Christmas Past

The holidays are just about to be over! It's hard to believe!! This Christmas was a lot different for me this year. Everything seemed to pass by so very quickly. When I was younger, I remember counting down each day until the big day of Christmas arrived, but now it's like I'm trying my best to savor each moment because in a blink of an eye- Christmas is gone until next year.
One thing that I noticed this year, is that it never really "felt" like Christmas. Most of the time, it just felt like any old cold day. Don't let me lead you to believe that I was some kind of grinch, or scrooge this year...no! I'm just saying that something was different. What is it that gets people into the "holiday mood" anyways? The music? The movies? Shopping? Gifts? FOOD??? In that case I suppose Christmas to be purely commercialism and materialism. And I don't believe that. I know what Christmas is about. It has HIS name in it......CHRISTmas.
I have to say, despite never having that "Christmas spirit", it was one of the best Christmas' I ever had. It was a time to remember, and I am so thankful and blessed. Thank-you Lord for all you have done for me and my family.

Holly

Joyeux Noel!

Back Home

After spending a week on vacation in the lovely town of Gatlinburg, comin' back home is a little depressing. Nonetheless, it was a very enjoyable trip. We even got to see a little snow while we were up there. I didn't get to take many pictures because I was so busy filming most of the time. But here are a few....

The kids anticipating Dollywood. Was it ever cold!



That would be a giant pickle and an over-sized tomato. I have no clue lol.

For those of you who know Amber lol. She loves sweets.






Brooke talked me into riding two roller coasters (AH!). The first one was called the "Tennessee Tornado". Goodness I was pretty freaked out because I hadn't seen the thing when it was still daylight so I totally didn't know what it was going to be like. It had two giant loops and a 128 ft. drop. Guess what? It was one of the best roller coasters I have ever rode. FUN! (Although it did tear my stomach out and scared the daylights out of me lol).

The other coaster was called "Mystery Mine". IT WAS AWESOME. It was unlike anything I have ever rode in my life. It wasn't your average roller coaster. But the main thing that freaked us out about this ride was that the hills were at ninety degree angles lol. Once you start going up, I mean you're looking straight up! Brooke was SO very freaked out, I even think I heard her say (for the first time), " I DON'T WANT TO DO THIS." I was laughing lol.

There was a lot of other stuff that we did during the week, and maybe I'll write about it one day. All I can say right now is that we made some memories to last a lifetime!

~~*Holly*~~

the unfamiliar's contamination

There I was, on this fine Saturday evening, watching a little prime-time television in the family room. FAMILY room.
We were waiting for the Texas Tech-Oklahoma ballgame to come on, so my father decided to skim through the local channels in the meantime.
Hey! There's a good show on....it's the lighting of the tree downtown.
SO....as we turn on this channel, we see this choir of men signing Christmas songs. Hmmm they're not bad, not bad at all. Their harmonious voiced blended together as they sang this song *clears throat* with my name in it :). I've never heard the song before, but all I could hear was my name about every other world...."Holly this Holly that". lol. It was somewhat enjoyable....for about 5 seconds. As this story goes......
Then all of a sudden, the name of the choir shows up at the bottom of the screen......

"The ________(name of city undisclosed lol) Gay Mens Choir"

My jaw dropped.....ummmmm.......ARE YOU KIDDING ME?

Good grief. I could not believe this. I mean, I know the homosexual move is growing in this rebellious country of ours, but at a "FAMILY" gathering. COME ON!!!
I saw lots of families out in that crowd, with their children out there....and I was wondering what in the world they were thinking......

I can see it now:

"That beautiful rendition of 'O Holy Night', was brought to you by the Gay Mens Choir. Give them a hand people!"

Then naive 6 year old Johnny tugs at his mother's coat, "Mommy, whats gay mean?".

All I can say is, I am appalled by the immorally corrupt society we live in today. It is wicked, and depraved. And also, more than ever, the majority of people out there are endorsing this kind of disgusting lifestyle. The next generation is being brought up in a culture that fails to recognize their Creator, and furthermore goes out of their way to actually defile Him by proudly flaunting their repulsive ways. I refuse to associate myself with this civilization. I am one of the "outlandish" ....one who is considered weird and eccentrically odd.

So be it!

-Holly

Christmas Breezes ~ A.W. Tozer

"For those nations of the earth which have known the story of Jesus, Christmas is undoubtedly the most beautiful time of the year.

Though the celebration of the Savior's birth occurs in the dead of winter, when in many parts of the world the streams are frozen and the landscapes cold and cheerless, still there is beauty at the Christmas season--not the tender beauty of spring flowers or the quiet loveliness of the full-blown summer, or yet the sad sweet graces of autumn colors. It is beauty of another kind, richer, deeper and more elevating, that beauty which considerations of love and mercy bring before the mind.

Though we are keenly aware of the abuses that have grown up around the holiday season, we are still not willing to surrender this ancient and loved Christmas Day to the enemy. Though those purer emotions which everyone feels at Christmas are in most hearts all too fleeting, yet it is something that a lost and fallen race should pay tribute, if only for a day, to those higher qualities of the mind--love and mercy and sacrifice and a life laid down for its enemies. While men are able to rise even temporarily to such heights, there is hope that they have not yet sinned away their day of grace. A heart capable of admiring and being touched by the story of the manger birth is not yet abandoned, however sinful it may be. There is yet hope in repentance."

Summary thought- "Fleeting though it may be amidst all the commercialism and secularsim, there is the gentle breeze reminding celebrants of the true meaning of Christmas. Christ has come! In Him there is forgiveness and life."

-A.W. Tozer

A.W. Tozer is such godly a writer. I recommend his books, I've heard they are excellent! You can read his daily devotionals here: http://www.cmalliance.org/devotions/tozer/tozer.jsp. Anyways, I know...it's a little early to be thinking about Christmas.....but it's never too early to be thinking about Christ's birth. With Thanksgiving coming up here soon, there is nothing I am more thankful for than Jesus Christ who came to earth , "born to die" (as one Christmas hymn goes) for my antonement.

This Thanksgiving, take time to remember the One who all thanks is due.

~~*Holly*~~