Deeanne Gist - Author

Text Messaging

2007-02-11T23:02:00.001-06:00

My kids use their cell phones to text message their friends more than they use them for making phone calls. With the plan we have now, our daughter currently is allowed to send 400 text messages a month. She just told her dad she will pay the extra money if he would upgrade her to 800 text messages.

Now I ask you, eight hundred? Per month? Greg simply could not wrap his mind about this. "If you want to tell your friends something, what is wrong with just calling them--for free?"

My daughter was unable to give an articulate answer, so, peace-maker that I am, I jumped in to try and help things along.

"You know, honey, I bet when telephones were first invented, those parents said, 'If that young man wants to talk to you, then why can't he just come on over to the house!'"

Greg said that was a lame comparison. My daughter like it, though. :-) Bottom line, he wasn't buying (no pun intended). Truth is, I've secretly been thinking about signing up for text messaging myself. My cell phone can receive them, but I'm not set up to send them. And my son sends them to me all the time. Things like:

What's for dinner?
I'm at Ben's house.
I forgot my lunch money.
Happy Birthday.

I've found that I wanted to respond to these queries with a quick text message rather than leaving a message on his phone. (Especially if he's at school because he's not suppose to have it on and I don't want it to ring and get him in trouble.)

Trying to use the phone pad to type, though, is quite a challenge. You should see my kids. They can type almost as quickly on their phones as they can on a computer keyboard. It's crazy.

So what about you? Do you text message on your phone?

The Last Sin Eater

2007-02-09T09:55:00.000-06:00

Francine River's novel, The Last Sin Eater, is opening in theatres across the country today. It is set in 1850's Appalachia. Ten year old Cadi feels responsible for her little sister's death, so she searches out the one man she feels can take away her sin--The Sin Eater. But in her quest for redemption, Cadi uncovers a dark secret that threatens to divide her family and community.

You can watch a trailer here. Find a theatre near you that is showing it. You can check out the resources available for churches and groups who want to create a community movie-going experience for their members. And you can read some reviews here and here.

It is directed by Michael Landon, Jr. and Brian Bird. I cannot express to you how important it is that we support these movies. If the Christian community is going to have an influence on what Hollywood puts in its theaters, then we *must* go to these movies as soon as they hit the theatres. The opening day and weekend of a movie are *critical.* So go out on a date night or take the family. Then come back and tell me what you thought!

Schedule Change

2007-02-07T18:11:00.000-06:00

My schedule for the next few months is going to be really hectic. In order to accommodate it and simultaneously meet my writing deadlines, I'm streamlining some of my everyday tasks.

That said, I'm going to start blogging every Monday and Thursday now (instead of every MWF). Hope that's okay with everybody. I will still stop by the Comments Section on a daily basis, it's just the uploading of new posts that will be different.

Thanks for being so flexible!

Airbus 380

2007-02-05T10:27:00.000-06:00

Have you seen this yet? It is the world's largest passenger airplane. Airbus wants to provide the Boeing 747 with a little competition. This new wonder of the world is a 555 seat, double decker plane with 49% more floor space (and only 35% more seating) than the previous largest aircraft. (The Boeing 747 which seats around 455.)

Airbus is ensuring wider seats and aisles for more passenger comfort with costs per seat 15-20% less than those for the 747. They will offer the standard three-class configuration (economy, business and first). I'm pretty sure all these photos are of the upper class variety.

The airbus has two levels and two staircases allowing passengers to go up and down between levels. Luggage will be stored in a third level on the bottom side of the plane.

Commercial flights are scheduled to begin this year (2007), though looks like most of them are in Europe. Problem is, airports are going to have to widen their runways if they want the Airbus to land there. Los Angeles is going to spend over 50 million to make the changes required.

This is the only image I could find of the economy class.

Amazing, isn't it?

Tag--You're It

2007-02-02T09:22:00.000-06:00

My dear friend, Allison Smythe, tagged me yesterday. Now, I have to tell six weird things about myself and then tag six other people. So, here we go.

