Yesterday ~

I settled down to write  a New Year's Eve Post.

A post of all I"m grateful for, there's a lot!

A post of my hopes for the New Year.

Maybe another day.

This morning I read from Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest.

As I was reading I thought how it pretty much covered it all as far as

ending a year of yesterdays and starting a new tomorrow,

 365 of them!

I decided that what is written below by, Oswald Chambers, says it best.

I hope you take something from it in preparation of your 365 !

~

Yesterday

"You shall not go out with haste, ...for the LORD will go before you,

 and the God of Israel will be your rear guard"

(Isaiah 52:12)

Security from Yesterday. " ...God requires an account of what is past" (Ecclesiastes 3:15).

At the end of the year we turn with eagerness to all that God has for the future, and yet anxiety is apt to arise when we remember our yesterdays.  Our present enjoyment of God's grace tends to be lessened by the memory of yesterday's sins and blunders.  But God is the God of our yesterdays, and He allows the memory of them to turn the past into a ministry of growth for our future.  God 

reminds us of the past to protect us from a very shallow security in the present.

Security for Tomorrow. "...the LORD will go before you..."  This is a gracious revelation -that God will send His fores out where we have failed to do so.  He will keep watch so that we will not be tripped up again by the same failures, as would undoubtedly happen if He were not our "rear guard."  And God's hand reaches back to the past, settling all the claims against our conscience.

Security for Today.  "You shall not go out with haste..." As we go forth into the coming year, let it not be in the haste of impetuous, forgetful delight, nor with the quickness of impulsive thoughtless.  But let us go out with the patient power of knowing that the God of Israel will go before us.  Our yesterdays hold broken and irreversible things for us.  It is true that we have lost opportunities that will never return, but God can transform this destructive anxiety into a constructive thoughtfulness for the future.  Let the past rest, but let it rest in the sweet embrace of Christ.

Leave the broken, irreversible past in His hands, and step our into the invincible future with Him.

~

Wishing a healthy, happy New Year to all, ...it's what echos from my heart today.

Festival of Christmas ~

the day after Christmas began with a short trip up the highway to pick up our two 

oldest grands, Julia and Aubrie.  The big event of the day (after In N Out burger for lunch) was our

second annual Festival of Christmas at the Lamb's Theater on Coronado Island .

Let me get this out of the way, it was 79 degrees.....

 Our beautiful oldest Grand daughter Julia ~

Below are a couple of shots as we traveled over the Coronado Bay Bridge, it was beautiful!

 Myself and the girls at the very popular Hotel Del, we took a little tour, it is something to see....

Julia and Aubrie

 Not to warm for a little ice skating :-)

Pa so proud of his gals...

 The girls and I waiting for a table at our usual restaurant

Our date/chauffeur 

 We bought the girls little turtles made of sea shells...

this one's name is Corny. (?)

This is Daisy.....

Pa pretending to eat Corny!!

Tradition....stop for hot chocolate next to the theater, tea for Grandma....

Outside the theater

 The stage for the production

Intermission....Pa was not sure Julia was enjoying the play, then she looked at him and said,

"this is so awesome"!  She recognized a little girl from last years play that was a favorite character

of all of ours...of course she became a favorite for this play as well.  After the play in the lobby, her Grandpa introduced Julia

to the little actress and Julia was thrilled!

 To Gramma's house we go!

Nothing I love more than creating memories with my girls....today we get manicures!!
Full hearts.... echo from my heart today :-)

Props of Life ~

Prop

prop someone/something up

provide support or assistance for someone or something that would otherwise fail or decline:foreign aid tends to prop up incompetent governments

It's Christmas Eve and I'm enjoying my morning coffee thinking about

those in my life that are not with me today.

My parents also known as Marge and Ray, Nanny and Pop, Chuck and the Old Skate :-)

They provided me with much assistance and support through the years.

My siblings who were always with me on Christmas Eve, now celebrating each with their own families.

My oldest son and his family are spending Christmas in Michigan this year,

I'm taking this time hour by hour....it's tough to think of them elsewhere.

