Back Home Again!

Happy New Year everyone! I started the new year with vacation, so that put me in a good mood. :) We had a good time back home. I was able to spend time with my family and even went out with my friends a few times. It was great to just relax -- no alarm clocks, no time clocks, no customers, no managers, no schedules, no nothing except what I wanted to do. After October, November, and December, a week like that was bliss. But, by the time the week started to wind down, I was ready to get back to my own home, my own schedule, and, yes, my job.

Anyway, 2009 is here. There's going to be a lot going on this year. My cousin is getting married in April. I'm supposed to be an honorary bridesmaid. My sister graduates high school in May. My aunt will probably come to see us in August and will probably make one more vacation in August or September. My plans for this year are:

1. Finish my career diploma
2. Eat healthier and get in shape. The holiday season has put me back on 2-3 soft drinks a day whereas before I was hardly drinking any.
3. Make a vast amount of progress on my novel
4. Take some more art lessons
5. Organize everything pertaining to myself
6. Make something. I haven't made a quilt, cross-stitch sampler or anything else this year.

So, those are the things I would like to do, the first two in particular. But I don't know what this year will hold. It could hold some pleasant surprises that throw my plan awry in a good way or trials that mess up my plans in a way I didn't want. But 2009 belongs to the Lord. He has a plan for it that will work out for good for me and all His ways are perfect. I hope that it will be a good year, full of blessings and happiness, not just for me but for everyone.

Pr 16:9 -
A man's heart plans his way, But the Lord directs his steps.
Pr 19:21 -
There are many plans in a man's heart, Nevertheless the Lord's counsel--that will stand.

Merry Christmas!!

I hope everyone had a good Christmas! Our Christmas was nice. I finally had a day off and we opened presents that morning. I got some clothes, some books, and an Ipod! I had no idea I would be getting an Ipod. I spent the rest of the day trying to set it up and have officially figured out the basics of working with it. I had to go in and work 6-2:30 today. It was crazy busy. Now, we're packing up for a visit to our home state. We should be leaving early tomorrow and staying for over a week. We haven't really been home since April, so it will be great to go back and visit the family. I'll be offline during vacation, of course, so I probably won't get a chance to post until we get back. January is looking really good right now -- no crazy store hours, no holiday shoppers, and no 8 or 9 day stretches without a day off.

So, for now, I'll wish everyone a happy new year and I will post again in 2009!

Mary, Did You Know?

Mary, did you know
That your baby boy will one day walk on water?
Did you know That your baby boy will save our sons and daughters?
Did you know That your baby boy has come to make you new?
This child that youve delivered Will soon deliver you
Mary, did you know That your baby boy will give sight to a blind man?
Did you know That your baby boy will calm a storm with his hand?
Did you know That your baby boy has walked where angels trod?
And when you kiss your little boy You've kissed the face of God
Mary, did you know?
The blind will see The deaf will hear And the dead will live again
The lame will leap The dumb will speak The praises of the lamb!
Mary, did you know That your baby boy is lord of all creation?
Did you know That your baby boy will one day rules the nations?
Did you knowThat your baby boy is heavens perfect Lamb? This sleeping child youre holding
Is the great I AM!

lyrics by Buddy Greene and Mark Lowry

Call me Scrooge..

I've heard several people at work say that working retail through the holidays will ruin your Christmas spirit. I believe it. At this point, with forty hour weeks ever since mid-October, long hours, several days at a time without a day off, and grumpier customers than usual, my Christmas spirit is virtually non-existent. I don't care about going shopping. I dreaded the thought of putting the tree up. I would rather take a nap than wrap presents and if I manage to bake one batch of cookies I'll give myself a big pat on the back. Normally, I can't wait to put the tree up, want to go shopping everyday, and come up with ten new recipes to try. Not so now. Not that I'm being a total grouch. The tree is decorated, but it took two days to get that accomplished instead of two hours like usual. I've taken Gabrielle out shopping twice and we've managed to finish most of our shopping. But my usual Silver Bells, Sleighride, and Winter Wonderland mood is instead: "Let it be over soon!" If I have to wrap up individually another 24-piece place setting of china, I'll lose my mind. If another customer tries to use a store-credit-card-only coupon and then pay with their Visa, I may snap. And if I hear Christina Aguilera screech Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas at the highest pitch the human voice can reach before actually shattering glass, I may scream myself. (Sorry if anyone enjoys that version. I've heard it all I can take.)

