So there's this problem,

I was reading this blogpost from one of the blogs Elena follows (I was on her account by accident) and I was thinking,  "Wow, she must have a lot of pictures on her blog." Then I went to go upload some more pictures on the Curly Deisgn, and then I thought, " Well, she probably has had her blog for a while; we probably have a long time before we get there." And within seconds, blogger told me I have used up all picture space and would have to "upgrade" aka pay!
I just had to laugh at loud.
.........

So now, I'm afraid we must say goodbye to this blog.

As a side note, I was going over our posts, and we have published 390 blog posts (don't ask me have many drafts we have!).
Also, we've had 21,718 pageviews in our blog history.

You know, it seems such a shame to just end a blog, leave it in the dust, and move on.
So, I've  been toying with the idea of making a book of our blog, as like a family journal (but more orderly).
I think I shall.

If everything in my evil plan works out, I'll post again, only if I have the finished book, AND if we get another blog.

Love,
             Caro :)

Lead Me

Because this will be the last official song of this long blog series, I didn't want make it a Christmas song (you know, keep the variety going).

 Lead Me

I look around and see my wonderful life
Almost perfect from the outside
In picture frames, I see my beautiful wife
Always smiling, but on the inside

[Chorus] Oh, I can hear her saying
Lead me with strong hands
Stand up when I can't
Don't leave me hungry for love
Chasing dreams, but what about us?
Show me you're willing to fight
That I'm still the love of your life
I know we call this our home
But I still feel alone

I see their faces, look in their innocent eyes
They're just children from the outside
I'm working hard, I tell myself they'll be fine
They're independent, but on the inside

[Chorus]
So Father, give me the strength
To be everything I'm called to be
Oh Father, show me the way
To lead them

Won't You lead me?

To lead them with strong hands
To stand up when they can't
Don't want to leave them hungry for love
Chasing things that I could give up

I'll show them I'm willing to fight
And give them the best of my life
So we can call this our home
Lead me 'cause I can't do this alone

Father, lead me 'cause I can't do this alone
-Sanctus Real

This song, though it is not necessarily a deep song (under a microscope it, as all songs, has it's flaws) there is a strong point in it.
The first time I heard this song, the songwriter's cry rang loudly, and it still does:

"So Father, give me the strength
To be everything I'm called to be
Oh Father, show me the way
To lead them"

This songwriter knows that all strength, guidance, and vision of a christian father/husband can only ever come from the Lord.
What a beautiful and humble cry of a man, a father, and a follower of Christ!

A friend and I are reading "It's {Not That} Complicated" (really good book!) and in one of the chapters, it talks about how our feminist culture, has in the past and is trying to, take over manhood, a.k.a dominate the role that men rightly have. But reading how weighty this role of being a leader is, makes taking it over seem silly. It is true that at the bottom of the feminist movement is the sin of Eve -wanting to be greater than her husband and God (two leaders/authorities in her life)- but to me, looking practically, being a leader would be tough.
Being a leader is being selfless, not "Chasing things that I could give up" . It's fighting against the evil things that creep in and root in families, similar to a shepherd of a flock. It's being responsible to proclaim Christ to your "flock", as well as those that surround you. It's late night talks (with an early morning the next day). It's being wise enough to make choices, show grace, protect, and yet be humble enough to know that all these things are from God.
Not to say that women are physically incapable; single moms can do it, but is this where women should be? There is a better, and customized, role that women belong in.

"Then the Lord God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.”
" And the rib that the Lord God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man. Then the man said,

“This at last is bone of my bones
    and flesh of my flesh;
she shall be called Woman,
    because she was taken out of Man.^{'"  {Genesis 2:18,22-23}}

All that to say, this song hits to home. No, really.

Oh, by the way, happy New Years!
Love,
       Caro :)

Gather Round Ye Children

November 2010 -driving in Pennsylvania on Thanksgiving day

  This is the first song on this album and it is a great start to a unique Christmas album. I don't usually like listening to new Christmas albums (I like to stick with the classics our family grew up with), but this album is not your typical Christmas album.

