A few weeks ago, something really wild happened at the church we’ve been attending. It caught me by surprise, and I was able to snap a photo of it right after it happened, so I thought I’d share it here on the blog today.
Before I get to the moment though, I should start by saying, that I’ve never really had a “church home”, so finding this place, that I feel so excited by and comfortable in, has really been a BIG, BIG blessing for me. The folks that created it (a few years ago) sure have done a great job of putting together a warm and inspiring place for us to worship. And although we haven’t met a ton of people there yet, (we’re still in “stroll in quietly and sit off to the very side” mode- ha!) I look forward to our time there so much. Each week, I can feel my “crazy compass” bobbity-bobble back toward the center point again. Ya know what I mean? (Fun fact: The church is called Centerpoint.) The only problem (for lack of a better word) with attending this particular church is that I have yet to make it through a service without tearing up. And I’m not talking about just during the message portion of the service. I’m talkin’: while the worship team is playing a song, while someone is getting baptized…you name it– I’m tipping my head back ever-so-slightly so that those big ol’ drops welling up don’t fall down…or out, ifyaknowwhatI’msayin.
A friend of mine said the same thing happens to her at church, and I had to laugh when we both admitted that we hope the people around us don’t think it’s because we’ve done so much sinning throughout the week- ha!
Okay, on to the moment.
Right now, we’re in the middle of a series on relationships. It’s about relationships with God, relationships with others, setting priorities, and resolving conflicts. Our pastor (John Schmidt) found a clever way to demonstrate things by using different-sized moving boxes to illustrate how our priorities should stack up. God’s box is three big boxes taped together to make up one, extra-large box. From there, they decrease in size: spouse, then kids, then work, then house/car/stuff. The smallest box is labeled, hobbies.
John’s been talking about how easy it is for those “moving boxes” to get jumbled up, and lost in the shuffle, when life gets go-go-going, like it always tends to do. Just like when you’re literally moving. Boxes get re-stacked and relocated, and when they end up in the wrong room, it can cause a lot of stress and make it really hard to find the things you need. I’m such a visual person, so seeing it laid out that way was great, and it makes sense to me why everything would run smoother if I just kept those stacks in the right order.
Okay. Now on to the moment.
It was pretty symbolic and goosebump-y, y’all…and I hope it translates here as well. I don’t even know if anyone else saw it happen, but boy did it make my eyes pop wide.
A couple of Sunday’s ago, the worship team (who absolutely rocks my socks off, by the way) was playing “The Great I Am“. (If you haven’t heard it, and want to check it out, click here.) It’s a really catchy and powerful tune, and at that moment, it felt like the whole congregation was really locked in. I’m talkin’ total sing-it-like-you-mean-it goin’ on. Exhilarating. Moving. The whole kit-and-kaboodle. I was lovin’ it…and I’m pretty sure big drops had welled up, and *ahem* out at that point.
Anywho, right about that time, as I was standing there all goosebump-y, the priority/moving box labeled “House/Car/Stuff”, (which was previously perfectly stacked on top of the box beneath it) flew right up and onto the floor…top side down. I scanned the area, looking for a fan, or anything that could’ve blown it over that hard.
But there wasn’t anything blowing over there. There wasn’t anyone near the box.
It just flew off.
Right there at the end of that Great song that we were all singing.
I probably embarrassed Kevin to pieces, but I had to pull out my cell phone and take this photo when the song was over, and we had all taken our seats again. See the box upside down on the floor?
The lighting was low, so the picture is a blurry and less than perfect. Hmmm…reminds me of me…and that’s okay, because it’s all about the “boxes” and how they’re standing, anyway.
Know just what you mean. When God grabs our attention He uses people, events, boxes or whatever. Those times are so goose bumpy. Love your site by the way. Praying for your new home God has in store.
Blessings,
tammy
I’m a HUGE crier in church, seriously always packing tissues in my purse!! I love this story so much and I especially love the glow on “God”- that big ol’ box was sending you a message and now to all of us now that you’ve shared it. Bless you friend !!
xoxo
Kate
I get teary at church too. I don’t know why I get so embarrassed about it. Thanks for sharing your story.
