Favorite Ornaments

What is your favorite Christmas ornament and why? The decision was easy for me, although I have many treasured ornaments, the Chrismons and the tiny, worn, red and gold balls are my favorite ornaments because they represent faith, love and family.

First, you will find four Chrismons on our tree each year. They were hand-made by my Aunt Jen a year or two before she died. If you are unfamiliar with Chrismons, they are generally hand-made ornaments that represent the Christian faith and the heart of Christmas. Their simplicity and beauty come forth on Christmas trees in ways that words fail to describe.

Second are the tiny, worn, red and gold balls my husband and I purchased the first year we were married. (1979) That first year our Christmas decorations consisted of a very cheap four-foot artificial tree and two boxes of red and gold balls. I called our Christmas tree a Charlie Brown tree! I have many beautiful ornaments on our tree now, but the little red and gold balls are among the most treasured ornaments because they represent hard work, sacrifice, love and commitment, they represent a deep strong current of love in our family that has survived and grown through the years.

What is your favorite ornament or ornaments and why? What does the tree in your home represent?

Wednesday’s Word: Marriage

To whom do you need to say thanks?  Be specific.  Today, my husband Tim and I celebrate 31 years of marriage and life is sweet.  Life is not perfect, life is not always easy, we disagree, we make mistakes but – life is sweet.  Today, I want to pause and say “thank you” to Tim: 

1. Thank you for being the person you are.  You are a godly man and a man worthy of your daughters’ respect, as well as mine.
2. Thank you for being honorable and wise – I have such great respect for your personal integrity.
3. Thank you for being a man of great strength – especially when I felt weak.
4. Thank you for being able to say, “I’m sorry,” and “thank-you.”
5. Thank you for working hard and providing for our family.
6. Thank you for the little things you do, like stopping at Lowes Food and picking up fresh flowers for me regularly.
7. Thank you for praying for our family and me over the years.
8. Thank you for staying with me – even when I have acted like a hideous, hormonal crazy woman in my younger years and a menopausal maniac in the later years.
9. Thank you for still telling me I am beautiful.  (But you really do need to have your eyes checked!)
10. Thank you for going with me to marriage enrichment events over the years, reading books on marriage, and actually applying the principles you learn.  (Love Dare and the Five Love Languages)
11. Thank you for supporting and encouraging me in adventures.
12. Thank you for making me feel treasured and cherished over the years.  You are a blessing to me and I am so grateful that our daughters have chosen men like their dad.

There is so much more I could write about my husband, but I will spare you all the details. Today, let me encourage you to say thank-you to someone and be specific.  Take it one step further, and publically comment on this blog!

 Chains do not hold a marriage together.
It is threads, hundreds of tiny threads
which sew people together through the years.
(Simone Signoret)

Wednesday’s Word: Blessing

Last Friday morning I received a Facebook Message, “Good morning, Mrs. Goodman! Will you and Mr. Goodman be home today around the noon hour? I’d like to give you a call if I could. ”

This message was from a young man who has been dating our daughter for a little more than a year – hmmmm, wonder what he wanted? Unfortunately I had to message back that “Mr. Goodman” would not be available until around 6 pm. So he messaged back that he would call around 7:00 pm. (Poor guy, it was going to be a long day for him.)

The phone rang promptly at 7:00 p.m. The young man began with a little small talk and then moved quickly to the point of his call. He told us that he loved our daughter very much and was calling to ask our blessing on their future marriage.

When did this honorable tradition return? The tradition of asking for parents blessing before proposing is such an honorable tradition and we were delighted to give our blessing to this young man.

What do you think about this returning tradition? It’s one thing to give permission for a young man to marry our daughter and it’s another thing to “bless it.” What does it mean for parents to bless their child’s marriage?  If you have children how could or how do you bless them?

Previous Wednesday’s Words

Hope       God     Encouragement    Arrogance      Desidarata 

      Priorities       Gratitude         Devotion     Neighbor      Service      

Peace         Rest        Veggies (Twisted Salsa Recipe)      B R E A T H E

“We’re still having fun . . and he’s still the one!”

How many years have you been married? (October 20, will mark 30 years of marriage for my husband and me – wow, time flies!)  How are you investing in your marriage? What could you be doing? What is the best thing you’ve done for your marriage in the last year?

Peter Frampton, Donna Summer, The Embers, K C & the Sunshine Band were all playing on the radio that year. The year was 1976 and I met a long-haired young man who would become my husband three years later. Now, after 30 years of marriage, I can still say he’s my best friend and I’m looking forward to the next 30 years. In fact, “He’s still the One.”

Marriage is not easy, even under the best circumstances. It takes effort, planning and investment. The Piedmont Triad area is blessed to have one of the greatest writers on marriage living right in Winston-Salem. Dr. Gary Chapman has written countless books that encourage and strengthen married couples. If you are married or are thinking about getting married and haven’t read one of his books, don’t walk – RUN to your nearest bookstore and begin investing in your marriage today by putting his suggestions into practice.

This year, as part of celebrating our 30th anniversary, my husband and I will participate in a marriage study at our local church, Hillsdale UMC, in Advance. We look forward to being with other couples who want to invest in their marriages and we look forward to learning new ways of strengthening our relationship. Even after 30 years of marriage, we have plenty to learn and we want each new year to be better than the year before! 

What will you do to invest in your marriage this year? Is your community of faith planning something to encourage marriages? Sharing your ideas will encourage others and give them ideas about ways to invest in their marriage.

Happy Anniversary Tim!  “We’re still having fun . . and your still the one . . . “