Congratulations to this guy for making FC2!  But watch out, ladies- he and his songs are ALL mine. 


Anyway, Happy late Thanksgiving!  We haven't had internet for several weeks now so I'm somewhat behind in the social networking world.  I shall lose no time in catching up, though.  I hope you all had a wonderful holiday and were able to be around the people and things you are most thankful for. 
We spent Thanksgiving day at our friend's Josh and Ana's house.  There was another couple and a few pop-ins to help us eat two deep fat fried turkeys, ham, mashed potatoes, stuffing, macaroni and cheese, rolls, cranberry sauce, yambake, cheesecake filled strawberries, green bean casserole, pumpkin cheesecake, and plenty of beer and wine.  I'd say we were treated just fine.  After we pigged out, we clutched our bellies and watched some football, and then played Rock Band and a few rounds of Cranium, of which Jody and I lost quite miserably.  It was a good time.  In the morning, I set out at 5:30am to meet Ana to experience Black Friday in Virginia.  There was nothing I really needed or wanted, but I was excited to get some girl time in with Ana and to see all of the Crazies out shopping.  We were pretty successful, and when we came home, Josh and Jody took their turn and went out to do some shopping.  A good day.

Later we went out and bought our Christmas tree.  I'm pleased to say we left that place with the cheapest tree available, and I love it.  It's tiny, but perfect.  All we needed was one string of Christmas lights and a box or two of baby bulbs and we had ourselves a nice little tree!

 Firstly, I apologize for looking high.  I'm not.  Secondly, you can't see it, but this is our 'Montana' ornament.  I got it in Bozeman while shopping with Casey during my visit home in October.  It's my fav.

I have a problem with angels on top of trees, I don't know why.  I found this star at Target.  It was a little heavy and we had to do some trimming with our bread knife, but I really like it :)

Finished Product.  Hooray for the holidays!

Just a few more things before I lose your attention.  I could really use your prayers these next few weeks.  I'll be finishing up my certification, starting my internship, losing my babysitting 'job' and starting school come January, and I'm nervous.  For all of it.  My car has also been having some troubles and isn't exactly reliable right now, so I'm nervous about getting that taken care of. 

I wish I wouldn't worry so much.  After reading some passages on worrying, I realized the more I worry, the more I am turning my back on God and implying that I don't trust him to take care of me.  I look around at my life, and I can see that he has certainly blessed me beyond what I could ever have imagined. I know my moods are contagious, and sometimes I forget that there's a fellow in the picture now, and my attitude can alter Jody's attitude as well. 

I found this little passage and thought it was really encouraging and a very good reminder.  I hope it encourages you too.

1.  Worrying Accomplishes Absolutely Nothing.
I don't know about you, but I don't have any time to waste these days. And worrying is a waste of very precious time. Worrying won't help you solve a problem or bring about a solution, so why waste your time and energy on it?

Matthew 6:27-29 Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don't work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. (NLT)

1. Worrying is Not Good for You. Worrying is destructive to us in many ways. It becomes a mental burden that can even cause us to grow physically sick.
   
   Proverbs 12:25 Worry weighs a person down; an encouraging word cheers a person up. (NLT)
2. Worrying is the Opposite of Trusting God. The energy that we spend worrying can be put to much better use in prayer. Here's a little formula to remember: Worry replaced by Prayer equals Trust.
Matthew 6:30 And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith