December 23

 Well, a day filled with Christmasy doings!

First, a trip to town (following our quiet time) to purchase two final gifts and the last few necessary groceries.

Then home, to prepare some cookie trays and kitchen gifts.  

Next, we headed to the home of relatives to drop off cookies, fudge, apricot cakes, and Christmas granola.

Then it was out to lunch with friends from Missouri at the Bird Dog Cafe, a favorite local spot of ours.

Home again to pack a box to send to faraway loved ones -- really more of a birthday box for a late-December birthday, but also containing plenty of cookies and fudge for the entire family.

Then my hubby's sister stopped by, so she had to sample fudge and cookies and she filled a paper plate "to go".

While Mr. T went to the post office, I called our Nevada daughter for our weekly chat.  While we talked, he baked a batch of Whipped Shortbread, the cookies pictured at top.

And that has been our day.  A good day!

December 22

 

I honestly feel as if I accomplished very little today, but my  hubby says that getting all of the Christmas cards written and on their way is a very big accomplishment indeed.  And I know he's right.  It was a lot of cards.

It all reminds me of an older poem which I'd found in a used Christmas book and blogged about on my Christmas blog in 2014.  Here it is:

LORD, BLESS THE CARDS WE'VE WRITTEN
 Myrtle Beeler Day

Lord, bless the cards we've written;
May they bear a joyous greeting.
Bless the gifts we've wrapped and tied;
May they radiate Thy love.
Bless the wreaths that we have hung
In doorway, stair, and hall;
May they speak of life eternal.
Thy dominion over all.
Bless the lovely candle
Shining forth into the night;
May it carry far and wide
The wondrous message of Thy light.
Bless all the sweet traditions of Thy dear, holy birth;
May they lead us in the worship of
The Savior, Lord of earth.

There are some wonderful thoughts there and some timely prayer requests! 

So let's see ... yesterday afternoon I made another double batch of Christmas granola and packaged it in quart jars for gifting.  I also put together a cookie plate for our neighbor who I knew would appear at our door any day bearing a loaf of freshly baked sourdough rye bread.  

And in fact, that exchange of goodies took place today.  Tomorrow I would like to make a few more kitchen gifts and get a package on its way to Nevada, but we will see!

Sunday Scripture

 

I've been posting Sunday Scriptures on both of my blogs this December, taken from an Advent study I did in 2013 with Good Morning Girls.  The study, Keeping Our Hearts Focused on Jesus, is still available as a free download; it's not too late to get it, though it might not be of a lot more use to you this year.  You could save it for next year!  Scroll down and click on the book-like image, and the pdf should open right up.  More than just a Bible study, this is an ebook that includes recipes, Advent activities, and more.  I think it will be a blessing to you.

I've mentioned before that I like to use the SOAP method of Bible study, and the studies from GMG use a very similar one.  I find this method a real blessing whether I am studying shorter passages or longer ones, so I hope you'll give it a try if you haven't ever done so. Just a reminder that the S is for Scripture -- just write it out -- and the O is for Observation, the A is for Application and the P is for prayer -- concerning how you'll apply this verse or passage,  or praise for what it means to you.

This fourth week's verses are focused on Peace.  If you downloaded the study and are following along with it, this is the one from December 23.

S= "For unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given, and the government shall be upon His shoulder; and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace."  (Isaiah 9:6)

O= Written by the prophet Isaiah, these beautiful words speak eloquently of Christ's birth.  No ordinary Child, the government would be upon His shoulder.  The fact that this child is given these names of God -- Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace -- prove once again that Jesus is in fact God.

Since the emphasis this week of Advent is on Peace, I wanted to look somewhat more closely at the name Prince of Peace.

Jesus is the One Whose rule will bring peace At His birth (and death) He made possible peace between God and man. At His second coming, He will establish His kingdom in peace at the onset of the Millennium. Our world desperately longs for and tries to achieve  peace in the middle east, but as believers we realize that lasting peace will not transpire until the end of this age when the Prince returns and bring His peace.

Adrian Rogers notes that Jesus "is the secret of peace—of personal peace, domestic peace, international peace. And, world peace waits upon His coming, but friend, you don’t have to wait ’til Jesus to come for you to have peace. For the Bible says that 'therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ' (Romans 5:1)." 

A= I've been reminded that "Wonderful" is a noun and speaks of Christ's Person  and His work on my behalf.  Because I have accepted His free (but oh-so-costly) gift of salvation, I can see Him at work in my life every day in these magnificent roles.