They provide me with, among other things, two grand daughters that fill me with joy

no  matter the errors of this world....

I will have my youngest son this evening, and he and his girlfriend as well as two of our

friends joining us on Christmas Day, I can't wait!

So what do we depend on when what were used to is gone?

Are we then alone?

 Not this girl....

I'm experiencing a more complete dependence on Christ,

it is He after all that forever props me up, provides assistance when I might otherwise fail.

I may not have all of those I love this Christmas Eve, as I have become accustomed to in my life...

but I do have someone who is always with me.

Jesus....the reason for this season.

Above is a manger scene in a shoe box, my oldest son made it in 2nd grade

that I display every year. :-)

Jim McGuiggan, wrote;

Hmm, something to ponder, no?

Consider what he writes,

" When we have no other props-like "sufficient" money in the bank, paid up insurance, a steady job,

better than good health, a devoted family, and loads of friends- we then discover just how assuring

Christ can be.  My guess is that we rely on these other fine blessings from God,

 and thus they work us harm.

Wasn't it the Christ who said that the eye or the hand or the foot might sometime offend us?

These fine blessings from God might have to be put from us before we really enter into life-not just hereafter, but now!

With all the lovely props all gone or nearly gone we will be thrown back onto the Christ as our 

solitary means of support.  Maybe then we''ll find, as countless thousands through the years have found, that Christ  is altogether grand and comes to mean more to us than before.

With the props gone, we have the opportunity to rejoice with joy inexpressible and glorious".

Hoping you each have the gift of a true relationship with Jesus, 

when all props are gone, know that He is always present.

He is the present !

~

Regardless of your beliefs, surrounded with loved ones or not, 

I wish you  a Merry Christmas !!

Thoughts of my family are what echo in my heart today.....

December Part One ~

Time is just flying by this month!

Everyone saying it's due to a late Thanksgiving....

Okay....but seriously fast!

We've had a busy December thus far....

I took a trip about 90 min. north to my sisters home for a couple days.
Khloe rode up with me and we connected with her Momma while there..

 Khloe learning to throw the dog toy for Auntie Deanna's dog Cookie to fetch...

she thought it was something that he chased after it....

 We bought Khoe a little Charlie Brown tree...

beeps (birds) are the ornaments of choice ....

 Khloe loved her Rudolph nose...now a favorite song :-)

My sister Dona bought Khloe a treasure chest of dresses :-)

Ellery Grace 

The Women's Christmas event at church...it was an awesome evening...

 Brunch with my siblings and families...

Sister Dona and I :-)

Great niece Ruby Lu

 Ruby's Daddy and her sister Minnie

 Khloe and her cousin Ruby

 Ellery

 Sneaking food.....

 Sister Deanna with her grands Ruby and Minnie and my Khloe....

 Niece Amanda

 Minnie :-)

 Ruby and Khloe testing out Khloe's new sleeping bag.

 Dress up......

These little dresses are dipped, I tell you, dipped in glitter.....

It now appears a fairy has exploded in my home :-)

We took a trip to San Diego's Wild Animal Park,

Ellery en route :-)

 Khloe now potty trained...her special treat for doing so has been pony rides, 

on this day she chose a Zebra....

Now when she goes potty she requests, Zebra rides!

Daughter in law Katie holding Ellery 

Namaw and Khloe ...

It was a beautiful and chilly day....

today...we are 80 degrees...crazy!

We also attended a luncheon put on my our financial adviser out at one of the wineries which was

really nice. 

Had a lovely dinner the other night with some great friends....
something we hope to do more of in 2014!

I've done some baking with Khloe and her Momma, and doing some more today.

Next weekend is a Christmas party with a bunch of co workers from a job long ago...we 

still make a point to have a Christmas party every year  even though only two of the group still 

work there....great great friends :-)

Time is going so fast I haven't had a chance to really blog...so

photos will have to do for now.

I hope you're all well and not allowing the business of this season get to you....

deep breaths....day at a time :-)

Hugs!

Staying in touch echos from my heart today!