Layla & Kevin, I got all teary-eyed just reading this! So happy ya’ll have found a church you love and feel at home in. That’s so important. I totally know about crying in church, I do it ALL the time. I sing in the choir now and love being up there singing glory to God on Sunday a.m. Those songs really speak to me and make me cry all over again at God’s mercy in my life and how He has brought me through so many situations. He is worth bragging on! Love this goose-bumpy story. I never do believe in coincidences, God knows how to work behind the scenes.
I am a church crier, too. My kids think I am weird but I don’t care. It’s God speaking to me. One of my God moments was a time I had just started a new job. I was working late on a weekend trying to finish up a project. I was feeling pressured and starting to doubt my abilities. When I left that evening and was on my way home I saw two HUGE parrots in an old tree on the side of the road. One was blue and one was red. I turned around and went back to make sure I wasn’t seeing things and sure enough they were still there. Keep in mind I was in rural Oklahoma, not a place you would see parrots flying around. LOL. I don’t know why but I just took that as a sign from God that I was going to be okay, just take time to enjoy the unexpected He sends our way.
I call those nuggets from God and I am a witness that they happen just when you feel overwhelmed and need a “clear” answer from the Lord.
Wow, thanks for sharing and especially that amazing song! I had never heard it before….just love it, gives me goosebumps. I need to find a church like you have found.
So neat! Loved reading this! Speaking of relationships, I’ve been really thankful lately for the way God has woven together some neat friendship opportunities for me. He is always in the details, and that is so comforting to me! 🙂 Have a great day!
Oh, Layla! I’m a church crier, too. I hardly ever make it through sunday school or worship without a tear being shed. Thanks for sharing a piece of your heart with us through this story. God bless you both!
I love how God cares about all the details in our lives and by keeping him first the rest all fall into place. I love how the box that fell was “house/car/stuff”. Like God saying – focus on my box because as for your new house and the stuff needed to set it up, I got this! He is so good and so faithful. Love your post and your tender hearts. Could worship music be in Kevin’s future…? : )
I am lovin’ this!! Our (old..we moved) church did the same for me. I loved. Every Sunday I would literally cry!?! It was really a great way to get the week going, feeling so inspired and light and worthy!
O.K. I have a goose bumpy story to tell. Many years ago my parents took my daughter and I to Disney World for a trip of a lifetime kind of trip. We flew from the mid-west to Orlando. You should know that I do not like to fly AT ALL, EVER! Needless to say I was an emotional mess by the time we got there. I got over it, we had a fantastic week there and when we showed back up at the airport to fly back home, my anxieties and worries returned full force.
I was in the first stages of a divorce at the time of that trip, and had started to attend a church near my home for the emotional and spiritual support I felt it could provide through that difficult time. My minister had been giving lessons to learn more about the foundations of the church and religion as a whole and had recently taught us about the power of prayer.
Well back to the airport, while we were at our gate, before we sat down to wait for our flight to arrive, my daughter said she wanted some candy from the gift shop right there and so my mother took her into the shop to get it, and my father asked me to watch the carry-on luggage while he went to the restroom. Standing in that airport by myself, I knew I couldn’t handle my anxieties about flying for that many hours again, and I asked myself what to do. Then I remembered my minister’s teachings of the power of prayer and I said to myself, “Yes. I need to pray.†I asked God to please alive my fears and help me get through the next 5 to 6 hours in peace. After I said my prayer, lifted my head, and opened my eyes, I looked into the gift shop to see where my daughter and mother were. They were at the counter paying for the candy, and when I happened to looked up to the display behind the shop clerk, something caught my eye. On a high shelf was a torso mannequin selling a pair of shorts and a T-shirt. The T-shirt read: RELAX. YOU’RE IN GOD’S HANDS. I just about fell over!! Wow, I thought to myself, that was fast prayer service! It really got me through my flight home.
Thanks for this post. I have serious travel anxiety and prayer has gotten me through many trips.
I want to thank you guys for sharing these comments…I have the same anxiety and have found so much comfort in connecting with you today!
WOW. That was so powerful, Cory! I can relate to you and your anxiety so much. Your story will definitely be running through my mind when we fly to Peru in November. Thank you! 😀
I love that song! Just downloaded it! Thank you! I posted this blog on my fb!