Counselor -- I can turn to His word every day for guidance and wisdom.

The Mighty God -- He is sovereign and all-powerful.  What a difference it makes in my daily life when I acknowledge this!

The Everlasting Father -- God Himself is my Heavenly Father and cares for me in every area of my life.

The Prince of Peace -- As I trust my Heavenly Father and rest in His love, trusting and acknowledging His sovereignty over my life, I will have His peace in my heart.  This peace that passes all understanding could only come from the Prince of Peace!

An Our Daily Bread devotional helps with our application: "Christmas is the season of peace. The Old Testament tells the story of how God set the stage to introduce the Prince of Peace. Jesus came to break the cycle of sin and blame by making peace for us with God 'through the blood of His cross (Colossians 1:20)   Instead of blaming us for all the trouble we cause, He bore the blame for all of us ... When we accept forgiveness from God, we lose our desire to withhold it from others. And when we live in peace with God, we are eager to make peace with others. We can both give and receive the gift of peace this Christmas. "

P= "Lord, I praise You for all that You are, as depicted in this beautiful verse.  I praise You for Your magnificent work in salvation and for drawing me to where I accepted Jesus as my Savior.  Since that has taken place, I can see the realities of this verse in my life every day.

"I thank and praise You for Your Word, in which I can find counsel, guidance, and direction for my life.  I praise You that You are the Mighty God, omnipotent and sovereign over all the events of history, working all things together for the good of Your children and for Your glory!  I thank You that You are my Heavenly Father, perfect in Your love and care for all of Your children.  And I praise You so much so much for Your peace which garrisons my heart as I commit my cares to You.  Truly, You are wonderful!

I praise You in Jesus' name, Amen."

And that's the Sunday Scripture for this third Sunday in December!

December 20

 

Today has been another full day!  We picked up a couple more Christmas gifts and did a lot of baking.  My hubby made another batch of Eggnog Logs -- the cookie part only they still need to be frosted.

I made a double batch of Christmas granola and will likely make another double batch tomorrow. Today's granola is for a friend who will soon have an influx of family coming to stay.  My hubby packed up a large container of cookies and a tin of fudge for the same dear friends.

I wrote Christmas cards for our church family, and both Mr. T and I prepared Christmas devotionals for our Sunday School classes.  These will be smaller classes than usual as so many folks are taking part in our Christmas cantata, and will have their dress rehearsal during the Sunday School hour.  

That may be it for Christmasy things today.  Tomorrow will need to be the day to write all the rest of our Christmas cards.  It's coming fast!

December 19

 

Just popping in with a quick report from today and last evening.  Yesterday afternoon I worked on some kitchen gifts -- little apricot cakes.  They are wrapped in plastic and waiting in the freezer to be wrapped more festively.

Festively wrapped loaves from a previous year

We did stay at our cottage last night and it was such a delight to be there on a winter evening with the little place decorated for Christmas.  

The photos above are older; I must get some updated ones that show our indoor decor and some new colored lights on the outside of the cottage.

I wrote a few Christmas cards and worked on a small crocheted gift while we were there.

Today we had an hour or so to visit with our second oldest granddaughter, here on a short visit from Georgia.  She heads back tomorrow.  We enjoyed Christmas cookies and tea together and she took a plate of cookies when she left.

I did a bit of Christmas shopping this afternoon -- just a few more gifts to find!

My hubby and I also worked together to make four pans of lasagna to freeze as gifts for friends.

He also took inventory of his cookie supply and noted he needs to make another batch of Whipped Shortbread, Eggnog Logs, and Chocolate Mint Crisps.

I'd hoped to finish the small crochet project this evening, but that didn't happen.

And that was our day!

December 17-18

 

Yesterday was a day of laundry, housework and catching up from our overnight getaway.  The picture above was taken in Kennebunkport, Maine.  We detoured there on our way home on Tuesday and took a short walk around this charming town so well decorated for Christmas.

I will post more about our getaway later, hopefully, but I want to share these beach pictures especially for my friend Pam, who had wished to see them.

You can see how we had to walk through a bit of snow to get to the actual beach.

 

Today I am hoping to send out some more Christmas cards and emails, and then work on a few kitchen gifts this afternoon.  We will see!

It's a mild day and promises to be a mild night, so Mr. T wants to stay at our cottage, so that may impact how much I accomplish here.  I will check back in tomorrow and report!

December 15-16

 I will post more about this in the next few days, but we just returned from a wonderful overnight getaway to the coast of Maine. 

