Newness

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I’m back to blogland! I really, really enjoyed being away from my computer. We have a love-hate relationship sometimes. The more I learn about web design, blogging trends, feed readers, e-commerce, and technology in general, the more the avalanche seems to grow that sucks away time from things that in the end are truly more important to me and my family. I guess it is with most things in life that with more freedom comes more responsibility and discipline, so that these things don’t become idols of the heart and mind.

God helped me knock those priorities back into a perspective a few days after I wrote my last post when my laptop / blog / network was hacked. Long-story short, I believe someone in my neighborhood on my street hacked into my network, messing up my personal email account activity, stealing things, and wiped out my entire WordPress blog database, thus sending me into a few days of panic and a lot of education. I was very thankful that I could recover a database backup that I had saved on my hard drive, which meant that I did not lose every post that I had ever written. In the end Eric and I learned a lot, did everything in our power to beef up our network security, and I considered the personal risks to our family and worried for several days. I am not worried about my clients’ sites and information because I have backed up everything and changed passwords, but the unknowns about my personal data (mainly pictures of my children) scare me a little and give me more reasons to trust in my sovereign King. I still don’t know what will come of all of it, but it is a good reminder of our need to be wise and careful with the internet. If you can’t access certain things pertaining to my blog in the future, this is the reason. Also, if you have a wireless network and aren’t sure if it’s as secure as it should be, here are some tips from a thread I posted at Godbit, and here is a good article to read. And please remember: never let the thought of “it won’t happen to me” keep you from doing the necessary to prevent attack.

Anyway, I didn’t mean to go on so much about all of that, but it is very important. Our Christmas holiday was wonderful, and I have many memories to cherish for weeks and years to come. I particularly enjoyed reading everyone else’s blogs and looking at happy and beautiful pictures from other people. I almost felt like I was watching a train or a cruise ship go by from the ground, but it was good. It is really an amazing thing to be able to peek into the living rooms, dining rooms, kitchens, and hearts of your homes and experience a little bit of the joy of your Christmas with you. It was inspiring to see how amazing so many mothers and wives are at creating such wonderful treats and traditions for your families to enjoy. I am jealous of you, and I have so much to learn! Our Christmastime had its hard moments, but I know that every year as our children grow older, we will be able to experience an increasing degree of peacefulness during the Christmas season.

Some of my favorite memories and blessings from Christmas:

Now is the time to look to the newness of a fresh year, a year of hopes, prayers, possibilities, and days written in God’s book of beautiful providence. Last year I had a host of resolutions, and this year I will resolve to do and be many of those same things by the grace of God. The ones I want to focus on the most, though, are reading more (myself and to the children) and radiating joy to others, especially my family, not just sometimes but all the time. I know the key is abiding in Christ. Not overwork but overflow…

How about your memories? Goals? I can’t wait to read and share them with you. Happy New Year!

December 28, 2007 | Filed Under Celebrate!, Ruminations | 5 Comments 

Be Back in a While

I need to take a blogging break for a while in order to spend more time studying the Word of God in quiet reflection and prayer (not doing that now), slowing down, managing morning-sickness as best as I can, focusing on our church commitments, and focusing on Christmas and teaching our little ones intentionally about this celebration. I hope to finish making Christmas gifts for my family in the next few weeks, too. If you’re someone in my family, you may spoil your gift by looking, but here are over 25 great gift tutorials and more wonderful unique gift ideas that I have bookmarked if you need some last-minute inspiration for someone you love. I love, love, love a handmade gift, don’t you?! :)

Eric had to sing at a nearby church, so the kids and I watched the movie The Nativity Story together last night. I think last year it was still a little over their heads, but they have grown a lot this year and really enjoyed watching it. I skipped the murder scene at the beginning, and we walked through it together, pausing to talk about different parts as we went. Afterwards they were bursting with more questions, and I’m so glad we watched it. The older I get the more in awe I am at how God became flesh and how he used ordinary people to bring the King of Kings into this world. I cannot wait to sit at the feet of my King Jesus in the flesh.

If you belong to Christ, I pray that this Christmas is a joyous balm and happy celebration of all that He is and will be for ages to come. If you do not know Him, I pray that He will find you like Saul and give you the richest of all Treasures. Merry Christmas!

December 3, 2007 | Filed Under Rest | 13 Comments 

The King of Winter

It’s December 1st! Today’s devotion by Spurgeon is one of my favorites, and I wanted to share it with you here. I am not going through a terrible wintry trial, per se, because my morning-sickness could be much worse. I could be in the hospital away from my family. I could be throwing up all day, or my husband could be out of town or in the military. I thank God that it is not that bad. I need these reminding words, though, and maybe you do, too, to keep prizing our Lord Jesus Christ who is the King of Winter!

“Thou hast made summer and winter.” –Psalms 74:17

My soul begin this wintry month with thy God. The cold snows and the piercing winds all remind thee that he keeps his covenant with day and night, and tend to assure thee that he will also keep that glorious covenant which he has made with thee in the person of Christ Jesus. He who is true to his Word in the revolutions of the seasons of this poor sin-polluted world, will not prove unfaithful in his dealings with his own well-beloved Son.

Winter in the soul is by no means a comfortable season, and if it be upon thee just now it will be very painful to thee: but there is this comfort, namely, that the Lord makes it. He sends the sharp blasts of adversity to nip the buds of expectation: he scattereth the hoarfrost like ashes over the once verdant meadows of our joy: he casteth forth his ice like morsels freezing the streams of our delight. He does it all, he is the great Winter King, and rules in the realms of frost, and therefore thou canst not murmur. Losses, crosses, heaviness, sickness, poverty, and a thousand other ills, are of the Lord’s sending, and come to us with wise design. Frosts kill noxious insects, and put a bound to raging diseases; they break up the clods, and sweeten the soul. O that such good results would always follow our winters of affliction!

How we prize the fire just now! how pleasant is its cheerful glow! Let us in the same manner prize our Lord, who is the constant source of warmth and comfort in every time of trouble. Let us draw nigh to him, and in him find joy and peace in believing. Let us wrap ourselves in the warm garments of his promises, and go forth to labours which befit the season, for it were ill to be as the sluggard who will not plough by reason of the cold; for he shall beg in summer and have nothing.

December 1, 2007 | Filed Under Joy in Trials, Spurgeon | Leave a Comment