A Christmas Story!

It's just a small white envelope stuck among the branches of the >Christmas tree. No name, no identification, no inscription. It has >peeked through the branches of our tree for the past 10 years or so.>>It all began because my husband Mike hated Christmas ~ oh, not the >true meaning of Christmas, but the commercial aspects of it ~ the >overspending, the frantic running around at the last minute to get a >tie for Uncle Harry and the dusting powder for Grandma ~ the gifts >given in desperation because you couldn't think of anything else.>>Knowing he felt this way, I decided one year to bypass the usual >shirts, sweaters, ties, and so forth. I reached for something >special just for Mike. The inspiration came in an unusual way.>>Our son Kevin, who was 12 that year, was wrestling at the junior >level at the school he attended. Shortly before Christmas, there >was a non-league match against a team sponsored by an inner-city >church. These youngsters, dressed in sneakers so ragged that >shoestrings seemed to be the only thing holding them together, >presented a sharp contrast to our boys in their spiffy blue and gold >uniforms and sparkling new wrestling shoes.>>As the match began, I was alarmed to see that the other team was >wrestling without headgear, a kind of light helmet designed to >protect a wrestler's ears. It was a luxury the ragtag team >obviously could not afford.>>Well, we ended up walloping them. We took every weight class. And >as each of their boys got up from the mat, he swaggered around in >his tatters with false bravado, a kind of street pride that couldn't >acknowledge defeat.>>Mike seated beside me, shook his head sadly, "I wish just one of >them could have won," he said. "They have a lot of potential, but >losing like this could take the heart right out of them." Mike >loved kids ~ all kids ~ and he knew them, having coached little >league football, baseball, and lacrosse.>>That's when the idea for his present came. That afternoon, I went >to a local sporting goods store and bought an assortment of >wrestling headgear and shoes and sent them anonymously to the >inner-city church. On Christmas eve, I placed the envelope on the >tree, the note inside telling Mike what I had done and that this was >his gift from me. His smile was the brightest thing about Christmas >that year and in succeeding years.>>For each Christmas, I followed the tradition ~ one year sending a >group of mentally handicapped youngsters to a hockey game, another >year a check to a pair of elderly brothers whose home had burned to >the ground the week before Christmas, and on and on.>>The envelope became the highlight of our Christmas. It was always >the last thing opened on Christmas morning, and our children, >ignoring their new toys, would stand with wide-eyed anticipation as >their dad lifted the envelope from the tree to reveal its >contents. As the children grew, the toys gave way to more practical >presents, but the envelope never lost its allure.>>The story doesn't end there. You see, we lost Mike last year due to >dreaded cancer. When Christmas rolled around, I was still so >wrapped in grief that I barely got the tree up. But Christmas Eve >found me placing an envelope on the tree, and in the morning it was >joined by three more. Each of our children, unbeknownst to the >others, had placed an envelope on the tree for their dad. The >tradition has grown and someday will expand even further with our >grandchildren standing around the tree with wide-eyed anticipation >watching as their fathers take down the envelope.>>Mike's spirit, like the Christmas spirit, will always be with >us. May we all remember Christ, who is the reason for the season, >and the true Christmas spirit this year and always!>

>Author Unknown
Author

Marissa

This is a reminder that we our from a royal priesthood.

Celina and Marissa

Mario

Mario (9)

Madyln, Joe, and Celina

My two beautful Girls!

check this youtube video out.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f14z3cnNzzo

To Obey is better than sacrifice!

Read a great devotion today.

It was changing what God has commanded us what today. Sometimes we add things or take away things for our own sake.By doing more than what God commands.

It talked about Saul, who was commanded to spare no man, woman, child, infant, ox or anthing of the Amalekites. But he didn't destroy eveything. He saved the king and the best livestock.

By disobeying God, God said"I regret that I have made Saul king, for he has turned back from following Me and has not performed My commandments."

1Samuel 15:22-23

And Samuel said,"Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and cacrifiieces, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of divination, and presumption is an iniquity and idolatry. Because ou have rejected the word of the Lord, he has also rejected you from beign king."

Wow! What a powerful message,
deb

Mission Trip

My husband left this past Saturday to Mexico. He is leading a team to Ysleta Mission. The city they are staying is called Anapra, Mexico. The group of 7 was meeting up with a hand full of college students. They are presenting the gospel and teaching English. At the same time, another group of 40 from the Chicago area is presenting vacation Bible School.

Here is a link to the Mission.
http://www.ylm.org/

I will post most info once I get it. Please pray for him and the team.

Blessings,
Deb

Training up your child

For those who like to garden....I was out in my garden today. Picking all the dead flowers off my trumpet vines that go over my arch by my garden. I was praying and thinking and a great story came to my mind. The story came from Parables from Nature.
It is a wonderful short story...when I read it to my kids , I cried at the end. I would like to here from you on what the story is talking about.
Here is the link:
http://digital.library.upenn.edu/women/gatty/parables/parables.html#training

TRAINING AND RESTRAINING
"Train up a child in the way he should go."–PROV. xxii. 6.
Post your thoughts,

Blessings,
Deb

Candy Table: by Jeanette

Rolando changing the shoes. Taking off the flat shoes and putting on high heels. One more step to leaving childhood.

Lydia with the high heels on the pillow

Lydia danced with the doll and than handed it down to Marissa her younger sister.

Lydia's , Uncle Tony and Miguel giving Lydia her last doll.
This symbolizes that she is now entering into a young womenhood. So she received her last doll.

Preparing to receive the last doll and changing of the shoes.

The Valz (Waltz)

Rolando giving a toast and thanking all the padrino's. (sponsor's- friends and family whose gift was to help pay for the event)

We had sponsors for the hall, dress,DJ, marachi band, hall decorations and set up. Piano, doll, tiara, ring, necklace, earrings, sceptor, and much more.

Thank you so much! To all that has blessed and given this event.

Cake