Woo! It's been a little bit since I last posted, but boy has time been flying! We have been truly enjoying our holiday season over the past two weeks. We are not used to getting much down time, if any, so we have definitely been making the most of it. I'm not so sure that we have relaxed much, but we have enjoyed ourselves very much. Needless to say, we truly enjoyed our SECOND VERY MARRIED CHRISTMAS!
We started the holiday season off (before our week and a half break from work and school) by celebrating with our work, school, volunteer, and church groups:
We had a lot of fun at Paul's business Christmas dinner at the Ledges' Clubhouse. It was soooo foggy that night, but it did clear up enough as the night went on for us to snap the breathtaking view from up there. The pictures do not do it justice. We enjoyed a great night with Paul's company, complete with exquisite food and fellowship. We even won a door prize this year - a gift card to Ruth's Chris (fancy dining)! Gracious knows that our cheap selves would never go there otherwise, so we are looking forward to possibly celebrating our anniversary there. :)
I was also showered with Christmas goodies from my cheerleaders and students at school. I was so surprised. I really didn't know that students still did that, granted there are stipulations now....but that's doesn't stop them from bringing enough chocolate to get me through another year ;) I received sweet letters, lots of chocolate, penguin socks and ornaments (they've discovered my love of penguins), gourmet apples, ornaments, coffee, and candy! Yes, it was awesome!
We were blessed to be able to celebrate Christmas with our Inner City kiddos. Those sweet babies enjoyed a night of pizza, cupcakes, juice, crafts, and their favorite PRESENTS! While we have enjoyed the break lately, we sure do miss those children and can't wait to get back to them. We will be eager with open ears to listen to all that Santa brought them!
Fun times were also had with our wonderful Bible class from church. We gathered at the Yokley's lovely home for a time of food, fellowship, and fun. We enjoyed a variety of breakfast foods for dinner, some yummy wassail, and played Christmas games. I even won one of the games and was awarded a lovely smelling candle and festive pot holders! (We've now won twice this holiday season, so I doubt it will happen again in our lifetime lol)
I was so excited to send out our second annual Christmas card this year! I have wanted to send out cards for so long, so I knew when I got married that it was a must. Being an English person and loving to write, our cards would not be complete with a poem to sum up the year. I wasn't so sure that the poem was going to make it this year - I was having writer's block, but it did, indeed. Maybe I should start scratching out ideas throughout twenty-fourteen so I don't have that problem next year. Anywho, I know that one day I will love looking back over these and how our lives progressed through the years.
We also absolutely LOVED receiving cards from all of you! Our board filled up pretty fast, and we feel so blessed! I keep these cards each year, and I love to look back through them at the year goes on.
We were truly blessed all throughout the year, and we enjoyed the abundance with family and friends throughout the Christmas season. I was blessed with so many wonderful gifts (including a vacuum cleaner, clothes, hair and beauty supplies, adorable boots and scarves, jewelry and watches, crafting supplies, a decorative canvas to go over our fireplace, and DIAMONDS! Yes, Paul always goes above and beyond to spoil me. If it all went away tomorrow, though, I would still be so very blessed and still say that my cup overflows. One of my favorite gifts this year was a "LANZA" framed art piece. Paul's family originated in Italy, and his cousin took these pictures from various places in Italy. To be honest, I initially though the gift was probably bought from one of those stands in the mall; however, upon finding out the contrary, this piece took on a whole new level of sentimental value.
It could not have come at a better time, as this Christmas was quite bittersweet. We found Grammy resting
peacefully on Christmas Eve. Grammy loved Christmas time, and she had just celebrated her 84th birthday the day before. She came into this world around Christmas time, and she left it in the same fashion. Every year she gave ornaments to everyone,
and mine was the first in a new collection called Heavenly Belles.
(Coincidence, I think not.) The angel is also holding a cardinal,
Grammy's favorite. Needless to say, we will be continuing this
collection in years to come in memory of her. Please continue to keep
Paul's family in your prayers. We know that God's timing is always
perfect, but not always easy. The family all gathered on Sunday at a private graveside for the burial service on Sunday. We also received guests at Grammy's house Sunday evening, and the 32-year traditional Horseshoe Trail lights at Grammy's house were cut off for the last time at 9 pm. All the news channels showed up; people rode the city shuttle buses to view the lights one last time; and there were cheers and claps as the lights shut off in celebration of Paul's grandparents and the joy they had given so many each Christmas season. Paul is already beginning to prepare for next year, as the Christmas lights now take on a whole new meaning - carrying on the Lanza tradition that his grandparents started. This wasn't the end....just a new beginning.
Speaking of new beginnings, we are getting ready to ring in the new year. We are apparently old folks now, as none of our friends are celebrating the actual new year. They all claim they can't stay up that late. So, there are no huge NYE plans for this couple, but we plan to celebrate with friends tomorrow at Another Broken Egg (as we crack open the new year!).
