The Count Down Has Begun!!

This year is my first year ever directing a Kids Christmas Pageant and it is just another thing to add to my list of firsts over the past 6 months!!! I am so blessed to work with the kids I work with!! There are about 25 kids who have been to every practice for the past month and a half and they are doing amazing!!! We have practice Monday, Wednesday and Thursday nights for an hour. The kids have continued to blow me away!! These parts are not small easy lines they are paragraphs on top of paragraphs and they have them all memorized!! It just blows my mind how amazing they are doing.

The play consists of 8 scenes and 8 songs and we have two more practices left until the big night!! One tomorrow night and then a dress rehearsal on Saturday morning!! :)

The play is about a young Shepard boy named Zeke who wants to be anything but a Shepard. It is narrated by Zeke's sheep named Snowflake. Zeke has decided that he will be anything besides a Shepard until one night he realizes just how special being a Shepard is. After being made fun of by his class mates and being told he will never be anything more then a shephard Zeke is approached by and angel who tells him "Behold I bring you good tidings of great joy which shall be to all people. For until you is born this day in the city of David, a savior which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you. You shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger." Zeke then makes his way to the stable where the baby Jesus is born and he finally realizes that if he wasn't a shepard he wouldn't have seen an angel or the baby Jesus. God had something special in mind for Zeke and for all those who are in the right place at the right time.

One of the songs we sing is call "Where I Belong" and the chorus says...

When I'm where I belong God can use me, When I'm where I belong I won't fail. There's work to be done and I am the one so I'll stay right where I belong, right where I belong.

Over the past week God has been really using this song to speak to me. I have been beating myself up a lot lately saying that this play is going to turn out horrible and that I am going to look bad and the kids are going to look bad and what will people think of me then. But every time these thoughts come into my head this song comes to mind and God reminds me that I am where I belong and He won't allow me to fail.

Then the first verse says, "There's only one me unique as can be no ones else can do what I can. Whenever He calls I'll give Him my all I'm part of His wonderful play." This is what I say back to myself. It might not be easy and it might not be the best play or lesson or objective lesson but no one else can do what God has called me to do and I am part of His wonderful plan.

I praise God that even when we are in the midst of the buisness of the season that He takes the things that we are doing and teaches us something! :) How great is our God!! :)

White Christmas!

Did anyone ask for a white Christmas? If you did you have it :) Lots and lots of snow here in Durango today! Thinking of snow makes me think of Christmas when we lived in Lubbock, Texas. My dad had always dreamed of a white Christmas so he prayed to God for a white Christmas in Texas. We all laughed at him and told him no way but he just continued to tell us that we did not have enough faith. The next morning we woke up and low and behold there was snow on the ground. Now let me explain when I say snow I mean a dust like maybe an inch but hey it was snow! :) lol That was my dads favorite gift that Christmas. So as I sit here and think about tomorrow being Christmas and watch the snow fall I am reminded of my dads one wish.... a white Christmas. Maybe this year he told God to allow it to snow a ton this Christmas so that I would remember how much he always loves me! This is my first Christmas here in Durango in over 4 years so this is my first white Christmas since my dad past away!

So today I ask you to remember those who have lost someone this year and years past. It does not get any easier and I pray for those who have lost people and who are going through this Christmas season with out them! Merry Christmas all!

Favorite Christmas Movies!

Okay fellow Bloggers.....

What are your favorite Christmas movies?

~ Miracle on 34th Street

~ Elf

~ The Polar Express

Just to name a few :) Now I want to hear all of ya'lls favorite! :)

Christmas Happiness!

What is Christmas Happiness? Here is what I think Christmas Happiness is! If you have anything to add please comment and let me know! I would love to hear it! :)

* Christmas Carols

* Christmas Lights

* Hot Drinks

* Warm Blankets

* Presents

* Houses Decorated

* Christmas Music

* Ornaments

* Christmas Movies

Just to name a few! I love Christmas Happiness ..... Don't you! :)

I forgot one!

Family Traditions Continued!

~ My parents every year buy us a new Christmas tree ornament! (I love that part too)

Christmas Time and Memories!

Okay so here I am..... I know what you have been thinking where has Jinny been? Well a lot has been happening lately but I am back!

Christmas time is a bitter, sweet time of year! This was my dads favorite holiday and we had many family traditions! So I decided I would share them with all of you bloggers!

FAMILY TRADITIONS!

1. We would watch Scrooge (the original) on Thanksgiving night

2. The day after Thanksgiving the Christmas music started playing and the decorations went up

3. Than that night we would watch Miracle on 34th street and drink eggnog!

4. When my older Brother Matt would get into town right before Christmas we would take a trip as family and go to Farmington to go shopping for each other.

5. On Christmas Eve after church we would come home and get to open our Christmas pj's and than we would have a family game night with lots of snacks waiting for Santa to come!

6. On Christmas morning we would go and wake up our parents and my dad would have to go out and see if Santa. He would than light up the Christmas tree, start a fire, and turn on the Christmas music.

7. Than us kids would get to come out and our Santa presents where unwrapped and sitting under the tree as well as our stocking (which is still my favorite part) :)

8. Once we where done with our stockings my dad would pass out the presents. Now my mom got smart and would put different names on the presents like Santa, snowmen, and tree. So that none of us kids would know what presents where ours. Mind you every year my mom would mess up at least one present and put the wrong name on it so one kid would be short a present. Which always seemed like it was me lol! And I hated it! :) After my dad was done passing out presents we would go around and open one present at a time till they where all open!

9. After the presents where open us kids would go and put our gifts away while my mom put in the home made Cinnamon rolls! (MAN are they yummy)

10. After breakfast it was time to get ready for the Christmas dinner and guest so we would be running around getting everything ready! :)

After us kids figured out that Santa is not real my parents told us that if we stopped believing Santa would not come so to this day all of us kids still believe in Santa. lol (hear that mom I believe) Christmas is such a great time of year! I am so blessed to have so many amazing memories of Christmas! Merry Christmas every one!