Bebe and Cece ~ "For Unto Us a Child is Born"

I love Christmas music and always start listening to it early. Bebe and Cece are forever among my favorite artist for the way they really minister traditional Christmas songs! They took me right on into the presence of God with the way they glorified the name of Jesus in this one. Listen for yourself!
 

#XMAS Jammies

This is cute alternative to a Christmas Card! My friend sent this to me and said she thinks our family could pull something like this off. With the theatrics that go on around here on a daily basis, I think she is right. However, I think it would take a lot convincing to get hubby to dance in public! ;-)

 

Date Night

It's been a while since I've blogged regularly, but one thing hasn't changed...I'm still madly in love with the guy in the picture.

 

With 4 small children, we are so often in desperate need of alone time and date nights! There are times when coordinating schedules and childcare gets so difficult, we go a long time without one. Nevertheless, we are thankful for faithful grandparents who are willing and excited to take on the little ones from time to time. Below is a photo of us Thanksgiving weekend. After all the cooking, and eating, and hanging with the kids, we finally got a moment to ourselves!

 

The process itself: Getting a little dressed up. Putting on perfume or cologne just for the benefit of the other. Walking hand in hand. It just does something for you. I'm not sure what it is exactly, but I told  Noelle and Bella, "Daddy and Mommy fall in love all over again on date night." They nodded their heads and said, "Oh okay!" Somehow, they seemed to completely understand. I guess they have seen enough romance in the Disney Princess movies to totally get it!

Nelson Mandela (1918 - 2013)

Asimbonanga

I heard this song for the first time on the radio earlier this year and was totally struck by it. It pushed me to dig into the meaning of the song and I found out that the song, Asimbonanga (Mandela) was written by South African musician, Johnny Clegg. One of many musical homages to Nelson Mandela, it was controversial as it was written and sung in support of Mandela while he was imprisoned.

In fact, Johnny Clegg formed the first integretated rock band in South Africa and was arrested and jailed himself for his collaboration with black musicians. Randy Lewis of the L.A. Times explains, "His elegiac song “Asimbonanga (Mandela),” from his 1987 “Third World Child” album with his band Savuka, mixed English verses with choruses sung in Zulu. It noted that Mandela was nowhere to be seen at that time and also name-checked political prisoners Steven Biko (the subject of Peter Gabriel’s 1980 song “Biko”) Victoria Mxenge and Neil Aggett."

Thankful today for the life and contributions of these social activist as well as the courage and grace God gave to Nelson Mandela. Truly inspired by this man's sacrifice and fight for equality and social justice.

This is a video of Johnny Clegg performing the song and honoring Nelson Mandela.

This is a video is of "Asimbonanga"  as well as "Biko," a song written about Steven Biko, being performed by the Soweto Gospel Choir.

Mustaches, Time, and Savoring Moments

My, my, my! Has it really been that long since I last posted?!

I recall a time in my life when I was in a hurry to grow up. Each year of my life seemed to unfold so painfully slow. But now, it seems I am straining to grab hold of and savor each and every moment as time is flying by at rapid speed!

The children are getting big guys. I know, I know!  I just had them. I don't understand it either. But, Noelle just turned 8. Bella is 6. Noah is 4. Halle is 2 and will be 3 on Jan 25th! So, there you have it. I obviously have an agenda that consists of playing with dollls, cars, and kissing and snuggling these 4 as much as I can, before they no longer want to be touched and are embarrassed by public displays of affection!

It is the reality that time waits for no MOM that moves me to do things like put fake mustaches on my children before leaving Cracker Barrel, just for kicks.


See? Just brings a smile to my face every time I look at it ;-)

A New Thing

"Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing, now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness and rivers I the desert." Isaiah 43:18-19

This passage of scripture is one of my, if not my most favorite passage in the word of God. Just reading it gives me chills of excitement and fills me with feelings of awe and wonder. Just the way it begins with such a dramatic start, it commands full attention; "Behold!" It's as if so one is about to pull back a curtain to reveal something rare and never-seen.

 "Behold!" "Look up from there and take notice! Behold! Lift up your chin from your crying, and you worrying, and your sorrow. Look here! I am doing something new in your life. I am opening doors and setting things in order! Just you look and see!"

You read this, look around at your circumstances and think,  Huh? Really? How? When?" And then     it answers saying, "Now! Now it shall spring forth." God is saying he's already started!

No one but God. No one but Him can show up at the most unlikeliest of moments and cause a passage of scripture to just leap right off the pages into the depths of your soul, so much so, that you get crazy enough to grab hold to this promise for yourself.

I tell you what, it has happened for me. Once I grabbed hold to it, there was no turning back. I knew God had spoken and change was underway. It didn't matter what it looked like, felt like, seemed like, after that. My change was coming. And surely it was. 

God changes things. Seasons. People. You. What you have struggled with for years, He can change but in a moment. I don't know how he does it. I cannot ascertain His methods. But, I know it happens. For those of us crazy enough to believe, it happens.