Go Gators!!

In last night's SEC Championship game we watched the Florida Gators slide to victory over the Alabama Crimson Tide. It was an exciting game, filled with moments where I was sitting on the edge of my seat and others where I was yelling at the television set. I didn't like seeing our Gators behind, or watching the score so close after so many huge wins this season.

Most of all, however, was watching Tim Tebow give praise to God, as I have watched him do all year. He realizes his talents come from the One above and he openly acknowledges it. Now, I don't know that I believe that God ordains the outcome of a football game, but I appreciate the open testimony that young man gives every week, every day of his life, to his coaches and to the other players and students at UF.

Now it's on to the Championship game. May the best team win! I'll be in front of the television watching, that's for sure.

Blogging and Sharing

As you can see I have not been the most faithful of bloggers. Yesterday afternoon I spent some time reading the blogs of some wonderful gals and I learned that you don't always need something deeply profound to say, you simply need to share what is on your heart and mind at the moment. That's easy enough to do, there's almost always something on my mind! I'm going to try to do better at sharing what's going on in my life. I'll start with something I've hesitated to share. I'm not sharing now because I want pity or sympathy, but because, if you're reading this, I'd love to ask you to pray for me....for patience, for strength, for wisdom, and to learn the lessons God has for me in all this.

My life has been a whirlwind these last few months. I was diagnosed with cancer back in August, and there's something about that one word alone that sends you spiraling. But, I've learned that it's not the end of life and that doesn't mean that you give up hope, or living. I'm scheduled for surgery after the first of the year, and am praying that the surgery will take care of the problem. I know that God is totally in control, and this journey is a learning and growing process for me, it's certainly taught me patience.

Deb at Pilgrims and Pioneers is celebrating her 200th blog posting, yes I said 200th!, by having a wonderful give-away. Be sure and stop in to her blog and sign up, don't forget to read her really interesting blog while you're there as well!

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

Yes, that line is from one of the most popular Christmas songs of the 20th century, and it aptly applies to the Christmas holiday season. For me, however, it does not apply to the hectic scurrying around, standing in long lines, fighting traffic, or arriving at 1AM to stand in line at the mall or Wal-Mart for a gift card or bargain television set. That, to me, is not Christmas at all.

This year, in our family, we came to the decision that Christmas had become a giving contest. We decided to no longer purchase gifts for the adults, only for the children, and we set a limit on that. We also decided that we would change some of our family traditions to include reading the Christmas story to the children and to select a charitable deed to do as a family. This year it is a care package for a soldier serving our country in Iraq, far away from his home and family on Christmas.

More importantly, we all need to stop each and every day and take time out from the hustle and bustle of cooking, baking, decorating, card writing, gift wrapping, shopping, and swiping those credit cards, to remember what Christmas is all about. It's about the greatest gift of all, Jesus Christ, who was born in a lowly manger, who died on a cross, and who rose again on the third day so that we might spend eternity in Heaven. It is Jesus who makes this the most wonderful time of the year.

First Frost

I woke this morning to the ground covered with the first frost of the year. Being in Florida, this is as close to snow as we get. It reminds me that the year is waning and that Thanksgiving and Christmas are drawing near.

Fall is my favorite time of year, I love everything about it...maybe because I was a fall baby. I'm growing anxious this year for the holidays, they make me feel like a child again.

In the meantime, I'm staying inside this morning, wrapped up in my warm, pink, chenille robe and fuzzy slippers and peeking out the window from time to time as the sun rises higher and higher in the sky and watching the frost melt away under the warmth of the sun's rays.

Childhood Treasures

Yes, this is me! Well, okay, it was a long time ago.

Too many years came and went before I figured out that I treasured the wonderful things I had growing up. Unfortunately, too many of them had long been lost. It's really a shame someone didn't warn me, as a child, that I would want those dolls and toys when I reached middle age. I might have taken better care of them.

Slowly and steadily I have been rebuilding my collection of dolls and precious toys. This doll, however, continues to elude me. I've hunted and searched through EBay, doll sites and books, trying to find what kind of doll this is. I've written to experts and even paid one expert to look at my photo and tell me. Her best guess was a Sears "Happi-Time Playmate. Nobody seems to know anything about them or have one for sale. I keep hoping that one day I'll run across someone who has my doll for sale.

Fall in Florida

I love fall. I grew up in the Chicagoland area where fall is spectacular. Crisp cool nights and warm, sunny days, blue skies that make you ache and trees that look like God spilled a paint palette everywhere. The bright orange of ripe pumpkins and the beautiful rainbow of chrysanthemums everywhere plus there is a unique scent in the air unlike any other time of year.

Ten years ago, I moved to Florida. Florida doesn't have fall. Our leaves don't turn bright orange and yellow, just brown and fall off...sometime in January. We don't have crisp cool nights where you can leave your windows open and sleep with the fresh air blowing in, snuggled under your nice warm quilts. We're still running the air conditioning. Chrysanthemums are an annual here and only last a couple of weeks before the sun dries them out. Pumpkins rot on the ground, it's still too hot for them.

I miss all the wonders of fall. The smell, the crunch of leaves underfoot as you walk in the woods, the beauty of God's creation, for only God could paint such beautiful colors together for us to enjoy.