Porter Christmas

Matt and I celebrated Christmas together at home before we took off to east Texas and north Texas to visit family. As you've seen in years past, we don't decorate a whole lot just yet. One day (though probably not until kids are involved!) we'll get a little more "in the Christmas spirit."

Here is our Christmas tree (with our homemade star!) and gifts.

Ginny has a stocking, too (or as our nephew Jonathan says, a "snocking"). We got her a little squeaky toy and I accidentally squeezed it when putting it in the stocking. That definitely got her attention! I hung it on the wall and she immediately started barking, growling (or "talking" as we say), and walking back and forth between the stocking and us, poking her nose around. We were cracking up. She definitely knew it was for her, and she was ready to open stockings!

FINALLY, it's time to open stockings!

She didn't waste any time...

Matt got me some jewelry, a nice coffee mug, a fanny pack (YES, I wanted one... back off!), a new shirt, and some other fun stocking stuffers.

I got Matt a NASA shirt (he was really into NASA stuff as a kid), a cool FFA mug (also a kid-Matt thing), and a trombone book, and some stocking stuffers.

And of course Ginny got her squeaky bone....

...which kept her busy long enough for us to open our presents before she destroyed it. :)

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Gainesville Christmas

First of all, I stole all of these pictures from my mother. :) There is a whole album full of pictures on her Facebook page, but I'll just share a few.

We got to spend a few days in Gainesville, and one day with EVERYONE! It was great! We got to spend time with our newest nephew, Atlas (who is way sweet, by the way), and have a blast with all of the other kids, too. They are all pretty sweet!

Athens Christmas

We got to spend a few days in Athens to celebrate Christmas with Matt's family. We went to ICE! at the Gaylord, which was pretty neat, but super cold. It took a while to get the feeling back in my fingers and toes. :)

We also got to spend a lot of time just visiting and hanging out!

Merry Christmas!

Advent in Word: Matthew 1:18-25

Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet:

 “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,


    and they shall call his name Immanuel”

(which means, God with us). When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus.

Advent in Word: Romans 1:1-7

Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy Scriptures, concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh and was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord, through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of his name among all the nations, including you who are called to belong to Jesus Christ,

To all those in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints:

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Advent for Today: Walking with Jesus: Living into the Age to Come

And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.

This has been encouragement for the people of God for centuries as so many faithful have lived, reflecting the cross of Christ and greatly anticipating and waiting for the coming of Christ. The mantle is now ours to take up.

In waiting, it is easy to become tired or weary. This begins early in life as children wait for the coming of December 25^th. As each day passes, the anticipation grows but so does anxiety. They know the day is coming but quickly grow tired of waiting! This ability to grow tired quickly does not fade with age. The more we experience, the more tired we become. The more we face sufferings or just the worries of day-to-day life, the more anxious and weary we grow.

Yet, we receive the commission and we hear, “I am with you always,” and we are spurred onward. Something in us is moved and changes. And like the faithful ones who have gone before us, we know we must continue on, not sitting on our hands in tiresome waiting but taking up our cross in faithful anticipation.

For we have witnessed the cross of Christ. We have seen the glory of his resurrection. And we know it to be true, that he is with us always, to the end of the age.

So as we have reflected upon the first coming of Christ, the child, and are reminded of his second coming in glory, may we take up the call. May we take up his mission in the world and for the world, today. And as we faithfully work in waiting, may the grace and peace of our Lord, Jesus Christ, be with you always, even to the end of the age.