Christmas Houses

Every Christmas except our first I have painted one of these little Christmas houses. Similar (and probably nicer) ones can be purchased in several stores every Christmas season, but I thought it would be more special to actually paint the ones I have. They will be more personal that way.

They can also be lit up with a bulb inside like the store-bought ones, but I didn't want to figure out the lighting system this year. We don't have a really good place for them right now. Maybe next year we'll have a larger accent table to place them on and we can set up the lights.

I received two houses for my birthday this year, but I only had time to paint one of them before Christmas. I considered painting the other one soon after Christmas and getting another one to paint before next Christmas in order to have one for every year we've been married. But then I thought about the long-term consequences of chosing to have a tradition like that. I would then have to paint one every year to keep up with myself. Right now that sounds fine, but when the kids come I'm sure life (and my amount of free time) will look a look alot different. Therefore, I may just wait and paint my extra one over the course of this year for next Christmas.

More than Conquerors

"No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 8:37-39

This struck me this morning because it is easy to let the things of this world bog us down and steal our joy in the love of God. I work as Office Manager at a pregnancy resource center (formerly known as crisis pregnancy centers) and we are currently getting ready to move to a larger location this Saturday. We are in the process of adding medical ultrasound services to be better able to provide life-affirming options to women in unwanted pregnancies. Through all of the transition, it is VERY easy to get stressed out and overwhelmed by all that needs to be done practically to make the transition smooth. As other members of our staff have seen evidences of spiritual warfare in their own lives because of this step of faith for the ministry, I believe this is my evidence of spiritual challenge and testing.

Am I resting in the reality of my status as a child of God? I am more than a conqueror because He has rescued me from the depths of my own sin. He will never cease to love me or uphold me and nothing in this world can separate us. My prayer today is that I will rest in these amazing promises. That I will surrender my worries and cares before Him and let Him carry me. He will uphold me and allow me to stand firm under the weight of spiritual attack as I am standing on the front lines of God's work in my job.

"Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen." I Peter 5:6-11

First Harvest

Here you go, Dad! My first harvest!

:)

My parents visited us over Labor Day weekend, partly for my birthday and partly to go see the John Williams orchestra at the Hollywood Bowl with us.

One of the birthday presents I got was this miniature mandarin orange tree they. My miniature rose bush had previously almost died because of too much sun (as did this tree during the end of September!). I had thought it would like sun and not like too much water since it is a citrus, deserty type of plant - I was wrong. It likes partial sun and lots of water. Same with my rose. My dad also said that they needed names so that they would feel loved. So I now have "Rose" and "Mandy".

Anyway, so they have both recovered completely. "Rose" has a new bud (in November!) and the 3 little oranges that were green on "Mandy" when I got her, have started to turn orange. This one in the picture is the smallest one, so maybe that's why it turned orange first. Nathan and I enjoyed the juicy fruit last night. The back of the orange's skin split open while it was on the tree, but the inside fruit was still good - we didn't eat the two wedges that were open to the elements.

Christmas Tree

We bought our tree last night and decorated it. That's always a fun time that we spend together getting our home ready for the Christmas season. We play Christmas music and put up the lights and ornaments together. This is our fourth Christmas as a married couple - and just as special as the first!

When we went to pick out the tree, we went to the cheap section (even though $25 might not sound cheap to Oregonions!) which only has 6-7' douglas firs. We have very tall vaulted ceilings in our living room in our new home, but the taller the tree, the more expensive the price tag! So I pointed to one of the 6-7' footers that looked like it might be on the taller side. Nathan stood it up so we could look at it, and it looked good - we bought it. Just like that. :) Nathan's parents (who went with us since they have a truck to haul them home in) even went with their first pick also. Amazing, huh? It seems too easy, like it's supposed to take forever, looking at every tree in the lot before you find the perfect one. :)

Cinnamon is sufficiently scared of the tree - mainly because we have the dreaded vacuum cleaner standing next to it! We also have the vacuum and tree lights on a remote control so we can turn them on and off from a distance. For example, when we were going to sleep last night, we heard Cinnamon batting at ornaments already, so Nathan turned on the vacuum cleaner from his place in bed using the remote control (it still worked even though the tree is in the other room!), which scared her away from the tree. When she associates the vacuum turning on apart from us, it upholds the threat that it might turn on at any time - keeping her away from the tree out of fear... It works pretty well for the first couple of weeks. :) We have a lot of crazy techniques for disciplining her - it's preparing us for children. :)

Victory!

The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who give us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.

