Let's take it slow...

Well, the New Year is almost upon us so it is that time again... to make goals that we HOPE to stick with (at least until the end of January :) Seriously though, we always do try to take this time to make a fresh start and evaluate our finances, family life, spiritual life, etc. One of the aspects of our family life that needs to change is the pace. It seems like we are always on the go and in a hurry. Something happened recently that made me realize that instant results are something that I have come to expect...
I purchased some of those energy saving LED light bulbs (you know the more expensive, curly ones). Well, I just replaced the bulb in the laundry room with the new one and for some reason, there is a second delay between flipping the switch and the light coming on... literally one second. I flip the switch, count "1, 1 thousand" and the light comes one. And do you know that one second drives me crazy? I growl, complain and whine in that one second. I threaten to leave the crazy light on all the time so I don't have to wait the one second (now isn't that an intelligent, energy-saving solution?) Now patience has never been one of my better traits but ONE SECOND????
So after about the 50th time of this happening, it occurred to me that I may need to slow things down just a bit. Ten years have passed in the blink of an eye since I became a mother. We are getting ready to welcome a new addition in about 13 1/2 weeks. So as we begin this new decade, I am committing to focus most of my time on what is important and eternal. God has entrusted us with a certain amount of time. Let's not spend it turning our wheels keeping up with things that will not last.

As helpless babe...

We welcomed a new member to our family yesterday... my sweet nephew, Ashley Hunter Boone. He surprised us by coming a few days early (was due 1/1/10). I guess he wanted to be kind and give Debbie & Josh that awesome tax credit and deduction for all of 2009!! :) He is so precious and tiny weighing in at only 6 lbs, 12 oz.

As I was thinking about him this morning, I was sobered to think that our Savior was just that helpless as He came to earth. Maybe I made such a comparison because we are in the Christmas season but to have a real, tangible visible of what God Himself, the Savior of the world humbled Himself to become really touched me in a way that it never has before. Christmas carols and nativity scenes have a tendency to glorify the birth of Christ. Live nativity scenes usually have either a doll or a baby around 7-8 months old but in reality, God Himself was a helpless baby probably weighing around 7 lbs or less, completely and totally dependent upon Mary and Joseph for warmth, nourishment and safety.

As my 10 year old and 8 year old held their new cousin, we were constantly saying "Be careful", "Hold his head"... They, of course, washed up with soap and water before coming near him. Yet Jesus was born in a barn and placed in a feeding trough for animals! Any mother today would gasp at such a thought.

And to think that Jesus, as He lay there helpless, dependent, possibly crying or suckling as He searched His mother for nourishment was being worshipped and adored by shepherds who heard the Angel of God and followed the Savior.