Faith Like a Child: Winter Into Spring (Week 51)

Faith Like a Child: Winter Into Spring (Week 51)

Story Behind the Painting:

A dear friend of mine asked me to paint her babies at the beach.  She gave the painting to her husband for Christmas.  I cannot tell you the hours I spent studying photos of these children, as I attempted to capture their personalities on canvas.

There is just something about kids and the ocean that sings of JESUS and putting the two together is like a visual symphony.

Take-away Treasure:

Christmas was a really good day.

It was a great day because:

Jesus was, is and will always be the GREATEST GIFT OF ALL.

It was a great day because:

“My people” were all at home together.

It was an extra bonus that I actually got them to all wear matching PJs.  At 46, 20, 17, and 16 you have to see the miraculous in a photo capturing all smiles AND coordinated sleep wear!

Christmas kicked off with church Friday night, followed by dinner with close friends and their family. #Thesearethemoments

***I would love for you to share some of your Christmas moments with me in the comments!

We don’t really have a lot of “set in stone” Christmas traditions at our house.  Christmas PJs are not a given. Really, any food goes. We have been out-of-town and in-town. We have slept late and gotten up early.  Sometimes we see extended family and sometimes we don’t. Christmas decorations are more or less from year to year and we gave up the snail mail Christmas card a long time ago, but we still enjoy the ones we get:)

The only Christmas “definites” we have so far are church, at some point, even if on-line, and the 5 of us being together. I know the “5 thing” will change once kids get married and have babies.  God created me to be a “fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants-kind-of-girl.”  Change has never really bothered me. In fact, I welcome it.  I cherish the memories we have and look forward, with great expectation, to whatever crazy train comes next!

This year we spent the day together. Lights, candles, coffee, sweet rolls, pigs-in-a-blanket, presents, wrapping paper, FROZEN, grandparents, more food around a table, prayer, conversation, and hours spent going through a basket of keepsakes from my mom’s house.  My mom passed away in 2013; so this spontaneous “gold dig” made it feel like she was here with us.  That was an unplanned treasure and one I will not forget.

Once the grandparents headed out, the 5 of us loaded up with our “movie bucket” and headed to see “Passengers”, which was a really good movie by the way.

As we left the theater, my daughter and I camped at the car waiting on the boys.  A warm wind blew through the air and Virginia asked,

“Do you think it feels more like spring or fall?”

“Spring!”

“Me too!”

You may be wondering why I decided to let you in on that “random” little conversation. Don’t check out just yet!

All 5 of us closed out the day back at home:

one asleep on the couch,

another upstairs watching Netflix

and

another playing “My Singing Monsters” on his phone.

Jay and I fall in beside each other, back in Christmas PJs, playing “Words With Friends.”

A full belly, house and heart. What more could I ask for?

And just like that, God gives His MORE, a good night kiss that will never be forgotten!

Below is a text Virginia (the one “Netfliking” upstairs,or so I thought) sent the family in our GroupMe just before bed. I have cut and pasted it exactly as is from the original, so as not to lose the “Virginia” voice:

just a really cool thought! i was listening to “to my knees” by hillsong and hear the lyrics “He turns winter into spring” and then in another song “bitter/sweet” also says “He turns winter into spring” and LOOK OUT SIDE!!! it’s 70 degrees on Christmas!! not by mistake! God totally was feeling spunky today and made Jesus’s birthday ‘spring’ over ‘winter’ for a year! it’s throughout the bible and songs that HE does turn in winter into spring and i find it very cool that WE got to experience that very clearly today!!! just a message from my thoughts:)

I will just leave you with that Godwink!

What conversations, texts, emails, snapchats, moments, etc… can we write down today to remind us in the future of God’s presence in our 2016 Christmas?  

**I would love for you to share some of yours in the comments!

Whatever our 2016 may have looked like, may we remember that we have a GOOD GOOD FATHER who specializes in turning our:

ashes into beauty,

“…to bestow on them a crown of beauty
instead of ashes,
the oil of joy
instead of mourning…” Isaiah  61:3 NIV

mourning into dancing,

“You did it: you changed wild lament
into whirling dance;
You ripped off my black mourning band
and decked me with wildflowers.
I’m about to burst with song;
I can’t keep quiet about you.
God, my God,
I can’t thank you enough.” Psalm 30:11-12 MSG

and

winters into springs!

“Winter is over;
the winter rains are over, gone!
Spring flowers are in blossom all over.
The whole world’s a choir—and singing!” Song of Solomon 2:11-12 MSG