We stayed in a charming seaside inn, enjoyed delightful food, Christmasy decor and lights inside and out, walked on a beach, and just had a relaxing, refreshing time.  I even got a few Christmas cards written and worked on a small handmade gift.

Tomorrow it will be back to the busyness of life and of the season, but I am coming back to it rested and refreshed.

Sunday Scripture

 

 I'll be posting  Sunday Scriptures on both of my blogs this December, taken from an Advent study I did in 2013 with Good Morning Girls.  The study, Keeping Our Hearts Focused on Jesus, is still available as a free download.  Scroll down and click on the book-like image, and the pdf should open right up.  More than just a Bible study, this is an ebook that includes recipes, Advent activities, and more.  I think it will be a blessing to you.

I've mentioned before that I like to use the SOAP method of Bible study, and the studies from GMG use a very similar one.  I find this method a real blessing whether I am studying shorter passages or longer ones, so I hope you'll give it a try if you haven't ever done so. Just a reminder that the S is for Scripture -- just write it out -- and the O is for Observation, the A is for Application and the P is for prayer -- concerning how you'll apply this verse or passage,  or praise for what it means to you.

This week's verses are focused on Love.  If you downloaded the study and are following along with it, this (interestingly enough) is the one from December 14.

S= "Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod, the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem,

"Saying, Where is He that is born King of the Jews?  For we have seen His star in the east, and are come to worship Him."  (Matthew 2:1-2)

O= The Gospel of Matthew, as C.I. Scofield explains, "was written originally for the Jews" and "presents Christ as the Son of David and the Son of Abraham.  Because He is portrayed as King, His genealogy is traced to King David; and the place of His birth, Bethlehem, the home of David,  is emphasized. 

Verse 2 is considered the key verse in the book of Matthew.  It emphasizes Jesus as King -- and King of the Jews, at that.  It's interesting to me, also, that these wise men, obviously Gentiles, came "to worship" this King.

As one scholar noted, "They had come to bow down in adoration and reverence to the King of kings. How is it that these Gentiles recognized what His own people refused to accept?"

A= Is Jesus King of my life?  Am I acknowledging Him as sovereign over every aspect?   I think of the hymn which begins, "King of my life I crown Thee now; Thine shall the glory be".  Is that my mindset?  It should be!

Someone has written, "Jesus is King of our lives, so we must serve Him all of our lives."

P= "Lord, I thank You for the amazing way in which Your Word fits together, the way in which You inspired the various writers to share information that would target different aspects of the Bible for specific purposes.  It's also a blessing to see how accurately prophecy has been fulfilled.  

I praise You for the privilege of owning multiple copies of the Bible in my own language.

And Lord, You know the desire of my heart that I would have You to be King of my life.  Thine shall the glory be!

In Jesus' name, Amen."

That's the very simple Sunday Scripture for this week!

December 13

 Today has been a busy day -- our annual tradition with four of our local grandkids.  It has evolved over the years but now is essentially a three-part day:  (Photos are all from previous years.)

1.  Breakfast at our house, using Christmas dishes.  This year's menu was breakfast sliders, hash brown casserole, cinnamon apples, eggnog coffeecake, and hot spiced cider.

2.  Hours of crafting fun with all kinds of materials.  Ornaments were made, also gift tags, a charming Christmas tree, an amazing reindeer, and a Santa dragging a pack made of walnut shells.  I failed to get photos, but hopefully their mom will.

3.  Ice cream sundaes at Kellerhaus, a place we took our own kids to every Christmas season.  Such fun to be able to carry that on with the grandchildren.  

I also worked a bit on a small crocheted gift project.  Tonight my hubby and I cleaned up the kitchen and I prepped a main dish for tomorrow's fellowship meal at church.  

And that was our day!

December 12

 

Today is another busy day with lots of Christmasy plans, preparations, and events happening.  

After our quiet times this morning we headed straight to the grocery store.  I think that this trip has caught us up to date on components for cookies and kitchen gifts.  I haven't calculated how many pounds of butter we've bought this season, and it's probably just as well not to know.

After putting the groceries away, I made a schedule for the rest of my day, and my hubby went to the kitchen and started making cookie dough for a new kind he wants to try: Maple Thumbprints.  We'll see how they come out.  If we like them I'll link to the recipe.

Then I added a ribbon and tag to my gift for tonight's Ladies of Grace Christmas party.  

After lunch I plan to put together breakfast sliders for tomorrow's breakfast with four of our grandkids.  This breakfast is a tradition every December and is followed by crafting and possibly candy making.  In the afternoon we'll head out for ice cream sundaes at a favorite destination.