I really resent wearing bras. Probably just as much as women resented wearing corsets. I find them uncomfortable, restrictive and curse them every single day.
I cry about everything--happy thoughts, sad thoughts, commericals, poignant stories, etc. If I see someone else crying, I cry too--even if I don't know what they are crying about.
Long toenails really gross me out. I keep mine cut to the quick.
I prefer chocolate cake for breakfast over all else. (Cocoa Krispies comes in at a close second.)
When I'm out of town and by myself I like to rent convertibles so that I can raise both hands really high in the air while singing along to praise music and praising the Lord. (I'd be way too shy to do this in front of anyone else. It's just a personal thing between me and God. So, I have to be out of town where no one knows me. If the car isn't aligned properly, this can become a problem. The other problem is the truck drivers think I'm waving to them. God and I get a real chuckle out of that.)
I can't watch torture scenes on TV or in the movies. Nor can I read them in books. I'm too sympathetic and it makes me nauseated. Really. Most recently, the new James Bond movie (which I *loved*). The torture scene really upset me.

Okay, the six specific people I am tagging are: Barb, Sandy, Phil, Michael, Meg and Mark. What I'd really like, though, is for everyone to participate. Either post your six weird things here in the comments section or direct us to your blog (if you have one).

On your mark, get set, go!

Be A Part of History!

2007-01-31T12:02:00.000-06:00

Bethany House is taking a survey of readers' opinions for Ann Tatlock's upcoming release, Every Secret Thing. Ann has been writing for BHP since 1998. The novel they are working on now is about a young woman's tumultuous return to her hometown where memories, mysteries and an old love await her.

The art department has designed three different covers for the book and would like to see which one you like and why. The survey is anonymous and will take about two minutes. If you're interested click here.

For more about Ann, you can read an interview my editor did with her and you can also visit her website. I will be sure to let you know which cover they choose and when the book is released.

Once you've voted, feel free to come back here and let us know which one you chose and why.

So Embarrassing

2007-01-29T08:26:00.000-06:00

I donated blood for the first time last week ... and passed out. (Not as prettily as the gal in the drawing, though. I wish!) As a kid I never did well with blood tests. It wasn't unusual for me to faint or throw up. As an adult, I didn't have any trouble so long as I was lying down when the event occurred.

The last time I braved sitting up for a blood test was when Greg & I went to get our marriage license. I didn't want to look like a wimp in front of my finance. He did his test lickety-split. Then the lady couldn't hit the vein in my right arm, so after several tries moved to my left arm--no luck. Went back to my right arm and by the time we were done, Greg was about to pass out, too! Ha!

Anyhoo, for the longest time I didn't weigh enough to donate blood. But I don't have that excuse anymore. Determined to do my part, I went to the blood bank, told them I hadn't fainted in years and was ready to give it a try.

They have these awesome recliners that lean way back and elevate your feet. The fella who took my donation got a vein with his first try and we were off. I did pretty well for about the first four or five minutes. Then I noticed how difficult it was becoming to squeeze the little ball they gave me. My arm was growing weaker and weaker. My fingers were tingling. My head was beginning to feel light.

I didn't want to stop squeezing the ball because I wanted the blood flow to be good (so I'd be done soon). I resorted to squeezing only with my thumb. Very shortly after that, the technician said I was done. He removed the needle, released the turnicate and ... all the blood whooshed away from my brain.

If you've never fainted, it is an incredibly helpless feeling. You know you are fixing to lose it. You tell your blood to go right back up there where it belongs--but it doesn't listen. You get really, really clammy, then really, really hot. The last thing to go is your hearing.

I looked up at the tech and said, "I'm so, so sorry." Then passed out.

Just before I lost all consciousness, I heard him holler, "Get some ice packs!"

