Christmas CD

If you are looking for new Christmas music or a fabulous gift for a friend or family member, LOOK NO FURTHER!

Aaaaaaaaaaaand I sound like a cheesy add.

But for real, Nathan Clark George's new Christmas Cd 'Still' is currently my favorite cd! My parent's got it at a church leadership meeting a few nights ago (Mr. George and his family recently moved here and have begun attending our church) and I have listened to the whole thing probably 30 times. I am not exaggerating. I took it to the home of the family I was babysitting for because I couldn't be parted from it for whole day. :)

(Isn't he just basically edible?! Sorry, I just couldn't resist inserting some cuteness into you day. I get to play with him all day tomorrow too! So excited.)

(We had fun)

Back to the CD: There are some original compositions, some traditional carols, and some very obscure carols which used to be more a part of the church repertoire. It is seriously lovely, and grounded in the Word. Breathtaking. You can hear some samples on his website. My personal favorite of the cd isn't actually on there, but I'll give you a lyric sample:

Tomorrow shall be my dancing day; I would my true love did so chance

To see the legend of my play, to call my true love to my dance.
Then I was born of a virgin sure, of her I took on fleshly substance

Thus I was knit to man's nature to call my true love to my dance.

Chorus: Sing oh! my love, oh! my love, my love

This have I done for my true love.

In manger laid and wrapped was I so very poor this was my chance

betwixt and ox and sillly poor ass to call my true love to my dance

For thirty peices Judas me sold, his coventous far to advance:

Mark whom I kiss the same do hold! The same as he shall lead the dance

(note, the same like Judas--in sin, not Judas himself, I think thats what it means)

Chorus

Then on the cross hanged I was, where there a spear my side did glance

there issued forth both water and blood, the Judged me died to lead the dance.

Then down to hell I took my way, for my true love's deliverance

and rose again upon the third day, up to my true love and the dance.

Chorus

Then up to heaven I did ascend, where now I dwell in sure substance,

on the right hand of my Father, that man may come unto the feast and dance.

May come unto the feast and dance.

May come unto the feast and dance.

Sing oh! my love, oh! my love, my love, my love

This have I done for my true love.

Yeah, I kind of melted. Anyway, there you go!

Ps. See that tiny dot under the picture of 'Still'? Well, when I was uploading the pictures I accidently uploaded something wrong but I could NOT make it go away. I accidently delete pictures while writing a post, but I couldn't delete this one for the life of me. So I just made it very very tiny.

Smile and say "Smock!"

Babysitting.

Why its awesome:

"Julia, try smiling with your eyes open."

Sillyness

Around the corner,

Or down the street



You'll find with all the kids you meet,

Though maybe living far or near,

One attribute is very clear:

KIDS. ARE. SILLY!!!

I believe I've said it before, but....

... I LOVE


LOVE

LOVE

LOVE BABYSITTING! Seriously, how cute can you get? I am head-over-heals for this sweet kid --- and all of his big brothers and sister! We had so much fun on friday. (Oh, and by the way I didn't have them all by myself, Mom was there too:)

I stole the "lovelovelove" idea from http://ashtonsmeimei.blogspot.com/. Thanks Ashton! :)

Babysitting

It was one of those times. Those wonderful, frustrating babysitting experiences that come just when you think that you really know what you're doing.

Don't get me wrong, I love babysitting, as I've said before. I always have. Many different babysitting adventures have left me feeling drained and stretched, as I've vented to my mother on the way home, but never once have I regretted doing it. Never once have I walked away loving the children that I babysat less. Never once has my tiredness caused me to forget that caring for children is my love and my calling --- the highest calling that I can conceive of.

I think its good for me to be reminded just how much I still have to learn. Just how incompetent I am even in doing the littlest things like taking care of some friend's kids for a few hours, without the grace of the Lord. I need Him to be my teacher. I need Him to give grace and strength and wisdom to me. I need Him to remind me how much my behavior towards Him is often very similar to the behavior of the kids I babysit (including my own little twins).

New Idea:

I know that most of the people (all like, 5 of them) who occasionally read my blog are teenage girls and that you also have many babysitting stories and opportunities. What if we made the personal commitment to pray for grace and wisdom every time before we embark on another babysitting adventure? What if people who we don't even know started thinking to themselves "I want to make sure that we get a Christian girl to babysit our kids tonight. It seems like something different happens when it is one of them"? What if babysitting became, rather than another chance to make money, another part of our mission field? Maybe babysitting would come to have a whole new meaning ---- mentoring.

Babysitting

I love babysitting. Serisouly, its the best job ever. Today, I'm keeping the twins and Lela Grace at home while my parents are out and Joseph is at school, and later I'm getting to hang out with a sweet little three year old girl from church.

Trying to be a good, fun, big sister, I got the kids dressed to go outside even though its kind of dreary here today. Unfortunately, I dressed them up for dry cold weather but it was actually hot and wet. We only stayed out for about five minutes.

Oh well. I tried.

I'm learning.

And, they're cute in their hats. :)