As we finish out this year and bring in the new - may I wish you a very Happy New Year:May your steps be ordered by God Almighty and may you know His will for your life.
May you find purpose and joy in serving and loving those God has allowed to touch the very fibers of your being. Allowing those you love and hold dear to see Christ through you.
May you find contentment - not in things - but in position. Your position in Christ - adopted into the Family of God. Assured with the "blessed Hope" that this life is not the end; but rather only a dressing room for eternity.
I wish you understanding of those around you who do not know Christ personally. May your heart be filled with the knowledge of their need - and through this knowledge and God's wisdom may you be able to minister to them - Christ - allowing them to see that in Him lies all contentment and satisfaction for which they are longing.
May you find complete security in His love for you. Resting fully in the fact that God's love is offered to us - not because of what we do, or what we accomplish - but because we are. We breathe and are alive - thus He loves. Oh the unsearchable riches of God!
I pray that this upcoming year brings you to a deeper knowledge of Christ. Yet, knowing as I pray this - a deeper understanding of Christ often comes through "fellowship of His sufferings".
I pray that this upcoming year allows Heaven to be caught in a clearer perspective. I trust that Heaven becomes real to you - allowing your heart to be turned away from the cares of this life and focused anew to the riches of His awaiting home for you - a mansion and the joy of being in His presence for eternity.
It is with these thoughts I wish you a Happy New Year. Not filled with the frivolities and temporal things of this life - but rather may your New Year be filled with Him.
"Forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forth unto those things that are before I press towards the mark of the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus."
"That I May Know HIM!"
Blessings my Friends - May your year be filled with Christ.
~Martie
(If you do not know Christ personally - please write me I would love to share Him with you - He is everything you could ever want - and will love you deeper than any you have ever known.)
It had been a long day for everyone trying to do everything that needed to be done. My husband stayed up all night last night getting the flooring in - slept a few hours and then was right back at it this morning. Needless to say, by 4:30 this afternoon, we were all getting tired. 
The girls and I decided to make it nice for dinner - being Daddy was so tired and worn out. (He also was at the hardware store trying to find a part to get the sink to work.) So while he was out - we set to work at dinner. It was not anything fancy; but we wanted to make, (as Zak would say,) "our hardworking, awesome Dad", feel extra special at dinner.
A pot of chili was quickly assembled - with Abbey browning the meat and making sure it was flavored with plenty of pepper. Rachel busied herself at the kitchen table making a double batch of corn muffins. Mom got the spices into the chili pot and then set to work making homemade ranch dressing. After the meat was done, Abbey adorned salad plates with fresh greens and peppers cut "just so". The table was set beautifully with our normal everyday dishes. We thought it would look nice to add a candle or two. Then we added more - and more - - actually, by the time we were done there were candles running down the center of the table. It looked so nice! And all for a pot of soup and a plate of salad. But it was, oh, so wonderful.
We made sure we all were sitting quietly reading together in the front room when Daddy walked in. When he had left the kitchen was in disarray with tools, and what not from his long project. He came home to a house that was quiet and seemed to be a bit more in order.
What a beautiful dinner we shared together this evening. Simple and yet perfect. For it is not in the culinary delights that we find joy, or in the completely tranquil life we have made for ourselves that adds security; but rather it is taking time to make the people in our lives feel special and know that they are loved.
I trust you are finding the blessings in your life today and everyday. I am so glad you stopped by.
This was her first Christmas ornament. She was no longer with us for her first Christmas; but spent her first Christmas in Heaven.
These two ornaments were gifts. Each given to us in memory of her. (Notice the angel wings - I do not believe that she was an angel - but it is a reminder that she is listening to them sing and praise the Lord each Christmas we are apart).
This is one of my favorites. I purchased this one days after she died. I had the lady put her name on the heart. On the back of the heart it says - "Love Mom and Dad".
The tree topper is a plaque given to us in memory of her. It seemed a perfect place to put such a gift. 
I have the tree sitting in the dinning room in the middle of the picture window. During the holiday season the tree stays lit all the time. Along side of her tree is a picture of Ally when she was 3 months old. On the other side of the tree is a plaque given to us that says, "Trust me, I have everything under control. - Jesus" And so He does. Our lives are perfectly fashioned in His hand - lovingly laid out. The good times and the bad. All to bring us to a closer picture of Christ.
I am so thankful for the ability to remember. I am also so thankful for the faith to look ahead with assurance and know that she is waiting for me in Heaven. Someday we will be reunited. Until then, I will be thankful for the time we had with her - and remember.
...and 'kiss' cookies...
...and covered pretzels....
...and cereal bars with holiday sprinkles...
...and turtles...
The pot that I use to cook the oatmeal in, I fill with the correct measurement of water, place the canister of oatmeal beside the pot, along with the measuring cup that I need for the oats. I set the bowls on the side of the stove so the kids are able to dish up their own cereal in the morning.
I remember doting sisters who tried to share sippy cups and pacifiers with her - an act of true endearment for toddlers and infants! I remember the amazement we felt when I found out that God had blessed us with yet another baby growing within me. I remember holding her - still so small herself, and feeding her - and realizing that another baby was growing inside of me. I remember wondering how I would ever manage four little ones.
I remember the family night God allowed us to have - where we giggled and played together. I remember her laugh as she watched her sisters get horsey rides on Daddy's back. I remember whispering in her ear that when she was bigger Daddy would give her a ride too! I remember how we took the girls' pictures that night by the Christmas tree - to send out with our Christmas letter - never knowing that this picture would accompany her memorial card 4 days later.
I remember the next morning when everything changed. I remember finding her - and calling my husband to come in quickly. I remember the 911 call; and the paramedics and police officers that arrived that morning. I remembered hoping that they would get her breathing again - but absolutely sure in my heart that she was "Safe in the Arms of Jesus" even as they worked. I remember hearing the phrase, "I am sorry, we have done everything we could..." and feeling my knees give out from underneath me.
