less is more, sometimes

dear emily,

i decorated the house with all my favorite Christmas treasures, but i wasn't
happy with the result.   then i remembered a famous coco chanel quote.

"after accessorizing, always take off the last thing you put on."

so,  i removed four calling birds, three french hens, and two turtledoves.   the
partridge wouldn't budge.   'less is more' is usually the best idea with design,
make-up, jewelry, recipe ingredients, words, and most things.

 . . . but not with some things.

"after accessorizing with faith, hope, and love, pour on a lot of generosity,
kindness, and compassion."

merry Christmas,
lea

"o come, o come Immanuel."

lo, how a rose e'er blooming

dear emily,

i was working at my computer when i noticed a lovely pink hue to the
room.   looking out the kitchen window,  i gasped at the reddish-rosy
glow in the sky.    while taking pictures, i couldn't believe that it was
december 1st, 80 degrees, and my roses were still blooming.

then i thought of one of my favorite Christmas hymns, "lo, how a rose
e'er blooming."

lo, how a rose e'er blooming from tender stem hath sprung?
of jesse's lineage coming, as men of old have sung.
it came, a floweret bright, amid the cold of winter,
when half spent was the night

isaiah 'twas foretold it, the Rose i have in mind;
mary we behold it, the virgin mother kind.
to show God's love aright, she bore to us a Saviour,
when half spent was the night . . .

love,
lea

700 years before the birth of Christ, "therefore the Lord himself will
give you a sign:  the virgin will be with child and will give birth to a
Son, and will call him Immanuel."   isaiah 7:14

a little competition . . .

dear emily,

yippee!    i love that all the music in the stores is Christmas music.   it's the
only time of the year that i can hear the name of Jesus everywhere i go.

speaking of music, i have started a little competition in choir to help us
memorize the 20 songs we will sing at the Christmas cantata.   the section
with the most people to memorize it all, wins something . . . bigger than a
candy cane but smaller than a mercedes.    the sunday after i put the 'match'
on the blackboard, i found this:

sopranos:        2
altos:              2
tenors:  37, 478
bass:              0

boys never grow up.

google image

love,
lea

"hark, the herald angels sing: glory to the newborn King!"

dear emily,

how do you keep your five kids' activities straight?   i have fleeting
nightmares memories of forgetting my five kids' piano lessons and
basketball practices.   when i went out of town, i color-coded the
calendar (blue: isaac, red: shelby, orange: max, green: sunday, purple:
hailey) for the baby sitters to take them where they needed to be.

now,  i really only have two people's activities to keep straight but
tend to record dates in my calendar on the wrong day, week, or month.  
i had thanksgiving down for november 30th.

i sent sunday lane a message saying, "only two more days until you
come home!"   she replied, "mom, i don't come home for four more
days."  bummer.

http://www.organizemyhive.com/2011/12/16/aunt-treasure/

oh well, i haven't noticed that the world stopped revolving from my
disorganized issues.    it seems that our five adult children are doing a
better job than their mom, and i always prayed that they would surpass
me in every way.  

love,
lea

"order my steps according to Your word; let no sin rule over me."
psalm 119:133

my favorite tree and holiday

dear emily,

thanksgiving is my favorite holiday, because the only presents are
the homemade dishes prepared by beloved family members.  "all i
want for Christmas" is jenny's sweet potato casserole.

i used to resent that Christmas horned in on thanksgiving, until we
stopped celebrating halloween.   the thanksgiving season now begins
in september.   two lovely months of anticipating turkey and dressing.

my favorite holiday is always ushered in by the bright yellow leaves
of my neighbor's glorious gingko tree.   they turn their brilliant color
and fall off all at once.   i should gather some leaves to brew a gingko
tea which is supposed to enhance memory and concentration.

i love that the 'memory' tree is in its glory as we spend time with our
loved ones, remembering His goodness.

happy thanksgiving,
lea

"serve the Lord with gladness, come into His presence with
thanksgiving."   psalm 100

do not read if you are under 40, thin, or gorgeous!

dear emily,

i like beautiful clothes.   there, i said it.   why have i tried to deny it or have
i been ashamed of it?

because self-indulgence is repugnant and sinful.   there, i said that.  so, how
do we celebrate something we enjoy without crossing the railroad tracks
into muddy places?   we each have to lay that before the Lord and let Him
lead us.   He gave me a simple plan.   i'd love to hear what yours is.

as a 54 year old woman, i have had a difficult time finding attractive clothes
that are flattering to my not so perfect figure, but  j.jill has some mix and
match pieces that are favorable and not excessively expensive.   when i
first saw them on the hanger, i was skeptical, but every time i wear them, i
get compliments.

google image

google image

 . . . but that's because i'm in sweatpants at all other times.

love,
lea

"the Lord reigns, He is robed in majesty . . . and is armed with strength."  psalm 93:1

teach for america

dear emily,

hans and i hosted 20 'teach for america' teachers for dinner last week, and
it has taken me that long to recover.   these kids (teachers) are fresh horses
placed in some of the worst stables in our country, and they get worn down
pretty quickly.

after dinner, they shared some of their experiences:

"remember that kid in your school who was always in trouble at the
principal's office (i thought of my husband) . . . that's all thirty of the kids
in my class."

"my kids come to school hungry, without jackets and without hope."

"i walked into my kindergarten classroom to find desks and nothing else
 . . . no paper, no crayons, no blocks,  no nothing."

get the picture?   so, i have been praying and thinking for days.    here's
my best plan:  assign each new teacher to a church who will have people
willing to fill in the 'paper, crayon' gap and encourage the teacher with
prayers and assistance.

do you have any ideas?

love,
lea

"whatever you do unto the least of these, you have done unto Me."
matthew 25:40