The Looking Glass Chapter Two

For lack of time to type out what I'm thinking, here's chapter two of my novel The Looking Glass. I posted the first chapter previously, so you can go look at it here if you wish.

Chapter Two
Holly looked at her older brother and grinned. The confusion and interest in his face mirrored her own original reaction, she was sure. Oh, as much as she'd wanted to believe the extraordinary tale, it seemed so impossible! Jared lay down on the grass and put his hands behind his head, "So what happened next?" He asked.
"Grandfather was getting tired," Holly said slowly, "He told me about this just a week before he died. So he told me that he couldn't share everything that had happened to him, but there was one thing that he really wanted me to know."
"What's that?"
"You know how the old woman..."
"Wait," Jared interrupted, "Didn't grandfather bother to find out her name?"
"If he did, he didn't tell me. Anyhow, she had said to him that this place was the land where every lad found his true love. Grandfather thought she was talking only about the citizens of Aeroth, but she meant what she said. Grandfather found his one true love there. Her name was Genevieve, but he called her Gem. After knowing Gem for a few months, grandfather was prepared to propose, but one day he was visiting the palace and he told the queen Aurelia of his love and she asked him if he knew of the complications to the union of two worlds. 'Why, no. What complications could there be?' he asked. 'Have you never thought of going back to your own world?' Queen Aurelia asked in surprise. 'Of course I've thought about it!' Grandfather sputtered angrily, 'I have a family back there! A home! A country! But no person I have talked to knows of any possible way for me to return to earth, so I may as well be happy here!' Queen Aurelia nodded and said, 'There is a way back, if you wish to know, and you can take Genevieve with you if she wishes to go, but no matter what choice you make, there will be consequences and probably pain.' 'What? What is this you're saying? Explain, your majesty!' Grandfather was excited about the possibility of returning to earth, and was sure that Gem would come with him. The queen took a deep breath and said, 'On the day of your wedding, you will become one. If you wish to return to earth, the two of you must go separately and you may marry in your world, for no married person can travel between the worlds. If you marry here, you can never return.' 'I'm sure that Gem with come with me! There is no sorrow in the choice. Her father and mother have been dead for years. She has no family!' Queen Aurelia nodded and said, 'But I have not finished yet. There is another piece to this puzzle. My dear John, any child with Aerothian blood in him will return to Aeroth when he is weaned, though we do not know what magic works for this to happen. This child cannot return to earth until he or she is twelve years of age, and then he or she will return only by their own choice. No person can be forced to travel the spaces between the worlds.' Grandfather was devastated. Would Gem be willing to give up her dream of motherhood for the sake of true love? He went and talked to her, but she refused to make the journey to earth. 'Our land is one where every man and woman finds their true love,' Gem said, crying, 'But not every person gets to reach happily ever after. You must go home, and I will stay here.' Grandfather's heart was broken, but he came home to his family. He met grandma three years later, but she was only 14 at the time. He kinda liked her, but she was nothing like Gem. He was nine years older than she was, and I think she told me that she was 22 when they got married. That means that it took grandpa 11 years to put Gem behind him."
"Wow. Some of this is confusing. Didn't grandpa tell you how he got home? Or why couldn't he come say goodbye to everybody and then go back to Genevieve? Did he ever tell grandma? And why exactly did he want to tell you all of this?"
"Grandpa didn't tell me how he got home, though I wish he had. It seems that he implied it would be somewhat difficult for me to do."
"Difficult for you to do? Wait, he wants you to go to Aeroth? How in the world is that going to happen?!"
"Jared, the whole reason he told me about it was because he wants to know what happened to Gem. If she's still alive, he wants me to apologize to her for his desertion."
"And how are you going to get there?"
"It'll take a few years, but you know how Mom and Dad are taking you on a trip as a graduation present? They said they'll do the same thing for me when I graduate. I'm going to choose to go to France."
Jared sat up, tipping his head back and gazing at the sky for a moment. Chuckling, he said, "I love the way those green eyes of yours sparkle when you're excited,"
"Glad you like it, but I still wish I had blue eyes. Blue-eyed blondes are supposed to be perfect beauties, but I don't hear too much about green-eyed blondes." Holly sighed. Looking at Jared she rolled her eyes. It didn't look like he'd heard a word she said.
Suddenly Jared sat up again and said, "You know, squirt, we were pretty close for most of our lives, weren't we?" Holly nodded. "I'm not sure why I let that change. You're a pretty decent kid, you know? I'll bet that a few years ago, I never would have dreamed of going out of the country and leaving you behind. We did everything together."
Holly's heart skipped. What was Jared saying? Surely he wasn't thinking...
"What if I asked mom and dad if you could come on the trip, too? We could go to France and both of us could try to get into Aeroth. I don't want my kid sister running around by herself in other worlds where queens can turn into ugly old women and princes are transformed into beasts." He winked at her, and Holly smiled broadly. Whether her grandfather's tale had been true or not, she had gained one wonderful gift from it. She had her brother back.