I Corinthians 15:56-58

Wedding Day

On December 3, 2005, at 7:00pm, my good friend Joanna became a Mrs.! The day went fairly well and overall, was a very nice wedding. The wedding color was dark red. The ceremony was very Christ-focused. The verse that the pastoral charge was centered around was Joshua 24:15, "...But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord."

I really enjoyed being Joanna's matron of honor. We both had our hair done by a friend. I always try to keep my hair-dos in overnight so that I can enjoy it a little longer, so my hair is still up in curls as I write this. :)

They are currently on their Honeymoon, but I look forward to sharing more time with Joanna as the years go by - now as two married women! God is so good to bring about blessings in His perfect timing. To God be the glory, great things He hath done!

Thanksgiving Baby

All of us Hughes' were sitting around the dinner table having dessert a little after 7:00pm on Thanksgiving Day when we got the happy call...

Nathan's cousin had delivered her first baby on Thanksgiving Day! Michelle and her husband, Ken, are now proud parents to David Kenneth, 9 lb, 6oz, 22". Quite a large bundle of joy! :)

They live in Northern California, so we weren't able to see pictures for a couple days, but it's sure fun! David is the first boy of that generation. He is our first cousin-once removed, and will be our children's second cousin. My sister tells me that's how it works. :)

I look forward to seeing him grow - I'm so used to all the little girls that I see all the time here in Santa Clarita, what with having 4 nieces! Hopefully Ken and Michelle and David be able to visit sometime soon. One of Nathan's sisters is going to have a boy in April, so we will get to enjoy a boy baby more locally soon.

"Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one's youth. Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them!" Psalm 127:3-5a

Bridal Shower

I have officially hosted a bridal shower now! My best friend, Joanna, got engaged on October 28th and is getting married on December 3rd - yep, moving pretty quickly. Their first date was January 4th and they knew each other before that, so the relationship does have more history to it. :)

Anyway, so I only had 2 weeks to plan a shower. I am the matron of honor and will be the only female attendant in the wedding. I had lots of help from friends and my mother-in-law, who has planned many showers before! :)

Many of us wore clothes from India in honor of Joanna - the shirt I'm wearing is one that Joanna got for me the last time she was home, so it too is an authentic Indian garment.


This is Joanna with her fiance, Cameron. She is from India, he is from Maine. They seem very happy together and well-suited for each other.

"He who finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favor from the Lord." Proverbs 18:22

"'Many women have done excellently, but you surpass then all.' Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised." Proverbs 31:29-30

Second Born

I was doing some quizzes this morning that blogger has and there was one for "Birth Order Prediction". Since Jennifer and I are always joking that I act more like the first-born than she does, I thought I would take it. Interestingly enough, though, they pegged me as the second-born that I am! Here is what they said:

You Are Likely a Second Born
At your darkest moments, you feel inadequate. At work and school. you do best when you're evaluating. When you love someone, you offer them constructive criticism. In friendship, you tend to give a lot of feedback - positive and negative. Your ideal careers are: accounting, banking, art, carpentry, decorating, teaching, and writing novels. You will leave your mark on the world with art and creative projects.

I don't know how much stock I would put into quiz results, though, since there is often more than one answer that could work for you. But, I thought it was interesting. :)

Here's the quiz link in case you're interested in taking it too:
The Birth Order Predictor http://www.blogthings.com/birthorderpredictorquiz/

Joy in Christ's Provision

Last night was the last evening of the Ladies' Bible study that I attended this fall at my church. We were going through Philippians. In addition to finishing chapter 4, we spent some time wrapping up the whole book. A lot of people assume that Philippians is about joy - yet it's more than that - it's about Jesus Christ, the source of our joy. This one section by Warren Wiersbe is a really practical guide as "Suggestions for Keeping the Joy in Your Life":

1. Surrender your mind to the Lord at the beginning of each day.
2. Let the Holy Spirit renew your mind through the Word.
3. As you pray, ask God to give you that day a single mind, a submissive mind, a spiritual mind, and a secure mind.
4. During the day, "mind your mind!"
5. Guard the gates of your mind.
6. Remember that your joy is not meant to be a selfish thing; it is God's way of glorifying Christ and helping others through you.

The four different "minds" in point 3 are the titles he gave each of the chapters of Philippians. If we notice that we're losing our peace and joy, we need to stop and take inventory: "Is my mind focused on Christ, submissive to His example, seeking the knowledge of Him, and secure in His provision? What kinds of things do I surround myself with all week?"

The ultimate blessing, though, is knowing that we CAN do this - we CAN renew our minds and have peace and joy in our hearts. God has given us everything we need to do His will and to give Him glory. He has promised us so many things - Philippians is chock full of promises - and He WILL do them.

