- Relaxing at home... reading a good book. I read the WHOLE book of Genesis today.. what an amazing story! loved it ;) Go
- Is at Panera... eating a bagel, drinking coffee, studying my first course from Moody! Reading alot of the WORD ... Go
- Going to bed... it's been a good day. Go
Here is something special you can make for someone on your Christmas list this year. Bead necklace or bracelet. It’s easy and fun and from you. I went to Hobby Lobby and got the beads, they have some pretty beads there.
They are about 2.00 and then the clasp was about 1.00. You will need some thick, clear string like fishing line. String them together, tie on the clasp and you have a special gift! It’s something you can do with your sisters unless of course you are going to make it for them. It makes a sweet gift idea I think.
Have a very Merry Christmas!
What does it really mean to “keep a home” does this go beyond just keeping things clean and picked up? I think so. I can speak from the example of my mother of all 8 children. Being a “keeper at home” from my perspective, a daughter in the home. Keeping home goes beyond the daily chore checklist, in my opinion.
“Keeping home” (Titus 2:5) has a spirit, a spirit of warmth and love to it. Making your home a place of love and inner warmth is your job as the woman. You create the atmosphere of beauty and peace. Those who come through feel the sense of love. Keeping things clean and fresh is a huge part of that but it doesn’t end there.
It’s the small things like: coming home and smelling supper on the table, lighting a candle in the window, simmering autumn potpourri, arranging a harvest center piece on the dining room table, hot mulled cider on the stove, arranging a country-autumn wreath for the door or baking a pumpkin pie! There are so many fun homey things you can do for your home.
All of these (except we bought the pumpkin pie, to be honest) fall ideas I have mentioned I experienced recently in our home. My mother is great at making home a real HOME. She made a beautiful centerpiece with gourds surrounding her “Harvest” Yankee candle for our dining room table and she handmade a beautiful autumn wreath for the front door.
There are so many little ideas that can make your home especially warm when you put your heart into your home. Just a little more thought going beyond just the basic needs. And those you love the most notice and benefit. Then you’re making your house a real home. And that makes your family enjoy and love to come home. That’s more than just “good housekeeping”.
The Christmas Conference 2004
It Was A Beautiful Christmas Evening…
I was getting ready for the Christmas program at church and I was late. I was running around trying to find the right tights to go with my outfit and make sure I found my shoes. I also needed a hairbrush and there was not one to be found anywhere. I realized I was going to be very late.
I was on the verge of tears the entire time I was trying to get ready. Knowing I was going to be late for the Christmas program I began to be very frustrated.
My family had already gone and I was going to go as soon as I could get ready.
I was all alone in the house. The house was almost completely dark except for the glow of the tree down stairs in the living room.
I was frantically running around and not finding anything. I had a huge lump in my throat I could not seem to swallow. Suddenly I gave in to the tears I had been holding back. I sat down on the bed and cried. I was frustrated and I was very angry and I really didn’t even know why. I had lost my Christmas Spirit.
As I sat on the bed tears pouring down my face, my head in my hands, I heard a sound of singing. I thought that the radio was on. I slowly got up to peak out of the upstairs window. Pulling apart the blinds, I looked down the street.
The snow was softly falling and I could see a group of carolers singing by the light of the street lamp. Their voices rang out loud and clear through the quiet streets of my neighborhood. I watched from the upstairs of my dark house as they sang joyfully to the silhouette that stood in the door, our neighbor man.
My heart immediately was at peace from hearing their songs about “…the little Lord Jesus….”
As I wiped my eyes I had an overwhelming sense that God had sent these carolers. On this cold and silent night I felt that God had sent them to my neighborhood and I was very encouraged.
These young carolers singing out in the cold never knew that I was listening, too. They never knew I was sitting in a dark room in the upstairs of a dark house crying in frustration and anger.
God knew. He knew just what I needed to hear that evening.
I realize how important it is to sing out among the darkness. I want to sing of the beautiful Light of the Baby Jesus through my life. Because I know the One who did bring light to a dark world one evening long ago.
You never know who might be listening for any sounds of peace and joy this Christmas.
” Enter into His gates with Thanksgiving and into His courts with praise; be thankful unto Him and bless His name”! - Psalm 100:4
This morning as I sat down to write out some things I was thankful for I realized how very much I have. I had to grab another piece of paper…
Tears clouded my eyes as I thought about what He has done. I realized every year I say the same things. God has provided more food than I can eat, more clothes than I can wear, and a wonderful place to live. He has given family and friends and the joy of living life.
He has been faithful through the years!
He never changes. He never changes! And He is faithful. He stays true when I failed in sin. And provides new mercy each morning I crawl out of bed thinking only about myself.
He has given me so much this year to be thankful for. But I realize I am most grateful this year for His unchanging faithfulness toward me. That I can say again thank you Lord for clothes, food and a home and family…
“Know therefore that the Lord thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations” - Deuteronomy 7:9
Lord thank you for your faithfulness. I don’t deserve anything you give. All I can say to your outstretched hand again is a humble whispered thank you with tears in my eyes and my head bowed low, I want to say thank you Lord, again.
Early in the first beginnings of summer Mom, Kyle and I went for a walk.