I'm kind of reminding myself of A Charlie Brown Christmas. Charlie Brown sees Christmas as commercialized holiday and is trying to find the giving and good will toward men the season is supposed to be about. Linus reminds him, quoting Luke 2:

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."
Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."

Jesus is the reason for the season. It isn't about Santa Claus, or jingle bells, chestnuts roasting on an open fire, or even buying a hundred presents. Christmas is a celebration that Jesus came into the world to save sinners. When I think about that, I'm glad it's Christmas!

Carol of the Bells...

Hark! how the bells Sweet silver bells
All seem to say,"Throw cares away."
Christmas is here Bringing good cheer
To young and old Meek and the bold
Ding, dong, ding, dong That is their song
With joyful ring All caroling One seems to hear
Words of good cheer From ev'rywhere Filling the air
Oh how they pound, Raising the sound,
O'er hill and dale, Telling their tale,
Gaily they ring While people sing
Songs of good cheer Christmas is here
Merry, merry, merry, merry Christmas
Merry, merry, merry, merry Christmas
On, on they send On without end
Their joyful tone To ev'ry home
Ding, dong, ding, dong.

Carol of the Bells (Ukrainian Carol), was adapted from Shchedryk by Mykola Leontovych, which was first performed in December 1916 by students at Kiev University. The original Ukrainian song is based on an old Slavic legend that every bell in the world rang in honour of Jesus on the night of his birth.

www.christmas-lyrics.org

Getting ready for Christmas....

I've finished most of my Christmas shopping already! Just three more presents to buy. And it's my day off today, so we're hoping to get the house decorated. We used to have an artificial tree, but it had seen better days, so last year we decided to get a real tree. I think we'll do that this year, too. There's a lot of knick-knacks to put out, too. So, maybe we can get it all done today!

Christmas songs.......

Again, this year, I think I'll post the lyrics to some of my favorite Christmas songs. This time, I'm going to include a few modern songs and carols, too. There are so many Christmas songs that I love, and I enjoy sharing the lyrics on my blog. This song was inspired by the Angel tree at work. We only had a few names on it, for kids at a homeless shelter in a nearby town. I thought of taking one and then told myself that I didn't make enough money to buy enough presents for a child's entire Christmas. Then I thought about how I don't give a second thought to spending $50 on clothes for myself that I don't even really need. Maybe I can't do a lot, but I can do something.

This song was written by country artist Jimmy Wayne. He spent his childhood being bounced between foster homes and knows what it is to be a Paper Angel.

After every day-after-Thanksgiving sale the malls just ain't complete
Without a bunch of decorations and a paper angel tree
There's artificial smiles on artificial tree limbs
Saying what she'd love to have and what to buy for him
Well i hope Maggie likes her new winter clothes and her buggy with a baby doll
And maybe Tom'll smile with his new nike shoes when he shoots that basketball
I can't help but wishing that i could do more
But not just while I'm shopping in the department store
Paper angels you're in my thoughts and prayers
No matter where you are right now remember God's right there
He's asking all of us to help take care Of his paper angels everywhere
Going through the mail almost every afternoon i see a Mom and Dad's Worst dream
There on the back of a money-saving ad to get my carpet cleaned
Height, weight, hair, eyes, date missing, and DOB
A child's name, a picture, and the words 'have you seen me?'
Paper angels you're in my thoughts and prayers
No matter where you are right now remember God's right there
He's asking all of us to help take care
Of his paper angels everywhere
His documented bruises fill a folder file
She's a second grade self-portrait drawn without a smile
And every town is littered with this kind of debris
We've got to stop this madness and it's up to you and me
Paper angels you're in my thoughts and prayers
No matter where you are right now remember God's right there
He's asking all of us to help take care
Of his paper angels everywhere
Paper angels everywhere

lyrics by Jimmy Wayne