Nevertheless, we have enjoyed our last couple of days off from work by enjoying our hobbies (something we don't get to do all that often). I am working on some decorative crafts and renovating our master bedroom. Paul has been toying with his electronic gadgets, most of which I don't understand. Pictures of the completed renovations will be coming soon!!
We have truly enjoyed ourselves and count our blessings as this new year comes. This year was a lot of firsts for us. Our first full year married - I got my first full-time job as a grown woman - I began my Masters's - Paul began his Ph.D. - I taught a full year - We began and completed several new projects - and We have grown so much, together and spiritually. We have allowed God to lead us, and the blessings have been abundant. We are blessed beyond measure, and we can't wait to see what God can do through us in the upcoming year. We don't have any major New Year resolutions - we just want to give God more! And that, my friends, pretty much sums up our desires in a nutshell.
"Either we and everything we hold dear take second place to Jesus, or we stop pretending that he is our God."
We hope you have a Happy New Year! Until next time...
As the Christmas season appears once again, we turn our eyes to focus on the real reason of the season - Christ. If you're like me, you've heard the Christmas story your whole life (or maybe you are just now learning of it); and, if we are honest, it is sometimes hard to grasp the connection with a story from nearly 2000 years ago. We are forever grateful for the gift of God's son, Jesus, whom he sent to earth to pay the ransom for our sins, but sometimes it is quite difficult to figure out where we fit into all of this. Now, you may be thinking - duh, Courtney - we fit into the story because Jesus came to save us. While you are so right, I just can't help but think that there has to be MORE! Some of us listen to the Christmas story every year with perked ears and a joyful heart; others tune their ears off to a story they've heard "a thousand times"; others fight to listen while really pondering all the gifts under the Christmas tree, which really has their captivation; still others have had a hard year, and while this story is joyous and wonderful, they just aren't in the mood for it at the time. Wherever you find yourself in that mix on this Christmas Eve, I challenge you to take a brief journey with me through the Christmas Story ONCE AGAIN, and let's look at it a little differently. I pray you join me on this journey to see just where your place is in this 2000 year old story!! You don't want to miss it! (If you don't have time or have decided to skip over the recap below - at least check out the portion "Where do I fit into the story?")
Review of the Christmas Story
Matthew 1: 18-22 18 This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about:
His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they
came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit.19 Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yetdid not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. 20 But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream
and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as
your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” 22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet:23 “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).
Luke 2: 1-5
In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world.2 (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.)3 And everyone went to their own town to register. 4 So Joseph also 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.5 He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. 6 While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born,7 and
she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and
placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for
them.
After Jesus was born, an angel appeared to shepherds in a field nearby and told them about Christ the Lord. They told him that they would find the baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger. There were also Magi who came from the East to Jerusalem to worship the King of the Jews. King Herod was troubled by this news and asked the Magi to let him know when they found the king (of course, his plan was to kill him). Nevertheless, the Magi found baby Jesus, brought him gifts, and bowed to him. Warned in a dream, they did not take the same route back and avoided Herod. An angel also appeared to Joseph in a dream and warned him of the danger, so Mary and Joseph took for Egypt and stayed there until Herod's death.
..and the story continues from there to God's son paying the ultimate price for our sins.
So, now, where do YOU fit into the
Christmas Story??
As I said before, we fit into the story because Jesus came to save us, but I just can't help but think that there has to be MORE! While the Christmas story is focused on Jesus, as it should be, have you ever thought about the others (the people in the background) that God used to fulfill his plan. All of the people mentioned in the story were used for a purpose, even though they might not have understood it at the time. Sometimes it's hard to connect with a story that's over 2000 years old, and, if we are honest, it can hard to feel Jesus' presence when we cannot see him, especially in the trying world we live in today.
That is where FAITH has to step in. We have to believe in FAITH in Jesus and have FAITH that we all have a part in His story - which is still continuing! We may not see it at the time, but God has a plan.
So, how can you connect yourself to the story this Christmas? Let's get REAL for a minute.
Let's let Jesus take his role as the head - which is where he should be. Now, let's see where we fit into the rest of the characters: Maybe you can relate to...
Mary
(a young virgin who was in love and engaged, and a faithful servant of God; yet, she suddenly finds herself with God's child, causing her fiance to question her, her society to ridicule her, and her life to change forever before her)
You have no clue why you have been dealt the cards you have in life. Why it is you that must go through certain situations. Maybe you have even been a faithful servant, and life just doesn't seem fair. Whatever the case, have faith that God has you in his plan. Mary was used to bring forth the Savior of the World!!