"You want to go where?" Dad asked in surprise. "Son, what happened? You wanted to raft the Amazon last week, and now you're saying that you want to go explore the woods of France with your little sister?"
"Is that a problem?" Jared replied.
"No, not at all! I'm just wondering if you have some ulterior motive for this. I thought you were really looking forward to photographing snakes and crocodiles. Somehow I'm not seeing how World War Two battle locations fit into your photography."
Jared winked at Holly as she mouthed 'ulterior motives' to him. "I know it doesn't make sense, but I was talking to Holly today, and she told me some stuff about grandpa's experiences during World War Two that I didn't know before. It's really got my interest up, so I think it would be cool to go to France."
"Okay. That works for me. When did you want to leave?"
"Yesterday?" Jared offered with a grin. Dad nodded and said, "I'll see if your Mom can get tickets tonight."
Jared and Holly high-fived and Holly ran upstairs to her room to pack. Maybe they could leave by the end of the week! She yanked her dresser drawers open and dumped each one out on her bed. What all would she need? She pulled dresses and jackets and shoe boxes out of her closet until she finally unburied her suitcase.
"Holly?" Mom's voice came along with a tap-tap-tap on Holly's bedroom door.
"Come on in, Mom! Just keep your eyes closed. It's a mess in here."
Mrs. Spencer opened Holly's door and stepped in. "My, my. You're right. What a mess! Can you believe this, Holly? I've always dreamed of going to France! We'll have to see the Eiffel Tower, go shopping in some of the Paris shops, and eat at some romantic cafe. Maybe you and Jared can have a movie night at the hotel and let your father and I out for a night?"
"Mom, we're going to France to visit World War Two sites, not do romantic stuff. And certainly not go shopping!" Holly said, then she laughed, "You and dad really should do something like that, though. Maybe even go spend a few romantic nights in Paris and let Jared and I... go camping?" Holly's initial reaction had been frustration, but now she saw the potential behind her mother's love for fine and romantic things. If Holly and Jared could get a few days alone, it would be the perfect opportunity for discovering the little cottage!
"Camping? I don't know. We'll see how things work out. In the mean time, I guess I'll go see what kind of vacation deals I can find online. I'm so happy Jared changed his mind! Dad and I were happy to take him anywhere, but France really does work better for me than the amazon forest!"
As her mom left, Holly followed her out into the hall, knocking on Jared's bedroom door. When he didn't answer, Holly wrinkled her nose and turned back to her room. Two hours later when her mom called her downstairs to set the table, Holly was pretty sure that she had almost everything she needed. Somehow in spite of the amount of clothes she had packed, her room was still a complete disaster.
While Holly was setting the table, her mom told her that they were going to be in France for two weeks and that they were leaving next Wednesday. "It seems a long way off," Holly commented.
"Holly, this morning when you woke up, it was going to be about four years before you could leave the country, and now you can't wait eight days?"
Holly grinned and shook her head, "Aren't you excited, too, Mom?" She asked.
"Well, yes, I am. I have to talk to your dad, but we might even take your little suggestion of a romantic weekend away while you kids are somewhere else. Jared can take care of himself and you're pretty responsible. My main concern would be that you don't speak French."
"We should be fine if we stick together and you give us some money," Holly said with a laugh. Mrs. Spencer pursed her lips and put her head to the side. "We'll see." was all she would commit to, but Holly was hoping everything would work out it her favor.
After supper, Holly followed Jared up to his room. "Where were you all afternoon?" she asked, "I thought you'd be packing or something."
"Holly, do you realize how long it would take to figure out where grandfather was? I was trying to come up with something before we leave."
"Oh, I guess you're right. We don't have a lot of time in France, do we?"
"No, and we have even less time to get where we're actually going. Even if dad talks mom into doing something by themselves, it'll only be for an afternoon, or at most a day."
"Dad wants to talk mom into something? I was talking to mom about the two of them doing some kind of honeymoonish for a weekend."
"A whole weekend? That would be awesome! Do you think she'll go for it?"
"Maybe. We'll just have to keep our fingers crossed. Anyhow, did you find out anything to help us?"
"Yep. I got the name of grandpa's best friend and did some research to find his daughter. I'm going to find her phone number and call her in the morning if I can."
"There's something else we could do," Holly said thoughtfully, "Doesn't that trunk in the garage have a bunch of grandpa's things? Maybe he kept a journal or something."
"Okay. You can look through that stuff. If I get done talking to Mrs. Peters quick enough, I'll come help."
Holly went back to her room and began to put things away. By the time she went to bed her room was cleaner than it had been for months. After tossing and turning, Holly finally gave up on sleep and turned on her light. Pulling out her book of fairy tales, she began to read.

