Pages


jawanmcginnis (at) yahoo (dot) com

search box


Google This blog

Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Christmas in Dixie...just kiddin'

Abigail has enjoyed many moments sitting on her great-grandmother's lap.

She grabbed her aunt's glasses and decided to try them on her own eyes. She's so smart and we know that all people that wear glasses are smart!

Luke asked for the game Hi Ho Cherrio for Christmas and he was delighted when he saw it underneath the torn wrapping paper.

Buddies!
Gami (AKA - grandmother) tells the children how gift distribution will work.

She fell asleep at the small table in the living area. That's never happened before.

The grandchildren gather around MeMe and Pop.

Our family got bigger this past summer when my brother got married to my wonderful sister-in-law...this means that there is less sleeping space for us all at Mom's house. The kids fit perfectly on the floor, warm, side by side.

She's not into the princess thing nor has she seen the movie Peter Pan. I don't know where her obsession with Tinkerbell came from but she's in love with that cute little green pixie.

Again, Tinkerbell made an appearance (in the form of a puzzle).

It's only a 2.5 hour drive to my mother's house and the younger two children slept the entire drive. Andrew was the only kid awake to keep us company. He is always making conversation, believe me!
See, here's the proof!

Tuesday, December 29, 2009

playing "dress-up"

One of Abigail's favorite gifts she received for Christmas was her dress-up outfit. She loves the high heels the best.



Friday, December 25, 2009

Merry Christmas

Enjoy this free download of my new favorite Christmas hymn, Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silent (it runs a tight race with O Come, O Come, Emanuel). This version is arranged and sung by the musicians of Red Mtn. Presbyterian Church, PCA, in Birmingham, AL.

HT: Justin Taylor

Thursday, December 24, 2009

Just a little "Cowan" teaser


Remind me.

The kids are out of school for 2 weeks and that means that, with much rain this month, we are staring at four walls most of the day. This does not have to be a burden! I've found many things for us to do together....painting, watching movies with popcorn, visiting friends, building tents, baking, crafting, taking walks, etc.

Now, it's lunchtime. I'm making sandwiches with fruit and chips for the kiddos. Right now, they are actually having a good time playing in the makeshift tent I put up in the boys' room. Let's hope it doesn't get torn down soon. They've been fighting all morning (no kidding) over their toys, their space, their words. It's breaking my heart. I was telling a friend yesterday that I sometimes tire of telling them the gospel over and over and over and over and over. I fear they are not "getting it". It hurts to see them act so flippantly about the truth that we share with them, in times of praise and in times of discipline. Is it penetrating their hearts? Are they resentful? My dirty heart has shone brightly today and I hate that my sin has been so vivid to their little eyes. But, I'm thankful that I was able to sit down with my child and talk about our wrongs, pray to the Father, forgive and receive forgiveness, and move on. Being a parent is such great joy but belonging to the Father brings far more delight to my heart.

I know God is faithful. His word is living and active and it WILL change their hearts. Oh, forgive my doubt and unbelief, Lord. I need you desperately. I pray your gospel stays in front of me constantly, in my head and in my heart. You make perfect sense, Jesus.

Remind me.

Wednesday, December 23, 2009

Wordless Wednesday

Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Make ahead casserole

I plan on making this casserole a tradition each Christmas morning. It's a recipe that allows for you to prepare it the night before, refrigerate, and then bake on Christmas morning while gifts are being opened. It will be nice to have something warm and ready to eat coming out of the oven mid-morning this Friday! Yeah, that's right....my kids sleep late!

Instead of white bread, I'm going to use crescent rolls. Some might want to add onions, peppers, pepper, dry mustard, tomatoes, cottage cheese, or mushrooms.....but not this family!

