Everyday Living

Simple + Southern Sunday No. 111

~ Simple + Southern Sunday

“But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days.”
‭‭Micah‬ ‭5:2‬ ‭

sss 
“A child has been given, The King of our freedom,
Sing for the light has come…this is Christmas
Come and adore Him, and bring gifts before Him
Joy to the world, worship the Son…this is Christmas”
Hillsong Music
 
“The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world.”
John‬ ‭1:9‬ ‭
 
Big colored lights strung on our downtown Christmas tree!

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The Post Of Christmas Past

~ Christmas, Holidays

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”
‭‭John‬ ‭1:1‬ ‭

It’s been said that today is tomorrow’s yesterday.  Certainly a statement that uniquely reminds me of how fleeting life is and how important every moment of this day should be.  Isn’t every moment part of the making of a memory? I’m always in a hurry and that’s not necessarily a good thing.

Let’s face it, a large part of our conversation as well as our thoughts are about the past.  Memories are so precious and one of our greatest possessions.  Memories can be sad and are often heartbreaking.  And we are all aware of the fact that our ability to remember fades with age and even fails those who are young sometimes.  This is a hard reality that affects many of our families.  I will not overlook this fact, but instead simply choose not to dwell there.

Memories come in all shapes and sizes but the best ones are usually the simple, the small, the personal, and even a silly thing or two (or maybe 200).  An occasion, a holiday, a funny, a friend, a story (possibly embellished over time), food, a photo, a hair-do, a song, a special item or memorabilia, and on and on we could go….! Maybe it was the time someone smiled when you needed a smile or someone called wanting nothing more than to say “I love you”.

We are sharing a few Christmas memories of our family that we cherish with you today.  At the same time I am hoping to be more mindful of the fact that I am making memories as a part of my everyday living.  We cannot control a lot of things, but as much as possible within me may I choose to make fond memories today and every day.  Part of a lyric I remember says “all too soon the future becomes the past”.
-Butch
 
One of our favorite little get-aways was December 2011, when we made last minute plans to visit the Biltmore at Christmas.  We stayed at the beautiful Inn on Biltmore Estate which was perfect.  We booked the candlelight tour of the mansion and it was magical, and of course, we had to get a photo.


Every year as I unpack the ornaments, memories of family, friends, travel, and special times flood my mind.

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An Old Time Christmas

~ Christmas, Decorating, Holidays

“The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light;
those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone”
Isaiah 9:2

Letters to Santa.  Candy canes.  Big colored lights.  Popcorn garland.  Assorted hard candy.  Do you ever wish Christmas was simple and magical like it once was?  Through the years, the decorations have multiplied and the time has escaped during the holiday season.  Don’t get me wrong, I love the new and exciting ways of bringing Christmas into our home…the nutcrackers that stand guard at our door, the flocked trees in our bay window, and my collection of Radko ornaments that grace our tree.  But I will admit that it takes a lot of time and energy. As I scurry around to decorate every inch and corner of our home, I think about how Christmas used to be.  So today, I want to take a step back into time.  I think George Strait said it best…”Let’s have an old time Christmas just like the ones from yesterday, an old time Christmas for old time’s sake.”

Be sure to visit my Pinterest Board Joyeux Noel
Click each picture to go to original source


Simmering potpourri…


…brown paper packages…

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