Happy New Year To All My Bloggy Friends!

Hello everyone~ It is hard to believe that another Christmas has come and gone and the New Year is about to begin.

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas with your family and friends. I so enjoyed my time with my family! My youngest son left on Wednesday morning to fly back to Toronto and we miss him already. I am glad I have a trip to look forward to as I always miss my children when they leave.

Tomorrow Hubby and I are flying out to the west coast to visit with my middle son and his family. My youngest grandson Zachary is 16 months old and walking now and I am most anxious to spend some quality time with the little guy. I haven't seen him since last February.

He has taken a couple of falls lately and he is limping right now. X-rays haven't shown anything significant but my DIL is concerned as her little one was walking and running and now he walks then falls to a crawl. Some prayer on his behalf would be most appreciated, dear friends!

While I am away, I will not be posting anything for about three weeks but I will be thinking of you all. Each one of you is very special to me and I want to thank you for making blogging so very enjoyable.

I would also like to wish you all a Happy, Healthy, and Prosperous New Year. May the Lord's blessings fall into your lap throughout 2010 and may His face shine upon you and grant you peace.

Sharing from my heart~ Sandi

Merry Christmas to All My Bloggy Friends

Good morning friends~ It is Christmas Eve and I'm pretty much ready for Christmas.
I have been busy all week sitting my three little grandsons with the help of my son Jordan who's home for the holidays. There has been lots of excitement here as you can imagine! The boys only get to see their uncle at Christmastime so it has been a treat to have them all here together.

I am looking forward to celebrating the birth of the Christ Child, my Saviour, who grew up to become the Man who changed my life forever. I am truly blessed because of His love and the love of my family.

I would like to wish all my bloggy friends a Very Merry Christmas! May God's love shine bright within your hearts and in your homes this beautiful season!

" And she gave birth to her first born son: and she wrapped Him in cloths and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn." Luke 2:7

JESUS IS THE REASON FOR THE SEASON

Sharing from my heart~ Sandi

Spiritual Sundays~ Merry Christmas!

Hello friends~ Well, here we are only a few days away from Christmas and I have decided to share a post I did last year because I think it bears repeating.

IF CHRIST HAD NOT COME

A striking Christmas card was once published with the title, "If Christ Had Not Come." It was based upon our Saviour's words, "If I had not come." The card represented a clergyman falling into a short sleep in his study on Christmas morning and dreaming of a world into which Jesus had never come.

In his dream he found himself looking through his home, but there were no little stockings in the chimney corner, no Christmas bells, no wreaths of holly. He walked out on to the street, but there was no church, with its spire pointing to Heaven. He came back and sat down in his library, but every book about the Saviour had disappeared.

A ring of the doorbell, and a messenger asked him to visit a poor, dying mother. He hastened with the weeping child, and as he reached the home he sat down and said, "I have something here that will comfort you." He opened his Bible to look for a familiar promise, but it ended with Malachi, and there was no gospel and no promise of hope and salvation, and he could only bow his head and weep with her in deep bitter despair.

Two days afterward he stood beside her coffin and conducted the funeral service, but there was no message of consolation, no word of a glorious resurrection....

Suddenly, he awoke with a start, and a great shout of joy and praise burst from his lips as he heard his choir singing in his church close by:

" O come, all ye faithful, joyful and

triumphant;

O come ye, o come ye to Bethlehem.

Come and behold him, born the King of

angels.

O come let us adore Him, Christ the

Lord."

Let us be glad and rejoice because "Christ HAS come." "This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners..." {1 Timothy 1:15}.

Today He stands knocking at your heart's door, asking that you- the sinner- will let Him in. "Wherefore He is able to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by Him, seeing He ever liveth..."{Hebrews 7:25} - Adapted from Streams in the Desert

I cannot imagine a world into which our Saviour had never come! How different our world would be today. So, shout and sing praises unto His name, because He HAS come, and we can celebrate because of His coming! Hallelujah!

Please join our lovely hostesses, Charlotte and Ginger, and all the participants today by clicking on the link http://bloggerspirit.blogspot.com/ or the Spiritual Sundays button on my sidebar.

