Birthday #27 & Christmas 2013

Holley & Isaac

The best way to spend a birthday-- with your BFF's 11 day old baby in your arms

We exchanged gifts with the Brannans on Christmas Eve, went to the Christmas Eve service at church and took the annual trip to Waffle House. :) 

Grandkids take #1

Grandkids take #2. Emotions change that fast around here folks!

Fickles smiling but missing David

Noah likes the monogrammed shirts we got him and Jacob

And Addyson likes her smocked dress she got from us too :)

Ryan's FAVORITE gift: a remote control helicopter!

The coolest running shirt ever.

Singing happy birthday to Jesus on Christmas morning!

SVBC Christmas Eve Service with my handsome hubby

Poppy reading the Christmas story

Christmas Day

((Colossians 1:9-14))

And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding,  so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God. May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy, giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

Duck Dynasty: Food for Thought

Let me start by saying this: Ryan and I love Duck Dynasty and their Christian values. Families who pray together and share the Gospel on television are pretty hard to come by. 

We also believe that all Christians (including Phil Robertson) will, in one way or another, suffer for the glory of Christ (Phil. 1:29). 

However, whatever takes our eyes off of Jesus is not a good thing. How can we remain solely fixed on Christ when so much of our attention is on a TV show (wholesome or otherwise), bad-mouthing A&E, and/or worrying whether or not Phil gets to continue on the show? 

What (or who) are we worshipping here?

In the wise words of John Piper, let us be reminded: “If we make secondary things primary, they cease to become secondary and become idolatrous.” 

Satan is on a relentless pursuit, especially at Christmas, to distract us from the reason for the season and the purpose of our entire existence: the birth, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ our Lord. 

 As Believers, we all have a great responsibility and privilege to represent Christ well--whether in word or deed--on television or off of it.

I pray we will readjust our focus, turn our eyes upon Jesus, and "put on the whole armor of God, that [we] may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil." (Eph. 6:11)