Christmas tea party.

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A few days ago, my dear friend Melissa invited Luci Belle and I to her cozy, Christmasy home for a traditional tea party. 

Can you believe this?  It looks like a page out of Country Living...

Since I met Melissa in the fall of 2004 when I was a part of a Bible study she was leading, she has been a friend, confidant, and spiritual mentor to me.  I sat on her sofa multiple times sharing my heart, sharing things with her that few others knew. 

In her home, everyone feels comfortable.  People feel special.  As you can see from the tea party setup, she doesn't hesitate to light the good candles, use the silver tea service, the china, the vintage place settings...all for just an "ordinary" weekday. 

When we arrived, Luci Belle started exploring right away...this place was a toddler's wonderland!  Lots of things to touch and explore...collections of Santas, plush sheep, wooden nativities, angels, and lots of ornaments.  And the best part?  As a mother of three grown children, Melissa doesn't put anything within a child's reach that could be easily ruined or broken.   Ahhhh.  So I could relax, too.

What I love the most about Melissa is that she's a servant who walks with Jesus.  Two things she taught me that I try to constantly remember...

1) Always be thankful.  This is the only way to live and have joy amidst any kind of circumstances. 
2) Never talk negatively about your husband to anyone. 

Wise words from a wise woman.  I hope I can bless and encourage others the way this woman has blessed my life!

Easter reflecting.

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"I watch this morning

for the light that the darkness has not overcome.   

I watch for the fire that was in the beginning

and that burns still in the brilliance of the rising sun.

I watch for the glow of life that gleams in the growing earth

and glistens in sea and sky.

I watch for your light, O God,

in the eyes of every living creature

and in the ever-living flame of my own soul.

If the grace of seeing were mine this day

I would glimpse you in all that lives.

Grant me the grace of seeing this day.

Grant me the grace of seeing."

~ from Celtic Benediction by J. Philip Newell

I used to love Christmas best, but as I experience Christ more deeply in my life and fall more in love with Him, as I see evidence everyday of how He cares so intimately about me and others around me, I realize that Easter is the center of it all.  We celebrate Christmas for months in anticipation but Easter seems to come and go in a flash.  Without Christ's death and Resurrection, His birth does not really have meaning.  Without the Resurrection, there is no hope or redemption for this world.   

I so look forward to tomorrow morning, having a small brunch and gathering in our living room where we will read Scriptures and I will sing praises to the God who has saved my life, who has not spared me from struggle and heartbreak but who has loved me fiercely in the midst of it, who always provides peace when I ask for it, who has given me more gifts than I can imagine or deserve.  This is the God I worship and love.  This is the God I celebrate.