Merry Christmas

~I found a picture of the boys - Christmas 2002

For the first time in 33 years, I'll be staying home the entire day for Christmas. Right now, I think it's awesome...I'll have to let you know later how awesome it really was. I was thinking, "Not only am I home for Christmas...I get to stay home." Everyone from both side of the family will be coming to our house. My side - in the morning, Matt's side - in the evening. (We'll see how it all works out! :)

I'm feeling blessed. Our church plant (Four Hills AG) was voted in as an "official church". We're moving along with plans and it's really exciting to see already where we've come. We didn't move here to be closer to family, we didn't move here so that Matt could be a Pastor/Garment Restoration guy, and we sure didn't move here so that I could pay half-price for a gallon of milk! (All of which are huge blessings....) We moved here to plant a church. Everything else that happens is a bonus! But I must keep that in mind...sometimes my focus shifts.
Friends, don't get me wrong: By no means do I count myself an expert in all this, but I've got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward - to Jesus. I'm off and running and I'm not turning back. ~Philippians 3:13-14 (The Message)

Although, many sacrifices have been made in our family, I love my God. I love my family and I love my life. (I may write about the early days of planting one day, but not today.)

So this Christmas, wherever you are in life, take a moment and thank Jesus for coming here and doing some "not so fun stuff" himself. I'm thankful that he was born...to die for me.

~Talk about a sacrifice!

Ok, this is my ALL time favorite Christmas recipe. It makes the house smell wonderful they are so good! :)

Stacy's Southern Candied Pecans

1 egg white
1 Tablespoon of water
1 1/2 cups of Pecan Halves
1/2 cup of brown sugar
1/2 cup of white granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon of sea salt (only use 1/4 of tsp, if using table salt)
1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon

Wisk egg white and water together for about a minute until frothy. In a separate bowl, mix together the sugars, salt, and cinnamon. Toss pecans in the egg white mixture and coat. Then place pecans in the sugar mixture and coat. Lay the pecans evenly out on a cookie sheet sprayed with non-stick spray. Bake in a 250 degree oven for 1 hour...stir pecans every 15 minutes.

Cool completely before packing up...Enjoy! :)