Remembering Bill Hall

Remembering Bill Hall

The first time I remember hearing Bill Halls voice was early 1974. There was a Tornado warning for the Donelson area and Mr. Hall specified the Opryland Area. We lived directly across the street from where the park use to stand. My step-mom had rallied us into the center of the house and raised all the windows.

The electricity kept going off and on, off and on. I was 10 years old and terrified of storms. The comfort of Mr. Halls voice brought my mom comfort which in turn help me remain calm.

For years each time a storm found its way to our area I would find myself turning to Mr Halls alert because of his calming voice. When I moved away from home I recall telling my mom I couldn't get use to the local news because Dan Miller and Bill Hall weren't in my region. It just never felt right.

Bill Hall, You have a mighty role to fill, up there in Heaven. You know He only calls the BEST home early! Rest well and enjoy those beautiful days of everlasting Sunshine!

one of those…Moments!

Today I had one of those…Moments.  One of those that happen in a split second but will stay with us forever!  It brought this MeMe to tears!

 
My 9 month old granddaughter Jersey was standing alone looking at the bright lights of the Christmas tree while shaking her little legs to Sounds of the Season music in the background.  I squatted down to take a break and suddenly the reflection of the lights on the tree where shinning in her big blue eyes.  No camera could have caught this moment more perfectly!  She took that precious hand and pulled me to her and gave me my first big MeMe kiss all by herself!    Ahhhhh......it took me back to my daughters first Christmas when she too was 9 months old and enjoyed our tree.  Moments like these make being a stay at home MeMe so powerful and reaffirming.  It's these days she won't remember but Meme will!

PEPPERMINT BARK DISK

 

  

This is so easy and fun to make!  Quick too!

Ingredients:

• Bag of Wilton White Candy Melts
• Bag of Wilton Dark Candy Melts
• Large Candy Cane crushed (sold at Walgreens 2/ $1.00)
• One Candy Mold (I am recycling the insert from my frozen quiche appetizers)
• toothpick

After washing the disposable Quiche tray that I saved from going into the garbage I placed two Candy Melts in each circle.  My favorite is using 2 white but the kids love them mixed. 

Microwave for 1 minute.  Swirl with toothpick and sprinkle the Crushed Candy Cane onto the top.  (If it hardens to fast you can rezap it in the microwave for 5 seconds. 

Place tray in freezer for no more than 3-4 minutes.

Remove from freezer, tap or turn upside down and voila…there you have your wonderful Peppermint Bark Disks! 

I told you it was to easy!  Experiment and play with other flavors too! 

Last year we melted 25 candy melts of either color in a large Wilton decorators icing bag and added ONE DROP of Cinnamon Oil.  Microwave for 1 minute and continue at 15 second intervals until melted.  (Each oven is different and you don’t want them to burn! 

Oh My Goodness…the scent that filled the air was overwhelming!!!  Then we simply pipe the candy into our molds and the flavor was delicious! 

Go ahead…borrow my idea!  Really!  

Let US sing!!

God is so good!

God is so good!

God is so good, 

He's so good to me!

He answers prayers!

He answers prayers!

He answers prayers

He's so good to me!

I love Him so!

I love Him so!

I love Him so

He is so good to me!!

This song has been in my heart all day today.  When I sing it I am taken back to my very young days of  being ages 8 /9.  Two Rivers Baptist Church always had something going on for us kids!  Always!!  We would go on weekend church retreats just an hour or two away from home and you'd think we were going cross-country!  The entire time we were in the bus we'd sing and sing and sing some more!  The retreats were usually brought to a close with an open invitation and lots of praise worship.  How I love my praise worship!  They could take an energetic group of kids and by "lights out" they would have us deep in thought about our own personal relationship with Jesus.

It's during these years that I learned to pray as a child and to look at my soul and reflect on my choices I made.  As I've grown older I've come to cherish the "praise and invitation" time for such deeper reflection and also found it to be a cleansing time...a time to really tell all that's on heart.

Tonight as I celebrated Christmas  with my Dad, my sister, my kids and my grandchildren I found myself praising privately inside.  Rejoicing in my family.  Reflecting on how good, how very, very good God has been to me!!  Also how very good God has been to my family.  All of them.
So in closing this day
look back and realize what you DO have...not what you want or hope to get.  Relish in what's here, what's now and what you hold dear.
sweetest of dreams...

-bri

What is YOUR gift?  

Creating, Creating, Creating.  I'm was told I had to relax as my blood pressure has spiked twice tonight well over  202/ 112.  On the last check it was 158/104 so hopefully it's dropping.  ughhhh.  If the ears would stop ringing and the headache would stop then I'd be in tip-top shape!! anyhow...