For your enemies...

Favorite Christmas Stories

Hey, Everyone! I decided to do a post naming my favorite Christmas books and movies. I'm pretty sure I'll forget something, but here we go!


It's a Wonderful Life

George Bailey spends his entire life giving up his big dreams for the good of his town, Bedford Falls, as we see in flashback. But in the present, on Christmas Eve, he is broken and suicidal over the misplacing of an $8000 loan and the machinations of the evil millionaire, Mr. Potter. His guardian angel, Clarence, falls to Earth, literally, and shows him how his town, family, and friends would turn out if he had never been born. George meant so much to so many people; should he really throw it all away?


The Santa Clause

Scott Calvin doesn't believe in Santa. But when a man in a red suit falls off of his roof on Christmas Eve, his life changes dramatically. The body disappears and Scott's son Charlie ask Scott to put on the suit, and Scott suddenly finds himself to be Santa.


The Christmas Shoes

This sentimental made-for-TV drama was based on the bestselling novel by Donna VanLiere, which in turn was inspired by the popular song of the same name. Rob Lowe stars as Robert Layton, a workaholic attorney who sorely neglects his family, even during the Christmas season. Clearly, Layton is overdue for a "humanizing" treatment, which comes in the form of a little boy named Nathan Andrews (Max Morrow). Learning that his mother, Maggie (Kimberly Williams), is dying from congenital heart failure, and unable to financially rely upon his underemployed father, Jack (Hugh Thompson), Nathan goes about collecting tin cans and other throwaways so that he can afford an expensive pair of red shoes for his ailing mom. Nathan's plight not only touches Layton, but also has a heartwarming trickle-down effect on the lawyer's estranged family.

Gideon's Gift

When Big Earl Gibson's precious wife and daughter were taken from him one Christmas long ago, he abandoned his faith and became a homeless man with an angry heart. But then a 7-year-old leukemia patient reaches out to him. Will her persistent gift of friendship help heal Earl's lonely, broken life?


On an interesting note (and hopefully a happy one!) When I googled for an image of Gideon's Gift I found out that they're making a movie of it! It's supposed to release on November 1, 2010.

