As the name of my blog indicates, I spend a lot of time thinking about home. Of course, my Heavenly Home is the one that is eternal, so that’s where I need to lay up my treasures, and that’s the one I’m striving for. But in the meantime, I have been given this tiny piece of the here-and-now—this home on the edge of town, this family, this neighborhood—in which to serve Him. And, though this is in the earthly realm, I want the things that happen here to be investments in the Heavenly realm.




Thursday, December 24, 2015

A Chat on Christmas Eve {Medical Update Included!}


Who has time to chat on Christmas Eve? Do you? I don't either, but I'll jot down a few thoughts and you can read and run...or come back and read later...or just skip it altogether! No obligations! 



First the medical news. After more than eight weeks of IV antibiotics (six of those weeks at home), Ron has completed his course! On Monday morning, he returned to the hospital as an outpatient to have his central line removed. Praise the Lord! 

He is released to return to work on December 28, although his first real day back in the office will be January 5 due to a previously scheduled week of vacation. 

My handsome hubby at a family Christmas gathering 




Oh, it was a busy day yesterday! The house needed cleaning before our gathering(s) on Christmas day. Not a deep clean, mind you, but it had been a while since some areas had even been touched. So the four of us pitched in to tidy, dust, mop, and vacuum, upstairs and down.

After cleaning, the girls and I had a big wrapping session. (As in, only a few gifts had been wrapped before yesterday.)

Helper?


Right after dinner, I began to make a batch of cookies. Ron was doing dishes and handing me ingredients as I was tossing things into the Kitchen Aid mixer. I stopped the mixer to scrape down the sides and while the beater was raised the switch turned on! (It is a little loose after all of these years of use.) Oh no! I quickly reached to turn it back off. In my haste, I actually turned it up higher! Oh no! Cookie dough was flying! After doing battle with the switch, I finally got the mixer turned off. Cookie dough was all over the counter. Cookie dough was on my clothes. Cookie dough was on the floor. Later, I found a blob of smashed cookie dough on the floor cloth in front of the kitchen sink. After the cookies were all baked and put away and the kitchen was cleaned up (I thought), I found another blob of cookie dough on the tea pot on the stove. Good grief. 

I admit to having had a few meltdowns these past few weeks of stress and too much to do. But, amazingly enough, the cookie dough incident made me laugh.

Today, we will cook and get ready for Christmas breakfast and for our Christmas buffet. We typically have a quiet Christmas Eve at home, but this year we are going out to hear our nearby grands sing in a children's choir at their church's Christmas Eve service. We can't miss that! (I hope the monsoon has passed by then! Yikes!)





My sister posted this photo on her Facebook page. Here we are at Christmastime, 1964.
(I feel old as I type that!)


Linda (nearly 2) and me (4)





I'll leave you with this...


"He knew He'd come back, not as a baby, 
but as Lord of every man."





(Would you like to read the lyrics as you listen?)

In the first light of a new day
No one knew He had arrived
Things continued as they had been
While the Newborn softly cried
But the heavens, wrapped in wonder
Knew the meaning of His birth
In the weakness of a baby,
They knew God had come to Earth
As his mother held him closely
It was hard to understand
That her baby, not yet speaking,
Was the Word of God to man
He would tell them of His kingdom
But their hearts would not believe
They would hate Him, and in anger
They would nail Him to a tree 
But the sadness would be broken
As the Son of life arose
And the Firstborn of creation
Would ascend and take His throne
He had left it to redeem us
But before His life began
He knew He'd come back, not as a baby
But as the Lord of every man 
Hear the angels as they're singing
On the morning of His birth
But how much greater will our song be
When He comes again, when He comes again
Hear the angels as they're singing
On the morning of His birth
But how much greater will our song be
When He comes again to Earth
When He comes to rule the Earth



Merry Christmas to all of you, my dear blog friends! 
As we celebrate His first coming, may we prepare for His second coming!

