Sew Happy

I'm sew excited about the gift my family gave me for Christmas.... a Janome sewing machine! I've been wanting a sewing machine for quite a while. I can't wait to use my new machine. When I spent the week with my grandparents (a short review is on the way...), my grandma and I worked together to create a skirt. She taught me some valuable lessons. Thankfully, my grandmothers on both sides of the family are seamstresses, so I will have plenty of opportunities for special sewing days.

This year, my siblings and I decided to get a picture taken for our parents. It had been years since we had a picture made of the four of us. We got together over Thanksgiving break to have the picture taken, and managed to keep it a secret until today! Here's a picture of my parents opening their gift:

Here they are after they got over the initial shock and surprise:

I'm not sure what Tasha's laughing so hard about, I guess I missed it while I was taking the picture.

Here's a good shot of the picture. I am so thankful the picture turned out as great as it did. Our family is not keen on having their picture taken, so a picture this good is a rarity.

I hope the Lord has blessed each of you with an equally wonderful Christmas!

Celebrating the Birth of Our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ

Luke 1:46-55

(46) And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord,
(47) And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.
(48) For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden; for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.
(49) For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is his name.
(50) And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation.
(51) He hath shewed strength with his arm; he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
(52) He hath put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree.
(53) He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty away.
(54) He hath holpen his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy;
(55) As he spake to our fathers, to Abraham, and to his seed for ever.

Christmas Past

To send a little holiday cheer your way, I would like to share this snapshot of a past Christmas in the Corn Family. This picture is one of my favorites of Isaac and me. It was taken in 1987, when I was nearly 1 year old, and Isaac was 1 1/2.

May you have a blessed and wonderful Christmas.

O Come, O Come, Emmanuel

O come, O come, Emmanuel,
And ransom captive Israel,
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear.

Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.
O come, Thou Wisdom from on high,
Who orderest all things mightily;
To us the path of knowledge show,
And teach us in her ways to go.

O come, Thou Rod of Jesse,
freeThine own from Satan’s tyranny;
From depths of hell Thy people save,
And give them victory over the grave.

O come, Thou Day-spring, come and cheer
Our spirits by Thine advent here;
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night,
And death’s dark shadows put to flight.

O come, Thou Key of David, come,
And open wide our heavenly home;
Make safe the way that leads on high,
And close the path to misery.

O come, O come, great Lord of might,
Who to Thy tribes on Sinai’s height
In ancient times once gave the law
In cloud and majesty and awe.

O come, Thou Root of Jesse’s tree,
An ensign of Thy people be;
Before Thee rulers silent fall;
All peoples on Thy mercy call.

O come, Desire of nations, bind
In one the hearts of all mankind;
Bid Thou our sad divisions cease,
And be Thyself our King of Peace.

On the Road Again (Or.... In the Air Rather)

In the morning I will be taking the last of my final exams, then quickly heading to St. Louis to jump on a plane. I will be spending 6 days in Biloxi, Mississippi with my grandparents, aunt, uncle, and two adorable cousins. This will be my first time visiting the area since Hurricane Katrina hit last September. I'm anxious to see the area, but prepared to be saddened by the scene. My grandpa has told me about the destruction of the old plantation houses along the coast. I can remember taking long drives along the coast to view the beautiful homes. I will be sure to take pictures and post them upon my arrival home.

My wonderful Grandma Kate and Grandpa Lester.

My energetic cousins, Alec and Adam.

One down...Three to go

I just got back from my first final of the week. Thankfully, it wasn't too bad. It was actually a lot easier than I was anticipating, which is always good! I figured up that I spent over 20 times as long studying for the final than the amount of time I spent taking the final. It's good to be over-prepared, right?

I have two finals on Wednesday and one on Thursday, then I'm done!!!! What a great thought.

I was able to get a few hours of sleep before I had to take it. The wonderful weekend we enjoyed was definitely worth the lack of sleep. Stay tuned to Strem's blog for pictures and a complete recap of the weekend. It definitely was a blessed time in worship and fellowship with God's people. Thank you for all the prayers concerning our safe travels and my final. God is gracious!

Amazing God

I just returned from having lunch with my good friend, Elise, and I want to share with you how amazing, awesome, and merciful God is. You see, Elise was in a serious head-on collision last Wednesday evening. She was traveling at approximately 60 mph when she was hit by a car also traveling about the same speed. After spinning around several times and hitting another car, Elise landed in a ditch on the side of the road. When the ambulance arrived on the scene they had to cut her out of her car and rush her to the emergency room.

Here's where I tell you how amazing God is. Elise survived the accident with only minor injuries. Her left leg is swollen, she has staples in her knee, and several bruises on her body. When I visited with her today, she showed me pictures of her car. The roof was torn off, the front was mangled beyond recognition, and glass was shattered all over. The hole that Elise occupied didn't look big enough to contain even a small child. The deflated air bag was resting against the back of the seat. How Elise survived the accident with only minor injuries is beyond my understanding. The only answer I can give is that God was completely protecting her that night. He had his loving embrace around her and, by His grace, she is alive today.

I am thankful that I serve such an incredible God. I am thankful for friends, like Elise, who continuously praise His name. In the several times I've spoken with her since the accident, Elise never fails to give glory to God, for by His grace she is alive and well today.

Psalm 107:1 "O give thanks unto the LORD, for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever. Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy;"

Do You Hear What I Hear?

Early this afternoon Kelsie, Shelly and I headed up north to Lincoln, Illinois to attend the annual Christmas in the Chapel. This is a performance that Lincoln Christian College puts on each year around Christmas time. Each year the story is different, yet the underlying theme of Christ's birth, life, and death frames the storyline. This year's story, entitled "Do You Hear What I Hear?" revolved around a young girl who grew up being known as "The Voice of Christmas" in her town. As she grew older her passion for Christmas faded when her closest companion, her grandmother, passed away. The girl was transported to the magical city of Rhapsody, where she learned the reason and Song of Christmas. The story had a dual meaning, as the town and the townspeople represented sinners searching for the Song, Christ Himself. I realize my description doesn't do justice to how spectacular the show was. It was well worth the 3+ hours of travel time!

Here are the lyrics to the main song of the performance. I really enjoyed listening to the words and thinking about the meaning of the song. I thought you might enjoy reading and pondering with me.

Can You Hear?

Written by Geron Davis

Ev'ry road I walked had led to nowhere
Ev'rything I tried had turned out wrong
It seemed I'd lost a reason to get up ev'ry morning
I had lost all hope and lost my song

Circumstances said I wouldn't make it
That was all before I met the Man
Who put His arms around me, I hear Him say, "Forgiven"
And I knew I'd never be the same again

Can you hear my freedom Song?
Can you hear victory won?
No more walking on my own, no more facing life alone
No more struggling with guilt and despair
New life begins, can you hear?

Ev'ry debt was cancelled in the pardon
That Jesus purchased on a rugged cross
When He cried, "It is finished," Satan's rule was over
As perfect love restored what had been lost

The curse of sin and death completely broken
The bells of freedom's Song began to ring
Hopelessness was ended, a brand new day was dawning
With the resurrection of the King

Can you hear my freedom Song?

Can you hear victory won?

No more walking on my own, no more facing life alone

No more struggling with guilt and despair

New life begins, can you hear?

And now my heart is getting restless
I'm longing for the day He'll come
When we've fought the final fight
And our faith has been made sight
And the bells of freedom's Song begin to ring

Can you hear my freedom Song?
Can you hear victory won?
No more pain and no more fears,
No more death and no more tears
No more walking through the night
For the Lamb will be our Light
No more sin and no more burdens to bear
New life begins, Can you hear?