The Looking Glass Chapter One

This is the first chapter of the book that I wrote for National Novel Writing Month. After writing mostly historical fiction and a few mysteries, a fantasy was a lot of fun. There was so little research to do because I could just make it all up! (I usually enjoy research, but I'll admit that it was lots of fun to just sit down and write without worrying about dates, locations, etc.) The words that I used can be used by anybody, but if you put them in the same order that I did, that's called stealing. And stealing is not recommended. And now, without any further delay, I present to you the first chapter of my fantasy novel!



Chapter One
Holly Spencer leaned her bike against the large oak tree in the cemetery and flopped down next to her grandfather's tombstone. It was so quiet and peaceful here! Holly loved to come here just to relax. She leaned her back up against the cool marble, closing her eyes. The gentle breeze played with her short blonde hair, making Holly smile. She hadn't had much time recently to think about simple things like her hair blowing against her face. Her brother Jared had just graduated from high school, and the parties and craziness just never ended. Holly opened her eyes and picked at a hole in the knee of her jeans. Crossing her long legs, she leaned back again. She missed her grandfather so much! Holly thought of all the wonderful times they had shared together, but the joy of reliving the past was once again interrupted by the thought of one of her last conversations with him. Holly bit her tongue and wondered...
"Holly?"
Whirling around at the sound of her name, Holly's mouth dropped open when she saw her older brother behind her. "Jared!" she exclaimed, "What are you doing here?" they both asked at the same moment. Jared laughed and sat down next to Holly. "I just came over here to get some time to think," he said, "Life is kinda crazy, isn't it?"
"Yeah," Holly replied.
"What was that look on your face a minute ago?" Jared asked, "Is something wrong?"
"Well..." Holly's voice trailed off, then she glanced at her brother sideways, "You know, Jared, we used to be so close! Then you had to go and grow up. A few years ago, I would've told you about this as soon as I had the chance. But now it's been almost a year, and I've just kept it all to myself."
"Are you going to tell me?"
"I don't know. You might think I'm being stupid."
"Try me." Jared said.
"First I'm going to ask you a question. Did grandpa say anything weird to you before he died?"
"Weird? No. The last thing he said to me was to give me some advice. He told me that things aren't always the way they look, so don't always believe my first impression. Something like that. Why?"
"Okay. I'll tell you, but promise to keep it a secret?" Holly waited for Jared's nod, then launched into her story. "We all knew that we didn't have much time left before grandpa's death. I hated to think about it, and I wanted everything to go on as normal. So I kept visiting him in the hospital after school, and we'd talk and work on a puzzle just like always. Then one day, grandpa didn't even want to sit up in bed to work on the puzzle. Instead, he asked me to sit down close to him and just listen for awhile. He told me about fighting in World War Two, and how brave he was when he left for France. He told me about some of the things he saw, and how they made him afraid. It was all very interesting, and I'm glad he told me. Until he came to this one part... it made me wonder if he was going mad. Jared," Holly's voice dropped to a whisper, "Grandpa told me that there are other worlds. And that he's been to one."
Jared's eyes widened in surprise. "Things aren't always as they seem..." he muttered, "Do you think that's what grandpa was talking about when he said that to me?"
"Maybe." Holly replied, "But you don't really think that he could've left earth, do you?"
"Did he tell you about it?"
Holly nodded and continued. "He said that he was in some forest in France. He'd been separated from his... clan of soldiers. Whatever you call it."
"His division?" Jared offered. Holly scrunched up her nose and said, "Whatever. Anyhow, he was lost in the woods, and stopped at this cottage to see if anyone could help him. The old woman who opened the door was ancient looking, but beautiful. He asked if she could help him and she said, 'Come in and have something warm to drink. I'll see you right.' So he went into the house. On one wall was a painting of one of the most beautiful women grandfather had ever seen. Her hair was blacker than a starless night, and her skin was as fair and white as clean snow. He commented to the old woman about the painting and she replied, 'Ah, yes. It is a painting of one of my ancestors. Perhaps you are familiar with her story?' Grandfather cleared his throat and said, 'If you'll tell me her name, I would be better able to tell you whether or not I'm familiar with her.' The old woman smiled and said, 'She was called Snow White. The looking glass on the wall is the one which was once owned by the evil queen.' Grandfather looked at her incredulously. 'How is that possible?' he asked. 'There are many worlds,' the old woman replied, 'And the world which I come from is called Aeroth. It is the land where most of your fairy tales come from, because it is the land where every girl finds her prince charming and every lad finds his princess bride. For many, it is the land of happily ever after.'"
Jared leaned forward and said eagerly, "And grandfather went to Aeroth?" Holly nodded. "How does it work? If we could try, then we would know for sure that grandfather was telling the truth."
"Jared! You believe the story?" Holly was excited, but startled at the same time. How could a boy who had just graduated high school believe in fairy stories and magical lands? She took a deep breath and continued, "Grandfather drank some coffee and ate a biscuit before he had worked up the courage to ask, 'How did you get here?' The woman smiled and said, 'That is my secret.' 'Well, then,' grandfather said, 'I have another question. Can I go to Aeroth?' He was quite surprised when the woman went to a desk and unlocked a little drawer, pulling out a small hand mirror. 'Yes. This and the looking glass on the wall are a pair. Apart they can only answer a few questions, but together, their power is incredible.' 'What do you mean?' Grandfather asked. 'Take this,' the woman commanded, 'and turn your back to the other mirror. The second you see the reflection of your reflection, you will be transported to the Aerothian seaside.' Grandfather took the mirror, his hand shaking. 'I thought there was only one mirror.' he said, stalling for time. He wasn't sure if he really wanted to do this. 'There were two. That is why there are different versions of the story here in your world. Some say the rhyme "Mirror mirror in my hand" while others say, "Mirror Mirror on the wall." Both are correct.' Grandfather nodded and stepped closer to the larger mirror. Looking into the small one, he saw his reflection, and then his eye fell on the reflection of his reflection and he was blinded by a bright, bright light."