The breakfast menu will include the sliders (with sausage, eggs, and cheese), a hash brown casserole, cinnamon apples (I'm trying a crockpot recipe this year that's different from my usual skillet but sounds scrumptious!) and a simple coffeecake.  (Not sure yet if I'll bake that tonight, or in the morning.)

There is likely to be a plate of Christmas cookies to snack on during their crafting endeavors.  I don't have specific crafts planned; I'll just get out the totes and boxes of Christmas craft materials and the kids will take it from there with their endless creativity.  I may even get to make an ornament or two myself!

I'm hoping to do a little more Christmas decorating and possibly some cleaning this afternoon.

I'll be bringing lasagna and a cookie plate for tonight's party, which is always a lovely time.  

It looks like my hubby will be wrapping up his cookie baking soon.  It will be nice to have that all done!

December 11

 Today has been busy with all kinds of things, including a dental appointment for me and putting snow tires on our car for Mr. T.

In addition, he baked the apricot-filled Sacher torte cookies and the lemon spritz cookies shown above.

I made a lasagna for our Ladies of Grace Christmas party which is tomorrow night.  It's an easy make-ahead, so I prepared it today and will bake it just before the event.

I also made a hash brown casserole for a breakfast we'll be doing on Saturday with some of the grandkids.  Very helpful to have that done ahead.  I will try to do more components for that meal tomorrow.

Another Christmasy  thing I did was to wrap my gift for tomorrow night's gift exchange.  

And worked on posts for my Christmas blog ... that may be about it for today.

December 10

 Lots of Christmasy happenings here today!

Mr. T baked and frosted another batch of Eggnog Logs.  He also baked a batch of Lemon Shortbread Thumbprints and made a batch of Special Holiday Fudge.

I finally got around to baking Double Chocolate Peppermint Cookies from Ambitious Kitchen.  They involved a lot of work but are beautiful and delicious.  There was an option to make them a peppermint mocha flavor so I did that.

I listed a few more Christmas cards in my Etsy shop and worked on more posts for my Christmas blog.

We got the lights on our Christmas tree and then between us we mostly got it decorated.  There are a few more things I want to add, and a few more decorations to go up in the house, but mostly we are in good shape for our annual grandkids breakfast and craft time which will be Saturday.

It snowed all day, which was another Christmasy thing, and I had Christmas music playing as we worked on our various projects.

December 9

 

Let's see,  I feel as if very few Christmasy things happened today.  On my part, at least.

My hubby baked a second batch of the Gingerbread Coffee Cake Cookies because he had streusel topping left from yesterday's batch and wanted to use it up.  

He also baked a pan of the Cranberry Cheesecake bars.

I was going to try a new chocolate candy cane cookie recipe and even softened the butter for it, but it was after 2:30 by the time I could have started, and that just wasn't happening.  Tomorrow!

He is currently working on putting up the Christmas tree, and he restrung the lights on our little outdoor fir tree to make them look better.

I had soooo many computer tasks to attend to; things to order, customer service people to communicate with, emails to send on my hubby's behalf.  I had an Etsy order to prepare and send.  I did send several Christmas cards to friends, and a birthday card to a Nevada granddaughter.

Tonight I need to compose some more Christmas emails to missionaries.  We may get a start on decorating the tree, but we'll see what happens!  Tomorrow is supposed to be snowy, so we will be happy to stay in and enjoy our Christmas preparations.

December 8

 

So yesterday afternoon we were able to go to the Lakes Region Symphony Orchestra's Christmas concert, titled North Pole Playlist.  Our granddaughter and several of our friends play in this orchestra and the Christmas concert is always a fun one. 

Today my hubby has been baking cookies and stringing up outdoor lights.  I think he also is thinking of bringing in the Christmas tree this afternoon too, but we will see!

He is currently working on Christmas tree spritz

and earlier finished Gingerbread Coffee Cake Cookies.

 
I've been cleaning, doing laundry and just a bit of decorating, working on Etsy listings too.  I just scanned the little 1950s Rust Craft card, below.  Isn't it fun?

 
And soon it will be time to think about supper!  Another busy December day, but I am seeking to do every bit of it in a celebratory spirit, as to the Lord.

