Santa and Hermie the Elf

Santa and Hermie dropped by early since we are going to be busy with our secret (ahem!) roadtrip. Here's some pics from the day.

It's "Not Me" Monday

I most certainly did not see my youngest playing in our foyer with a dusting of carpet freshner on the floor and proceed to just laugh and walk away, only to hear my husband discover a little while later that my son had dumped the ENTIRE container on the floor and was proceeding to play in it with his cars in it like it was snow. We don't get snow here, so he was getting a feel for it, but that definitely didn't happen!

I definitely didn't wear the same outfit 2 Sundays in a row because I really like it and hoped that the girls at volleyball practice wouldn't notice. Nor did I walk to the mailbox Saturday in the same shorts and long sleeve shirt that I slept in.

I definitely didn't feed my 2 year old popcorn for breakfast on Thursday because he definitely eats wholesome nutricious meals at our house. Nor do I give into his candy cravings on a regular basis, since his askings from Santa are cars and candy, candy, candy.

I most definitely did not take my 4 year old Christmas shopping to buy my 2 year old another present because I thought "Santa" was jipping him. And my husband definitely didn't do the same with my 2 year old.

I definitely didn't order sock sacks for myself for Christmas because I'm tired of sorting and repairing socks til my little heart is content. Nor did I order 60 dollars worth of prizes for my students for next semester in order to bribe them for better test scores. These are things I definitely didn't do because everyone knows I don't buy things for myself.

And we are definitely not celebrating Santa early because we are staying home Christmas and not traveling for a surprise visit and wouldn't want to lug all the loot....MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!!!

Only You

Only you, can fill my cup when I am empty.
Only you, can give me hope when life is hopeless.
Only you, can restore my strength when I am weak.
Only you, can fulfill my endless longings,
For a Savior to give me life.

Only you, can search my deepest sorrows.
Only you, can find my smallest needs.
Only you, can keep me quiet,
Only you, can extend your peace,
In a world that's full of evil.

Only You, Lord...Only you, Lord

Life's Little Necessities

Praise the Lord, we are getting one of life's little neccessities back in our house! We've been without a washer and dryer since August. Tim's mom's dryer bit the dust back then and we decided to chunk the washer and dryer, move the laundry room in our house, and get ours from the house in Robersonville. Great Plan, never happened.

Between financial costs and inconvience of trying to get someone out to move the plumbing and wiring, we just never got it moved and never got the washer and dryer from Robersonville. So, about a week ago, Tim's mom decided she'd move into what we were going to make the laundry room and we could put the washer and dryer from Robersonville back in its original spot. So, the only thing we've been lacking is the washer and dryer from Robersonville.

I talked to Tim and his dad about 30 minutes ago and they should be here soon with our little neccessities. You don't realize how convenient it is to have them until you have to use someone else's every time you need to wash clothes.

PRAISE THE LORD FOR LIFE'S LITTLE NECCESSITIES COMING HOME!!!

The Power of Prayer

Here is a few prayers from the Bible that were answered:

"Abraham: God agreed to spare Sodom and Gomorrah if He could find 10 righteous people in those cities (Genesis 18:22-32). Unfortunately, this was not the case and these cities were destroyed. However, God still answered Abraham's prayer by sending His angels to remove righteous Lot and his family before the judgment fell. So, even though the evil cities were destroyed, the righteous in those cities were spared.


Moses: God miraculously answered many of Moses' prayers including the parting the Red Sea (Exodus 14:13-22) and giving the Israelites good water in the wilderness (Exodus 15:25). Perhaps the most miraculous answer that God gave to Moses was when Moses prayed that God would spare Israel after the incident with the golden calf (Exodus 32:7-14).


Elijah: God miraculously answered Elijah's prayer on Mt. Carmel when he rained fire from heaven in the showdown between God and the false god Baal (1 Kings 18:20-40 especially 37-38).


Daniel: Daniel's whole career was spent in prayer to God his prayers were miraculously answered. Daniel prayed to be shown the king's undisclosed dream and God answered him (Daniel 2:17-18). Daniel was thrown to the lions because he continually prayed to God and God spared him (Daniel 6:4-24). Daniel prayed for Israel and for forgiveness of their sins when the 70 years of captivity were nearing an end. God answered Daniel's prayer by sending Gabriel to tell him exactly when the Messiah would come (Daniel 9).


