I Want a Jabez Christmas

Church topic today was having a Jabez Christmas - if you don't know the prayer of Jabez, check out 1 Chronicles 4:10 .

With so much commercialization of the birth of Christ this message was refreshing.  Jabez asked for God to bless him so that he could be a blessing to someone else.  Not only that, he asked for God to protect him from himself and evil.  We all know how we can get when God blesses us - we focus on the blessing so much that we forget just who blessed us and the purpose behind the blessing:  To be a blessing to someone else.

I'm not into presents anymore, it is played out.  So you will not find me running around from store to store trying to find the perfect gift - no offense to those that do.  Beside that - I don't have the money anyway. 

Sure my kids go through the "I want, I want, I want - blues" because Christmas is rolling around.  And of course my response to them is - what gifts are you bringing to the table?  Have you saved up any money to buy anyone anything? 

No? Exactly.

The wise men, brought gifts to Jesus.  They didn't come without anything.  They brought their best.  Some may not be in the position to come to God with their best.  But that is why God is so good.  That is what Jesus is about.  When you come to him, you may come feeling empty, with brokenness, with your mess, our shame, our sin and heavy burdens - we can lay these things at his feet.  

Just like the wise men laid their gifts in front of the child Jesus and praised him.

Who are we praising with the gifts we buy our kids that in less than a month will be obsolete and forgotten?  Sure they will be excited, the wrapping paper all around, beautiful bows forgotten in the corner, boxes torn open - the quick fizzy fizz now over.  But what lesson are they learning?

How can we show our kids what Christmas is about?  I'm glad you asked.

MEMORIES. Create Christmas memories.  Volunteer at a food or soup kitchen.  Have your kids go through their clothes and toys they don't want to give to those who need something.  Troll twitter and Facebook and look for people who are in need and give to them. 

Radio stations fulfill Christmas wishes all the time - donate to them.

Christmas is about giving of ourselves - the best part of us.  It's about Jesus Christ and Jesus was about LOVE.  I want to get back to love. 

How will you get back to giving and love this season?  Let me know!

Wordless Wednesday– What Sad Gingerbread Houses You Have!

Making Gingerbread houses ARE NOT as easy as the finished product looks.  In fact, it’s downright HARD.  I bought some Gingerbread house kits from Wal-Mart – never done this before.  I wanted to bring a since of normalcy to our house.

                

The icing was a wee bit too warm. The girls tried to outline the doors and windows – then we noticed the houses just looked like they had sad faces.

                

Don’t they look sad????  It was most funny!

                

Since we weren’t winning any contests, the only thing left to do was to eat!

                

The Gingerbread man fell into the house trying to re-ice the roof.

Never thought I would have like 3 daughters.  Why does it seem like my childs hair is NEVER done????????

No Pictures Taken Here

This years Christmas holiday has been one I would not like to revisit.  It was a difficult one.  If I haven't mentioned it already, I am assisting my husband with his cousins - a 12 year old and 17 year old while their mom recooperates in New Orleans from a radical Cervical Cancer surgery.  So yup, it's like we have 2 additional kids.
I didn't sign up for this.  Or maybe I did when I married my husband.  I love kids and these two need some help. 
This Christmas was one of those, I could care less about presents, I'm trying to survive and keep my head above water. 

Christmas

Christmas was cool.  The sudd-muffing got me a Kitchen Aid food processor - YAY.  I have to cook more.  I got him a wireless adapter for his XBOX and a lot of new shirts.  We were broke so I didnt know what to get him.  He loved his shirts. 

I feel really restless and confused.  When I am at work it is ok but when I come home, it is hard to focus on any one thing........I hate it.  I miss being pregnant.

Christmas

yeah - it came and went. My daughter got a ton of stuff and we got CABLE!!!!!!

Christmas Tree Update

I found the decorations - so we started speed decorating - hence the blurry pics. I tried to do that thing in the movies where the lead character just tosses the decorations in the air and they land perfectly................it doesn't work. So I decided to just take pictures and let my granny and uncle do it.

It's beginning to look like a no money, having, hyped up holiday, alone without my husband, BROKE - Christmas

I think for the first time in 26 years - I dont like Christmas. How dare the department stores and commercial makers make me feel guilty for not having any money to go trotting off to buy my lovely daughter Christmas presents galore. Im broke!

And I guess I spoke too soon in the wee hours of this morning in my letter to Frenchie, he,(Adams spawn) decides to treat a coworker for lunch - WHEN WE ARE BROKE. Also, I could have slapped my husband...........why you ask? Let me run it down for you - Ima give you the top 5 reasons why I wanted to pimp slap my husband:

1. MEN DONT THINK
2. MEN DONT THINK
3. MEN DONT THINK ABOUT ANYONE BUT THEMSELVES
4. MEN DONT THINK
5. Lastly, SORRY THEY DO THINK - WITH THEIR OTHER HEADS!

My husband decides that this is the week when he will be responsible and help me out a bit by going to the bank and making sure his check is deposited - EINSTEIN MOMENT APPROACHING -ah - here it is:

1. Our account was overdrawn - so we had like FIFTEEN (15) $35 overdraft fees - this ate up his check
2. He didnt deposit the check per BOAs rules -meaning "all deposits must be made before 4PM CENTRAL TIME in order to cover any incoming transactions on the close of business the same day of the deposit" so the overdraft fees kept coming even though we had money in the bank!
3. They decide to place a hold on my husbands check - just because they love Jesus and in the spirit of Christmas - so now what little moolah we had wont be available until - THE 29!

So our available balance is a big fat ZERO - because one of the three bank monopolies - BANK OF AMERICA - has decided that they will charge you overdraft fees based on your AVAILABLE balance - and put a hold on the same company check you have been depositing for months!

so no more going to the store, buying what you need, overspending on accident and saying - oh that's alright, I will just transfer the money from my savings - NOPE - they are gonna charge you $35 - even if the purchase is returned. Dont you just love our banking industry???

Back to my hub - he is leaving today, so he wont be here for Christmas - just me, so that smarts just all the more because I really cant do much for my baby girl - . I convey this to him in the NayLah way (NAG - ok I admit it) and of course he stomps off in the Garrett way (complete BUTTHOLE!) AND SLAMS our closet door (we have one of those home builders that decided that our closet has to be in our bathroom - you know to give more ROOM SPACE to your ROOM...) He pitched a fit! I do not want to argue with my husband - he is leaving - but do you see my distress - Have you seen our Christmas tree?? We had to wait until the last minute (yesterday) to buy an $11 tree - and AND I CANT FIND THE STUPID TREE DECORATIONS!

I am not going to cry. I am not going to cry. I am not going to cry. I am not going to cry. It is Christmas - my mom will be here, my uncle is out of prison after 10+5 years, I am alive, I am healthy compared to others, my daughter is healthy and I at least have $61 bucks minus the $12 bucks my hub had to pay for his one lone checked luggage bag. And I am not going to complain and cry. I will not cry. I should be happy. I am happily feeling dejected right now - hey I'm human.

I think I will go to the bank and take whatever is left out before they decide to eat it for New Years

Have a Happy, Merry, Good Christmas......harrumph!!