Joseph
(a
young carpenter who was in love and engaged, and a faithful servant of
God; yet, he suddenly find his wife pregnant with a child that is not his, has unexplainable questions, and faithfully adopts a son that is not his)
You wonder how God could use you. You are just an average person with an average job who lives a quiet life. Maybe you think that God doesn't use people like you. Joseph probably thought the same thing. Or, maybe you, too, have adopted children that aren't yours as your own. Maybe you are a step-parent, a foster parent, a teacher, a godparent, or simply one who works with children and loves them as your own. Whatever the
case, have faith that God has you in his plan.
Shepherds
(tending their flock until an angel brings them new news)
Maybe you have just been minding your own business, but God has suddenly given you new information. Maybe you now know you are supposed to do something specific. Maybe you have been given a mission, big or small. Will you follow it? Will you search and go faithfully, even though it may not make sense or you may not have all the answers right now?
Magi - Wise Men
(possibly astrologers in search of the King of the Jews, bearing gifts they came to Jesus)
You have heard of this Jesus guy, and you are searching for the answers. Maybe you're not sure about all this, yet; maybe, you want to serve Him but don't feel worthy enough; maybe, you are already serving Him but don't know that your gifts are enough. The beauty of being in this situation is that Jesus promises that when we seek Him we will find Him. Also, God calls us just as we are. He didn't die for the Righteous; he died for the Sinner. JUST AS I AM!
King Herod
(threatened by the birth of Jesus and ordered to have him killed)
Maybe everything was going along just fine for you, and now something has happened that has threatened your peace. Maybe the uneasy feeling is on the job. Maybe you have let fear creep in as a new worker has challenged you and you possibly fear the stability of your job now. Maybe it is more of a physical situation. Maybe a sickness has now threatened you and want it gone. Maybe it is emotional, something has dampened your spirit. Or, maybe your spiritual life has been threatened. Maybe Satan is throwing everything he has at you right now. Did you know that the Bible tells us to not fear 365 times?! Now, that's easier said than done, but the great thing is that we have the PEACE GIVER! Let him in. Don't try to combat him like Herod; you won't win. Allow him to reign and rule in your life and the enjoy the peace He brings.
The Star
(it shone brightly and led the wise men to Jesus)
Now, maybe this Christmas finds you just wonderful! Maybe you are out of the valley and on the mountain top. You are shining! Work is going great...you have a blessed family....and you can just say that God is good! I am so happy for you and I pray for continued blessings! Continue to shine for the Son, but just remember to make sure the attention is on Christ, not you. "If the whole wide world is staring straight at you, they can't see Him." Make sure you are continually leading to Jesus with your words and actions - let your light shine!
Now, many of you probably feel like me; you find yourself fitting into every one of these categories. The puzzle piece doesn't directly fit - so what now? REJOICE! God has a plan - we have to continue in FAITH and allow God to use us. You may already be right in the middle of his plan - you just might not know it yet. Do you think all of these people knew exactly what their purpose was at the time? Probably not. Just pray whole-heartedly for God to use you like never before, but I must warn you to get ready for the amazing journey that ensues. I have prayed this prayer so many times, and I am still humbled at how God uses me...some I may not even realize yet.
May this Christmas season bring you joy and peace as you find your place in God's story! He has the pen; we just have to obey! Let God write you in his story today! It's never too late.
This holiday season is off to a great start!! Throughout the past week, we enjoyed game nights with wonderful friends (complete with an intense game of Taboo, awesome food, and fabulous fellowship), as well as spending priceless time with family for Thanksgiving.We are so truly blessed!
In light of thanks, we now have a new kitchen table that is big enough to share wonderful fellowship with others. It only took us a year to find the one we wanted, but it's here! Now, all we have to say is -- Don't be a stranger! Come on over!!
Paul has also worked hard to set up our Christmas lights for this year! The Griswold's have come to town! He is carrying on his family tradition. In fact, our house was even featured on the news on Thanksgiving night. How awesome is that?!
Check out our"winter Christmas wonderland" as our sweet little neighbors call it!!
Paul definitely took care of the outside while I had fun decorating the inside. I had so much fun putting up our two trees, setting out my Christmas village, decorating the mantle, and turning our home into a very cozy, warm, festive jewel during these chilly COLD holiday times.
Last but not least, here is a preview of some of our pictures from this season! We had so much fun taking our Christmas couple pictures in Mooresville, AL. It is the absolute cutest little town! It was like taking a step back in time. We had such a peaceful time taking pictures and enjoying this little historical charm of a town. My mother-in-law is always so sweet to snap these pics for us, and this photo-crazy girl sure loves having all of these pics! I believe these pictures really show the blessed love that God has so graciously allowed us to share!
(Don't worry. Our Christmas card features new pics, not shown here, as well as our Christmas poem for this year. I have to say, though, that my English mind was having major mental blocks this year, and I was slightly concerned that the poem was not going to happen. Nevertheless, nothing to fear, the poem is finished and will be on its way to you soon!) So, with that said:
