A Decade and a Half

Today, this guy

turns 15.

He is a joy, a delight, among the 3 best things that have ever happened to me.  His name means cheerful and is perfectly suited to him.


Happy Birthday, Tate!

Taylor Swift - Fifteen download at emp3

A Candymaker's Witness

Are you familiar with this story?  

A candy maker in Indiana wanted to make a candy that would be a witness, so he made the Christmas Candy Cane. He incorporated several symbols for the birth, ministry, and death of Jesus Christ.He began with a stick of pure white hard candy. White to symbolize the Virgin Birth and the sinless nature of Jesus, and hard to symbolize the Solid Rock, the foundation of the Church, and firmness of the promises of God.The candy maker made the candy in the form of a "J" to represent the precious name of Jesus, who came to earth as our Savior. It could also represent the staff of the "Good Shepherd" with which He reaches down into the ditches of the world to lift out the fallen lambs who, like all sheep, have gone astray.Thinking that the candy was somewhat plain, the candy maker stained it with red stripes. He used three small stripes to show the stripes of the scourging Jesus received by which we are healed. The large red stripe was for the blood shed by Christ on the Cross so that we could have the promise of eternal life.Unfortunately, the candy became known as a candy cane—a meaningless decoration seen at Christmas time. But the meaning is still there for those who "have eyes to see and ears to hear."I pray that this symbol will again be used to witness to the wonder of Jesus and his great love that came down at Christmas and remains the ultimate and dominate force in the universe today.

I created favors for a ladies' lunch at church today using this sweet story.  I am happy with how they turned out - an inexpensive but important reminder of the Reason for the Season.  

Wrapping Up Christmas

I'm making good progress with my shopping this year. How about you? I've even managed to begin the wrapping process. I find it's a lot like cooking - if you don't clean as you go, you have a big mess on your hands when you get to the end. So, I'm wrapping as I go this year and I must admit, I like it.  


Perhaps I'm a bit strange, I enjoy wrapping presents.  I shun gift bags,instead spending some time choosing  the paper I will use. I've found that often times  even the most inexpensive of gifts  (hello, Big Lots and Dollar tree!, lovingly and decoratively wrapped, are a delight. 


My sister is the gift wrap master (she's an artful gift-giver too which, as we all know, is no small feat). She has wrapping paper themes and cute and appropriate gift tags and ribbon.  No doubt, she's elevated my game.  


This is  the gift wrap I'm using this year:

I love silver and gold at Christmas and, of course,  I'm a sucker for a nativity scene:

I bought these little word embellishments (5 in a package) after Christmas last year for next to nothing:

Perfect to hang on the tree later

How about Santa?  Does Santa wrap the gifts he delivers to your house?  


Santa delivers 3 presents to our children.  "If it's good enough for the Baby Jesus," we've always said and his gifts are always wrapped.  I know this makes lots of extra work for Santa and his elves (Mrs. Claus too), but Santa's special Santa paper (usually sans bows and ribbons) adds to the excitement of Christmas morning.  Plus,  little eyes that sneak downstairs in the wee hours of the morning have no idea what 'ol Saint Nick may have left.