Sunday Scripture

 I'm planning to post Sunday Scriptures on both of my blogs this December, taken from an Advent study I did in 2013 with Good Morning Girls.  The study, Keeping Our Hearts Focused on Jesus, is still available as a free download.  Scroll down and click on the book-like image, and the pdf should open right up.  More than just a Bible study, this is an ebook that includes recipes, Advent activities, and more.  I think it will be a blessing to you.

I've mentioned before that I like to use the SOAP method of Bible study, and the studies from GMG use a very similar one.  I find this method a real blessing whether I am studying shorter passages or longer ones, so I hope you'll give it a try if you haven't ever done so. Just a reminder that the S is for Scripture -- just write it out -- and the O is for Observation, the A is for Application and the P is for prayer -- concerning how you'll apply this verse or passage,  or praise for what it means to you.

This first week's verses are focused on Hope.  If you downloaded the study and are following along with it, this is the one from December 1.

S= "And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word.  And the angel departed from her."  (Luke 1:38)

O= This is Mary's response to the angel Gabriel as he came to her and explained that she would become the mother of the Messiah.  Though she didn't (and couldn't possibly) comprehend all that was to entail, she responded with "behold, the handmaid of the Lord" -- basically saying "I am God's servant."  

And then she added, "Be it unto me according to thy word" -- or, "let it happen as you have said."  What an amazing statement for an unwed teenage girl to make!

David Jeremiah comments, "This is the glory and wonder of Christmas, that God could plant not only into the womb of this woman the Son of God, but He could plant in her heart the faith to believe the message that she received from the angel. Her response has always overwhelmed me with a sense of absolute submission that ought to be in the heart of every child of God. Mary said, 'Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word'..” 

A= I have the entire Bible.  I may not understand all of God's plan for my life, but I know it's a plan for good and not for evil.  Therefore, how much more do I need to obey God unquestioningly.  I need to see myself consistently as God's servant, and to accept His plan for my life -- without question or complaint.

David Roper wrote, "What is God asking you to do? It may be something magnificent, or something ordinary. It may be to respond actively to a command of Scripture, or to submit patiently to present suffering."

“What God arranges for us to experience at each moment is the holiest thing that could happen to us,” commented the 18th-century writer Jean-Pierre de Caussade.

"Are you able to accept each moment with grace and submission? Can you respond to the Lord as Mary said to the angel, 'Let it be to me according to your word'?" -- David Roper

P= Lord, I thank You so much that you have provided the example of Mary for us to observe.  We see her trusting response to the angel's news and are so rebuked by it.  So many times we want to question what You are doing.  Mary had questions too, yet once the angel provided reassurance she had this response of unhesitating acceptance.

"I pray that You will help me to be Your trusting, obedient servant, as Mary was.

I pray in the name of Jesus, Amen."

And there is the very simple (yet profound) Sunday Scripture for this first Sunday in December!

December 6

Lots of Christmas busyness today.  My hubby has made salted caramel fudge and has frosted the Eggnog Logs he baked yesterday.  He has just finished putting together a cookie tray for a Christmas party we'll be attending this evening.

He's baked a lot of Christmas cookies in the past few weeks, and I more or less finalized our tentative Christmas cookie list, not a moment too soon.

I've packed an Etsy order and listed a few more Christmas cards.  Also ordered gifts for December birthdays, one Christmas gift,  and worked on a future Sunday School lesson.  Lots of laundry too.

I also wrote a Christmas blog post and worked ahead on some Sunday Scripture posts.  Tonight we attended a Christmas party with the logging crew my hubby used to work with.  A very nice time and lots of yummy food.  It's always a highlight of our season,

December 5

 Let's see, what Christmasy things have I done today?  Quite a few, actually, though not as many as I had hoped to do.

First off was the Advent Bible study I've been working through.

Next, I prepared an Etsy order, a sweet little vintage Christmas card someone had ordered.

We went downtown, mailed the order and visited a favorite thrift store.  Mr. T found some timers for his outdoor Christmas lights, and we picked up a few lovely things that we may use for gifts.

Next we cleaned the church, and I put away some harvest-y decor there and got out a few Christmas things.

We came home, had lunch, and I prepped another Etsy order, this one filled with vintage Christmas goodness.

We had errands to do downtown anyway, so we mailed that order and then did our grocery shopping.  Mr. T popped into our local soap works, right next to the post office, to get some of their shampoo bars as he is running really low on that.

At the grocery store we picked up many components for cookies, fudge, and other food gifts.

We came home, I got supper into the oven and worked on more Etsy listings while Mr. T baked Christmas cookies.  In the meantime, a third Etsy order showed up, but I'll package and mail that one tomorrow.  