When I came to, it was like you see on TV where all those heads are looking down on you. My recliner was completely surrounded by techs. I had a bazillion ice packs one me--one on each shoulder, behind my neck, on my chest, on my tummy, and I can't remember where all.

In a loud piercing voice, the tech on my left sternly commanded me to "cough!"

Cough? Right. I was too weak to move. To weak to keep my eyes open. No way did I have the strength to cough. Still, I gave it a try, pathetic though it was.

"Open your eyes," she said.

A pause. "Both eyes, Mrs. Gist."

And so it went. They brought me some soda, but I was too weak to hold the cup, so they got a straw and held it for me. (It was warm--yuk. Fortunately, I was too weak to ask for ice. That would have been a little much, even for me.)

Over the course of an hour, I gradually returned to normal--normal enough to sit up and then walk and then drive. But it took a while. They gave me strict instructions to go across the street to Sonic and get me a big ol' burger with tater-tots covered in cheese and to drink lots of fluids.

I did just as the doctor ordered, then came home, collapsed into bed and slept for over an hour.

So ... that was my big adventure last week. I wonder what it is in my genetic make-up that triggers this kind of reaction in me? I don't faint at the sight of blood. I don't have any great fear of needles. I'm not quivering with fear when blood needs to be drawn. Nor do I have any control over my response. Kinda strange, isn't it?

What about you? Are you like the gal in the recliner next to me who sashayed in, gave a couple dozen pumps of the little rubber ball, then jumped up and waltzed out without even blinking? I was soooo envious of her. Imagine being able to give blood that easily. What kind of donor are you?

Newsletter Alert

2007-01-24T09:26:00.000-06:00

The First Quarter Newsletter for 2007 goes out on Monday. If you've not signed up for it, you can do so here. Included in the newsletter is:

What's New
Upcoming Events
Blog Highlights
Contest Winners
Family News

I also try to include never-before-seen-photos. This time, there is a photo of me in the third grade. It was my year for the number three. According to my passport, I was three feet, three inches tall, weighed a whopping 33 pounds and was in the 3rd grade. Talk about the runt of the litter!!

And don't worry about being inundated with newsletters. I shoot for sending one out every quarter, but average about 3 per year. (There's that number three again!)

Sign up here to join us.

Dear Reader

2007-01-22T09:56:00.000-06:00

The Measure of a Lady is being featured this week on DearReader.com. This is an online book club where members read the same book and then discuss it. The facilitator has a whole bunch of categories--nonfiction, classics, audio, business, teen, all kinds of things. The inspirational category (called "Good News") doesn't seem to be too active, so I thought I would send a few of you over there to participate in a discussion (if you want to).

When you get to the main page, click on the "Forum" tab at the top, then scroll down and click on "The Measure of a Lady," then click on "Respond to this Message" to offer up your comment. You don't need to be a member of her book club to participate.

Have fun!

Ho-Ho-Ho

2007-01-19T11:06:00.000-06:00

The digital camera Greg ordered for me for Christmas arrived this week. It is a Casio Exilim. I wanted something small enough to fit in my purse, but with the ability to take good pics and with a screen that was large enough for me to see the image without my glasses. A pretty tall order.

I haven't been able to play with it much because I don't have a memory card yet. But I downloaded the owner's manual and it was 266 PAGES!! I've managed to make it through about 75 pages so far. I don't know why I bother to read all that stuff because I won't be able to retain it. But I feel like I oughta read it anyway.

One cool feature is the "BS" button (BS for Best Shot). When you press the BS button it gives you thumbnails of various kinds of photos you could take (sports, nighttime, scenery, fireworks, portrait, children, candlelight portrait, flowing water, splashing water, backlight and so on). What's nice about this is that when I am trying to take a photo of somebody with a window behind them I can actually push the BS button, click on the backlight image and the camera automatically configures itself for the best exposure.

Since the thumbnails are easily identifiable and also have a text reminder when you place your arrow button over them, I'll be able to utilize the bells and whistles more readily. (With my old camera I would think to myself, "Well, I know there is a backlight option somewhere on this menu, but I can't remember where." Then, I'd just take the photo and hope for the best.)