In downtown Flint there are not a lot of beautiful things to see and to look at. There are a lot of tall buildings and that’s about it. We went walking through the University of Michigan Flint campus and I did notice that there were some very beautiful flowers that lined the walk, also flowering trees that smelled just like spring. We walked down town and passed by a church built in stone and noticed that two beautiful dogwood trees stood beside the steps leading into the church. A couple of pictures went through my mind of the pastor greeting his people on a sunny afternoon on those steps… And I beautiful, happy bride and groom coming from those steps to start a life…
On the walk we just wanted to look at what spring had brought to Flint. I enjoyed that walk for days to come sitting inside the Inn when I couldn’t go out. I would go back in my mind to those flowers on that walk.
Here I live in Flint. It needs a lot more flowers. I thought of my life being a flower here in Flint. I can grow like Him even when I would really love to be planted in the country on the hillside of beautiful Amish Country Holmes County, Ohio or Prince Edward Island. Flint needs a lot more flowers growing here though. I have noticed that flowers grow from dirt something so beautiful has to grow from something not so lovely. And I need to grow here… I can “Bloom were I am planted” as the saying goes. God knows what He is doing and He has planted me in here. I think He must want more flowers in Flint.
I think that spring is trying to come again! The other day turned out to be a wonderful sunshiny day. Hiedi, Hannah and I were sitting out on the 3rd floor deck getting some sun rays on our faces. Mom then came up and asked if we wanted to take a walk to McDonalds. So she took all the kids out for a little walk down the block to get a yogurt. The sun was shining so brightly it hurt my eyes as I walked out of the Inn. I looked around me. Here I was, standing in downtown Flint. It was not beautiful, but the sun was shining. And I was happy to be out in the sun again.
I have always been one who loves, enjoys, and even needs the sun. When I was around thirteen years old I would lay in the sun for three hours straight. I got so brown. I loved it. I don’t do that as often now. I have gotten a little older and little wiser and started reading health magazines. 
The sun makes me happy. Sunny days are usually when I am at my happiest.
Spring is really not a beautiful season at first. The ground is usually muddy; sometimes it’s rainy and windy. But I like the spring it is a season that puts happiness and lightness in the heart. I was born in the spring.
I remember one springtime especially when I was fifteen. I didn’t know then the happiness that I would experience. The extreme love I would have for the little, tiny girl that would enter my life in the spring of 1999. A baby girl was born April 20th. The sweetest gift ever given to anyone, Hope. She put sunshine in my soul, I can tell you that. I was there in the birthing room. It was hard seeing mom go through the labour and pain. She was tired. Her eyes were tired. I looked at Dad. I could see worry in his eyes as well. I wanted to help though I couldn’t do anything for her but cry out to God silently in my soul. It was a hard birth for Mom. One of the hardest she said.
Finally she came. Hope came to that dark hospital room that early morning at 5:27. I looked at her still in the doctor’s arms. My first thought was “She looks like me!”
As the doctor gently laid Hope into mom’s tired arms Hope looked straight up into Mom’s eyes. Mother and Daughter meet for the first time. Hope was not used to the bright lights that were shining in her eyes. Blinking her little brown eyes again and again she never looked away from her mothers eyes. Then Mom said in a tired-happy voice “Oh Sweetie!”
I could tell hope and happiness was in Mom’s heart. I looked at Dad he stood on the other side of the bed I could see through the tears of joy hope, happiness, contentment and extreme love was there. He was happy and proud. Also thankful. Heidi, and Hannah were there too beside me. The worry and fear gone from their eyes. In an instant love, happiness, joy replaced it. Smiles again on their faces. My heart was light. I could just imagine God was looking down from heaven joy filling His heart as His gift of hope had filled the room early that morning.
When it was my turn to hold her I remember looking into her little brown eyes as I held her close and saying to myself “How could I ever love anyone more than I love this little girl in my arms?” I thanked God for her.
Mom amd Dad had chosen the name Hope America. America was our great, great Grandmathers name. We thought of how appropriate that name was for that very day. A day that a lot of hurting people would need hope in their lives. I believe with God nothing is by chance. I don’t believe in chance. I believe and know God sent Hope America to this world on that very day because He knew we needed her. America needs hope she can only find in Him.
Later that day as we were in our cozy, happy home with our precious Hope we heard the horrble news from Columbine. The killings had happened that very day. While we had a happy day full of celabration and joy hearing this news brought a sober note to each of our hearts. We thought of the families who had lost their young children that day. They needed hope. Some of them had none. The young men who had comitted this crime represented the need for hope in a loving Saviour.
As the birds sing in the blue sky, green grass begins to grow, crocuses push their way through the hard ground, tulips start to bloom and as you feel the warm breeze and the gentle sunshine on your face it’s all a reminder from God. We have the opportunity to spread the sunshine of salvation and to display the beauty of a life filled up with true hope.
1 Peter 3:15
“But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts:
And be ready always to give an answer of the hope
That is in you with meekness and fear.”
By Holly Allene Pierpont
Dear Friends,
I would love to hear from you. Tell me of all the new things that have been going on in your lives this year.
As I send this to you I pray that it will encourage & convict your heart as it did mine in writing it. I pray God will do awesome things in and through you this Christmas showing you things about Himself that you never have seen before. Draw close to Him as you ponder His Birth and give your whole heart to Him this Christmas.
Love & Prayers to you,
Holly Allene Pierpont
Riverfront Character Inn
Flint, Michigan
December 5, 2002
Luke 2:19
“And Mary kept
all these things and
pondered them in her heart”
