End of the Year!

I love New Year's! I have always thought that New Year's has gotten unfairly ignored. There is no gifts to collect or food to gorge oneself on, so why pay attention to it.

To me it feels like the slate has been wiped clean. What has happened this year is done and over with. If it was unpleasant you can always say "That was last year!". And not only that there is so much anticipation of what is in store for the coming year! I often think where will I be this time next year. New Year's day is like a breath of fresh air. Last year's junk is gone and there is nothing to do but look ahead! I love it!

So where will you be this time next year?

Great Quote

"Beautiful young people are accidents of nature, but beautiful old people are works of art."
-Eleanor Roosevelt

Christmas Letter

Every year I always think about writing one of those year in review letters to all of my friends and family. This year as I thought about what I would say I came to a conclusion. Every month this past year there has been an event or happening that was incredibly distressing or upsetting. Even though there has been a lot of good along the way, for the most part this has been an incredibly difficult year for us.

But I also saw something else this past year. I saw my friends and family standing beside us through it all.

And so this year’s letter is a letter of gratitude. To all of you who listened to my tears (and occasional whine)…thank you. To all of you who took my kids for a day or evening… thank you. To all of you who brought us food…thank you. To all of you who gave us clothing for our children…thank you. To all of you who were patient with us…thank you. To all of you who encouraged us…thank you. To all who stood beside us along the way…thank you, thank you, thank you!

We could not have survived this year without you!
May your Christmas and New Year be blessed!
Love, The O’Briens

Christmas Joy!

I usually don't like this time of year. Partly because it starts to get cold. And the days seem shorter. But mostly because of the manufactured joy! Right around Thanksgiving the Christmas songs start playing on the radio and it begins. Everyone starts to put a "joker-esque" smile on their face and is eager to great you with a "Merry Christmas" or a "Happy Holidays" (I am not going there about that comment!). While just a few weeks before they simply gave a terse smile. I always seem to struggle through the first part of December!

I found something this Christmas that is just amazing. It is a DVD that tells of the Star of Bethlehem. ( http://www.bethlehemstar.net/ ) It explains the wonders that the star proclaimed Jesus birth. This has brought me JOY.

Joy is not manufactured from false attitudes but from knowing that there is a God (who is a lot smarter than me!) who has complete control, who is loving and who is incredibly gracious! So this year I will look to the stars for my joy, because God has declared His wonders through them!

Out of the fishbowl!

Sometimes this whole pastor's wife is not what it is cracked up to be. I thought this picture was a great description!

Days like these!

There are days that I wake up with a song in my heart and it is as if the angels were singing over me, kind of like the cartoons. I can almost feel God smiling down upon me. The sun is shining. The birds are chirping. I know those days are going to be good no matter what because God loves me.

And then there are those days (like today) that I wake up and want to just crawl back into bed. Nothing bad has happened, it is just blah. The alarm clock is incredibly oppressive. The sky is overcast. The boys are complaining that they don't want to go to school. Summer has woke up crying. But I drag myself up out of bed and hug my boys and tell them to have a good day at school.

What is really amazing to me is that God is still smiling down upon me even on days like these. His love doesn't wane with the circumstances of the clouds. These days are still going to be good no matter what because God is with me always.

Striking the Ground!

"Take the arrows...Strike the ground." He struck it three times and stopped. The man of God was angry with him and said, "You should have struck the ground five or six times." (2 Kings 13:18-19). These words have really made me think. He could have received more of God's blessing if he had struck the ground more. How often do we limit God because we are not willing to ask him for more. He wants to bless us in abundance but yet we don't ask him. I do not want to limit him in any way in my life, yet I do.

This idea blows me away. Oh how we limit the power that God has given us. We tend to cower when crises come our way( James 1). We would rather fear evil than stand up to it Romans 16:18-20). When will we understand the limitless power of our God. He has given us the Keys to the Kingdom of Heaven and we have tied it on a shoestring hanging around our neck. Use it!!!!!

Adopting Summer

I have not been able to write because I have been preparing for our celebration in the adoption of our daughter. I can not tell you the joy I have felt for the past week. We officially adopted her yesterday November 17, 2007. She is ours and no one can take her away from us!

As we went to the ceremony there was a caravan of cars that included my parents, Robbie's parents and his brother's family. I was reminded of the scripture that says the angels in heaven rejoice when one person accepts Jesus. If our joy is only a whisper of the joy of heaven, then Heaven's joy is overwhelming!

