Utmost hope

Tonight's message at Buckhead Church was one of utmost hope.  Andy Stanley shared with us the story of Zechariah and Elizabeth, a couple who had hoped and prayed for a child but reminaed barren.  After many, many years, the angel Gabriel visited Zechariah and told him that God was going to bless them with a son.  "But the angel said to him: 'Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard.  Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to give him the name John.'" (Luke 1: 13)  Their son John would go on to become John the Baptist, and the rest is history.
What an amazing reminder of how difficult and frustrating it can be when we pray for years, and it seems like God either isn't listening or doesn't hear us.  Sometimes, all we need is to know that He hears us.  And believe me, He surely does.  Not only does he hear our prayers, but He plans out every single detail of our lives according to His perfect plan for our lives.  Sometimes things take MUCH longer than we anticipate, and we start to grow restless, weary, and lose hope.  All I can say is to hang in there friends.  God is hard at work and will bless us according to His will and perfect timing.  Trust me, I have sat, hoped, prayed, and waited for years for certain things to happen.  And guess what, some of them finally have happened for me.  I know it's not because of anything I did, but it is because of God's faithfulness and promises to us.  "He has made everything beautiful in its time.  He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end." (Ecclesiastes 3: 11)
As we get busy and sometimes stressed out with countless holiday parties, work events, and presents to buy, let the Christmas season serve as a reminder that God always keeps His promises.  Even when we think God doesn't hear us and/or doesn't care about us, our faith and hope are not in vain.

Sharing

"Sharing what you have is more important than what you have."

(Albert M. Wells Jr.)

Fake it

Normally, I am not a fan of faking it...I want the real thing. However, when it comes to Christmas trees, I say fake it. While I totally get the appeal of a real tree (the scent alone brings back wonderful memories), I say go green and invest in an artificial tree.

You can use your tree year after year, and it will look just as lovely as a real tree. Plus, you will be saving time, money, and the resources necessary to grow the tree and get it to your house. If you do insist on buying a real tree, make sure you get one that has been grown locally and not shipped in from somewhere else.

This is a picture of my tree...it is artificial, and it is fabulous. Happy tree decorating!

Be thankful

Wow, the past few weeks have been beyond busy for me.  Lots of new, exciting changes are on the horizon for me, and I look forward to sharing them with all of you soon. 

For now, I just want to wish all of you a very Happy Thanksgiving.  I hope your day tomorrow reminds you of how much there is to be thankful for.  Give your loved ones extra hugs and kisses and let them know how much you love them.  My parents are in Italy with my brother and sister-in-law for Thanksgiving, and I am thrilled for them.  While I miss them, I am so excited that they get to spend this holiday with Andrew and Katie.  I hope they have an amazing time, and I look forward to seeing their pictures when they return.

I am volunteering tomorrow morning and then going to my dear friend Leigh Anne's house for a Thanksgiving meal.  Even though I wish I could spend the holiday with my family, I am thrilled to have such a good friend to spend it with this year.  I have been absolutely blown away by how many of my friends invited me to join their family for Thanksgiving when they learned my parents would be out of the country.  I really do have the best friends in the entire world.

Enjoy your day tomorrow and don't forget to say a prayer for those who might not have any food to eat.  Check out this post from last year which reminds us about not wasting leftovers-http://cestlaviebyelle.blogspot.com/2009/11/leftover-dilemma.html.  Make sure not to cook too much food.  If you do, freeze leftovers or give them to your guests to take home.

I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving filled with great company, laughter, and love.  Life is short, so always give it your all and give all you have to the world around you.

Dream BIG

This has been a very exciting week for me, and I look forward to sharing some big announcements with all of you soon.  As always, reach high, seek far, see deeply, and dream BIG.

Have a wonderful weekend!

It comes from within

"I was looking outside myself for strength and confidence,

but it comes from within; it is there all the time."

(Anna Freud)

New Baggu

As my loyal readers know, I am a huge fan of Baggu reusable bags.  Recently they came out with zippered bags that are simply fabulous.  Instead of using plastic bags, go green and use these bags instead.  There are many different colors and sizes, so get wild.  To order your Baggu bags, go to http://baggubag.com/#Shop.