So glad you enjoyed it, Vanessa! And thank you for linking to my post today, too! 😀
First, I cry in church, too. My friend Sara and I have had that exact same discussion and I have many ways to make those around me think my contact lens is bothering me, or my eye lids just happen to be itching (ha).
Long Story Short – I have really been struggling with something and I shared it with my best friend (that lives far away), my parents, and my husband and each of them told me they would pray for me and I went on about my life. A few months passed – I am a teacher and a local church caters lunch for our staff at the beginning of each year. I walked into the lunch a couple weeks ago and came face to face with my best friend’s (the one mentioned above) aunt. I had no idea she lived in my city or attended the church that caters the lunch. She has never attended or helped before. We hugged and began chatting. During our conversation, I mentioned something I worry about (totally unrelated to my struggle) and she said, “When I have a struggle this is how I pray…” and she taught me what/how to pray. My eyes welled up right there in front of her and I told her how much I needed to hear that. What she said has helped me TREMENDOUSLY with my struggle. I truly believe God put her in my path that day, that moment. I still get chills and teary eyed thinking about it.
Thanks for this post!
Amanda
Oh my goodness, Amanda- that story has me all filled up inside! (I would love to hear what your friend’s aunt told you!) 😉
She taught me to pray the Lord’s Prayer, but insert the person’s name that you are worried about. Instead of saying, “Our Father,..” say, Kevin’s Father, which art in Heaven…
I have been using it regularly. It took a little practice, but it really calms me and helps me give my worry to God. It also helps when I just don’t know the right words, which is often.
I have 2 goosebump moments that I don’t share very often, but I do when it fits, and I think this post fits!
The first one is about my dad- On Sept 11, 2001, that awful day in our history, I also found out that my dad had something covering half of his brain. It was so far progressed, whatever it was (no one could figure it out), that they scheduled a repeat MRI 6 weeks later rather than getting him to surgery right away. Long story short, 6 weeks later the MRI was 100% clear. Nothing covering my dad’s brain.
The second one was when I was pregnant with my first child, my son. I was leaking fluid and my nurse midwife, after her exam, was fairly sure I was losing the baby. So my husband and I sat in a waiting room to get an ultrasound to see if the baby’s heart beat was still there. While we were sitting there, only the 2 of us, a song came on the overhead speakers. It lasted for minutes, and the only words were, “It’s gonna be okay, it’s gonna be okay…” Over and over for minutes on end. We looked at each other and could not believe what was happening. And it was okay- the heartbeat was there, and and he was totally fine.
So God has provided me with 2 incredible examples of His love, grace, provision and protection. With my dad being ill, I moved close to home again, ready to take over the family for my mom since I knew she was not going to be able to. I had an incredible peace inside during those 6 weeks of unknown and heartbreak. When I face something difficult now and my imagination goes wild, I’m not able to center myself, I remember how God got me and my family through those horrible times- both with unmistakeable and outright “I AM HERE” acts. Then I think if He got us through that, He will get us through anything.
Sadly I had lost sights on those 2 incredible examples and this post reminded me. He is good… all of the time. 🙂
Thank you so much for sharing this comment, Annie. I am just sitting here in awe, and am so thankful we can “talk” to each other about all these life-changing moments!
What a great illustration on how our life’s flow should be! I also would cry at the drop of a hat when I found my home church I’m beginning to believe that when you find your “home” there’s no denying it and our emotions tend to spilleth over. I hope that you can still go to your new home when you move!?
SMALL WORLD!!!!!!!! My dad was the associate minister of the church that Centerpoint broke off of. He was the first one they asked to go and start the church up with them. After much consideration and prayer, he knew he couldn’t throw away his retirement with the Methodist conference he’s in and ultimately it wasn’t where the Lord was calling him. I know lots of the people that go to that church! Several of which are adopting or have adopted! You’re in a great place, that’s for sure. As far as crying in church? Happens to me every Sunday!
This explains why my life is always messed up…because my Hobby box is so big! Ha!!!
Crying as I read this, Layla… It is the Holy Spirit.
The tears are from His presence, whether in church or at home.
How could we not weep.
Let others wonder…let the tears fall. You are loving and being loved by your God.
I so feel the love circling around this entire post, comments, everything. Thank you for that comment, even though it was obviously not directed at me. I have tried to numb myself so that I don’t cry in church so much. Sometimes I feel like I just don’t want to cry about anything anymore. What you said has really touched my heart. 🙂
I love how comments and replies to comments are blessing and touching people, too. Shows what God can do when we follow His prompts.
I love it how God can speak right to us. He is such a personal and unbelievable God! Thanks for sharing!
That is really cool! He was definitely sending a message.
P.S.
.Love the song… and yes, I have had many miracles and goose bump moments,..too many to list here. 🙂 Blessings to you and Kevin in whatever direction God leads you.
Karen
LOVED your experience!! So can relate and what I have learned throughout the years – 3 kids and 15 years of marriage. If God is not your priority………all the boxes WILL fall. Literally! However, the encouraging part is when they do and they usually always do, He is always there to pick you up. Thanks for your story – sometimes we need to be reminded how Great He is.
Love this story. GOD is so powerful. This is the first time I have read that about your faith and so happy that you shared. I cry ALL the time at our church here in the bay area. My husband does as well, he’d kill me if he knew I was telling you.
Reminds me of the statue of Dagon that couldn’t stand in the presence of the ark of the covenant!! They picked it up again and again the next morning it was laying on the ground
PS. Thanks for introducing that song to me…LOVE it!!
God bless you in your move…glad you can still go to your church home!
I can totally relate, God is always trying to get out attention!! Several years ago as I was searching to strengthen my faith, I mindlessly was repeating the Lords prayer but fumbling the lines/words which annoyed me. Several hours later, as I sat in a Nike shoe store of all places trying on sneakers, a tote bag crossed Right in From of My Face (as I tied shoes) with the Lords prayer in line and full verse – talk about goose bumps, it still gives me chills !! the Lord is good!
Whoa what a neat story. I, more often than not, also tear up during church and sometimes downright sob! And I can’t even explain it most times. It’s just a feeling of God’s presence that just gets to me there.
you are not alone.
me+tears=BFF
non stop. 🙂
God is so very good. All the time!
In our church there’s a visual lesson that’s pretty common… You take a jar and fill it with a bunch of pebbles and then start piling bigger rocks on top. Except they don’t all fit. After that you take it all out. Then put the big rocks in first and pour the pebbles all on top.. they fill in all the cracks and (magically!) it all fits. It’s a lesson on priorities and how if we put God and the important things first, we’ll have room for hobbies and other good things that fill our lives too. Just reminded me of your story… What a wonderful experience! Thanks for sharing Layla!
I love how visual that is. Thanks for sharing! 🙂
I am not really a highly spiritual person and I don’t often share this story but after hearing your experience I’m compelled to share. A couple weeks after my father passed away my mother and I went to a service to honor those who had passed away during the year. Not surprisingly, it was very emotional. All of the sudden, clear as day, I heard my dad’s voice say, “Don’t be sad Babe.” I looked around and of course no one else heard it, but to this day I swear my father was speaking to me from a better place and trying to comfort me.Maybe I was hearing what I wanted to hear, but none the less, it felt like God had sent me a sign.
Thank you for sharing. It made me think about a Bible story of an idol who falls over in the presence of the ark of the covenant. They stand the idol back up and the next day it is back fallen down in front of the ark with the hands broken off. Something like that.. maybe should have looked it up first. Blessings on you both as you go through the upcoming move.
This blog just made me cry it was so beautful! How I needed that, Sometimes I feel like my most biggest “box” is making my house a home. As of recently I have spent more time staring at a million paint swatches on my bathroom wall and trying to figure out undertones and feeling so frustrated. Reading your blog made me think about what is really important in life. Thanks for sharing : )
Layla, I loved reading your account of what happened that day. I love when God’s Spirit moves among us in our services. Shelley and I would love to get to know you and Kevin, especially since I read Kevin is a musician :-). Please come up before or after church and introduce yourselves to us. Btw you are a very gifted writer.
Tommy Green
Associate Pastor Centerpoint Fellowship Church.
Shelley Green
Worship Leader Centerpoint Fellowship Church
Hi Tommy!
Thanks so much for stopping by and leaving us a comment today. We feel so blessed to have found Centerpoint and will definitely introduce ourselves to you and Shelley this weekend. We look forward to meeting both of you! 🙂
Wow, I am now a basket case, reading your post, and the comments! I need some of all that right now! I need all your prayers. My life is a total mess. It seems once a blessing occurs, not soon after something happens to counteract it, and just when I think things can’t get worse, they do!! I desperately want to create a home and peace for me and my family, but at every turn I am getting the opposite.
I believe it inherent in women, to want to build a nest for their family, and we shouldn’t feel guilty about that instinct. There is nothing more enriching to the soul, then beautiful surroundings! We know this, because we know how it makes us feel, when we are not in a place that is comfortable and beautiful! This doesn’t mean being materialistic, coveting or superficial. You can do it on a budget and by being creative, like Layla has demonstrated. We need the safe, comfortable home as a foundation to the rest of our lives.
Mel,
You should read what Darlene from Fieldstone Hill Designs says about being a master designer. Basically, she reminds us that we can create beauty because God, the Master Designer, created us. We are not materialistic to want beauty around us. God has created the most beauty.
http://www.fieldstonehilldesign.com/master-designer
And I, too, cry in church…and in the car (if praising!)!!!
And Layla, so happy you were open to see God’s message and to share it. —–gina in s. florida
PS. Pray for us. Our church needs a new pastor.
Thank you so much for leaving this comment today. A fews years ago when Layla and I thought we were going to lose our house and our car, I felt a lot of these same emotions. We were in a scary place and couldn’t see how we were going to get out. Hang in there, you are definitely in our prayers.
First, I LOVE your blog but have never commented – I just just enjoyed the beautiful pics!!!! Now about this post – I, too, get teary eyed or goose-pimply at church which is fine…except that I play piano/keyboard during music worship and the tears make me miss notes/chords/cues/page turns….but I like to think it is God giving me a nudge or a wink….or maybe its Satan being mad that I am worshipping!!!!!! lol jk
One of the things that I like best about your blog is your sincerity and authenticity. I tear up at church all the time. It’s kind of embarrassing sometimes, but the Bible says that we should worship the Father in Spirit and in truth, and for me, tears are an overflow of what’s in my heart: gratitude for what He has done for me.
You are so blessed to have found a place that makes you feel that way. I was raised in a very small church, but I like the worship at the bigger ones. I struggle to keep my love for the small and the big in balance so that I can feel comfortable at church. All the best!
And even more goose bumpy for me today as I read with a car that’s broken down/struggling with the mortgage this month and spending my time reading DIY blogs instead of my Bible – thanks ya’ll! P.S. I always cry in church!
Oh Layla….I got all goosebumpy just reading your post today. Got speaks to us in so many different ways (good and bad) – and bless you for recognizing that it was He who was speaking to your heart during that sermon. That’s huge. Big hugs to you, my sister-in-Christ! ♥
xoxo laurie
founf this is pinterest….how true
A professor stood before his class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, wordlessly, he picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls. He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was. The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was. The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with a unanimous ‘yes.’ The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar, effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed. ‘Now,’ said the professor, as the laughter subsided, ‘I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things – family, children, health, friends, and favorite passions – things that if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full. The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, house, and car. The sand is everything else – the small stuff. If you put the sand into the jar first,’ he continued, ‘there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that are important to you. So… pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Play with your children. Take time to get medical checkups. Take your partner out to dinner. There will always be time to clean the house and fix the disposal. Take care of the golf balls first – the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.’ One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee represented. The professor smiled. ‘I’m glad you asked. It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there’s always room for a couple of cups of coffee with a friend
I love this! 🙂
one time the hubs was oncall during a storm and he had to go help restore power.. He called on his way in around 10 or 11pm but then I hadn’t heard from him for a while.. I went to bed and woke up at 2am.. no calls, no texts. I called and called and called.. no answer.. I was getting worried (and annoyed lol) and then I swear I heard God’s voice as clear as day say “Try him now Nicole.” I dialed and sure enough he answered.