What do you think? Anyone interested in reading more?

Drawing Water

I'm giving a devotional speech tomorrow, and as I was pondering my topic, I remembered this post that I did awhile back. I thought that perhaps it would be a good one to share again. It was a good reminder for me!

[Originally posted to http://onerebelutionary.wordpress.com on August 14, 2008]

I am a plant. [Figuratively, of course, but let's just stay with the illusion.] Not only am I a plant, but I’m a plant that has been planted in good soil. The soil of God’s word, if you want to be specific. But there’s something to add to all of this. I have my own will. That’s where I differ from regular plants. See, plants grow without thinking about it, putting effort into it, or worrying. I, however, have to consciously decide that I am going to put my roots into God’s word and draw the water that He offers. God’s water is fit to my daily needs, too! Some days I need the water of patience, other days I need love. No matter what my needs are for the week, day, hour, or even minute, God has it there in His word.
Something that I find extremely interesting is the fact that roots remain unseen. No one will see the time that you and I spend in God’s word, but it will evidence itself when people see us as healthy plants.

Psalm 1: 1-3
Blessed is the man who walketh not in the counsels of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful, But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season: his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doesth shall prosper.

Everyone knows that passage, but don’t skim over it. I found that when I read this the other day and PAID ATTENTION, it was SO rich! Go through it again!

Jeremiah 17: 7&8
Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is. For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful [anxious] in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yeilding fruit.

I never saw that passage before (that I can remember) and I found it to be such a blessing to me!

Isaiah 58:11
And the Lord shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat they bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not.

I hope that this has been a blessing to you. It’s what I’ve been learning. (Among other things.)
All of these thoughts were inspired by my devotions as I’m going through A Young Woman After God’s Own Heart by Elizabeth George. This was from chapter two. I’ve really been enjoying this book and would highly recommend it. One thing to let ya’ll know is that she does not use the KJV, so I read my Bible alongside. It’s good to read another version, but I like the good ol’ KJV best.

I think I could add more to this now, but I'll just leave it where it is. I need to remember to draw water more often!

