Good Morning Friends ~
Today I start baking Christmas Cookies, and this is what I woke up to ~ It really set the scene for baking ~
I think the North East has the prettiest display of snow, especially when it falls on Christmas decorations
I love how the snow fell on this bow.
So now to baking cookies and listening to Christmas music.
I’m happy ~
Hope you have a wonderful day.
Much love,
Rose
Good Morning Friends ~
I woke up so happy this morning. There was snow on the ground and Kristin & Jenny was sleeping in the guest room. What more could a Mom ask for.
We had coffee, and then an amazing breakfast ~
Today I want to share our Christmas Family Room ~
I will start with the tree.
I did something a little different this year ~ I’m not very good at stringing garland, but I wanted to give it a try.
Earlier in the month I made the Merry Christmas Garland
See here: https://muchloverose.wordpress.com/2016/11/02/christmas-tree-garland/
As I started going around the tree with the garland some was right side up and some was upside down – I did not like the way it was turning out so I cut the ribbon and proceeded to insert the pieces onto the tree.
This was a lot easier.
The Mantle ~
I purchased a dough bowl this year something I have wanted for a long time. I was going to make 6 quilted Christmas balls, but that didn’t happen. I did make one.
There she is right next to the candle.
Next year I hope to be more organized and finish up the other 5 ~
But, I do like the way the arrangement came together.
A few more pictures of our Christmas Family Room ~
New is the plaid pillow – I love it because it is all the same material and the colors are Christmas ~
Plaid pillow ~ Pottery Barn ~
http://www.potterybarn.com/products/denver-plaid-lumbar-pillow-cover/?pkey=cdecorative-throws-pillows%7Cembroidered-patterned-pillows&&cdecorative-throws-pillows|embroidered-patterned-pillows
This arrangement is new this year too. I had these snowmen left after decorating and couldn’t put them back into the bins so they found a place on the sofa table.
Have a wonderful day.
Much Love,
Rose
My dear Friends~
Today begins the 3rd week of Advent~
It is know as the week of Joy ~
“Prepare the way of the Lord” serves as a main theme of this season. As we get ready for Christmas, we should not neglect to prepare our lives for Jesus, who came as “the light of the world.” His light penetrated a dark world, which allowed all to see their Messiah, and the hope of their future.
Today we need to be prepared for the coming of Christ. Learning more about what the Bible reveals about Christ’s return will enable us to understand the possible significance of world events.
Be ready and watchful, for the light of the world has come and will surely come again.
The candle we light is Pink this week
Hot pink, pale pink, rose pink are all shades of pink painted into a sunrise. Like the various shades of pink, our expressions of joy can be so different. Joy can be exuberant when we experience the faithfulness of God, it can be calm confidence in His sovereignty, or pure delight as He expresses His love.
Joy has many shades. It should never be determined by how we feel, but on who God is. The joy of the Lord can thrill us or make us resolute in the secure knowledge of God’s presence. Paul tells us in 1 Thessalonians 5:16 to be joyful always. Jesus tells us “With God all things are possible.” Mark 9:24 This combination of truth should help us be joyful each day.
Our prayer for the lighting of the pink candle is:
We ask you to listen to our prayers, O Lord,
and by the grace of your coming enlighten
our darkened minds:
Come quickly, Lord Jesus,
who lives and reigns with God the Father
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
ever one God, World without end. Amen.
My wish for you this week is JOY in your hearts.
Have a wonderful week and I will be back next week with our last week of Advent.
God bless you ~
Much love,
Rose
Good Morning Friends ~
The kitchen really does not have a lot of space so little touches here & there are just perfect.
I purchased this cabinet on Decor Steals awhile ago, and it is the perfect little cabinet to change out through the seasons.
We put little lights around the cabinet ~ looks so pretty at night.
Just using a small cake stand gives height and a small presence – The little house is from Yankee Candle ~
I love these measuring cups ~ something sweet for baking around the Christmas holiday.
Pete’s Biscotti ~
Have a wonderful Sunday.
Much Love,
Rose
We begin our second week of Advent ~ The second week represents Peace.
Just as we lit the first candle which is for Hope – we light the second candle for Peace today.
We begin this second week of our Advent journey with this vivid proclamation of the end of violence and a promise of justice and peace. The prophets use such wonderful images to tell the people that they could expect and hope for a day when “every tear would be wiped away.” It will be a day of great peace – “the lion would lie down with the lamb” and the people will beat their spears into hooks to prune trees with. Weapons of war will be turned into tools of food production. And, the most unbelievable promise of all: “death will be no more.” In our world today, we welcome this message with eager anticipation. Let us experience today what it will be like to be freed from the power of injustice, conflict and division. Our longing, our desire is that we might be set free.
The prayer we say for this week is ~
O Lord, stir up our hearts
that we may prepare for Thy only begotten Son,
that through His coming
we may be made worthy to serve Thee with pure souls.
Through the same Christ our Lord.
Amen.
I wish you a beautiful 2nd week of Advent.
God Bless.
Much love,
Rose
Happy Saturday ~
I can say happy because I have finally finished decorating for Christmas.
Now I can make cookies and fill the house with wonderful armorers. Every year I begin to bake I am reminded of the wonderful smells of the holidays. Collecting of the ingredient and the warmth of the oven (which will be on all day) puts me right back to when I was young – watching my mom make her Christmas Fruit Cakes.
Today I am sharing my wonderful husbands office. We redecorated his office early this fall, so decorating for Christmas was so much fun.