As you know with me there is always a GOOD SIDE to everything...and the good side here is I get to sit in front of my computer and create with ALL these digital elements! This is my relaxation!  YIPPEE!  I miss having a group over at Cafe-mom and creating tags for the ladies there.  We use to share so much in testimony and fellowship.  After 3 years of planning, organizing and meeting new friends, the time had come where I needed to pass that opportunity on to someone else.   Honestly I couldn't dedicate myself to 6 hours a day online and that's what running an active group takes.  One day maybe I'll have the time to do that again.  Meanwhile I will continue to indulge myself for fun!!

Over the years I've seen more and more decorations that celebrate the true meaning of the Christmas.  I'm often convicted to use some of the elements I find online and some of those I create to honor our Lord Jesus.  Convicted sounds harsh but it's true.  If I can take the time to create and spend the money to purchase items to celebrate special events and holidays - then why on earth would I not celebrate the one who made this day possible?  Santa's, snowmen, trees, elves, gifts and the list goes on and on...it's only right to rejoice and spread His love as well even on something so simple as a digital image.  Maybe this is my way of sharing His love with someone that doesn't know of Him personally.  Maybe this is a calling in a way to reach out to those that don't know or have never heard the name Jesus.  Maybe??  Nope...it's not maybe...I'm certain it is. All one has to do is follow the flags on my homepage to see the many places my blog is already being seen and this is the new blog!  Use your gift...no matter how small or silly you may think it is!  He can and will use you!!

So here's just a few I managed to make over the last little bit. You are more than welcome to share these on your own personal blog but please do not use these in any commercial way as I do not own the rights to all of these.  A few I made the actual image, others I just managed to drag, drop and created text to add with them.  Enjoy my friends ~  

     Goodnight my friends.  Have a great nights sleep and remember HE IS THE REASON FOR THE SEASON!

It's 3:10 am and I should be in bed.  
There is so much on this brain
I've caught up on two weeks worth of blogging and cant seem to find where they just posted....hummm

*see how Lenora did in Gastonia, NC in the Teacher of the Year finals
*check on Joye, Joye
*make several more batches of Peppermint Bark
*check BP
*design a digital Christmas card and email as I've not mailed the two stacks in front of me
*mail box to West Palm Beach
*go by cemetery
*take bread to Tanisha at Dr. Swauncys
*journal........
*pack
*gift for dirty Santa party
*church on Friday/Saturday nights
*check email!!
*call Gracie
*call Megan
*recheck BP .. lol
*nap

GO TO BED NOW to be up by 7 and get this list completed
sweet dreams...

Is that TINKER-BELL?  

It's Riley all dressed up by herself for her 3rd birthday!

Looks like they have the same beautiful blue eyes!

It's amazing to think that Miss Riley is 3! She is such a ham and so much fun to be around! Her energy is always at high speed and she is guaranteed to make you laugh!  Honestly she speaks with the most keen sense of imagination I've ever seen in a child her age and then, out of nowhere, she'll make some random extremely educated remark and you catch yourself having to close your mouth!  Riley is refreshing.  She makes you remember to have a good time!  

Unfortunately at this years party her bestest little friend that she's had since birth, Miss Karsyn was unable to attend.  Karsyn has recently been diagnosed with a very rare form of leukemia and is presently living about 3 of 4 weeks in Vanderbilts Childrens Hospital here in Nashville.  As difficult as I can only imagine it was on Julie and Larry to celebrate Rileys big day I know that Karsyn was on everyone's mind and hearts!   In fact they were selling armbands for TEAM KARSYN to help go towards the proceeds of her already astronomical medical bills.  Fortunately they are able to visit weekly and let the girls enjoy each others company which is to me just so precious!  

Well, as the party was underway, rollerskates, cake, gifts and arcade games were going in full swing by everyone that attended.  Big Sister Jaylen even got in on her age groups skating contest and made 3rd out of 4!  This was her first time to skate in the 9-10 year old division.  The party was an incredible success and Riley was showered with more TinkerBell costumes and dress-up items than imaginable!  I tell you that girl plays dress-up and enjoys her toys more than anyone I know!!  When you purchase a gift for Riley it's a guarantee that it will be well played with!  

Riley...you are a bright ray of delight.  You have just the perfect mix of your Mom and Dad thats created the most creative, fun-loving and exciting granddaughter this MeMe could be blessed with!  I look forward to watching you blossom and grow in the coming years and share with you the meaning of being a "Middle Sister!"  

Happy Birthday Riley Claire!  

Bashful?

 Riley?  

Never!!  

Hey...even fairy's and princesses have to pick ever once in a while!   lol