DO AHEAD BREAKFAST CASSEROLE
8 slices trimmed white bread
6 eggs
Layer bread in bottom of 9 x 13 buttered pan. Beat eggs with a little milk; pour over bread. Refrigerate until next step is completed.
1 lb. sausage, fried, drained and cooled (chopped ham, bologna, hamburger, etc, could be used)
1 c. shredded cheddar cheese
Sprinkle meat over eggs. Sprinkle shredded cheese over top. Refrigerate overnight. Bake the next morning at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes. Variations: You could saute some fresh or canned mushrooms, green pepper or use pepperoni instead of or in addition to other meat. Use your imagination!

Serves 2 to 4 (depending upon your appetite) !

Monday, December 21, 2009

Random goodness

Luke is so interested in the nativity scene. He looks for all the shepherds, wise men, animals, angels, Mary, Joseph, and Jesus. It's sweet to listen to him name every one.

Abigail had the lead lines in her school Christmas program: "Jesus Christ is born today!".

This past Sunday, the younger children sang two Christmas songs while using hand motions. It was precious to hear them sing about the birth of Christ.

The Budweiser Clydesdales visited our city so we stopped by to see their beauty. The boys couldn't believe how huge the horses were nor how far they had galloped from St. Louis to Georgia just to see us. Funny guys. Andrew liked the horses so much that he came home and taped the Clydesdale poster to his ceiling so he can look at it while he lays in his bed.

Luke took some time last week to draw a portrait of our family. I have so many ideas of how to use this in various crafts.

An afternoon snack and movie

Notice Abigail's Rudolph nose. How cute!

A La Carte

Family Tensions Over the Holidays, by Russell Moore.
Some of the tensions Christians face at holiday time have nothing to do with outside oppression as much as internal immaturity on the part of the Christians themselves. (I'm not insinuating anything, Mom).

How to Respond to Family Feuds, by Tim Lane.
Tim Lane writes about these challenges and how through your relationship with Christ you can learn how to love your family and reach out to them in concrete and practical ways. (I'm not insinuating anything, Mom).

Christmas inspired comics. Hilarious!

Brian Regan on cooking.

Luke's birthday party

He's been four for a week now but I'm just getting the chance to post the pictures.... at 1:10 a.m. I'm weird.

We celebrated at home as a family with our traditional cupcake dessert and candle.

Luke requested a basketball themed party so hence the basketball cupcakes, court, and stadium seating.
Blowing out his four candles atop one cupcake.
My sweet friend, Becky, made this birthday banner for me and I have plans for it to hang in every birthday party picture with the "person of honor".
Thunder sticks were a "hit" with Luke and his best friend, AC.
Luke reading his birthday card from his grandparents. It contained a very sweet message from his MeMe. Oh, how he loves his grandparents!
Three generations of men playing one of their favorite games.
One of Luke's favorite gifts he received was that of the game Hungry Hippos. He could play for hours! However, Abigail likes it, too....there have been a few fights, to say the least.

Sunday, December 20, 2009

New video message from Matt Chandler

Message from Matt

Friday, December 18, 2009

hee hee....more love for the Big Bang

Thursday, December 17, 2009

Update on Matt's health

I posted last week of Matt Chandler's brain surgery. It wasn't good news. The tumor was malignant and more tests and surgeries are being scheduled. I'm greatly encouraged by Matt's words yesterday posted on Twitter upon hearing of the results:
"Path report is 2ndary at best…good report doesn’t mean much, bad report doesn’t mean anything…my days r numbered and nt by ths report."
Click here to read a letter from the elders, addressed to Matt's/their church family. Also, the article entitled, "When the Pastor Suffers", is an encouraging read, too.

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Don't mess with this dog's bone!

I love perusing YouTube. You can literally type any word into the search box and get a myriad of videos to watch! While at Allison's and Leslie's house last night, Allison showed me some of her favorite YouTube clips. Here is my favorite of her bunch.

Ideas to help

30 gifts ideas you can make for your children (with tutorials!). Think outside of the Christmas box, too!

30 gift ideas you can make for your menfolk (with tutorials!).

10 economical Christmas traditions as a family.