Do all these options really make a difference? I mean, will there really be a difference if I were to just point and shoot for a pic of my dog versus going to the BS section, selecting the PET thumbnail and then taking the pic? I dunno. But, it makes me feel like I'm getting the best shot. I'll do some experimenting and see.

Also, it has a panel along the side that asks me if I am taking a big poster size photo, a 4 x 6 or a photo for email purposes. Again, I simply highlight, then shoot. That, I really like. Because many of my photos are for my blog. Now, I won't have to spend a lot of time reformatting my photos to a size manageable for the internet.

All in all, I'm excited and can't wait until the weekend when I can play with my new toy.

Ice Storm

2007-01-17T11:20:00.000-06:00

Our ice storm arrived last night as predicted. Schools are closed and roads are hazardous. I can never figure out why the kids want school canceled on days like this. We can't go anywhere or do anything and now we won't get Good Friday off (which will probably be a glorious day weather-wise). But, there's no telling that to the kids. They are living for the here and now and school off today is better than school off tomorrow.

Our poor oleanders are bowing under the weight of the ice. I hope the limbs don't break and that the trees fully recover. They are so pretty during the spring and summer!

So, as we snuggle around the fire and drink our hot chocolate, we keep an eye on the forecast. Which says that on Sunday it will be 60 degrees. Ha!

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

2007-01-15T12:13:00.000-06:00

In honor of today's holiday, I thought I would send you to a sight where you can read some of Martin Luther King, Jr.'s sermons. They are amazing. Have a great holiday and stay warm.

24

2007-01-12T12:32:00.001-06:00

My name is Deeanne Gist and I'm a 24 fanatic. Greg and I started watching 24 on DVD last year. Our Blockbuster carried seasons 1 - 4, so we started with 1 and had made our way through all 4 seasons by September. We absolutely loved it.

For those of you who never watched it, the show is centered around the CTU (Central Terrorist Unit). They are a branch of the government that try to stop any terrorist activity that threatens our country. What makes this different from some of the other shows, is that it is set in "real time."

In other words, the entire story takes place over a 24 hour period. In the first episode, CTU might hear of a threat on the President's life. Let's say that happens at 1:00 pm on a Tuesday. Well, then the first episode takes place from 1:00 - 2:00 pm on that Tuesday. (I'm not talking about air times here. I'm talking about the setting of the story.)

The next episode (showing a week later) will be what happens at CTU from 2:00 - 3:00 on that same Tuesday. There are 24 episodes in all, so the final episode takes place from 12:00 - 1:00 pm on Wednesday--a full 24 hours after the initial "threat" occurs. Does that make sense?

In any event, it is full of action and drama and nail-biting scenarios. You get attached to some characters, annoyed with others and disappointed with yet others. This past Tuesday (the 9th), Season 5 was released on DVD. I was at our Blockbuster when the doors opened.

Greg and I have watched 8 hours (or 8 episodes) already. Since Tuesday! How embarrassing is that?? We are in a dilemma now, though. Because at the rate we are going, we will be finished with Season 5 by the end of the month. And Season 6 starts up on TV this Sunday. (These HAVE to be watched in order. We can't start on Season 6 until we are through with Season 5. Nor can we jump in on Season 6 in the middle of everything without know what went on earlier.)

After much discussion last night, we decided we'd tape the episodes on video and watch them when we had the ability to fast forward through the commercials. In the meanwhile, I've gone back to Blockbuster this morning and picked up the next 8 hours of Season 5. Can't wait until tonight, so I can find out what happens next!

Are any of you 24 watchers? Are you all caught up? Are you watching the big 2-day, 4-hour premiere on Sunday and Monday? (On Fox)

January Birthdays

2007-01-10T12:56:00.000-06:00

This is the last month I'll be able to say I have four teenagers because our 19 year old daughter will soon be turning 20. So, we are at the beginning of the end of the teenage years.