Ok one more =) I never really “ask” God for anything.. I just tend to say thank you.. well money was super tight and I prayed and asked God for $3,000 and I kid you not a credit card came in the mail within the week, I went online and filled out the application (but did not request an amount – they choose that) and guess what?? Got approved for $3,000 exactly! =)
My goose bump story has a few parts to it. My Dad passed away very unexpectedly last June. The day after he passed I was alone in my house staring outside the front window. There was this very horrible smell coming from the bush in the front of the house. I went out to check to see and it was a dead baby bunny. To emotional to bury him myself, I would ask my Husband to do it for me when he came home from running errands for me. I prayed that I would have a sign that my Dad was safe and happy in what we all hope is heaven. An hour or so passed and I went back to the same window and the smell was gone. The bunny was no longer there. Was it my Dad knowing that the bunny would cause me even more grief and sadness? I would like to think it was him telling me everything would be alright! My Dad and I shared the same birthday. I received an outside plant as a sympathy gift. It gets very cold here in Canada and It was on my front porch. The frost didn’t kill it and it just kept blooming. I had to bring it in the house for the winter. It was trying to tell me something! It survived the winter by growing like crazy! It stopped flowering but was very happy inside. In the spring this year I put it in a bigger pot and put it outside. I couldn’t get it to flower for anything. Fertilizer didn’t even get it to bloom. I figured it was very happy just to be green! On my birthday (and my Dads) it bloomed for the first time. Crazy but I would like to think it was my birthday gift from my Dad.
That song gives me goosebumps too! Hugs from Seattle. Xo.
I notice there was another rainbow comment earlier. I have one also. One day, over 20 years ago I was getting ready to move to another continent the very next day. My much younger brother came by and as he was leaving, standing outside he gave me a card. It had a rainbow on it, and the words were something about finding my pot of gold. I read it, looked up at that very moment and an almost perfect, and very large rainbow was spread across the small town I lived in. I couldn’t get over it and will never forget it. I know rainbows are not uncommon, but they are not common either, and it was just such a wonderful one . .. and the timing! I am SURE it was not a coincidence, I absolutely felt it was goodwishes meant just for me.
Love this post, Layla! Thanks so much for sharing. I can totally relate to everything you’re saying. We moved across the country from our family and friends four years ago for my husbands job and it’s been the most difficult time in my all my life to feel at, “Home”. My boxes have been stacked upside down this whole time and I couldn’t figure out why we felt so disconnected and unhappy. I had taken worship and having a church home for granted. Two weeks ago we visited a church that I’ve been watching their televised service, and I had an overwhelming sense of, “Home” the minute we walked in . I get the tears too, I’m soooo happy to hear I’m not the only one! I thought I was having some sort of emotional breakdown. lol Thanks again for sharing this touching, personal experience, and may God bless you and your husband with your move and settling into your new home!
What a powerful way for God to get your attention! He’s so awesome like that!! And, no worries, I cry every week… it just happens… it moves my heart and the tears just start rolling. 🙂
i cry 2 in church at anything really. i cry like a baby when 5yr old kasey, whom has a brain tumor, gets up and sings god is so good…im tearing up now just thinking about her.
What a wonderful experience and thanks for posting Layla! I always have to fight the tears at church. Usually when music is involved. The more I try to control it, the worse it gets! 🙂
Love it! Isn’t it awesome that we serve a caring, personal God?! I”ve been struggling with major fear over stepping out in faith about making my little blog/furniture hobby a business, and God has brought message after message from different sources on overcoming fear. Each time is like a hug from my Daddy. 🙂
That is so incredibly sweet. Thanks for sharing. 🙂
Here is my miracle…and it involves something similar. I usually don’t spread the word untilGod gives me an opportunity to, because what happened to me is what happens in the movies- certainly not in Prattville, Al, to me and my family. Let me state that 1) i’m not nuts. 2) i still don’t understand all of it. 3) and i know that I’ll be laughed at because of it. I write my personal blog to my friends, to me, and to my kids- and here the link to my miracle…
http://365daysofasoutherngalslife.blogspot.com/2011/12/my-christmas-listand-miracle.html