Our responsibility in light of this is to think about God, think about Jesus Christ, and think about the Word of God. What we fill our minds with will directly affect what we feel and do:

The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul;
the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple;
the precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart;
the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes;
the fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever;
the rules of the Lord are true, and righteous altogether.
More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold;
sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb.
Moreover, by them is your servant warned;
in keeping them there is great reward.
Psalm 19:7-11

Be Still My Soul

This is a hymn that we sang in church today. I thought it was very appropriate to remind us in every circumstance that God is to be trusted. He is the one constant in our otherwise changing lives. I am very thankful to serve such a faithful God.

Be still, my soul: the Lord is on thy side.
Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain.
Leave to thy God to order and provide;
In every change, He faithful will remain.
Be still, my soul: thy best, thy heavenly Friend
Through thorny ways leads to a joyful end.

Be still, my soul: thy God doth undertake
To guide the future, as He has the past.
Thy hope, thy confidence let nothing shake;
All now mysterious shall be bright at last.
Be still, my soul: the waves and winds still know
His voice Who ruled them while He dwelt below.

Be still, my soul: the hour is hastening on
When we shall be forever with the Lord.
When disappointment, grief and fear are gone,
Sorrow forgot, love’s purest joys restored.
Be still, my soul: when change and tears are past
All safe and blessèd we shall meet at last.

Be still, my soul: begin the song of praise
On earth, be leaving, to Thy Lord on high;
Acknowledge Him in all thy words and ways,
So shall He view thee with a well pleased eye.
Be still, my soul: the Sun of life divine
Through passing clouds shall but more brightly shine.

Pumpkin Pie

So, I've been craving pumpkin pie for several weeks now. It's probably my favorite pie - simple yet full of flavor. I kept looking for canned pumpkin to go on sale in the grocery store, but no such luck until this week. I got all excited, and purchased a can of pumpkin and a can of evaorated milk with the intention of making a pie this week. I thought about buying cloves as well because I'm never sure which spices I have or not since I am still somewhat of a newlywed with a new kitchen. I opted not to buy any since I'm pretty sure I have made pumpkin pie before.

I checked with my mother-in-law to see if I can bring the pie to family dinner tonight so that Nathan and I don't have to try to eat it all ourselves (although I'm sure we could!). However, when I started to make it at 9pm last night, I discovered to my horror that I didn't have any cloves after all! By then, there was no time to run to the store that night, but I still wanted to make this pie. So, Nathan suggested I could buy some cloves before work tomorrow. So I made the crust last night and refrigerated it so at least that part was done, then I bought cloves at 8:15am this morning and the checker joked that it was my breakfast. :)

Now, all of that is over and there's pumpkin pie smell wafting through the house as it's cooking. Mmmm.... The only challenge left will be getting it to Nathan's parents house while it's still fresh-out-of-the-oven hot. :)

I realized that I like making pies, and that once you get the hang of it (and figure out a few tricks), making pie crust is actually not that hard. I'm looking forward to the days in the future when I will be spending most of my days at home. I long to spend more time making our house a home. Getting to experiment more with dessert recipes is only icing on the cake. :)

"By wisdom a house is built, and by understanding it is established; by knowledge the rooms are filled with all precious and pleasant riches." Proverbs 24:3-4

Trick 'or Treat

Tonight we have had 3 groups of trick or treaters at our condo. We didn't get any trick or treaters at our old apartment, so it's been kinda fun handing out candy. We also had the joy of having Emma and Felicity come over to "trick-or-treat". They can't talk or eat candy, but Nathan's parents wanted to bring them over in their costumes to show us. They went as characters from the movie "Monsters Inc." Emma was Boo, the little girl that comes into the monster's world and dresses up like a little monster so that no one will notice her. Emma looks alot like the little girl in that movie when she's in pigtails, so that's where the idea came from. Felicity was Mike Wazowski, the one-eyed green monster. You can't see her "eye" in the picture, but it was a large white circle with an eye drawn on it that went on the front of her outfit.

On Saturday night, I went to the Ladies Fall Fellowship at our church. It was a great time to spend time with other ladies in the church. We had a "scavenger hunt" of sorts by trying to find things on a list that we might have brought with us - each table worked together to try to win. My table didn't win, but we had fun! The speaker was Donna Shannon, who goes to Grace Community Church. She spoke on Keeping our Thoughts Captive - which is a constant learning curve for me, and I'm sure, for most women. Her key phrase was:

"We do what we do and feel what we feel because we think what we think."

That is so true. It is a good reminder to remember that there is always a reason why we feel and do certain things - they don't come out of nowhere. We have first sinned in our hearts and minds before sinning outwardly, so that's where we need to focus on pinpointing sin and confessing it. She encouraged us to talk to ourselves rather than listen to ourselves. :) We need to constantly remind ourselves of the truths of the Scripture and what we know to be true of God and those around us.

"Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things." Philippians 4:8

Girly Family Dinner

For those of you who don't know, we have dinner with Nathan's family every Thursday night at his parent's house (with the occasional exception). Well, last night it turned out that Nathan was the only guy there! His dad had to be at some sort of dinner. His brother-in-law, Gary, had to work late. And his brother, Matt, and his wife, Tara, are in Hawaii right now on vacation. And, to top it all off, every one of the little kids are also girls. :) To help out those of you who aren't familiar with Nathan's family, it goes like this:

His parents are John and Phyllis.
Jennfier is the oldest and has been married to Dan Hall for 10 years. They are pregnant with their first baby - due in May.
Jessica is next and has been married to Gary Duncan for 9 years. They have Hannah, 3 years, Lauren, 15 months, and are pregnant with their third - due in Apirl.
Nathan is next and has been married to me for 3 years. We have no little ones yet.
Matt is the youngest and has been married to Tara for 3 years. They have Emma, 16 months, and Felicity, 4 months.

Needless to say, I got some cute pictures of Nathan being a good uncle to his nieces. My sister, Jennifer, said I need to put some pictures up on the actual blog as well as having the links on the side of the screen (our album in Hughes Pics is updated constantly!). So here are some pictures from last night.

This is our oldest niece Hannah with Nathan. She has taken to climbing up to sit next to him recently. When we told her that Nathan was watching football in the other room (since he was the only guy) she promptly went in there to "hang out" with him. Very cute!

This is Lauren. The rocking chair is one of two that Nathan's parents had for his older sisters.

This is Emma. She is our little firecracker - and she's had all that hair since she was born!

This picture of Felicity was actually taken by Nathan's mom - none of the ones I took of her turned out last night. She is our current small niece and looks to be following in her sister's footsteps of being very active!

Day Off

Nathan and I took the day off of work yesterday and really enjoyed it. It's going to be hard to not get used to that. :) He had an interview in the morning that was 4 hours long - he's not sure yet if he wants it... it depends on if/what they offer him. I was able to meet with a friend of mine who wanted some alterations done as well as go grocery shopping during that morning time.

When he got home, we ate lunch, then went shopping together. We went to seven different stores, looking for various things. We bought a pot and some cactus soil for the miniature mandarin orange tree my parents got me for my birthday. Hopefully it will get settled and happy in its new home so that when next summer hits it will be more prepared - I almost killed it in the month of summer I had it. :( We also got parts to a frame for a cross-stitch I am almost finished with (I'll put up a picture when I'm done), and we each got a shirt.

We went to dinner at IHOP - that was instead of going to a movie since there's not much really exciting playing right now - and they're about the same price. :) We were going to stay home in the evening and watch "The Interpreter", but it turned out that Dan and Jennifer (Nathan's sister and her husband) were still in town from their visit this weekend. They are staying at Nathan's parent's house and Matt and Tara had dropped off their two girls there as well during their night classes. So, in addition to watching the movie with Dan & Jennifer and John & Phyllis (Nathan's parents), I got the wonderful privilege of rocking Felicity to sleep - she's 4 months old. :)

Overall, it was a nice, fun day - the best part is that we got to spend it together. Now, we're off to work again - going about the business of life.

Here are the lyrics to a song we sang on Sunday that got stuck in my head this morning after my shower:

We fall down, we lay our crowns at the feet of Jesus.

The greatness of His mercy and love at the feet of Jesus.

And we cry, "Holy, Holy, Holy." We cry, "Holy, Holy, Holy."

We cry, "Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lamb."

First Posting

Hi Everyone!

I'm not sure how often I will be able to post, but I thought it would be fun to keep a blog - I can share thoughts as well as pictures with all my long-lost friends and family. And this site is free, so Nathan doesn't have to take time away from work to make me a site.

In church today, we had Don Trott speaking. He's with ABWE. He focused on being passionate about what's truly important. Passion doesn't flow from a divided heart, doubting heart, or a distracted heart. Passion requires committment, confidence & concentration. He pointed out two examples of choosing ONE thing, the best thing, and focusing on that: David in Psalm 27:1-4 and Mary in Luke 10:38-42. I need to make sure that God is my focus every day, not just on Sundays, not just on the days when time is readily available... EVERY day. I need to make sure that I don't get so busy doing good things that I lose sight of my Lord. I can't let the truly essential thing, knowing God more, get crowded out. This is my biggest struggle recently. I need to make a point to spend time with Him - regardless of the other good or fun things that I could be doing. He is to be my first priority. I need to live as if that were true.