Happy New Year!

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Kitteh loves goggie

Or is he just saying, "This goggie doesn't quite smell right, must rub my kitteh scent all over him".

New Year

It's almost a New Year, do I have any resolutions?

Yes I do, but they're pretty much the same as I have every year!  But I'll list them anyway...they're mostly about getting priorities in order!

1. Always make time for prayer everyday.  I do usually manage to get some time alone in prayer every day, if I don't I feel grumpy and a bit disconnected.
2. Continue reading through the Bible chronologically.  I began this year, but wanted a bit of time in the New Testament, so I want to get back to that.
3. Read some really good books with the girls.  I love reading to my little girls, but often let time slip away in the evening so that we don't always get time before bed.
4. Get into a good cleaning/organising routine at home, without giving into failure inducing perfectionism. I've joined a group thing to inspire me:
5. I want to live the greatest commandments:
   
   

   The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these. Mark 12: 29-31

   
   

   Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 38This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. Matthew 22:36-40

   
   Of course I am not going to perfectly live these commandments, but it's what I want to think about, and pray about. If Jesus said they were the most important and that all the law and prophets hang upon these scriptures then it certainly means I ought to spend a lot more time thinking and praying about them. What do they mean practically?  Does my life reflect this in any small way?
6. To continue our date night every other Friday...that's me and hubby I mean.  It's been a lovely time together and I hope that we can always make that time.
7. And, here's a biggie, to not feel guilty for resting! :)

Do you make New Year resolutions?  What sort of things are you thinking about for 2012?

Edit to note: I've reverted my previous post to draft, it was supposed to be a interesting 'fact' type post but it was obviously misunderstood.  I tried to rewrite it more clearly but was just getting ridiculously stressed about it.  So it's down for now.  I have no desire to write even slightly contentious posts, call me a wuss but that's not my bag dude! :)

The feast of Stephen

I hope you had a blessed Christmas this year. We did, my poor Mum was poorly but she was well enough on Christmas Day to eat some dinner and play some games.

Today is traditionally St Stephen's Day in England (I presume it is in other countries too). It is also known as Boxing Day. Boxing Day is traditionally the time to collect money in an 'alms' box for the poor or to distribute to workers in thanks for a year's hard work.

Bizarrely it is also Wren hunting day today. I've just read that it was illegal to hunt wrens everyday of the year except on the 26th December.

"The wren, the wren, the king of all birds
On St Stephen's Day was caught in the furze,
We hunted him far and hunted him near
And found him under the bushes here.
Hurrah, my boys, hurrah!
Hurrah, my boys, hurrah!
Knock at the knocker and ring at the bell,
And give us a copper for singing so well."

So armed with this information, I'm off out with Boots the cat to kill some tiny birds... ;P

Not. :)

On a more serious note, I think that Boxing Day has two merits in the Christian life. It is a day to remember the poor at this time of year (in fact a reminder that we should always remember the poor) and it is also a time to remember the first martyr - Stephen.

And they stoned Stephen as he was calling on God and saying, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” Then he knelt down and cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not charge them with this sin.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep. Acts 7:59-60

'Lord, do not charge them with this sin', only someone whose whole heart was given to God and who was filled with the fruit of the Spirit could possibly, as he was being painfully stoned to death, cry out for forgiveness for his attackers. Unlike me. I feel like blaming someone if I stub my toe, so I have a long way to go. But we press on.

Here's to a wonderful New Year.

Hugs.

Merry Christmas!

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Merry Christmas to one and all! 

2 The people who walked in darkness 

Have seen a great light; 

Those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death, 

Upon them a light has shined... 

6 For unto us a Child is born, 

Unto us a Son is given; 

And the government will be upon His shoulder. 

And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, 

Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 

7 Of the increase of His government and peace 

There will be no end, 

Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, 

To order it and establish it with judgment and justice 

From that time forward, even forever. 

The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this. 

Isaiah 9

I am Lionel Ritchie's agent

I've been blogging on this particular blog for over a year.  Blogger has since added a stats function to it's features.

In my sidebar you will see my most popular posts.  I have reached 9,389 pageviews - wow, I am now a spiritual giant in the land of Christian blogs, I am a wise sage mother giving advice to thousands...or am I just Lionel Ritchie's agent?  You see of my 9389 pageviews, 2,177 are people searching for a picture of Lionel Ritchie.

It's what I wanted to achieve when I started this blog.

Makes me chuckle every time I view my stats. :)

Like a child

I want to feel Christmas, how it used to be
With all of it's wonder falling on me
This season has felt so empty, oh for quite a while
I want to feel Christmas like a child

I want to see snowflakes fall to the ground
My brothers and sisters all gathered around
Singing "Away In A Manger" as we sit by the fire
I want to feel Christmas like a child


It's been so long now, I can't say
Just when I lost my way
But I'm going back to how it was
When this day meant everything
And we spent our time remembering
The baby Child born for us

It's all about Jesus, asleep in the straw
This infant, this King, this Saviour for all

So I don't need bells to be ringing
'Cause I'll join with angels singing
Gloria
And I can feel Christmas like a child
I want to feel Christmas like a child...

by Third Day

There is a great beauty in the belief of little children.  Truth is truth - and not some philosophical relative concept to debate.  Belief means that something is true, real, definite.   Faith is simple, unquestioning.

As Jesus taught us, we are to be as little children. 

At the same time came the disciples unto Jesus, saying, Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven? And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them, And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. 

Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me.  But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea...

Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven.  Matthew 18: 1-6; 10 (emphasis mine)

Oh to have such a simple, beautiful faith that my angel would always behold the face of my Father Who dwells on high!  To cling to the knowledge that we have a Saviour Who died for us and a Father Who allows us by the blood of His Son into His presence!

The beauty of God is indescribable, the love of God is unfathomable.