This daughter is away at college and will not be able to come home for her birthday, nor will we be able to go to her. So, she had us make her favorite meal and freeze it so she could take it with her (when she left after Christmas break--thus ensuring the tradition of getting the meal of her choice on her birthday. She chose a chicken-and-squash casserole.)

I enjoy shopping for the kids--even though it is right after Christmas. Mainly because we have had them make Christmas lists and Birthday lists since they were really little. They have become quite adept at it. So adept, that they will list what stores to buy the item at, how much it costs, where I can find it cheaper, an internet link in case I can't find it locally and even full color pictures of the item for clarification. Check out our daughter's list here. (The formatting went a little haywire when I uploaded, but you get the idea.)

Is that just a hoot? But, truly, it makes shopping so much fun. We actually have three birthdays this month. As of today, the kids are 19, 18, 17 & 15. By the end of the month they will be 20, 19, 17 & 16.

Wanna know something funny? I will actually have *two* 19-year-olds for about a week. Our second baby was born 6 days before his sister's 1st birthday, so they are the same age for six days of every year. Ha!

Well ... I'm off to the mall!

New Bible Study

2007-01-08T11:38:00.000-06:00

Ladies Bible Study starts up in two weeks. So, I browsed our church's website to see what studies they had to choose from this semester. I was all set to do something non-Beth Moore (since I just did Daniel and I knew they would be offering it again). Yet, lo and behold, they were offering Beth's Breaking Free.

I've heard so much about that study--how life changing it is. So, I'm tickled pink to be able to do it. And what's more (no pun intended), I get to do it with my brand new Bible. Over the holidays I finished transposing all my highlighted Scriptures and notes. I even glued an oversized envelope on the inside of the back cover so I'd have someplace to store my index cards (where I write the memory verse I'm working on that week/month) and where I can slip prayer requests.

So, I'm all geared up and ready to start. What about you? Are you doing a Bible study this semester?

Winter Wonderland

2007-01-05T10:39:00.000-06:00

As the kids grow older, the dynamics of our "family" vacations change. This summer, we went boating without our 18 year old son. This winter, it looked as if we would be going skiing without either of our boys. Since I go down the mountain in a zig-zag pattern and everyone else goes straight down, I long since quit skiing and simply bought a lift ticket so I could meet everyone at the top of the mountain for lunch. (Meanwhile, I shopped, did the spa, met them for lunch, shopped, did the spa ... you get the idea.)

So, when it became apparent that this year only the girls were going to be able to go, I suggested that Greg go with his brother instead of me. That way, the girls could ski together and Greg would have a skiing buddy, too.

I, meanwhile, stayed home and ... shopped, did the spa, met friends for lunch, shopped, did the spa ... you get the picture. ;-)

Well, I have to confess that when Greg and his little brother get together, they seem to pull out the worst in each other. So, as I packed the four of them in the car to send them on their way, the boys looked as if they'd just been given the golden ticket to the Wonka Chocolate Factory.

I peered into the backseat and firmly commanded the girls to make sure the boys behaved.

"Oh, we'll be good, honey. Won't we Phil?" Greg said.

Phil vigorously nodded. "Absolutely."

Greg winks at me, pulls the car door and just before it closes, he hollers, "PAR-TAY!!!"

Then *slam*, the door is closed and he is zooming out of the driveway.

I am happy to report, they all came home injury free and with many stories to tell (and some, I suspect, they didn't tell at all). I've included more of the photos they took on my Scrapbook page. I think our sons are now wishing they had gone along, too. Well ... there is always next year!

Happy New Year

2007-01-03T11:01:00.000-06:00

I love the new year. It has such a "fresh start" feel to it--like taking a plate that has smears of A-1 sauce, bits of gristle, rivulets of steak juice and one more bite of ikky spinach, then holding it under a water faucet. Watching all the remains of my meal being whisked away, leaving a shiny, new plate just waiting to be filled with something new and fresh and wonderful.

As Christians, of course, we experience this kind of renewal internally on a daily (sometimes hourly) basis. I guess that's why I'm a morning person. I love going through that process with the Lord every morning.

Anyhoo, standing at the precipice of a brand new year is so exciting. I looked at last year's resolutions to see how I did. They were:

Organize my pantry (with all those cool Tupperware containers)
Organize my medicine cabinet
Organize my closet
Organize my arts & crafts closet
Organize my sewing closet
Organize my attic

Percentage wise, I didn't do too well. Only 50%--and that's if you don't count the fact that I had someone else organize my medicine cabinet. So, it got done, but not by me.

Still, I did clean out my closet and it is still such a joy to go inside it. I organized my attic, though it gets all messed up this time of year until the transition from Christmas to back-to-normal has been completed. And I didn't clean out my arts & crafts closet, but I did set up a scrapbook room--which I am just *loving.*

So, that leaves this year. Obviously, I'd still like to accomplish what I didn't in 2006. So, right off the bat, my resolutions for 2007 will be:

Organize my pantry (with all those cool Tupperware containers)
Organize my arts & crafts closet
Organize my sewing closet

Dare I stop there? No, this year, I'd like to add something a little more benevolent to my list. Something that benefits someone besides me. But it has to measurable. I've got it. I want to go on a mission trip. I've never been on one in my entire life and lately I've really had a desire to.

So, resolution number 4:

4. Go on a mission trip.

Okay. Your turn. What are your resolutions for 2007?

And by the way, welcome back. I missed you last week!

Merry Christmas!

2006-12-22T11:56:00.000-06:00

Click here for a special Christmas message from

Greg and Deeanne.

Christmas Puzzle

2006-12-20T11:33:00.000-06:00

Every other year or so, the girls and I do our favorite puzzle. It is a 2000 piece Coca-Cola Christmas puzzle that takes us from Thanksgiving to Christmas to finish. I'm very particular about what kind of puzzle I'm willing to do. I don't much care for puzzles that are mostly one color (like a snow scene or a wheat field or something like that). I like a lot of variety in my puzzles because I put them together using visual clues (as opposed to by the way the pieces are shaped).

So, this puzzle is perfect. It is a collage of vintage Coca-Cola ads. It's like putting together a bunch of mini-puzzles. Here is a progression of our work week-by-week:

Week One: Edge pieces and ...

... Coca-Cola signs

Week Two & Three: People

Week Four: All Done!

I saw another Coca-Cola puzzle I wanted this year in the Hallmark store. It is called "Santa's Workshop." According to both my mom and Greg, they were all sold out. (I guess I should have given them the internet link. Didn't think about it, actually.)

Ah, well. There is always next year! Do you do puzzles? Do you have a favorite?

24 Years of Wedded Bliss

2006-12-18T10:07:00.000-06:00

Twenty-four years ago today I was pledging my life to Gregory Gist. One of the smartest moves I ever made. He has given me a wonderful family heritage from the Gist side, he has been--and continues to be--my best friend, my hero and the love of my life.

To celebrate, he took me out to dinner last night and gave me some Dannelle Woody jewelry. Dannelle Woody is a local artist who has one or two shows a year. I never miss them. All of her jewelry comes with the Scripture that inspired the piece.

I had totally forgotten that Greg had met her one time at the mall while I was with him and that they exchanged cards. But he hung onto Dannelle's card, contacted her and commissioned these pieces for our anniversary. I have many, many pieces of Dannelle's and never have I seen one that moved me as much as this one.

I love that the embracing couple is welded onto the cross--symbolizing that Christ is at the center of their love. And this time, instead of including the Scripture on a notecard, Dannelle engraved a Scripture that Greg picked out on the back of the cross.

