What Christmas is All About-

Learning the story of baby Jesus-

Taking time to talk-

Helping others without asking for anything in return-

Giving to others-

Blessing others with the gifts God has given you-

Sharing in a time of love and receiving far richer blessings
in return.

Giving thanks for your babies!

Sharing your joy through song-

Being all together.

Love of a lifetime......Christmas this year means saying

goodbye to my Aunt Gladys. Pray for Nels and the

whole family. Gladys is spending Christmas with

Jesus this year!

Christmas in Heaven
I see the countless CHRISTMAS TREES around the world below
with tiny lights like HEAVEN’S STARS reflecting on the snow.

The sight is so SPECTACULAR please wipe away that tear
for I am spending CHRISTMAS WITH JESUS CHRIST this year.

I hear the many CHRISTMAS SONGS that people hold so dear
but the SOUND OF MUSIC can't compare with the CHRISTMAS CHOIR up here.

I have no words to tell you of the JOY their voices bring
for it is beyond description to HEAR THE ANGELS SING.

I know HOW MUCH YOU MISS ME, I see the pain inside your heart
for I am spending CHRISTMAS WITH JESUS CHRIST this year.

I can't tell you of the SPLENDOR or the PEACE here in this place
Can you just imagine CHRISTMAS WITH OUR SAVIOR face to face

I'll ask him to LIFT YOUR SPIRIT as I tell him of your love
so then PRAY FOR ONE ANOTHER as you lift your eyes above.

Please let your HEARTS BE JOYFUL and let your SPIRIT SING
for I am spending CHRISTMAS IN HEAVEN and I’m walking

WITH THE KING.

~ by Wanda Bencke
© Copyright 1999

The presents are not what is under the tree,
but what is in the heart. "He who has not Christmas
in his heart will never find it under a tree. -Roy L. Smith

Joseph went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

The historic record of the birth of Christ can be found in Matthew 1:18-25 and Luke 2:1-20. Unlike any other baby, the one born that night in Bethlehem was unique in all of history. In the birth of Jesus, the eternal, all-powerful and all-knowing Creator came to earth in the flesh.

Why would God do such a thing? Why would he come as a baby, instead of appearing in power and majesty? Why make himself a true man and live among us, when he knew full well how terribly he would be treated?

It was LOVE! It was necessary, if you are to be saved! Have YOU excepted the greatest gift ever sent to this earth?

God's richest blessings to you and yours as you celebrate the season of the birth of our Saviour, Jesus. "For unto us a child is born"! Amazing!!!

Christmas in Heaven

I have been touched by friends who have experienced recent losses, especially at Christmastime. This is especially for the families of Lavena, Doris, Paul, Alex, Ike, my Mom and Dad, George, and always.................Lauren Grace................... n 1984, God placed within our family a child born with severe cerebral palsy. A blessing in disguise, she touched our lives in ways only God could orchestrate. We enjoyed Lysandra's presence here on earth for thirteen years. On Christmas Day, 1997, she had a seizure leaving her in a coma for five days before the Lord took her to His eternal home in Heaven. A season filled with joy...now pierced our hearts. The severe seizure lasted for three hours, raising Lysandra's body temperature to 107 degrees causing damage to her internal organs. She was in a coma for five days as we slowly watched her organs shut down. We were faced with the decision to place Lysandra on life support, then faced with the heart-breaking decision to remove life support. During those five days God kept showing me scriptures about Heaven. As a result, I wrote the poem Christmas in Heaven. Christmas has always been my favorite season because the whole world is singing about our Savior, Jesus Christ. The fact that God took Lysandra home in the season when everyone was singing His praises seemed strangely fitting and appropriate. The poem speaks so deeply to the hearts of people because it is based on scripture and God speaks to us through His word. “...in Your book they all were written, the days fashioned for me, when as yet there were none of them.” ~ Psalm 139:16 To read more about this story and the author of the poem, "Christmas in Heaven", Wanda Bencke, visit: http://www.christmasinheaven.net/ I see the countless CHRISTMAS TREES around the world below with tiny lights like HEAVEN’S STARS reflecting on the snow. The sight is so SPECTACULAR please wipe away that tear for I am spending CHRISTMAS WITH JESUS CHRIST this year. I hear the many CHRISTMAS SONGS that people hold so dear but the SOUND OF MUSIC can't compare with the CHRISTMAS CHOIR up here. I have no words to tell you of the JOY their voices bring for it is beyond description to HEAR THE ANGELS SING. I know HOW MUCH YOU MISS ME, I see the pain inside your heart for I am spending CHRISTMAS WITH JESUS CHRIST this year. I can't tell you of the SPLENDOR or the PEACE here in this place Can you just imagine CHRISTMAS WITH OUR SAVIOR face to face I'll ask him to LIFT YOUR SPIRIT as I tell him of your love so then PRAY FOR ONE ANOTHER as you lift your eyes above. Please let your HEARTS BE JOYFUL and let your SPIRIT SING for I am spending CHRISTMAS IN HEAVEN and I’m walking WITH THE KING. ~ by Wanda Bencke © Copyright 1999

Joy Comes from the Inside

Kami....showing her joy with her gift of song-
Grandma and Grandpa .....you would be so proud!


