A little bit of Ty, a lot of candy!

Ty after being inducted into the National Honor Society. He is with Chris, the upper classmen that pinned him.

Part of the NHS group of Fairfield Christian Academy.

Ty with the girls at the reception after the NHS ceremony.

Ty turned 16 on November 21st! I know...it is a pathetic cake!

Lily and Sarah at their post for the candy making process!

Lily "doing her job."

The hand of a master candy maker....Tom!

The art of making candy! It's a pretty picture! Sarah or Lily is pulling the stick through the screen!



I love this pictue of Sarah through the screen!

Britney (one of my nieces) puts the candy on the stick and hands it to the dippers...Tom and Brianna (another niece).

A recent photo of the Fab Five!

We'll start from the top down. Tyler was inducted into the National Honor Society in late November. He's a super smart kid...we are really proud of him! I NEVER have to tell him to do his homework!!!!! Also, on November 21st, Tyler turned 16! He's been driving for several months on his permit. We hope to allow him to take the driving class this spring.

There are many blessings that have come my way through marrying into the Alexander family. Maybe one day I will actually write about some of those blessings. One of the things I've been able to participate in a few times over the years is the candy making process at Christmas time. I enjoyed taking a few pictures of the process this year. This is the first time Lily and Sarah got to participate! Mom makes several flavors of candy. The candy is rolled and placed on was paper. The center leaves of the table are removed and replaced with screens with wax paper on top. Someone puts the candy on the sticks and hands the sticks to the the dippers. The dippers dip and send the sticks through the paper and the screen where smaller hands gently pull the sticks through. They then hand the sticks to the person who is putting the candy on the sticks. The girls enjoyed sitting under the table "doing their job!" Me? I enjoyed taking the pictures and eating the candy!

On another note, I am workig through some back problems. I won't go into all of the details because it would take too long. A little while back I found out that what I thought was a thoracic strain was actually three herniated discs. I've gone through several procedures and still haven't found much relief. I welcome any prayers as I try to figure out how best to deal with this.

I have not put together Christmas cards as of yet! Isn't that terrible?! I hope to get it done, but it is highly unlikely at this point. If I don't get around to it, I will at the very least post a "Merry Christmas" message on our blog!

Blessings!

Sharing an encouraging word.....and standing FIRM!

Just had to share today:

Whose Battle Is It?
by Rick Warren

“But you will not even need to fight. Take your positions; then stand still and watch the Lord’s victory. He is with you, O people of Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid or discouraged. Go out there tomorrow, for the Lord is with you!” 2 Chronicles 20:17 (NLT)

*** *** *** ***

In today’s passage, God is talking to King Jehoshaphat and the Israelites. They’re about to be attacked by three enemies: the Moabites, the Ammonites, and the Meunites.

Jehoshaphat had to be worried about how his people could defend themselves in such a battle, but God knew exactly what Jehoshaphat was thinking. He said, “You will not have to fight in this battle.” Now, that’s the kind of battle I like!

What God tells Jehoshaphat in this passage, and what he would remind us today, is this: “The battle is not yours; it’s mine. You don’t have to fight in it.”

In other words, it’s God’s problem. Let him solve it.

The fact is if you are God’s child, then your problems are his problems. And he’s much better at fighting your battles and solving your problems than you will ever be. Your job is to trust him to work it all out. Perhaps the reason we have so many tired, fatigued, and discouraged Christians is because we think, “It all depends on me.”

The day you resign as General Manager of the Universe, you’re going to find that it doesn’t fall apart. You can relax in faith, trusting that God is able to run things without your help.

Twice in this passage it says, “Don’t be afraid,” and “Don’t be discouraged.” When you face a seemingly impossible situation, don’t be afraid and don’t be discouraged. Has God ever lost a battle? No. He doesn’t lose battles.

There’s an important phrase in verse 17. God tells Jehoshaphat, “Take your positions and stand firm.” What does it mean to stand firm? It means to have a mental attitude of quiet confidence. It is never God’s will for you to run from a difficult situation. I’ve discovered that when I run from a difficult situation, inevitably God always brings it back around and gives me another chance. Why?

Because God wants us to learn – and he wants to teach us through experience – that in every situation he is sufficient. He is competent and capable and he will meet our needs in that situation. Don’t be afraid; fear is the opposite of faith.

You stand firm on two things:

The character of God – He’s faithful. He does not bring us this far just to let us down. He doesn’t bring you out on a limb and then cut off the limb. Have faith in the nature andcharacter of God.
The truth of his Word – God’s Word is faithful. You can count on the promises found in the Bible.
Stand still. Remember Who the battle belongs to. Trust that he is able to deliver you. And then watch him do it!