Our Christmas Festivities ~ Part 3: Christmas Day with Family

Part 1   Part 2

Christmas Day we got to spend with several of our family members, including all of our immediate family members (i.e., everyone in the David Kautt family).  Firstly, we spent the early part of the afternoon at Joel's house in Farmer's Branch, with our family, and some friends.  Hung out, ate delicious food, played games, talked.  Relaxed.  :)  Then, later in the evening, we drove over to Grandma's home just a few minutes away, and sang carols (acapella, yes!), opened Christmas gifts and visited late into the night.

I'm so glad we got to spend Christmas with our two brothers, who now are over an hour away, and we don't see much.  Plus, we got to see a couple of our cousins, our Grandma, and several dear friends.  Christmas was a delightful day!

The cloud cover on the way down to Dallas was breath-taking.

The crowd.

Isaac tries his hand at pool.

Abby must have been making an important point.

Jaden concentrates on his shot.

Spheres. 

Bokeh.

Some of Joel's wine bottle handiwork. 

Jaden starts off the gift opening.

Looking suspicious there, Joel!

Mom's hand-painted gift for Joel: the Kautt family crest. 

My gift to Caleb and Claudia.  :)

Caleb and Claudia with their Kautt family crest.  :)

I pray your Christmas was blessed, as ours was! 

Our Christmas Festivities ~ Part 2: The Christmas Plays

Part 1

Sunday, after coming home late Saturday night from East Texas, we had to get up, as usual, and get on over to the church building.  Abby and I (Phoebe) are in the worship band, so every Sunday morning we have to be over to the church building a little earlier to have our practice time.  Sunday (22nd), we had church as usual, then, directly after church there was practice for the Christmas plays, setup for the Christmas plays, and then the actual Christmas plays.  :)

I wasn't in either of them, but Johanna was one of the main characters in the first one, and we all helped out in both of them.  It was a busy day, but in the end, the plays went very well!  Praise God!

Sadly, not many photos were taken (I was busy, so was Johanna).  Joel was our photographer, but he was also videoing both plays, so he was busy.  :)

We had quite a good crowd - more than one hundred.

Dad welcomes everyone, and reads a Scripture passage.

The younger kids did such a good job singing their Christmas carols!  I played the piano for them. :)

Our Christmas Festivities ~ Part 1: Pine Cove

Well, sorry folks if you've missed our posts on here.  Life's been super busy lately with the holidays, and such, but I'm finally getting around to posting some pictures up here of what's been happening lately in our lives.

The weekend before Christmas we had our bi-yearly Russell family Christmas gathering, at Pine Cove Christian camp (in E. Texas).  This time we were only able to stay one night there, so it was a lot more rushed, but still lots of fun nonetheless.  Also, as the main coordinator of the event (from the beginning stages, to the actual days of the get together), I (Phoebe) stayed quite busy while we were there, so it wasn't as relaxing and fun as years past.  It's good for me, though, to see what really goes into an event like that and be able to appreciate it more.  At any rate, I hope everyone who came had a good time, and enjoyed seeing all the family!

Playing with dominoes Friday night.

Grams and Abby talk, while E.G. plays with the dominoes.

Chatting around Friday's supper.

Art.

Light bulb!

This photo captures E.G.'s childish enthusiasm very well, I think.  

I had a lot of fun playing the ABCs song with her, over and over and over again.  :)

Jo and Jaden joined in on the action, along with Zak.

Aunt Peggy is the one who normally makes our Christmas gathering happen, but this year it was her turn to just sit back and relax! 

Jaden and Uncle Abe have a lively discussion, I'm sure.

Poppy kept the fire going all evening long.

More art.

This is such a precious photo - Poppy with two of his three youngest grandchildren. 

Jo plays the xylophone by herself.  :)

Grams with her newest great-grandchild: Travis. 

Poppy, the handsome mountain man!

Aunt Jill with her first grandchild, Travis. 

It was so cute: E.G. went over to where Dad was studying, and started eating some of his orange.  He graciously helped her to it.  :)

Pushin' Mr. Travis around. 

Something was quite hilarious.

I was helping E.G. with Uno, and then she beat us.  I think I helped her a bit too much...  ;)

The long-lost bro-cousins: Reece and Joel. 

These two play together so well!

Sisters: Mom and Aunt Jill. 

Lexi cooks up her winning dessert recipe.

Poor Kristina was fighting a losing battle doing those dishes.  But it was much appreciated!

Aunt Catherine's famous homemade noodles, which she later used in her famous chicken and noodle soup.  Delish!

And... Here they are, Lexi's award winning cake batter truffles.  They were good!

Joel readies his dessert for the dessert competition.

The food line - the most important place.  :)

The White bros (our cousins).  

Love birds: C+C.  :)

Visiting over our Saturday lunch.

Caleb & Claudia's adorable Minion cupcakes.  (Sorry, they weren't award winning, though... ;P)

Aunt Jill's pumpkin truffles were amazing!

Uncle Taylor with Travis. 

Me thinks he likes them fingers.  ;)

We were waiting for a proposal to take place.  It didn't happen while we were there.  I think it took place right after we left.  Oh well....  

Just chillin'.

We had a wonderful time there, though way too short!  More photos to come from the rest of our Christmas festivities.  

Halloween

Something that has lain heavily upon my heart lately has been certain holidays and their true meanings, particularly the one with all of the costumes, carved pumpkins and candy. You know exactly which one I’m referring to—Halloween, of course!

Every holiday season, I ask myself, “What exactly is the history behind such and such tradition,” or “why do we celebrate such and such holiday”. I’ve personally never been able to answer such questions when it comes to Halloween.

 

It’s the same every year— I see houses with fake grave yards and ghosts; and youngsters (sometimes adults too) dressed up as ghastly characters (think vampires, witches, zombies, devils, grim-reapers; you get the idea). I’ve even known people, who call themselves Christians, participating in these “festivities”. Well, you might ask me, “Why does this bother you? Just get over it.” As a Christian and follower of The Way, the Truth and the Life, I must look at these questions through Biblical ‘lenses’. And the reason I’m bothered by this holiday— I remember passages in the Bible that say things like, “The devil was a murderer from the beginning, and has nothing to do with the truth, because there is no truth in him.” (John 8:44) and “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy.” (John 10:10)

Why are Christians ‘celebrating’ death and things pertaining to death, when our Savior (Jesus) came to abolish death (2 Timothy 1:10)? He died so we might live, and focus on things pertaining to eternal life. Those who participate in Halloween festivities are really reflecting the character of the Devil, who was a murderer and has come only to steal, kill and destroy (John 8:44; 10:10). They are living as the world lives, are being in the world and of it (John 15:18-19; 17:3-16), are being conformed to the world, not transformed from it (Romans 12:2), and are not remaining unspotted from the world (James 1:27).
So, fellow believers, what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world but loses his own soul (Matthew 16:26; Mark 8:36; Luke 9:26)? We have died to sin and are freed from sin; let us not live in sin any longer (Romans 6:2-7, 11-23). “Let us throw off everything that hinders us, and the sin that so easily entangles us. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith.” (Hebrews 12:1,2^a)

“Also, many of those who had practiced magic brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all.” (Acts 19:19^a)