Rejoice!

The recurring theme that has pervaded my thoughts this Christmas is REJOICE! Over and over the word has come to me...through carols and contemporary Christmas music, through greeting cards, through the Scripture, through the still, small voice that has whispered it in my spiritual ear.

It is entirely appropriate to rejoice! Even if you are stressed. Even if all is not going well in your world. Even if you are filled with grief or heartache. 

We can rejoice because a Savior has come to redeem!

We can rejoice because He became flesh, and paid the penalty for our sin!

We can rejoice because "God with man is now residing!" 

We can rejoice if our names are written in Heaven!

A few recommendations...

Maybe the cutest hot chocolate bar ever! 

Cranberry Pecan and White Cheddar Cheeseball
I've made this for two gatherings so far, and I'm making another one today. Yum.

My friend Joanne tells a tender story about a gift of love.
(Don't let that face scare you off!) 

May your celebrations be marked with rejoicing!

"When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy."

Matthew 2:10

Sunday Snapshots: 'Twas the Sunday Before Christmas

It was a day for wearing red, eating our traditional Sunday-before-Christmas sandwiches, and playing with the Nativity set. It was a day for reindeer cupcakes (made by Owen) and eggnog pie (made by Kristin) and coffee (of course). It was a day for the children to act out the Christmas story. It was a day for planning the upcoming days and activities and for playing games together. It was a day for Christmas Grandy. 

It was a day for anticipation, yes, but mostly for enjoying the moment. 

Edited to add a little something extra...

Several of you inquired about the eggnog pie. My daughter Kristin made it so I asked her for the recipe and here is the link for Easy Eggnog Pie. You're welcome. :)

Waiting...

O come, O come, Emmanuel

And ransom captive Israel

That mourns in lonely exile here

Until the Son of God appear

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel

Shall come to thee, O Israel.

Waiting. Israel was waiting for a Savior. He was promised so many years ago, and yet He had not come. As I sing the words of this classic carol, I can feel the longing, the heart's yearning.

Waiting, whether for something good or bad, for something big or small, is difficult. It is hard to wait for an expected baby to be born, hard to wait for the impending death of a loved one. It is hard to wait for circumstances to change. It is hard to wait in a long line, hard to wait for Heaven. But waiting is the way of life.

Yes, God's people had been waiting and longing for their Messiah. And yet, sadly, most did not recognize Him when He came.

But the wonderful, joyous truth is this...

And it will be said in that day, "Behold, this is our GOD for whom we have waited that He might save us. This is the GOD for whom we have waited; let us REJOICE and be glad in HIS SALVATION!" ~Isaiah 25:9 NASV

Farmhouse Christmas Tour ~ 2014

Every year, I enjoy taking my reader-friends on a little tour through our Farmhouse at Christmastime. I have always dreamed of being one of the houses on a walking tour, so this is sort of a way to do just that...without having to have the house spotless or make hundreds of cookies to serve or clean the floors afterward!  

Our home is not large or fancy or new. In fact, we have lived here for thirty-three years and for twenty or so of those years, we were fixing the place up and by "fixing up" I don't mean painting or changing out light fixtures (although we did that too!). I mean replacing windows, putting on siding, adding insulation, refinishing floors, laying new floors, moving walls, replumbing, rewiring, putting in heat and air conditioning, and so on. Limited time and limited funds demanded that we do the work slowly, over time. But now we have a home that we love...and we love to dress it up for Christmas!

So come on in and have a peek...

Entering the front door, you are in The Farmhouse living room. This where we have the family tree, decorated with ornaments collected through the years, a pencil tree to save space in this smallish room. (Pretend you don't notice the dark spot on our "prelit" tree where the "lit" has gone out.) There's lots of greenery and candlelight and a pineapple (a colonial symbol of hospitality) here and there.

potpourri in a pewter dish

I brought my pineapple statuary in from the front porch to decorate the "fantel" this year.

greenery and a jar candle tucked into an old box

Williamsburg-style fruit fan purchased after Christmas last year

Now let's walk into the dining room. This is an easy room to decorate for Christmas as it is already wearing red (checked curtains) and green (woodwork). Again, I add greenery and candles and fruit for a cozy, colonial look.

another pineapple...and yarrow from the herb garden

heirloom spoons

sideboard Ron made from a pattern featured in Country Living magazine

Bicentennial pewter tea service

della Robbia garland

The last stop on our tour today will be The Farmhouse kitchen, the heart of our home: our everyday dining room, our sitting room, our school room, a gathering room, the Thanksgiving room, the room where everyone ends up no matter where the party starts. 

I told you all about the tree in the kitchen ~here~.

cornhusk nativity, older than some of my children

a glimpse of the new floorcloth

bowl of pomanders on the island

tray near the coffee pot, including the crock of "mystery spoons"

atop the china closet

Thank you so much for joining me on the tour of our Farmhouse! My house is my hobby and I love sharing it with guests, whether in person or via the internet. I know that my home is a gift from the Lord and is to be used for His purpose. 

I came across this quote yesterday. It is referring to a different sort of dwelling, not that made of wood and mortar, but that of the soul. And so I leave you with this food for thought. What kind of habitation do I have?

And what kind of habitation pleases God? What must our natures be like before he can feel at home within us? He asks nothing but a pure heart and a single mind. He asks no rich paneling, no rugs from the Orient, no art treasures from afar. He desires but sincerity, transparency, humility, and love. He will see to the rest.  ~ A.W. Tozer

Merry Christmas to you as we celebrate the greatest gift ever given...

the Word who was made flesh in order to redeem us!

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Linking to The Nester's 2014 Christmas Tour of Homes, where "it doesn't have to be perfect to be beautiful!"  (Hooray!)