It's December!

It's December already! My favorite month of the year! I know this is a busy month for everyone, but I'm going to try to do something I've never done before and you're all invited to join me in my new adventure. And what adventure is that, you may ask? Well, I would like to consciously prepare my heart and mind every day in preparation for Christmas. Everyday I'm going to read something by a theologian that I hold in high regard. Along with Scripture, I'm going to contemplate on the words of Calvin, Piper, Whitfield, Luther, and others. I hope to learn from their insights and in doing so, enrich my experience with this season of Advent. I'll be sharing my first reading later today, but for right now I'll share some pictures from our Thanksgiving trip to Alabama.

Our first stop along Interstate 10

Ah, the South...Spanish moss and bayous!!!

On Sunday we returned to our church in Biloxi, Mississippi. It is located directly on the Gulf of Mexico and of the many churches located on Highway 90 (on the Gulf), this was the only church that was left standing after Katrina. The church had about three feet of water inside, so all the pews needed to be refinished, Bibles and hymnals replaced, etc. On this Sunday, they were celebrating Thanksgiving and we were able to visit with many of our old church friends. It was good to have Southern sweet tea again! It was also great to taste their down-home cooking!




Here are pictures from our afternoon at Orange Beach. Our hotel was about 45 minutes from the beach. When we lived in Mississippi this was our beach of choice. The waves are wonderful here. We never got waves in Mississippi because of the barrier islands. The sand here is like sugar! The public pier wasn't rebuilt yet (since the hurricane) so we weren't able to fish like we had hoped. The water is so clear that you can usually see the fish go after your bait.

Here are some pictures on Thanksgiving Day. We had a wonderful meal together and then watched a movie. As we left the theatre, I saw this gorgeous tree...a perfect backdrop for a few family pictures!

On our way home, we stopped at our old house. It was quite sad and triggered many sad memories. It also served to remind us of how much God has blessed us with in Houston! At one point, Bill bent over and picked this up off the driveway...my Red Cross card! The first time I've seen that since 2005. Seems like every time we return to our lot we find something new!