Thoughts on December12/january13

So. Many. Thoughts.
Join me in a stream of consciousness:
From RyJ's very first playdate with the little girl down the street, also new to the neighborhood....a family I am excited to get to know...an impromptu zoo trip that ended in a really sweet meaningful time surprise visiting the boys grandfather, ie. p-ca at his firm in atl that he will soon be retiring from...cookie swap with my retired teacher friends I taught with six or more years ago....Christmas at our house with a birthday party for Jesus that ended in a band party w Jackson's new musical instruments and Jack's family and my mom singing and banging toy percussion instruments...a very enjoyable adult trip to downtown Savannah w lots of yummy eating, a savannah theatre show, and a carriage ride historic tour. We slept at a beautifully charming b&b...nye and ny was spent at sea island w family, lots of oysters, dancing, brushing shoulders with the former uga gym dawgs coach, and drinking one too many alcohol units..which I later regretted for more reasons than not making it to see the fireworks at midnight...the time ended with a very fun bike ride to a yogurt shop 5 miles from the beach house and back..during which I found myself thankful to God for our family health that allowed us to ride and making the time to be a unit, together, enjoying one another outside.

Ok so that is the picture captions. *see pictures in previous post* But the pictures don't tell the heart of its subjects. Before December started, I read a book that Jack was reading called "Hole in our Holiness". What I took away from it is that Holiness isn't an option for a believer, it is a reality. Everywhere we go and everything we do, we are representing. We are His. We are about His work in each of our worlds. So I spent some time on vacation wondering exactly how that translates for our family in our different roles..ie. during our travels/vacations, while we interact with neighbors, in our relations with each other, as we take time with the boys..etc... I also spent some time reading Philippians to get ready to study it for WBS. I read a sermon on Philippians 1 called "to live is Christ to die is gain." do I live like this? I am challenged by the holy book and the Philippians sermon. Do I live like my only reason for being here is Christ? My time is His. My friendships are His. My body is His. Do I live with no concern for what the world thinks? Do I expect to be set apart from this world..set for His appointments?

I pray that I will more and more. That my family will, too. It is possible on this side of heaven to see holiness...not perfectly holy..but increasingly holy.