Gather Round Ye Children 

Gather ‘round, ye children, come
Listen to the old, old story
Of the pow’r of death undone
By an infant born of glory
Son of God, Son of Man
Gather ‘round, remember now
How creation held its breath
How it let out a sigh
And it filled up the sky with the angels
Son of God, Son of Man

CHORUS

So sing out with joy for the brave little boy
Who was God, but he made himself nothing
Well he gave up his pride and he came here to die
Like a man
Therefore God exalted him
To the place of highest praises
And he gave him a name above every name
That at the very name of Jesus, Son of God

CHORUS

We would sing out with joy for the brave little boy
Who was God, but he made himself nothing
Well he gave up his pride and he came here to die
Like a man
So in heav’n and earth and below
Every knee would bow and worship
And ev’ry tongue would proclaim
That Jesus, He reigns with the angels

CHORUS

So sing out with joy for the brave little boy
Who was God but he made himself nothing
Well he gave up his pride and he came here to die
Like a man
So gather ‘round, ye children come
Listen to the old, old story
Of the power of death undone
By an infant born of glory
- Andrew Peterson

Interestingly this song is based off of Philippians 2:6-11,

  " who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, ⁷ but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant,^[a] being born in the likeness of men. ⁸ And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. ⁹ Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, ¹⁰ so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, ¹¹ and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."

I love how this song captures the significance, but also the point of this "old, old, story" that is celebrated this month.
"An infant born of glory...Who was God but he made himself nothing".
This reminds me of this past chapter in my history which talked about the Gnostics who  claimed that Jesus did not really come down and take on human flesh, it just seemed like it. That got me thinking how if you tweek one little part of this story of redemption, the rest of it won't fit. If Jesus only seemed human, then he must have only seemed to suffer God's wrath, right? But then again, the Gnostics also believed that sin was not are real problem, but ignorance of our spiritual self/destiny. Which reminds me of this quote,
" So there are really only two religions in the world: a religion of human striving to ascend to God through pious works, feelings, attitudes, and experiences and the Good News of God's merciful descent to us in his Son." (Micahael Horton). 

Another neat aspect of this song is how the only mention of "me" is singing, rejoicing and praising the name of our beloved Savior! So, " gather ‘round, ye children come listen to the old, old story".
I hope you will appreciate and love this song as much as I do!

 





P.S Check out the new bands on
the Curly Designs page!
:)

Happy 22nd!

E.

So Elena wanted a birthday party with lights, hot yummy things, singing, and with a few friends. It was a hit!

At first it kinda seemed silly that Elena was planning her own party but it wasn't that big of a deal (plus, she knew exactly what she wanted).

Eva and I "getting ready for the party"

Aunt Gaby and the birthday girl!

Our lovely Aunt Gaby and Grandma graced us with their presence and added a "specialness" to the party

As the sun begins to set, the lights come on!

Originally a ton of people had said they were coming, but sadly some of those people didn't end coming. And afterwards we remembered a bunch more people we had forgotten to invite (isn't that how it always is?). I guess we'll know for next time...

I.Love.Lights!

The night was chilly, but we had hot soup and beverages to warm your inside, as well as extra scarves and hats handy!

Getting ready to sing to Elena

After the majority of people had their fill of cake, we all moved into the living room and sang some hymns, then had a sweet moment of prayer.It was a good night.

Happy Birthday, Elena!

Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence

 {March 2007, France}

"But the Lord is in his holy temple;
    let all the earth keep silence before him.”
{Habakkuk 2:20} 

Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence

Let all mortal flesh keep silence,
And with fear and trembling stand;
Ponder nothing earthly minded,
For with blessing in His hand,
Christ our God to earth descendeth,
Our full homage to demand.

King of kings, yet born of Mary,
As of old on earth He stood,
Lord of Lords, in human vesture,
In the body and the blood;
He will give to all the faithful
His own self for heavenly food.