Greg told me that my book covers inspired Dannelle. And when I looked again at the cross, I saw that the woman was wearing a gown similar to the one on the cover of Lady and that her foot was peeking out from beneath her skirts. How special is that?

My photos don't do the pieces justice, though. I wish you could see these crystals. Dannelle almost always uses antiques and they sparkle like nobody's business. All of her pieces are originals. So no one in the whole world will have a cross like this.

I cried when I put it on, because I knew that this jewelry would become some of my all-time favorite and that it would be heirlooms that would be passed down to my children and then to their children and so on.

I pray that God will continue to bless both my marriage and Dannelle's work . (I would send you to her website, but she doesn't have one. When she gets one, though, I will be sure to let you know!)

Thanks for letting me gush. I'm just so full up I can hardly stand it!

10 Days Til Christmas!

2006-12-15T18:48:00.000-06:00

My sister most always makes homemade gifts for Christmas. One year she gave me a tree skirt, another time she made a nifty little quilt that folded up into a little pouch for easy storing or carrying. Several years back she made me the advent calendar I have pictured. Starting at the beginning of December, you flip over a star and it tells you how many days are left until Christmas.
Then, on Christmas Day, the calendar is full of stars.

The kids used to fight over whose day it was to turn over the star. So I had to start marking down whose day it was. Then, they made me mix up the order so the same child didn't always get to turn over the final star year after year.

These days, I don't have to designate who gets what day. As a matter of fact, I don't do anything but hang it up and magically, the stars are turned everyday. I don't really know who turns them over, though.

Neither of my sisters will be in town this year to celebrate Christmas with us, but one of my nephew's will. He and his girlfriend and my parents will come over to our house tomorrow for a big breakfast and a Christmas celebration.

What about you? Do you have advent calendars at your house? Will you be spending the holidays with extended family?

The Nativity Story

2006-12-13T10:05:00.000-06:00

Greg and I went to see The Nativity Story last night. If you're familiar with the story, it's easy to follow and a feel-good movie. If you aren't familiar with the story, it might be a bit confusing at times.

The movie opens with Zechariah going into the temple to burn incense and receiving the news from a "voice" that his wife will bear him a son. Then, they flash over to Nazareth and Mary. Those who aren't familiar with the story might have assumed Zechariah was Joseph and get hopelessly lost in those first few scenes.

It all plays out, of course, but clearly the producers assumed their audience would be intimately familiar with the details (they'd know who Herod was and where he ruled and that he ordered all Jewish male offspring in Bethlehem under the age of two to be killed (although that didn't happen the night Christ was born, as the movie insinuates) etc.)--all of which is fine. The photography was wonderful and the sets and costumes authentic. The film focused on Mary and Joseph, emphasizing the hardships they faced by being appointed the unsuspecting parents of the Messiah.

It made me think for the first time that Jesus' hometown might have ostracized him for being conceived out of wedlock. Certainly, Mary and Joseph faced rejection and shunning from friends and relatives.

I cried and cried when Jesus was born and when the shepherds came to worship. When the wise men arrived at the stable with their gifts (which in reality didn't happen until much later--when Jesus was about 2 years old), it brought home to me how their offerings assured that Jesus' family would be taken care of economically.

All in all, I definitely thought it was worth the ticket price and that it would be a great movie to see as part of your Christmas celebration. Has anyone else seen it yet? What did you think?

Bibles Are Like Cowboy Boots

2006-12-11T10:36:00.000-06:00

Bibles are like cowboy boots and baseball gloves. You can't just go out and replace the one you have because it has been broken in to fit you just right. But after a while, there comes a time when the one you have is just plumb worn out.

My Bible wasn't worn out so much as the formatting was no longer working for me. I loved the large print, but I'm one of those folks who writes in her Bible. Not just a little. A lot. And that Beth Moore study I took of Daniel was so good, I wanted to make a bazillion notes in the margins of my Bible.