A Prayer by Anne Bronte

My God (oh, let me call Thee mine,
Weak, wretched sinner though I be),
My trembling soul would fain be Thine;
My feeble faith still clings to Thee.

Not only for the Past I grieve,
The Future fills me with dismay;
Unless Thou hasten to relieve,
Thy suppliant is a castaway.

I cannot say my faith is strong,
I dare not hope my love is great;
But strength and love to Thee belong;
Oh, do not leave me desolate!

I know I owe my all to Thee;
Oh, TAKE the heart I cannot give!
Do Thou my strength--my Saviour be,
And MAKE me to Thy glory live.

First Black President

Don't know how true this is... but I got a kick out of it. I was going through my emails last week... went from about 300 down to 20! This is one that I thought I would share.

Was Obama the first black president?

No, he was not. Let me explain. Biden was sworn in at 12:01, and Obama was sworn in at 12:03. Amendment XX section 1 states:

“The terms of the President and Vice President shall end at noon on the 20th day of January” Article II Section 1 of the Constitution states “Before he (the President) enter on the Execution of his Office, he shall take the following Oath or Affirmation.”


So who was president from 12:00-12:01? Well the presidential succession act proclaims:

Section 19 (a)(1) “If, by reason of death, resignation, removal from office, inability, or failure to qualify, there is neither a President nor Vice President to discharge the powers and duties of the office of President, then the Speaker of the House of Representatives shall, upon his resignation as Speaker and as Representative in Congress, act as President.”
Section 19 (a)(2) “The same rule shall apply in the case of the death, resignation, removal from office, or inability of an individual acting as President under this subsection.”
Section 19 (b) “If, at the time when under subsection (a) of this section a Speaker is to begin the discharge of the powers and duties of the office of President, there is no Speaker, or the Speaker fails to qualify as Acting President, then the President pro tempore of the Senate shall, upon his resignation as President pro tempore and as Senator, act as President.”

Neither Nancy Pelosi nor Robert Byrd actually resigned their seats in the Congress. Thus, neither of them qualified to become Acting President under the Presidential Succession Act.

Section 19 (d)(1) If, by reason of death, resignation, removal from office, inability, or failure to qualify, there is no President pro tempore to act as President under subsection (b) of this section, then the officer of the United States who is highest on the following list, and who is not under disability to discharge the powers and duties of the office of President shall act as President: Secretary of State”


Since the Term of the Secretary of state does not end at noon on the 20th Condoleeza Rice was (and is) The first black president and female president!

Don’t expect the media to back this up they’re too much in love with Obama.

Elementary, My Dear Watson, Elementary

What is so elementary? The reasons I'm not going to watch the new Sherlock Holmes movie when it comes out this Christmas. I have heard several people (who claim to be Sherlock fans) say that they are really looking forward to it, so I went and watched the trailer. At the end, two words came to mind. "Excuse me?" First of all, it doesn't really look like a movie a Christian should be watching - if stuff like THAT is on the TRAILER, what in the world is the movie going to be like? Second, it doesn't look like a good movie for a true Sherlock Holmes fan.

In spite of the fact that the actors that were chosen didn't seem accurate to me, that was by far the least of my worries. (Any period drama fans recognize Lestrade? I thought I was going to die. It's Mr. Pancks from Little Dorrit!) Anyhow, correct me if I'm wrong, but Sherlock Holmes was never involved with women. The closest I recall him coming to that particular evil was from A Scandal in Bohemia. And if I remember correctly, the reason he thought her an "exceptional woman" was because she'd outsmarted him - not because she'd stripped down to her rather lust-provoking red and black undergarments! Seriously! And then you throw in the explosive stuff. Totally not Sherlock. He had run-ins with snakes. He overdosed once or twice while undercover in drug dens. He narrowly avoided death by being squashed by --- what was it, a moving ceiling? But I don't recall any explosives. The movie looked entirely too Hollywood to be the Holmes I know and love. Some of his adventures WERE adventurous. Several of them were quite dangerous. But where's the guy who helps a distraught man find his missing bride? Where's the kind gentleman who solved the mystery of Mr. St. Clair after his wife came to tell of his long absence? And while we're on the subject, where is the Englishman in him? I certainly didn't see it in the trailer. Oh, and as disgusted as I was with much of said trailer, nothing could compare to the last few seconds. I am ashamed to know that I even saw it.

