Thankful for Blessings - Christmas Joy!

I am thankful for my friend Judy at A Thankful Woman's Book of Blessings who hosts this inspiring meme! Remembering to give thanks everyday helps us have an attitude of gratitude. Be sure to click on this graphic on my sidebar to visit Judy's beautiful blog and read others' lists of blessings. And maybe you would like to add some of your own!
On this week after Christmas, I am thankful for: 
1. My beautiful Christmas weekend with my sons and daughters in law and hubby. It was peaceful, stress-free, a fun time. A real family time. We played games and laughed and ate and enjoyed each other's company.
2. The news that I am going to be a grandma again! My son, Steve, and his wife, Danielle, announced they were expecting a baby in July! I saw the ultrasound which always blows me away. What a glorious gift! The news of a baby on the birthday of Our Lord!
3. The cold weather in Florida - I actually wore a sweatshirt to work today!! Wow! Loved it.
4. My 4 day weekend coming up! I have no plans except watching movies and sleeping and writing and living in the moment. And being lazy ... except for when we take down the Christmas decorations which is both a relief and a letdown at the same time. Gosh, we human beings are funny.
5. All the chocolate I have had to eat and no weight gain. I am not sure how that happened but I do not think I will question it. I will just be thankful.
How about you? What are you thankful for?

Book Review

I pray that everyone had a happy and blessed Christmas. I sure did and will probably write about it as the days go by.

I also want to thank Karinann at Daughter of the King. She wrote a review of my e-book, Blueberry Muffins. You can read it here at her blog.

Oh Holy Night

Wishing you all a Merry Christmas!

Oh Holy Night, sung by Il Divo

Merry Christmas

I am taking a blogging break until Tuesday, December 29. 

Have a happy and blessed Christmas!

Peace to all.

My Prayer

For today, Dear Lord, 

I bring you my shortcomings ... I get so stressed out over little things … such a worrier … I need to trust more and I need to put you first, Lord .. I need to spend more time in prayer. 

I bring you my worship and praise ... Today is Christmas Eve. You became one of us over 2000 years ago. You loved us so much that you became one of us so we would know you. So we would know you and we would know your love. 

I bring you my prayer... I thank you and I praise you and I love you, Lord. Help me to know you and know your love and trust in you. Help me to bring your love to others.

Watch over all your children. 

You spoke to me... 1 John 4: 9: In this way the love of God was revealed to us: God sent his only Son into the world so that we might have life through him. 
1st published 12/24/08  

God's Most Beautiful Word

These moving words are from Karl Rahner at the closing of a Christmas sermon he preached many years ago: 

"God has entrusted his last, deepest and most beautiful word to the world, in the Word made flesh. This Word says: I love you world, man and woman. I am there. I am with you. I am your life. I am your time. I weep your tears. I am your joy. Do not be afraid. When you do not know how to go any further, I am with you. I am in your anguish, because I suffered it myself. I am in your need and your death, because today I began to live and to die with you. I am your life. I promise you: for you,too, life is waiting. For you, too, the gates will open." - taken from The God Who Won't Let Go, by Peter van Breemen, S.J.

These words to me are absolutely beautiful. I can hear Jesus saying them to us. I can sense His love for us in these words.
In today's Morning Prayer, the closing prayer said "We humbly and devotedly proclaim his incarnation: grant that we may deserve to be companions of our Redeemer."
We don't deserve his love or his companionship. We don't deserve it but we have it. Now, always and forever.
The image I chose? I found it in istockphoto. It says a lot. It represents the incarnation and redemption.
The Baby and the Savior.

Thankful for Blessings - Joyful Christmas Blessings

Merry Christmas to Judy at A Thankful Woman's Book of Blessings who hosts this inspiring meme! Remembering to give thanks everyday helps us grow in the joy and love of the Lord. Be sure to click on this graphic on my sidebar to visit Judy's blog and read others' lists of blessings. And maybe you would like to add some of your own! Thanks for hosting, Judy! 
It is almost Christmas Day. I wanted to do something different but really, my mind is mush this week!! Too much going on in that brain of mine! So I will just do what I am supposed to do in this meme anyway - share a few of my many joyful blessings!
1. My husband always brings me joy. He makes me laugh and feel loved and feel safe. When I am with my husband, I am home.
2. I am blessed with great blogging friends who have made my participation in this blogging world so joyful!
3. My family brings me joy. I am looking forward to seeing all of my stepchildren and their families on Christmas Eve and then spending Christmas Day and the weekend with my two sons and their wives. My mom and my siblings are far away so I will not see them, but they are in my heart and prayers.
4. Midnight Mass - I love Midnight Mass! Ever since my boys were old enough, we started going to that Mass and we still do. The candles, the music, the Mass. Jesus. What joy! And peace. I always feel peace at this Mass and am reminded of what Christmas is really about.
5. Knowing Jesus brings me joy. What a difference He has made in my life. My cup runneth over.

Merry Christmas to all!

Music Monday - Carol of the Bells

This Music Monday meme is hosted by Shawntele at Saved By Grace. Join in by clicking on the Music Monday image in my sidebar. Share your favorite songs and learn some new ones! It is fun and inspiring! Have a blessed Christmas!

I had never heard Celtic Woman, an ensemble of Irish female singers, sing before. Last week someone gave me their Christmas CD and I discovered they make beautiful music! So, I decided to share one with you - Carol of the Bells. Hope you enjoy!

Sabbath Sunday - Dec 20

Fr. Christian Mathis has a meme called Sabbath Sunday. You sign into Mr Linky on his site with the link for an old post instead of doing any blogging on Sunday. It can be an old post, not necessarily one from that week.
So if you wish to join in, read about Sabbath Sunday at the link above and then head on over to Blessed is the Kingdom to meet Fr. Mathis and other bloggers.
Here is my contribution: 
If I Only Knew

Sunday Snippets - A Catholic Carnival Dec 20

This is the weekly Catholic Carnival! Be sure to visit RAnn at This, That and the Other Thing and check out some posts from other bloggers participating in Sunday Snippets this week. Why not join us and share a blog post or two from last week?
Here is my contribution:

God Desires to Be with Us 

Music Monday - Glory to God