The church prayed for Peter: The early church in Jerusalem prayed for Peter after his arrest by Herod and God miraculously answered their prayer by sending an angel to free Peter from prison (Acts 12:5-10).


David: God answered David's prayer and forgave him for his sin after his adultery with Bathsheba (Psalms 51)." --allaboutprayer.org

God still answers prayer today! We've been praying for 8 weeks for God to bless Tim with another job to support our family. Today we receied that answer!!! PRAISE THE LORD!!!

Tim's New Blog

Tim has started a new blog about his calling into the ministry. The thread on the side or its http:/timothyjamesdean.blogspot.com

ENJOY!

Holiday Rebel With a Cause Raffle-Way!

I'm not really one to promote raffles or fundraisers, but this is TOTALLY different! Check this out and get involved!! Click the link to the right and get the real blog.

ORIGINAL POST from mycharmingkids.net:

Rebel Without For A Cause Raffle-Way!!!

Starts right now and ends with a big winner on December 14, 2008.



Wait for it, peeps. This is huge.

----------------------------------------------

"MckMama! MckMama! What kind of a camera do you shoot with?"

As I've mentioned before, I am a Canon girl, through and through. My digital Canon Rebel carried me when I first went pro and I've not strayed from Canon's SLR cameras since.

And now you can become a Canon SLR girl (or boy)...for a cause!! Welcome to the Rebel Without For A Cause Raffle-Way, everyone!

Let me explain...

My friend Amie and I are collaborating in this Rebel Without For A Cause Raffle-Way. Think raffle meets giveaway. We'll use this Raffle-Way as a super fantastic way to raise support String of Pearls, a ministry close to my heart after coming within a breath of losing our precious baby Stellan, as well as two adoption grant organizations that are of great importance to Amie--No Hands But Ours and The Elison Project.

It's Christmas time. And we thought it was the perfect time to bless others and for all of us to have the chance to make a difference in the lives of couples facing a fatal diagnosis for their baby as well as for couples wanting to adopt a special needs child.

It's time for a the Rebel Without For A Cause Raffle-Way. Would you like to bless another and, in the process, have a chance to win a prize package of astronomic proportions? Yeah, I thought so. I know you guys so well. Every single penny that is raised in this Rebel Without For A Cause Raffle-Way will go to String of Pearl, Elison Project and No Hands But Ours, and, if you participate, you'll have the chance to win big.

And I mean big.

What's up for grabs exactly? Well, buy a Raffle-Way ticket (or five!) for the suggested donation of $10/ticket and a kick-butt bottom (Surely you don't think we say the word butt in our family!?) massively monstrous Canon Digital Rebel XSi price package could be yours!!!! A MckRebel Prize Package, if you will. And, believe you me, my friends, you are going to want to get your little wolverine paws on these goodies.

What is in the MckRebel Prize Package, you ask? You might want to sit down for this.

That's right, peeps. This is huge. A 12.2 Megapixel black Digital SLR Camera with an EF-S 18-55 f/3.5/5.6 IS lens will arrive brand spanking new right on someone's doorstep in time for Christmas!! You'll be photographing like me in no time at all and before you know it, I'll be asking you for photography tips.



(Want more specs on the camera that could be yours? Click here.)

And all the while as you learn to shoot stellar photos with your pimped out new camera, the money from the Raffle-Way tickets you bought that earned you the chance to win that very camera will go to help families through the three organizations I mentioned. It's a win-win situation, to be sure!

Oh, but you didn't think a Canon Rebel XSi would be all that you'd win, did you now? The winner will also get...

An additional lens!! Get really super close to your subject without actually having to smell the baby food on her breath with Canon's 75-300mm zoom lens.



Click here to read all about this super lens.

Also up for grabs (I told you this was a kick-bottom prize package!!!)...

An ATP ProMax professional series super high speed SD card, in a 2 GB size. This card has a 133x transfer rate, the highest speed available.



You can read more about the SD card here.

You didn't think that was all, did you!? No, donate via our Raffle-Way, win the MckRebel Prize Package and this also will be yours...

A Jill.E camera bag in brown or yellow; the winner will get his or her choice of color!



No sense stopping here, people. And...

A long, adjustable, custom-made camera strap from VM Jess, in the winner's choice of fabric.



And like that wasn't enough, my dear friends, the winner will also get...

A 16 x 20 canvas print from iPrintCanvas so you can show off your mad photography skills. A photo of yours will be printed onto canvas by iprintcanvas.com so you can display it on your wall at home!