Shadow and The Christmas Tree

Nah, I didn't drop off the face of the earth...

I've been busy relaxing and shoring up my reserves and finishing up Christmas stuff.

We had a wonderful four days off for the Thanksgiving Holiday.  I did not cook...but we did do a deep clean to the house  (a wonderful smell comes from a clean house!) and finished wrapping presents and I even got some Christmas Cards together to send out.

We watched some movies, did some shopping on Black Friday (OK, it was just to Coldwater Creek but they were having a 40% off sale and I couldn't resist...besides, Tom got me a new leather coat for Christmas for a song because of the 40% off.  Good thing he can sing....8-), went out to eat a couple of time (yeah, not dieting right now...I suck but I'm certainly enjoying food...), chatted with my Mom, Sister, Nephew Daniel and Niece Whitney on Skype, played some computer games and read a book.  I came back to work renewed and refreshed.  Time away from work is VERY important to sanity.

We also put up our Christmas Tree.  I think I told you guys how we bought this Thomas Kincaide Christmas Tree and Shadow (our cat) started chewing on it so we put it away and pretty much decided that we wouldn't be able to have a tree this year (again) but we found some stuff that is supposed to taste bad to cats and sprayed it on the the lower part of the tree.  I also put all the presents around the base of the tree in hopes of blocking her from reaching the tree.  (Hello, Teresa...she's a CAT.)

When we got back from shopping on Friday, there sits Shadow on one of the presents just chewing away on the tree.  We walk in and she slowly looks at us and then proceeds to turn back around and chomp on the tree some more.  I went over and tapped her on her nose and said "Bad Shadow" and she just looked at me like I had three heads.  So I tapped a little firmer on her nose and she did her 'squeak' and ran off.  (Wish I had taken a picture of her chewing on that tree....it was quite a sight...she had no idea that it was a no no the way she sat there like she owned it and turned to look at us with an accusatory look that said, "Why are you interrupting my feast?)  So much for the bad tasting spray.  Our cat will eat anyting...and does.  She now insists on guarding the tree when we are home.  She has moved her resting place to the couch that sits by the tree.  (I know she is just waiting until we aren't watching and will be chomping on the thing again...sigh.)

It was raining on Sunday and we went out to the Gazebo to see if there were any leak areas in the roof and we were greeted by dry wood all over the roof so that was good news.  We probably won't finish the gazebo until spring unless we get some warmer weather on the weekend.  We only need to install the screens, door, and ceiling but all that can wait.  The weather here has dropped down into the 30s but it looks like we are going to get some sun today.

OK, I've digressed to a weather report so I'll move on to the Max for today...

"Keep It Real

By Max Lucado

They love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Matthew 6:5.

Don’t make a theater production out of your faith. Hypocrisy is a real turn-off.

When someone enters your church to see God, yet can’t see Him because of the church, don’t think for a second God doesn’t react.  Jesus said, “Be especially careful when you’re trying to be good so you don’t make a performance out of it.”

Let’s take hypocrisy as seriously as God does!

Ask yourself, if no one knew of the good I do, would I still do it?

How about giving financial gifts in secret? Money can sure stir the phony within us!

If you raise your hands in church, raise holy ones, not showy ones.  Nothing nauseates more than a fake “praise the Lord” or a shallow “Glory be to God.”

It all might be good theater—but the God who made you won’t be applauding!"

By Grace Alone -

Teresa