God's Version

"We cannot earn what we have always had. What we can do is trust that what God keeps insisting is true about us is actually true." This quote is from Rob Bell's book Velvet Elvis. I read it this morning and it captured me. There are a lot of things that God says about his people in the bible. He says that we are loved, forgiven, sons and daughters of the King, and I could go on and on about all of these fabulous thngs. Then, why is it we choose to believe all of the negative things about us. "Our choice becomes this: We can trust his retelling of the story, or we can trust our telling of the story. It is a choice we make every day about the reality we are going to live in." I want my children to live in the reality of God's love, so I know that God wants the same for me. We tend to focus our energy on the negative instead of basking in the absolute beauty of His love for us. What good comes out of not accepting his love? What good do we gain from not accepting the grace in abundance that He so gently offers to us? Today I will believe what God is saying about his people.

Grateful Choices

I think there are a lot of churched people who have a problem with this whole paradise thing. They would say something about "This not being our true home" or "This is a fallen world we live in". But God has really been working on me about how truly blessed we are in America. Like many people, I here this said and it really doesn't sink in. I become so immune to this American lifestyle and litany of complaints that I am not fully aware of the beauty we live in.

Well, God showed me something this week that has made an impact. I watched a movie titled "Born in the Brothels". It is about the children of the "sex workers" in Calcutta, India. These children are scorned by society because of who they are. They are byproducts of their parents industry. And more than likely will end up in the same occupation. And yet they have hope that they will escape the sex trade.

So today I am grateful that my biggest choice will be what to buy at the grocery store. Instead of, should I sell my eleven year old daughter to the brothel in order to feed my family.

Seasons Change

Well it happened. It happens every year about this time. And every year I am surprised when it does. We woke up yesterday morning and it was cold outside. Now when I say cold I am saying cold from the perspective of a Florida native. It was cold enough that my children had to wear a jacket. I now there are plenty of you who are laughing at me because I really don't know what cold is (especially those of you from Philadelphia!!) I really do not like the cold weather (that is why I live in Florida!) Of course when my children come home from school it will be around 75 degrees. I am already looking forward to April!!!

Mother Guilt

Last week my youngest son Riley, 6, complained of a toothache. I dutifully scheduled an appointment that afternoon. When we got there I was horrified to find out how many cavities he had. I am not telling how many he had because then you would know what a horrible mom I am. He also had to have the tooth extracted. Unfortunately this is not the worst part of the story. When he went to bed that night he put it under the pillow for the tooth fairy. When he awoke the next morning he brought the tooth to me!!!! Yes, I had forgotten to do the quick exchange while he was sleeping. I explained to him that the tooth fairy was probably very busy and she would come by tonight. Unfortunately this is not the worst part of the story. I am sad to say that this same scenario played out the next morning... and the next morning... and, yes, the next morning. Until finally on the FIFTH day I told him. "I called the tooth fairy and she told me to give you this $5 and I will just take the tooth from you." I can not believe I failed him! I am sure he doesn't believe in the tooth fairy which makes it worse. He might be OK if a mythological creature forgot about him, but his own mother!!!! He would be better off if he did believe in the tooth fairy. Yes, Robbie and I are already saving up for our children's therapy!! I just hope we have enough!!!

"Welcome to Paradise" Part II

My title blog was a bit sentimental. And my title is a bit of tongue in cheek as well. Because I understand that Hurricanes hit Paradise also. I am not that sappy, but I am still incredibly grateful.

Welcome to Paradise

I wanted to explain the name of my blog. I live in one of the most beautiful places on earth. I am 7 houses from the beach. Every morning I go to the end of my street and see the most amazing sight, the ocean. Sometimes I just stay at the stop sign and take in the sights. I tell my children to look. "Look at what God has made". Of course they roll their eyes. They do not understand the majesty and beauty of the ocean, because they live right next to it every day. And I am always reminded that I am the same way. I have 4 beautiful children and a faithful husband and two loving parents and... I could go on and on.

Sometimes the ocean is peaceful and calm and the birds are flying in the air just like on the postcards and then there are days that the waves are pounding on the shore with such anger and force and energy. And then there are days that there are just nice waves that roll in with grace. But it is still the same beautiful creation that was created by God. It is still majestic! It is still mighty! It is....And that is life. It may be calm, it may be crazy, but it is beautiful!