18 comments:

  1. Dear Cheryl, your I Love Lucy moment made be laugh. I'm glad it made you laugh! Sometimes a little laughter goes a long way after so much stress. I'm so glad to hear that Ron is doing so well. Merry Christmas to you and your family! ♥

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  2. What great news about Ron! Thank you Jesus.

    I am so looking forward to His coming again.

    May you and yours have a love, peace and joy filled Christmas and a wonderful 2016.

    FlowerLady

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  3. Wonderful news about your husband. Your cookie moment made me smile, sometimes we need those moments to laugh. Wishing you and your family a blessed Christmas, and yes I too am looking forward to his coming again.

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  4. Wonderful news for Ron. It must be so nice to be unconnected! Ha! I had a mixer event, too, with a hand mixer. I was whipping up egg whites with the whisking beaters. They ceased and turned into each other and they now are unrecognizable and in the trash! May your Christmas day be filled with love and wonder! I'm now going to go shopping for our meal tomorrow night.

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  5. I'm really happy to hear of Ron's clearance. And re the meltdowns, I've had a few myself! Our Christmas plans are very low key - and it's a good thing because we've had several unexpected challenges the past few days. They pale as/if I reflect on the One whose birth we acknowledge, whose death and resurrection make my salvation possible, and whose Spirit accompanies me through storms and disappointments. Merry Christmas!

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  6. What a Christmas present for you all to have Ron's central line removed. He must feel renewed! Enjoy these well days before he returns to work. You may still find some wee bits of cookie dough and it's nice it will make you smile! Enjoy your celebrations!

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  7. A clear bill of health is a wonderful present. So glad that Ron is better. Oh, the cookie dough - glad you could laugh! Merry Christmas, Cheryl.

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  8. Cheryl, I had a similar incident with a batter and a blender that came off of its base. This is a year ago and I am STILL finding batter I didn't know was there. Oh my, you have to laugh! I just had a picture in my mind of your poor batter flying around the room. I hope you have a wonderful Christmas tomorrow full of God's love. His second coming is closer now than when we first believed.

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  9. Yes, I've done that too!
    Wishing you a very happy Christmas.

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  10. Oh my! You may be finding little blobs of cookie dough 'til the cows come home...lol! I think we have all done something similar. And what fantastic news about Ron! God is so good, isn't he? Your Christmas sounds like it will be filled with much love and joy! Merry Christmas...again :)

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  11. Merry Christmas! I'm so grateful to God that He has restored your husband to health! God be praised!

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  12. Fantastic news! How Providential that a week's vacation had already been planned. Gotta scoot...Merry Christmas! Hope that no more errant balls of dough show up! Ha!

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  13. I had to laugh! My Kitchen Aid adventures usually are when flour goes everywhere when the switch clicks on too high a speed at first. I come away looking like the Pillsbury Dough Grammie. Glad your Hubby is better in time to enjoy Christmas,

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  14. Oh, the cookie incident is funny, though not at the time! Glad you can laugh!

    Merry Christmas dear friend!

    Deanna

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  15. So glad to hear your good news. And the "cookie dough incident" is funny in the telling although not in the actual experience, I'm sure!. Merry Christmas to you and your loved ones. Blessings, Sharon D.

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  16. I'm so behind in reading your blog posts! The cookie incident made me smile (I had a similar "flop" with my short breads this year) but the best part was seeing your handsome hubby smiling and reading that he is well. The song is beautiful - thank you for sharing that! Blessings to you and yours as we approach a brand new year.

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  17. I am so glad to hear the good news of Ron's health, Cheryl!You all have been in my thoughts and prayers!
    You know I was smiling over the cookie dough issue, as I have had this happen to me more times than I like to admit! Sometimes I laughed, other times I melted. lol

    I am so sorry I missed your Farmhouse tour! Everything was absolutely beautiful! My heart is so blessed when I read of how you all work together as a family!

    Thank you for reminding us of not only why we celebrate Christmas, but of our blessed hope of His second coming!
    Wishing you and your dear family a most blessed and Happy New Year.
    Sue

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