Now it's after supper and I'm working on posts for both blogs.  A busy day!

December 4

Probably the most Christmasy thing I did today was to put out some Christmas decorations at our little cottage.  The sign above, for one.  I got out other signs and ornaments and put them here and there, even adding a vintage dish Christmas dish towel in the kitchen!

Meanwhile, Mr. T got the Christmas tree out of storage and put it in the loft window.  With the help of grandson Sam, he strung outdoor lights on the gable end -- colored icicle lights!

He has also baked two batches of cookies today and made a batch of fudge!

December 3

 

Today hasn't been terribly Christmasy unless one counts browsing the Christmas aisles at Hobby Lobby and TJ Maxx.  But the 5 inches or so of new snow from yesterday are giving everything a "White Christmas" look.  Very cold weather is on the way, so this snow is likely to stick.

I have worked today at composing some Christmas emails to missionaries our church supports.  Our missions team has been racking our brains to try and think of good ways to encourage our missionaries and so for December we are trying to fill their email inboxes with personal messages.  I designed a graphic to use for the two emails my hubby and I are sending this week, as we are trying to tie each week's emails to the various themes of Advent.  

I did enjoy my browse through the Christmas aisles and ended up finding a few gifts.  I also picked up some Christmas-themed parchment paper which will be lovely to use in wrapping kitchen gifts.

At BJ's, my hubby got a gigantic bag of chocolate chips to use in making cookies and fudge.  At Ocean State Job Lot, he found raspberry and apricot preserves and lemon curd to use in his cookie baking.

I also got out my list of holiday ingredients that we refer to every year, to see what we still need to  buy for our Christmas cooking and baking.  There are a few things, so those will go on the grocery list.

And ... we received our first Christmas cards in the mail today!

December 2

No idea, really, if I will make it here each day.  I am posting daily at my Christmas blog, so hop on over there if I happen not to be here.

It's a snow day here; has been snowing steadily all day long!  The forecast has been downsized from what was originally predicted, but it is still snowing.  

Mr. T made a foray over to our cottage this morning and dropped off an extension ladder so he can string outdoor lights there tomorrow.  We also plan to get our indoor lights there (electric candles, and a Christmas tree in the upstairs window) set up and placed on timers.

Other than that, he has been baking cookies all day long: Blond Brownies; Cookie Dough Brownies; Raspberry Shortbread Thumbprints ... and I think maybe two batches of Heavenly Delight fudge.  He stopped for a few ingredients on the way home from the cottage.

Meanwhile, I packaged an Etsy order, prepared some more Etsy listings, did some decorating, sorted out a large recipe binder which had popped open when Mr. T dropped it.  And did several loads of laundry.  

And that is our Christmasy report for Tuesday, December 2!

Some goals for December

 A new month means new goals (and with me, always some ongoing ones as well).  The December calendar page is already beginning to fill up!  Here goes:

* Keep up with Flylady's homemaking zones of the week
* Spend time with our friends who are younger believers
* Enjoy our church ladies' gathering and gift exchange
* Post in this blog as often as possible 
* Post in my Christmas blog every day if possible
* Continue planning and making Christmas gifts and decor
* Continue planning for family birthday gifts and crafting any handmade ones
* Continue studying and preparing for my Sunday Scripture blog posts
* Do an Advent devotional study
* Finish Even If, a study of Habakkuk from the Daily Grace Co.
* Continue stocking my Etsy shop and continue selling vintage items
* Write at least 4 encouraging notes to friends and family
* Help and encourage my local daughter as I'm able
* Plan meals with a greater emphasis on healthy eating
* Get early light each morning
* Get to bed by 8:30 each night we are at home
* Drink enough water each day
* Walk and/or exercise at least 4 times each week
* Possibly plan a few get-togethers with friends 
* Brainstorm about Christmas with my daughter
* Plan and prepare food for Christmas
* Bake dozens of Christmas cookies (my hubby will do most of this)
* Work at our volunteer jobs as needed
* Prepare kitchen gifts (cookies, fudge, snack items and more)
* Write and send out Christmas cards
* Attend and participate in Christmas events at church
* Enjoy our traditional Christmas activity with four of the local grands
* Write and schedule December posts for both blogs
* Prepare and send at least one gift box to Nevada
* Decorate our home for Christmas

HEALTHY HABITS FOR DECEMBER:  Drink more water/get more sleep/exercise daily/intermittent fasting/limit carbs/get morning light

WORD FOR 2025: Trust 

And there you have it -- a few goals for December 2025!