"Happy Birthday Jesus"


Seeing Double

And more doubles!

Suzie loves children.
Suzie knows how to talk to children and tell them stories in a way that they really understand.

Suzie teaches kindergarten and we are blessed to have her work with our children both at school and at church.

Suzie had a thing or two to tell all of us, children as well as children at heart.

Suzie's message...

"I have the Children's sermon today at church. I am going to do it on BELLS and how the little ball inside is what makes the joy on the outside ring so loud and clear. Just like us, our joy comes from the inside, from Jesus. Then I'm going to have them muffle the bell, wrap it up in their hands and listen. That's what can happen to us when we let outside things bog us down. Our joy can't come out. Then I'm going to make them promise not to ring the bells in church and let them take them back to the pew with them. Should be interesting. I'm sure Pastor Don won't be too thrilled with random bells sounding off, but OH WELL! JOY JUST CAN'T BE MUFFLED! "

Dear Jesus.....help us to show our joy....from the inside....

and not let things on the outside take away our joy!

***********************************************

Please pray for Suzie and her whole family as they are on a difficult journey with her mama. I pray for their peace and acceptance. A Caring Bridge note tonight said so much, "She rallied and came back to us for a brief moment- she looked directly into our eyes and smiled at us. She was very exact on what she was doing- she looked at whomever was talking to her. She gave my dad a kiss and then gave kisses to us all. We needed that- I needed that. Thank you Jesus for helping us with bringing her back for a brief moment that will forever be in our hearts."

The things happening on the outside are weighing heavy on their family right now. I pray that one day, the joy will return. I know from experience that the weight of this is heavy and very painful, and the journey is long and difficult...but as Jesus promised,"Sorrow lasts for the night, but joy comes in the morning".

Thank you Jesus for this promise, and for your hand, holding Suzie's entire family as they pass through the sorrow of the night. In Your name we pray, Amen

You can offer your support at http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/lavenazimmer

Songs of Joy

The whole world was still....

We tightened up, we wrapped up, we closed up and we waited it out.

The storm kept us in.
We baked.
We cuddled under blankets, hot chocolate in hand.
We watched movies.
We rested, we cleaned....we waited.

The storm blanketed the world in white.

The light white powdery stuff that cleans up the world for a day.



I had time to get out some of my treasures.



We eventually ventured out.

We broke the still, pristine whiteness of new fallen snow.

Then....there was such joy!

We sang like the angels...perhaps WITH the angels!

Our gifted pianist lifted her own song in accord with our vocals.

We lifted up, "O Holy Night" and "Joy to the world" and "O come little children" and "Lo how a rose" and "Angel's Lullaby" and "Canon Carol"

Do you know what my name means??? Carol....Song of Joy~
Do you know that a new friend stopped by my blog yesterday?
Her name is Carol Joy!!!! Really!!!!

The time flew. We said our goodbyes.

Then I got to spend time with my friend, Dar.

Friends are special! Time is special! Dar is so special!

She loves my blog.

She loves my music.

It gives her joy!!!!

What I do gives joy!

I am so honored that some small thing I do can bring joy to another.

This is why I blog.

Some days, I am not sure why I do this, but..........

I love to talk.

I love to take pictures.

I love to share.

I love to remember.

I love to document.

I love to treasure.

I love to teach.

I love to spread my joy.

I do it for God.
I do it for myself.
I do it for my readers.
I do it for Dar!

Psalm 27:6 - "Then my head will be exalted above the enemies who surround me; at his tabernacle will I sacrifice with shouts of joy; I will sing and make music to the LORD."

For Everything There is a Season

Long before the first flakes

started their long fall from the heavens

snow... the feel, the smell, the texture of the air

feeling the falling barometer,

the shift in the weather

Falling lightly at first, while I stood ,mesmerized,

watching their dance downward

Accumulating white, flake by flake on the ground,

a film of white, cell by cell

cleaning the world in white
-Raymond A. Foss

-photos taken at Klondike, Iowa

The time has come to put away the old and take out the new.

The time has come to say goodbye to warm weather, lazy days and fallen leaves.

The time has come to be thankful for the harvest and be thankful for the change in season, the change that allows a slower pace and a brand new outlook on the world.

The time has come to observe the beauty of new fallen snow, "cleaning the world in white".

The time has come to take out the tree and the baubles and sparkles, to crank out the carols, take out the blankets and the hot chocolate, and enjoy a closer time, indoors, near the home fires, in anticipation of birth of the Christ child. For everything, there is a season.............

and a season for every activity under heaven:
a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain,
a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.

Ecclesiastes 3

* update- Not sure how, but the poet himself has found my blog! His is the first comment to this post! You can see much more of his poetry at his site: http://www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com/

Mr. Foss, I enjoyed just tapping the surface of your talent. I will visit again. Thank you for your work.