI-EMOTIONS. I am completely full of several at once these days. Sometimes that is why the unexpected overflow (you know how they just spill out of our eyes).

First, and most importantly, at this time of year... I am full of Thankfulness. It starts in November with Thanksgiving and just keeps going right on into December.

And as we begin to decorate the house with lots of candles and lights (and sing "Jesus, the Light of the World"), I am full of thankfulness for God sending his Son to be our Savior "Jesus,the Light of my Soul". I am thankful for the Light sent to this dark world. I am full and I sing.

As I begin to buy presents for our family and friends... I am full of thankfulness for the precious treasures that they all are in our lives and the Joy that each one brings in their own special way. I thank the Lord for the gift of Love.... it fills my heart and I sing.

As I go to church and hear the Christmas Carols from young and old alike... I am full of Thankfulness for my church family...and I sing with them.

As I make the preparations for Christmas morning...for the entire family to be together (except our Jonathan this year)... I am full of thankfulness for the provisions that we have and the precious time that will be spent together. And I sing. "Jesus, I just want to Thank-you!"


The next emotion welling up in me is excitement. I am so excited. I get excited about Christmas. The whole season. I love the decorations... and the shopping.... and even the wrapping (after it is done). I love the cooking...the candy... the songs - even the silly ones - And I especially LOVE my family coming to my house.

MawMaw and PawPaw will come on Christmas eve and spend the night. MaMaw will come on Christmas Eve and then come back on Christmas Morning. Jen, Andy, Aubrey and Emmie (their dog) will come on Christmas morning. We are hoping that Brantley will be able to come after having Christmas with her family :) And Julia and Ronnie are COMING from Virginia. They will get here on Saturday and they will stay with us until Wednesday!!!

I am so excited - what is the saying?... I am just beside myself! I can hardly wait.

I thought it was hard when I was little... I think it just gets harder. I absolutely love them all coming. We will eat breakfast at 9:00. Then we open the presents. There are stockings hanging in front of my fireplace for everyone (complete with names on them). They will be filled to the rim. (We have all been really good this year!) We will give and receive presents from each other. Our living room will be filled with paper/ribbons/boxes and of course, the presents. You will not be able to see the floor!!! We will laugh and share and give and have a wonderful time together as a family... and I AM EXCITED just thinking about it... and preparing for it. Let's see - could we sing "Over the river and through the woods to MommaDee's House we go..."


Then the next emotion that I am juggling is sadness. Even in the midst of all of the celebration and the love and the fun and the laughter and the goodness... just thinking about Jonathan not being with us makes me SO SAD. As I have posted many times already, we are so proud of him. We are so thankful for all of the troops that make the sacrifice of time away ... so that we can continue to be free. But regardless, it makes me sad. I sure hope he will be back on his base so that maybe we can have some SKYPE time and see his smiling face. But if not, maybe if he can get through, we can at least have a phone call to pass around the room. (We did that when Julia was in Germany.) It is not the same as them being with us...but it sure helps.

Oh, Jonathan, we love you and miss you so much. All the time, but especially during the holidays. You make me proud... but I am still sad.


And if I had time to write about more... there are other emotions mixed up in with these three... but these are on the top. And often overflow.

I sing... I get nervously excited... I cry. Sometimes all at the same time. I think that is MULTI-Emoting (?)

Sunday, December 16, 2007

Christmas is Coming

Wednesday, December 5, 2007

Can I Wrap up Christmas This Year

Just wondering.... am I able to wrap up Christmas in a box. No doubt I have tried.

(I can't send the Christmas dinner - but I understand that will be served. )

I did send the stocking - complete and full with Christmas candy and little wrapped gifts.

I also sent a dvd - for the viewing pleasure. I sent cd's for music to fill the air.

I should have sent a candle - but really did not think that the soldiers would burn it.

I kept thinking, "surely there is something else we need to put in here. What else would he want?" (besides Brantley)

I just wanted to wrap up Christmas.

Well.... let me just quote one of my favorite children's Christmas stories. If you have been in the Warren house at Christmas time.... we have read it or quoted it for you...

It was quarter past dawn...
All the Whos, still a-bed
All the Whos, still a-snooze
When he packed up his sled,
Packed it up with their presents! The ribbons! The wrappings!
The tags! And the tinsel! The trimmings! The trappings!

Three thousand feet up! Up the side of Mount Crumpit,
He rode to the tiptop to dump it!
"Pooh-pooh to the Whos!" he was grinch-ish-ly humming.
"They're finding out now that no Christmas is coming!
"They're just waking up! I know just what they'll do!
"Their mouths will hang open a minute or two
"The all the Whos down in Who-ville will all cry BOO-HOO!"

"That's a noise," grinned the Grinch,
"That I simply must hear!"
So he paused. And the Grinch put a hand to his ear.
And he did hear a sound rising over the snow.
It started in low. Then it started to grow...

But the sound wasn't sad!
Why, this sound sounded merry!
It couldn't be so!
But it WAS merry! VERY!

He stared down at Who-ville!
The Grinch popped his eyes!
Then he shook!
What he saw was a shocking surprise!

Every Who down in Who-ville, the tall and the small,
Was singing! Without any presents at all!
He HADN'T stopped Christmas from coming!
IT CAME!
Somehow or other, it came just the same!

And the Grinch, with his grinch-feet ice-cold in the snow,
Stood puzzling and puzzling: "How could it be so?
It came without ribbons! It came without tags!
"It came without packages, boxes or bags!"
And he puzzled three hours, `till his puzzler was sore.
Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before!
"Maybe Christmas," he thought, "doesn't come from a store.
"Maybe Christmas...perhaps...means a little bit more!"


So...thanks to Dr. Seuss and Mr. Grinch....for the reminder. I cannot wrap up Christmas and send it. But it will come. For both sides of this world. And our family will sing and celebrate the Birth of our Savior - either here (in Alabama) in our usual "traditional" way or there (in Kuwait) in a new and different way. Regardless, Christmas will come and we will Rejoice!

For over two thousand years ago...God sent his Son - his only begotten Son - and gave us the first Christmas gift. Wrapped in swaddling clothes.

And the angels sang.

Glory to God in the highest! and on earth Peace, Goodwill to men.