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Treasuring our traditions


Noel Piper has been blogging about the Christmas traditions in her family, including a Jesus Tree (not to be confused with a Jesse Tree, but somewhat similar).

Today, Noel weighs in on the SANTA topic.

Celebrate Santa?

As I've mentioned before in a previous post, Santa is NOT a part of our family's Christmas celebration. I've never struggled with this decision but it's often hard to gently explain to others (when they ask) why we chose this for our family. I struggle because I don't want to come across judgmental, condemning, haughty, or arrogant. The girls over at GirlTalk posted about this subject today and then linked to this article by Thabiti Anyabwile, a pastor in the Cayman Islands who was once a Muslim but is now a Christian. It was an interesting read.

I don't walk around proclaiming our stance on Santa - If I'm asked, I'll tell. Our children know that it's just a regular JOE dressed up in a Santa costume...but I hope they are considerate of others' beliefs when I'm not in their presence to help guide their conversations on the matter. Once I get my new hard drive, I can't wait to upload the photo I took last night of the boys posing with "Santa" during a Christmas light extravaganza. It will make for a hilarious page in their scrapbook.

To end, I appreciated GirlTalk giving advice on how to lead children through the difficult questions that arise when Santa is not a part of their Christmas celebration.

1. Prepare your children before they're in the situation.

2. Don't leave your children hanging; model the response you're hoping for.

3. Teach children to take an interest in the traditions of others.

4. Finally, we have to teach our children how to handle objections.

Monday, December 14, 2009

He's FOUR!

Happy birthday, Luke. Four years ago today, you were "cut" out of my tummy, as you like to say. You love hearing the story of how you came into this world and you find it fascinating that you were actually in my stomach for all those months.


I'll tell you the story of your birth over and over, sweet boy. As many times as you'd like to hear it, I'll tell it to you. I hope you always want to hear it. You seem to always have a different question for me about that day and that helps me to remember.


I love you, Luke-duke!
Happy birthday.

It was a lot more "PARTY" than Christmas

Another year of taco soup, chili and Fritos! It's our small group's traditional meal together during our Christmas party each year. Afterwards, the kids enjoy watching the adults laugh at each other as we play "Dirty Santa" (or "White Elephant"....which ever).


Jennifer reacts to opening her chosen gift: a package of Fart Powder.

Ira looks around to decide if he'd rather steal someone's gift or choose a new one of his own.

The kids help Mitch unwrap a homey set of scented candles....just what he always wanted!

Chrissy tries to get sneaky by shaking the gifts to decide which one she wants.
This is what she got!
So. it got passed around. This will probably be Mitch new profile pic on Facebook soon.

My little viking.
The Christmas viking.
Yeah, I'm not in the picture 'cause I was behind the camera, right where I like to be.

Sunday, December 13, 2009

Crooked

I saw this excerpt posted on another's blog today. I liked it so much that I thought I'd post it, too. Sin is ugly and it's rampant in my heart. Am I a neighbor that others enjoy?
'O stand, stand at the window
As the tears scald and start;
You shall love your crooked neighbour
With your crooked heart.'
- W. H. Auden

Saturday, December 12, 2009

I'm Yours

The cute one.



The original one.

Thursday, December 10, 2009

Please tell me I'm Caller #3!

I only listen to the radio when I'm in the car and it's usually tuned to talk radio of some sort. However, Andrew was with me in the car last night while running an errand and I wanted him to hear Christmas music instead of political banter. So, I found a clear station but was disappointed to hear advertisement after advertisement. Finally, just as the music was about to begin, the DJ announced that he was giving away a family prize pack of four to attend the local IMAX showing of The Polar Express. I memorized the number and began dialing....busy signal....busy signal...busy signal....ring, ring, ring!

