12.22.2008

200th Post & Blog Candy

Wow! I can hardly believe this is my 200th post. To celebrate, 'tis the season, I'm offering some blog candy to you! I love stories about Christmas and the special miracles that happen this time of year. So, just leave a comment sharing a Christmas miracle that has happened to you or your family and I will randomly pick one to win the blog candy!


Included is the Punches Three Hostess set, some Top Note die cuts of Ski Slope DSP, and a ready made kit to make this paper star using the 5-pointed Star Sizzix die cut, Felt Flurries and a rhinestone brad.


I will pick a winner next Monday the 29th! And don't forget: Tomorrow is the last for 10% off all retiring stamp sets and FREE Shipping on orders over $70! Click here to order now!

So I hope you have a very Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

9 comments:

Lissete said...

My sister was officially in remission for Christmas 2004. She was given the news 3 days before Christmas. Little did we know that it would be our last year with her. She passed away in Sept. of 05.

Jean Fitch from jlfstudio said...

Christmas Miracle

The first of many…I live my life by miracles or so it often seems. Some large and indisputably Miraculous… when your husband is dying and you live in a small town wouldn’t you love to end up at the one hospital where the surgeon on duty just returned from a conference with the worlds leading specialists on that specific problem and can make a few phone calls that end up saving your DH’s life! Add to that all the right techs being in the hospital on a weekend so all tests can be completed in 45 minutes or less (talk about a Golden Hour)! And that’s the basic story of a big one. Then again, some days finding a parking spot right in front of where you are going counts as a miracle in my book.

But…you asked for a Christmas Miracle…and those should be special and mysterious and perfect just like the first Christmas itself!

On the first Christmas Eve after my husband Steve and I were married in 1981… we were sad that our Abigail (Abbycat) cat had disappeared and not returned home for quite some time so no little kitty paws to go pitty pat through the house, looking for that stirring creature – a mouse. Still, we looked forward to Midnight Mass and leading our parish community in worship and song (gotta love that hour of Carols in a darkened Church), so we tuned our guitars and crossed the street (yes we were lucky enough to rent a cottage across the street from our parish – another of those miracles - lol)…and sang out our Christmas Joy at Christ’s birth with our brothers and sisters.

Halfway through the service I glanced out the open Church door and saw a sweet little cat swaying to the music but looking just a bit unsure of a welcome. She followed the whole service from that doorway hiding only when people started to leave. As we left the Church, I stopped to pet the sweet little thing (who had popped out of hiding thinking everyone had gone) and wished her a Merry Christmas. As we started for home, we heard the patter of little paws following us from a distance. And, every time we stopped to listen the paws stopped too! Once home, we discovered that we had a friend…so thinking perhaps she was a stray looking for room at the Inn we welcomed her with food and a bed (though she had to be coaxed and convinced it was safe). So once again, God provided not only our needs but our wants as well and we had a Christmas kitty for life!

As we found out later she needed us just as much as we needed her…She’d been abandoned on the steps of the rectory some time earlier and crept out to eat leavings from the Scout’s at the Church’s Christmas tree lot until the lot was struck Christmas Eve – with no home left God provided her need and our want.

We also found out later that she had suffered neurological damage (a bit like mine) from early trauma so had a few funny quirks (she couldn’t climb or walk a straight line for years). She was ever after a Church cat. We were the unofficial sextons for the Church and would lock up after every event and make sure that all was in order. We always made that part of an evening walk before bed and our little cat, Juano, followed us everywhere as if she was a dog, even if we went for a mile or more around the block! She loved to escape into the Church and play hide and seek in the pews kneelers. We would come back from turning off the lights and find her gazing and swaying (praying?) in the candle light before the side altar or, sitting up straight and tall in the Presider’s chair for all the world as if she was about to begin a prayer service! She also spent every afternoon at the Church’s School during recess and in the library after school until closing. So many lovely memories and even more miracles but that’s a story for another time.

God loves us enough to give us not only what we need but often what we want - wrapped up with all the trimmings if we only take the time to look for the miracle.

Whether it's for years or just for a minute...

May you always have, paw prints on your heart and soul (After all little one’s adore Him too!), and miracles every day of your life!

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night - Jean

ThreadCatcher said...

My Christmas miracle happened last year. While driving home on Christmas Day from visiting my parents our vehicle caught fire. We were on a very busy section of the interstate with no shoulder. We pulled over at the first exit we found into a small strip mall parking lot. It hadn't been plowed and because of that there was snow available to put out the flames in the engine. The vehicle was shot, but we were all safe...it could have turned out so differently. jmniffer

Dawn said...

My miracle may not be technically a Christmas one, but I'll share. I had complications before my first child, and afterward. I prayed, night and day, for almost 2 years for another healthy baby. After all the tests and all at a specialist, it looked like I would need surgery to clear my tubes to try again. Two weeks before my surgery date I realized I was late and took a pregnancy test. Since this happened many times before I didn't get my hopes up too high, but this time it came back positive and a blood test confirmed I was pregnant - without anymore costly procedures! I gave birth to a beautiful baby girl and am so blessed by my children I give thanks for them everyday.
Merry Christmas!

Margaret Moody said...

My Christmas miracle is happening now, this year, right now. My family survived Hurricane Ike as it ravaged the Texas Gulf Coast in late September. We had some wind and water damage to our home that wasn't covered by insurance, but it can all be repaired. Many others in this area were not as lucky. So many lost their entire homes and many lost their lives. We haven't worried too much this year about the usual hustle and bustle of Christmas and there are just a few gifts under the tree (much less than years past). None of that really matters because we still have each other and we still have our home. That is my Christmas miracle!

patti moffett said...

We've a true documented medical miracle...in April my youngest sister was diagnosed with colon and liver cancer...just a month after my older brother died of liver cancer...needless to say we were quite worried...she had surgery and the doctor recommended that she do a 6 month round of chemo, and then do more surgery for the liver...she received her healing while watching a revival in South Florida on TV...her doctor was skeptical and agreed to a pet scan after she developed a lump under her arm in Oct...the pet scan came back proving that not only was the lump not cancer, but the spots in her liver had totally disappeared and there were none in her colon...an additional pet scan on Dec 15th confirmed that she is cancer free. We thank God for His Son and for His healing grace.
blessings
patti

Cassie said...

congrats elaine on your 200th post! my miracle seems pale in comparision to those posted before me - HOW GREAT IS OUR GOD?!!?!?!!! But when I was pregnant with my little man (due end of Jan) my blood pressure kept going up and up, despite 2 meds and nights of rest. I had all the symptoms of pre-eclampsia and my doctor told me that if it didn't get better, he would have to take the baby. It was pretty early in Dec to want to do that; I spent the week before Christmas doing NOTHING and when I went in for my weekly BP check it had lowered enough to gain me another week. It held steady until the second week of Jan when it was safe to have my baby.

lisa808 said...

Merry Christmas!

I don't know if this is a miracle or just sheer will, but Christmas 1987 was my father's last. He was very ill and weak, but he spent a couple of hours sitting at the dining room table with everyone. Sadly, he passed away January 26, 1988 at age 45. Though we didn't have a lot of years together, they were very good years.

Thank you for the opportunity to win a great SU set.

Happy New Year!

Lisa

Fay said...

Hi! Although I don't have a Christmas miracle to write about, just wanted to congratulate you on your 200th post. This is the first time I've posted a comment on your blog although I've been following it for the last 6 months or so. Please don't enter me for your blog giveaway. Just enjoyed reading about your readers' miracles.

fay