Rank on rank the host of heaven
Spreads its vanguard on the way,
As the Light of light descendeth
From the realms of endless day,
That the powers of hell may vanish
As the darkness clears away.

At His feet the six winged seraph,
Cherubim with sleepless eye,
Veil their faces to His presence,
As with ceaseless voice they cry:
Alleluia, Alleluia
Alleluia, Lord Most High!

-French Carol

Not your typical Christmas carol. Yet, I think this hymn carries something that is, more often than not, missed in this upcoming season. Food for thought..

A beautiful song based off of Hab 2:20. This has been previously posted on our blog, but...it's been awhile. The tune of this song matches the solemn but reverent lyrics of this hymn. Basically the hymn tells how Christ came down (verse 1), became a man ( verse 2), "That the powers of hell may vanish" (verse 3), and now read verse 4.... yeah, I like this hymn too.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving!

You'll here from us...later.

:)

How Sweet and Aweful

So...dare I again say that this is another a favorite song? But, 'tis very true.

Why? Well, read the lyrics:

How Sweet and Aweful

How sweet and aweful is the place
With Christ within the doors
While everlasting love displays
The choicest of her stores

While all our hearts and all our songs
Join to admire the feast
Each of us cry with thankful tongues
“Lord, why was I a guest?”

“Why was I made to hear Thy voice
And enter while there's room
When thousands make a wretched choice
And rather starve than come?”

’Twas the same love that spread the feast
That sweetly drew us in
Else we had still refused to taste
And perished in our sin

Pity the nations, O our God
Constrain the earth to come
Send Thy victorious Word abroad
And bring the strangers home

We long to see Thy churches full
That all the chosen race
May with one voice and heart and soul
Sing Thy redeeming grace

         -Isaac Watts (1707)

 Note that the "aweful" is not awful. It's not a horrendous awful, but an awesome aweful.
Yes the Lord may be awful in the sinner's eyes, but He is aweful in the eyes of the saved.
Just a side note.
 From verse 1, "While everlasting love displays, the choicest of her stores ", we can't even comprehend "everlasting", let alone "everlasting love". Yet that is Christ's love, everlasting.
"Each of us cry with thankful tongues, “Lord, why was I a guest?”", only recently has this rang so true, to me, but it has always been true for every soul who has been bought with the blood of Christ.

  Verse three continues this thought with such tenderness. In the second to last verse, "Send Thy victorious Word abroad, and bring the strangers home", we see that the author is pleading for the gospel to be spread, bringing those "Chosen race" into God's flock.

 The last verse slides into home base with, " May with one voice and heart and soul, sing Thy redeeming grace" -similar to The Church's One Foundation,- singing as one body, worshiping our Savior, and bringing Him glory.
In my perilous Google search, I came upon this cool-looking blogger, and some of his thoughts on the fifth verse.

Introducing Curly Designs

{Please note the new tab above this post}

I am happy to announce the opening of my shop -Curly Designs.

About this time last year, I started working on selling the things that were costing me a lot of  time, enjoyment, and money. I had tried selling my products via an open house, and though I was able to break even (and some), it wasn't a good long term solution. At the beginning of this year, I was all ready to open shop, but for some bizarre reason, you and me couldn't see my page when it was published. Now, eight months later, I have finally pulled my act -and my editor's act- together.

One fine, chilly evening I really wanted Elena to make me a headband for me, so she told me to pick out the colors and band. She really encouraged and pretty much forced me to try sewing it by myself after she walked me through the first rose. After that I went off lickety split, making headbands left and right. I tested out different types of fabrics with the same type of rose. Since then I have been trying out different designs of flowers, that I can't wait to share.

One more thing, I have started out with a few items, just to see how business goes, I hope to add more variety as time goes on. I also plan to sell some in local businesses, but want to first try this out. I am newbie to this, but I have my business cards, my products, and packaging.