God bless you this Christmas and I pray that you will all have a Very Merry Christmas and the New Year will be filled to overflowing with His abundant blessings and grace!

Merry Christmas

Sharing from my heart~ Sandi

Pink Saturday ~ Merry Christmas!

Hello everyone~ Well, it's Pink Saturday again and it's the last Pink Saturday before Christmas. Beverly has been doing themes all this month and this week she has asked us to share our Christmas traditions.

Our family tradition has changed a bit over the years. When our boys were little, we always went to the Christmas Eve service then afterwards, we drove around looking at Christmas lights. More recently, since the boys all grew up, we usually go over to my son's place for a get-together and some goodies.

One thing hasn't changed however, and that is every Christmas morning, we read the Christmas story from Luke 2. We feel it is important to spend some time celebrating His birthday before getting into all the other festivities of the Day. JESUS is the REASON for the SEASON. My oldest son and his family take turns spending Christmas Day with us and his in-laws. This year, we are having our feast on Boxing Day, the 26th. Christmas Day will be a little less stressful this year because I don't make my big dinner until the next day.

I would also like to share with you some of my favourite little ornies. A little crystal train from my hubby, and my Snow Babies that represent pretty much every member of my family, except for two. I hope to find those also one of these days.

Lastly, I will share something pink~ my pink porcelain rose ornament, a gift from my sister a number of years ago.And a little Nativity with Mary dressed in pink.Well, that's my pinks for today. I hope you will all go visit Beverly and her parade of pinkies. Just click on the link http://howsweetthesound.typepad.com/my_weblog/ or the Pink Saturday button on my sidebar.

Wishing you all A Very Merry Christmas and A Happy & Healthy New Year!

Sharing from my heart~ Sandi

Welcome To My Christmas Cottage

Hello everyone~ Today I thought I would take you on a little tour of my home. I will be posting only a couple more times before Christmas because my son arrives home tomorrow and I will be busy spending time with my family and preparing for the Holidays. Come on in and I'll pour you some tea. We can sip on tea and munch Christmas cookies and chocolate. Make yourself comfortable and we'll begin here in the kitchen.

This wreath with the teddy bear bell greets you as you enter. The kitchen is where I have all the whimsical decor. Lots of red which then transitions into burgundies and pinks as we head into the dining room and living room. Even my rooster gets into the fun and festivity!I usually decorate every room in the house but this year I cut back a bit because we are heading out west after the holidays to visit my other son and his family. I thought it would be easier to not have as much to put away after we get back...This little porcelain deer was a gift from my Mum many years ago.The little Christmas tree in the dining room with teacups and tea pots arranged around it.Now, let's step into the living room. A birdcage all decked out for Christmas.A Christmas birdhouse.Snow Baby collection.A few pieces of china which adorn our main Christmas tree.A bathroom decorated in white, cream, and green.This is part of the Christmas village in the Family room. Little tole painted gingerbread men that I've had for many years.The horse and sleigh which sits on the top of the mosaic table my parents made back in the sixties. This little stable was built by my father for me. A little tree adorned with tiny nutcrackers and gold balls.

This is the guest room, all ready for my son. The open Bible is his which he won for memorizing scripture verses in a Sunday School contest when he was around ten years old. It is well worn. A ceramic Christmas tree that my son made while I was doing ceramics. He would have been around eleven or twelve at the time. It is sitting on the dresser in the guest room awaiting his arrival.

Lastly, my Nativity which is displayed in the china cabinet. A collection of porcelain figurines and a handmade stable; all gifts from family and friends. This is the most central part of my decorating for without the coming of Christ to earth over two thousand years ago, we would not have this glorious season of celebration. JESUS IS THE REASON FOR THE SEASON

Thank you for stopping by today. I hope you all enjoyed your visit and I hope you will come back again soon. I so enjoy your company. From my home to yours, I wish you all a Very Merry Christmas and the Happiest and Healthiest of New Years! God bless you all!

Sharing from my heart~ Sandi