Perhaps you think me entirely too judgmental.

Perhaps you think me legalistic.

Perhaps your own mind has been warped by the blatant sin in movies today.

Judge me if you will.

Criticize me if you want.

Watch the movie for all I care.

But I won't change.

No sirree, I will not.

Quilt Giveaway!

Hey, folks, head on over here to enter a giveaway for a lovely quilt! There are two quilts to choose from, and both are beautiful!

Revenge of the Christmas Tree

Every year for as long as I can remember, my mom or my dad or both have complained about the number of needles that fall off of our plastic Christmas tree as we set it up. It's become as much a part of Christmas as the presents! Last year however, we did something totally new. We got a live Christmas tree. It was awesome! Of course, a live Christmas tree drops needles on a daily basis throughout it's lifetime in our living room, but we would just vacuum regularly. I really don't recall too many complaints. WELL this year we put up our plastic tree again. I am under the firm conviction that our plastic tree is mad about it's year off, because I have neverever seen so many needles come off of that plastic tree at one time. ALL over the living room - normal. I vacuumed. But this morning when I came into the kitchen, I gasped audibly when I saw the needles that were scattered across the whole kitchen. Did the elves get up in the night, pull handfuls off of the tree, and have a plastic pine needle war? So I swept. But, as in any family of more than zero people, there were people tracking through the kitchen before the needles were swept up. And the needles stuck to socks. And then came off on the carpet in the living room and family room. I guess I'll go get the vacuum out again...

Oh Christmas tree, O Christmas tree
How lovely are thy needles
They are as green
On tile clean
As on the carpet
and in between
Oh Christmas tree, O Christmas tree
How lovely are thy needles

Kiddie Quotes

A Kindergarten teacher was observing her classroom of children while they were drawing. She would occasionally walk around to see each child's work. As she got to one little girl who was working diligently, she asked what the drawing was.

The girl replied, 'I'm drawing God.'

The teacher paused and said, 'But no one knows what God looks like.'

Without missing a beat, or looking up from her drawing, the girl replied, 'They will in a minute.'



A Sunday school teacher was discussing the Ten Commandments with her five and six year olds.
After explaining the commandment to 'honour' thy Father and thy Mother, she asked, 'Is there a commandment that teaches us how to treat our brothers and sisters?'

Without missing a beat one little boy (the oldest of a family) answered, 'Thou shall not kill.'



One day a little girl was sitting and watching her mother do the dishes at the kitchen sink. She suddenly noticed that her mother had several strands of white hair sticking out in contrast on her brunette head.

She looked at her mother and inquisitively asked, 'Why are some of your hairs white, Mum?'

Her mother replied, 'Well, every time that you do something wrong and make me cry or unhappy, one of my hairs turns white.'

The little girl thought about this revelation for a while and then said, 'Mummy, how come ALL of grandma's hairs are white?'



The children had all been photographed, and the teacher was trying to persuade them each to buy a copy of the group picture.

'Just think how nice it will be to look at it when you are all grown up and say, 'There's Jennifer, she's a lawyer,' or 'That's Michael, He's a doctor.'

A small voice at the back of the room rang out, 'And there's the teacher, she's dead.'

Verses to Consider

I love the book of Colossians! Especially the third chapter. Here are a few of my favorite verses from that chapter.

Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your heart to the Lord. And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him. And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.

As to the Lord... anyone else have a hard time with that? I love to please my fellow man. Especially my amazing friends! I find that much of what I do is centered on pleasing those around me. I'm not doing anything wrong... my focus is just in the wrong place. Something to think about.