From Our House to Yours

Merry Christmas

As I write this I am home in Minnesota for Christmas. 

We traveled yesterday and got to my moms in the afternoon.
 It is always good to be home. 
Each year I cherish it more and more. 
It is wisdom that comes from walking this earth this long and coming to know... time is fleeting and things can change in the blink of an eye.
We will all be together this year... a gift, a most precious gift.

It will be a white Christmas here, they got quite a bit of snow a week ago but usually there is more snow here. 
Chicago only had a dusting before we left, so you won't see snow in these pictures. (Warning, there are many pictures, I just couldn't post any sooner this year)

So this is Christmas
And what have we done?
Another year over
And a new one just begun
And so this is Christmas
I hope you have fun
The near and the dear ones
The old and the young
A very merry Christmas
And a happy new year
Let's hope it's a good one
without any fear
And so this is Christmas
for weak and for strong
For rich and the poor ones
The world is so wrong
John Lennon

The world this week has surely been wrong, but there is a hope and only one hope that came to us 2000 years ago to show us a better way to live. 
But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons.
Gal 4:4
I am challenging myself this Christmas to try and leave this world a little better for being here. To smile a little more at strangers, to love those that are unlovable, to help those in need, to spread the joy of Christ all year long. But most of all... to love God with all my heart.
I am dwelling on the simple message this year that Jesus brought 
to
LOVE

I am sending my love to all of you in blogland 
from our house to yours... and as always with

Blessings

Blessings,
Rebecca

Praying...

Praying for the families that lost so much...

Choose What Is Better...

Hello

Yes, I am still here. 

It has been hectic since I got home from Texas and then Minnesota. I managed to have a wonderful Thanksgiving with the help of my children and then my daughter Jody came the following week and we did the vintage flea market. This week I have been putting up decorations around the house and trying to get my Christmas etsy shop open.

It turned out to be a good show even though attendance seemed to be down. 

I had been so busy with trying to make Christmas items for the show and etsy that my house has been neglected. 

So this week I have been frantically trying to get some shopping done and getting the tree trimmed and decorating the outside of the house while it was fairly warm and...

and then I stopped.

I was stressing myself out doing the things I normally love to do and what normally brings me peace. I was putting a time limit on myself and a lot of should(S). I should have had the decorating done, I should start baking, I should...

STOP 

"As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, "Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!"

"Martha, Martha, "the Lord answered, "you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better and it will not be taken away from her". 

Luke 10:38

STOP and choose what is better.

This time of year we are all "Martha's", we put so much on our to do list that we have neglected to choose what is better. 

The dinners will be consumed, the presents will be opened and the tree will end up on the curb... it will all be taken away but what you put in your heart will stay. Taking a moment each day to sit at the feet of Jesus will restore your spirit and give you the love that is needed for those family get together's and those pushy shoppers. 

It will sustain you throughout the year. 

Putting God first is all we are called to do. 

It is the "one thing" in life. 

So simple yet so hard sometimes. We are simply to love Him, it only takes a moment in the day to sit and talk to God... 

a simple I love you is what He longs to hear from you.

Jesus said, the highest calling in your life is to "Love the Lord God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind". Matt. 22:37

And in the midst of this busy season take time for what you love also, whether that be a walk in fresh fallen snow or a cup of your favorite eggnog... take time for yourself. It will give you the strength for others.

I will go follow my own advice now and play in the studio...

speaking of studio, this is what I have been working on.

My etsy shop is now open... 

please take a look. Sales there are helping to buy Christmas presents for children on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. 

Thank you so much.

Blessings

Rebecca

God Bless Texas

Hello

I am back from a road trip to Texas with my friend/sister Donna, after two weeks I am happy to be home. I do miss my lovely friends and extended family in Texas but my bed is a welcome comfort. 

We had such wonderful weather everyday, a special blessing for this Northerner.

We had a full two weeks of laughing, working, visiting, shopping and did I say working...

Donna's daughter April and her fiancee Russell just bought a home in the suburbs of Ft. Worth and so we painted, primped and set up their new home. They have a beautiful home and acreage, it was such a treat to the senses. But I fell in love with their precious spirits and the love they have to share with all that come through their Texas doors.

Donna worked her magic on the inside.

and even set up Christmas for her sweet baby girl.

I found a new friend just over the fence, I call him Sugar.
 I got to bring him carrots everyday.

April will be married in January and we attended her lovely wedding shower. It was a beautiful day and it was done in her favorite color palette by her lovely aunts.

We spent the morning in Cowtown...

Silly... but fun

And we had a great time... (no, I did not get on this beast)

I seriously need another pair of these...

And then God blessed me with a day filled with these beautiful ladies. I have loved these gals since I first started blogging and became friends with them 5 years ago. What a treat to be able to hug their necks and chat like we never skipped a beat and just picked up like we saw each other every week. 
Debra of Talking Trash fame, her lovely daughter Jen, my sister Donna ;) of A Reclaimed Life and the talented Lisa of Tarnished and Tattered. It doesn't get any better than this folks!
Lovely women of God!

The chatter never stopped not even for this good brisket and chocolate bread pudding!
God Bless Texas...

And of course the Bella Baby... known throughout blogland.
Look at that face!

My trip was a time of strengthening the spirit and the body... I am thankful for this time, because as I write this I am in Minnesota for a funeral. A dear friend of the family has gone to be with the Lord in a tragic death. God has the victory even in this.

For none of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself. For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord's. For to this end Christ died and lived again, that we might be Lord both of the dead and of the living. Romans 14:7-9

Wishing all of you a Thanksgiving filled with the Love that only comes from the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Blessings,
Rebecca

Miss Potter and Road Trip!

Hello

November first already, fall slipped by quickly as it always does. The leaves are now on the ground and the wind whistles through the trees calling winter. I am as ready as I will ever be. The potting shed is painted, just the iron widows walk goes back up on the porch and it is done until spring. It has been a larger project then I thought... I must be getting old, I don't remember "Miss Potter" being that big before, she expanded with each brush stroke!

My son is going to put the iron widows walk back on the top of the porch for me... I got one piece up there and decided he could do a better job.

He put a new roof on the porch as the old one rotted from too much foliage 

I cut all the vines away from the shed, it looks pretty bare right now.

But come spring the vines will grow back and I will be replanting.

The inside needs to be redone also, but for now just a good cleaning is all I did.

It will be fun to give the inside a new lift come spring...

One of my favorite finds... a framed first place garden ribbon collection from the 1920's.

Looking out through the window

I am leaving for Indiana tomorrow to see my dear friend Donna and we will be driving to Texas Saturday, to visit her daughter April. We will be working on Aprils new house and we will be preparing for April's wedding coming in January. So for two weeks we will be in the Dallas area and I am so anxious to see all my wonderful Texas gals! We are going to try to make Canton.
So if you have time and you are near the Dallas area give me a shout out or an email which ever suits - I would love to see you!

Meanwhile things around here will have to wait...

I've been working on this poor painting all summer it seems...

She will be here when I return...

I'm packing my cowboy hat and boots and heading out...

Road Trip!!!

Blessings
Rebecca