I purchased this old world Santa pillow in a little store called “The Potting Shed” one of my favorite stores in PA.
I love having the couch in front of the bay window. It frames the window beautifully. When the sun is shinny through the lace curtains the room looks so lovely.
I made the little wood ornaments – One of my blog friends was kind enough to share the instructions and the download for the the cute wood ornaments
http://www.worthingcourtblog.com/6-last-minute-diy-christmas-ornaments/
I purchased 2 small 2.5′ Christmas trees this year. One for Kristin & Jenny’s room (which doubles as Pete’s office) and one for Aly & Brian’s room –
This little sheep has to be a favorite of mine. Also purchased at the Potting Shed.
Have a fantastic Saturday.
Much love,
Rose
Hello Dear Friends ~
Today is the start of Advent, as we begin preparing for the birth of Jesus.
Just a little something about the advent wreath and the candles around it.
The first of the candles lit will be purple, and the first candle stands for Hope.
This is a tradition we had in our family when the girls were living at home. Pete would light the first candle, the second candle was lit by Kristin our oldest ~ the third candle was my candle, and the last candle was lit by our youngest Aly.
Pete would say the prayer for each candle lit.
Our advent wreath was made by my Dad ~ something to treasure always.
The Advent Wreath is a tradition related to Advent, the Church season immediately preceding Christmas. The Advent Wreath is a popular tradition among many Christians, Catholic and Protestant. It is often used in homes, churches, and schools.
The Advent wreath, first used as a Christian devotion in the Middle Ages, gets its design from the customs of pre-Christian Germanic and Scandinavian cultures, who used candles and greenery as symbols of light and life during the winter. The Advent Wreath is a circular evergreen wreath with four or five candles, three purple, one rose, and (if you use the five-candle type), one white candle for Christmas Day placed in the very center of the wreath. Some Christians use blue candles instead of purple.
The candles symbolize the light of Christ coming into the world. The evergreen symbolizes renewal, and the circular shape the completeness of God. The candle colors are derived from the traditional liturgical colors of Advent (purple and rose) and Christmas (white). Each candle is first lit on the appropriate Sunday of Advent, and then the candles may be lit each day as a part of the individual or family’s daily prayers
Advent Week One
Directions
Light the first purple candle
Prayer:
Stir up thy power, O Lord, and come,
that by thy protection we may be rescued
from the dangers that beset us through our sins;
and be a Redeemer to deliver us;
Who livest and reignest with God the Father
in the unity of the Holy Spirit, Amen.
Have a wonderful week all.
Much love,
Rose
Good Morning Friends ~
Today we talk about Self-Control ~ the last fruit of the Holy Spirit.
What does this mean ~
The ability to control oneself, in particular one’s emotions and desires or the expression of them in one’s behavior, especially in difficult situations.
The last characteristic listed in Galatians 5:22-23 as a fruit of the Spirit is self-control. The fruit of the Spirit is the change in our character that comes about because of the Holy Spirit’s work in us. We do not become a Christian on our own, and we cannot grow on our own. Philippians 2:13 says that “it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.” Every good thing we do is the fruit of the Spirit’s work in our lives.
Self-control is, of course, the ability to control oneself. It involves moderation, constraint, and the ability to say “no”.
One of the proofs of God’s working in our lives is the ability to control our own thoughts, words, and actions. It’s not that we are naturally weak-willed. But our fallen nature is under the influence of sin. The Bible calls it being a “slave to sin“. One definition of sin is “filling a legitimate need through illegitimate means.” Without the power of the Holy Spirit, we are incapable of knowing and choosing how best to meet our needs. Even if we knew what would be best, such as not smoking, another need, like comfort, would take precedence and enslave us again.
When we are saved by Christ’s sacrifice, we are free (Galatians 5:1). That liberty includes, among other things, freedom from sin. “Our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin” (Romans 6:6). Now, as the Spirit gives us self-control, we can refuse sin.
Self-control naturally leads to perseverance (2 Peter 1:6) as we value the long-term good instead of the instant gratification of the world. Self-control is a gift that frees us. It frees us to enjoy the benefits of a healthy body. It frees us to rest in the security of good stewardship. It frees us from a guilty conscience. Self-control restricts the indulgence of our foolish desires, and we find the liberty to love and live as we were meant to.
I’m not sure about you, but this is the hardest fruit for me.
I try very hard to say NO, you do not need this, but I become weak and give into my desires.
I think if we really want the spirit in our lives, we must practice self-control.
This is one I will try to accomplish . It will not be easy, but I am willing to give it a try.
Wishing you all a blessed Sunday & a Happy Thanksgiving.
Much love,
Rose
Good Morning Friends
Once again Pete & I looked at the office/TV room and agreed we needed to make a few changes.
After thinking – what am I was using the space for ~ (Extra room for guest to stay) ~ we chose to use this room for that purpose, and Pete’s office ~
TV is back in the Family Room ~
This ment moving thing around again. Sometimes you don’t get it on your first try. So what do we do?? We keep trying until we get it just the way we want it to be. I say it’s a better look for the Office..
First take on the office – The couch looked good here, BUT – better in front of the windows especially since the TV is no longer in this space.
I love how it looks, and is better when our guests come to stay. No furniture to be moved except the ottoman.
A few more pictures of the office space.
A better space for the desk – putting the desk here breaks up the big white wall.
Sweet little heart ~ First one I made, and made me want to make more.
I will be redesigning my Etsy store after the Christmas holidays ~
Be sure to check out the New Redesigned store after Christmas.
Much love,
Rose
Much Love, Rose 
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