Problem was: There are no margins in my Bible. Mostly, I suppose, because of the large print. Same thing happened when I did a study of Revelation. So I ... gulp ... went out and bought me a new Bible. Now, I could have put it on my Christmas list. But, again, I compare this to cowboy boots. You have to pick out your own, you know?

And check this out: Zondervan has a "Wide Margin" Bible!

I'm soooo excited. Now, the real work begins. First, putting in the tabs. With that really pretty leather-bound cover and gold edging the paper, you'd think I'd pick out pretty gold-colored tabs. Nope. I want the rainbow-colored tabs or none at all.

The reason is the colors divide my Bible up and makes it more "managable"--for me, anyway. The pink tabs are the Pentateuch. The orange: History. Yellow: Poetry & Wisdom. Green: The Prophets. Blue: The Gospels. Purple: The Letters.

I love this because everytime I look something up I think to myself, "Oh, this guy's in the green section, so he must be a prophet." Or, "Moses wrote this one." And so on.

Next, I go through each page of my old Bible and anything that I've highlighted in that Bible, I highlight in the new one. That's what I'm in the process of doing now and it's been such a pleasure to read each of these verses that are so special to me. I've gotten as far as Ephesians.

As soon as I've finished that, then I have to transpose all my notes. And when I'm all done, I'll have a new Bible with all the comforts of home.

What about you? Do you have a favorite Bible? Do you write in it? (My grandpa never, ever wrote in his Bible. He just didn't feel right about it. My grandma, however, had notes scribbled all over hers and I love to read her notes.) Do you have a favorite translation? (Our former pastor calls the NIV the Needs Improvement Version, yet it's my absolute favorite and my new Bible is NIV.) What about red-letter? (I've always wanted a red-letter and this wide-margin Bible had it! I was so pumped!) Hardback? Paperback? Leather? Study Bible?

Tell us about yours.

Homemade Gingerbread Houses

2006-12-06T11:23:00.000-06:00

One Christmas my mother-in-law gave me a Pampered Chef gingerbread house mold. I remember unwrapping it, shooting a glance at her and saying, "I'm not sure whether to thank you or ring your neck."

We both laughed because I never do anything in half-measures. If I'm going to make a gingerbread house, I'm gonna do it up right. So ... each year I made between 7 and 9 houses. I'd mold them, bake them, and build them. Then, I'd sit the four kids around the table armed with candy, marshmellows and cake-decorating implements.

They'd make one for their school teacher, one for each grandmother and one for us. On New Year's Day, they'd gather around our gingerbread house and slug it, hammer it, and pound on it until it was in small bite size pieces. Then ... they'd dine.

That tradition ended when the kids entered Junior High and had about 8 teachers each. Not happening.

Last night, our 17 year old came home and decided she wanted to make a gingerbread house for some project they were doing in German class. She had no idea how much work was involved.

Here she is pressing the gingerbread dough into the mold:

Now she is gluing it together with egg whites and cream of tartar. (A tricky step.)

Next she frosts the house and decorates it.

And here she is, with a beautiful gingerbread house (while behind the camera-man is one messy, messy kitchen!)

Here's some close up views of the front and back. It's cute, isn't it?

Do you do any kind of Christmas baking? Tell us about it.

Contest Winner

2006-12-04T12:04:00.000-06:00

Congratulations to Carol from Pennsylvania. She won last month's contest. The question was:

Which of the following female names cannot be found on Deeanne's family tree?

Hazel
Tennessee
Zenith
Zola
Birdie

Here's how you voted:

52% voted for Zenith
24% voted for Zola
14% voted for Hazel
5% voted for Tennessee
5% voted for Birdie

The correct answer is:

Zola.
We do not have any Zolas on our family tree!

The new contest is up. This month's question is:

What foreign country did Deeanne live in when she was in the 3rd grade?

South America
England
Indonesia
Japan
Scotland

Click here to cast your vote and for your opportunity to win! And, once again, congratulations to Carol who chose an autographed copy of A Bride Most Begrudging for her prize.