Saturday, December 22, 2012

Christmas mail

I wanted to make a little Christmas mail just reminiscing over the past year - a year full of blessing and encouragement. My last six-monthly appointment this month gave me a clean report. I can only thank the Heavenly Father for His constant care. One son got married, David went to a new Home. I am still in love with my husband, something to be unbelievably happy about! When I see all my boys sitting next to each other in Church then I only have a deep, deep, thankfulness which wells up inside and bursts in praise to God!
I also had a time when I started to complain. I felt cut off from the world. My latest trip to Holland and the wonderful counseling of a great friend of mine helped me to make a decision - I will be where God wants me to be because of who He IS, not because of what He does. It has brought a new peace into my life! Having a relationship with somebody means you love them for who they are, right? The same goes for God!! I just want to be a blessing to other people and share His Peace and Light.


Our family picture

Another feat was that I made my first real English Christmas cake, I didn't know I could do it, but enjoyed the process immensely, especially making Marzipan,  it was easier than I thought. So, I made four small ones, as I thought they would make nice Christmas gifts, but only managed to give one away :)



This is the only one I have left. I think I received the piece of lace from Susanne, Illinois - everything comes in handy! So now I have my mince pies, sausage rolls, spicy pears and peaches and other Christmas specials ready. Tomorrow I am going to marinate my turkey (which is called brining). The recipe is here for those interested. I made my own 'bouquet garni' from the herbs I have in the garden. Tied a piece of string around them and put them in a little yoghurt pot so they don't dry out.




Then I have a Chistmas card to share. I have a lovely basket which carries the cards I have received in the past years, it is a treasure chest! I love to look through them for inspiration. I got inspired to make this one using distress markers. Gives such a different look to using a distress pad.



And I made a couple of vintage tags which I added to two gift packages.

To close I wanted to quote a devotional which just confirmed what I wrote above. It speaks volumes to me and I want to cherish it for the coming year and work with it.

Quote
A Father and a Friend
Luke 11:1--13
"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find ..." (v. 9)



The great danger of a quiet time is that we will use it as an opportunity to petition God rather than to know Him and be known by Him. I thought back to a statement I remember reading in C. S. Lewis's book, Prayer: Letters to Malcolm, to the effect that the older he got the less involved he became in petitionary prayer. "The strange thing is," said Lewis, "the more I pray for things the less my prayers seem to get answered. I think God is leading me on to ask less and less for things and more and more for Himself." Then he expressed this profound thought: "Prayer is taking part in the process of being known." I glanced up as I wrote those words and looked out at the trees in my garden.


God knows everything there is to know about those trees, but they are not persons so they cannot join in the process of being known. God knows all there is to know about me, but that objective knowledge is quite different from the process of drawing close to Him in prayer and letting Him know me through my opening up to Him. One is objective knowledge, the other experiential. And what is breathtakingly marvelous about all this is that in every spiritual tĂȘte-to-tĂȘte I hold with God, He seeks to draw my soul into such a relationship with Him that I know Him as a Father and a Friend. Such knowledge is almost too good to be true. But also too good not to be true.
Unquote




Just wanted to say THANK YOU for being so kind, for your visits, your lovely feedback and for the beautiful, inspirational work you do on your blogs. I really enjoy your company!


May God's richest blessing be yours in 2013 and Happy Christmas!
Jacqueline

16 comments:

  1. Just want to wish you a blessed christmas and all the best for the new year. It is good to know that our God always are taking care of us.

    ReplyDelete
  2. What a lovely Christmas card you have just sent us! I loved seeing your collage of pictures of the family. I hope you have a very lovely Christmas with your family and a very blessed new year! What a beautiful cake you have made and decorated! Love your tags always! They hang on the tree and I get to see them when we put together our tree!

    ReplyDelete
  3. All is quiet here as the wee ones are still sleeping and I can enjoy your post uninterupted:)
    Thank you for the much needed LOVELY lesson this morning and the family photo.Isn't is a BLESSING to still have that "spark" for your husband?:)
    Your marzipan look very festive..good for you for giving it a go!
    Today I start my feast preparations. So thankful for my helpers, I hear them stiring just now.

    Merry Christmas!!

    ReplyDelete
  4. What a perfect Christmas blog post, Jacqueline! Merry Christmas to you and your beautiful family! Sending lots of holiday hugs! :)

    ReplyDelete
  5. What a beutiful famly. TFS...
    Love that cake.
    My eye surgery is not going well so I have trust in HIM. (Having a fews glitches with the eye.) Seeing flashes/flickering in my eye.
    May your Christmas be a blessing..Hugs...Leanne

    ReplyDelete
  6. Gorgeous card, fabulous cake and what a blessing to have such a wonderful family Jacqueline. May God's Blessing continue for you in 2013. Merry Christmas my friend,

    ReplyDelete
  7. To be surrounded with such a fine family sure fills your heart with love; sending blessings for Christmas your way, love your tags Jacqueline!
    irascreacorner.blogspot.nl

    ReplyDelete
  8. Neat collage of your family, finding peace in God is a good thing!
    Such lovely creations, sweet card and gorgeous tags!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Thank you, Jacqueline, for your inspiring posts, today's and those throughout the year. Merry Christmas to you and your wonderful family.

    ReplyDelete
  10. What a lovely and sweet family. My enes Fall immediatly on your photo. You looks so beautiful and happy.

    Love your gorgeous card and tag.

    Merry Christmas.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Just loved your holiday greeting, Jacqueline, as well as your gorgeous card and tags. Best wishes to you and your family for a happy holiday season!!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Beautiful cakes and tags ... I hope you and your family had a wonderful Christmas ...

    ReplyDelete
  13. You are most definitely blessed, my friend! From your lovely family to your amazing creativity and your kind, generous heart! You have been a blessing to so many of us and I just want to say thank you!

    ReplyDelete
  14. Merry Christmas Jacqueline to you and your family. I love your cards! Your cakes looked great! Thanks for sharing your Christmas with us!

    ReplyDelete
  15. Well it sounds like you are truly blessed my friend. Your cake looks so yummy. I ate so many sweets during the week of Christmas I think my sweet tooth will be satisfied for some time. And your tags and card are beautiful. I am looking forward to seeing all your creation in the New Year..

    Hugs~

    ReplyDelete

Thanks so much for your visit - I so appreciate it!