DJ
: "Hello, and what's your name?"
ME
: "Oh, please, please, please tell me I'm caller #3!"
DJ
: (laughing) "Well, I just asked for your name but, yes, you are the winner!"
ME
: "My kids will be thrilled! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

He didn't record the phone conversation and for that I'm so thankful! I was afraid the DJ would ask, "What station just made you and your family a winner?", because I wouldn't have known unless I looked down at the call numbers on my digital dial. He did say my name on the air as the winner of the prize pack.

This is just the perfect treat for our family. For many months now, we've been telling the boys were were going to take them to see Peter Pan but the day shows have been booked up for a long time and the evening shows are $38 ticket seats! Mitch and I knew that wasn't an option but we hated disappointing the boys since they had been looking forward to an evening with Mom and Dad for so long. Andrew's favorite movie of all time is THE POLAR EXPRESS, so you can imagine his delight when I won this prize pack!

See you at the IMAX next weekend!

Sleep...i....e....r

Why is it that when I get more sleep than usual that I feel sleepier throughout the day? I got a full eight hours of sleep last night (rare, I know) and I could barely function today.

Wednesday, December 09, 2009

They're an Uptown family!

Such sweet friends....I'm so thankful for them! We had a great time walking around in Uptown Columbus late yesterday afternoon. And the little one might have a future career in modeling!




Sting 'em, Jackets!

Georgia Tech 79
USC (Southern Cal) 53

Monday, December 07, 2009

Matt is recovering

Matt came out of a long brain surgery procedure this past Friday and is currently recovering in ICU. You can view a video message from Matt that he recorded for his congregation at The Village Church. The video was recorded before his surgery and was shown to his congregation yesterday morning during the worship services.

Oh what peace to look into the unknown and proclaim that God is always good in ALL THINGS....even in a brain tumor! Matt's ordeal reminds me of what John Piper and David Powlison wrote when they faced cancer a few years ago.

In case you didn't read the article....

1. You will waste your cancer if you do not believe it is designed for you by God.
2. You will waste your cancer if you believe it is a curse and not a gift.
3. You will waste your cancer if you seek comfort from your odds rather than from God.
4. You will waste your cancer if you refuse to think about death.
5. You will waste your cancer if you think that “beating” cancer means staying alive rather than cherishing Christ.
6. You will waste your cancer if you spend too much time reading about cancer and not enough time reading about God.
7. You will waste your cancer if you let it drive you into solitude instead of deepen your relationships with manifest affection.
8. You will waste your cancer if you grieve as those who have no hope.
9. You will waste your cancer if you treat sin as casually as before.
10. You will waste your cancer if you fail to use it as a means of witness to the truth and glory of Christ.

I know it's easier said than done for me, considering that I've never encountered cancer in my life or in the lives of close loved ones. It's a challenge, with our without cancer, to not waste the life that's been given to us. I need to dwell on that.

Sunday, December 06, 2009

As I held my daughter

Tonight at bedtime, as I held my daughter in the darkness of her room, she looked up at me and said, "Mommy, Jesus takes care of me all the time."

Yes, sweet one. He does. Please keep reminding me.

Friday, December 04, 2009

7 Quick Takes

1. When leaving THE ROCK RANCH tonight, which is a Chick-fil-A property owned by founder Truett Cathy, our kids were asking for something to drink. Considering that the tasty drinks at the ranch were in the $2-$3 range, we opted to stop and go to a drive-thru on our way back home. Not knowing our way around those there parts, we rolled down our window and asked an employee, "Which way to the closest McDonald's?". Smooth.

2. I posted on Facebook last night that a debate broke out between two five year olds in my art class regarding whether Santa was real. I listened to them debate back and forth until one of them became really irritated. They both turned to me to tell them which one of them was right and I simply answered (as any mother would want me to), "That's a question you should ask your parents". I just hope they don't ask my son, their classmate, the same question. You should have seen his eyes as he listened to the debate. He kept looking at me as if questioning why I wasn't affirming the little boy's stance that Santa wasn't real. His silence during the argument told me that he knew to be quiet, though. We tell our kids that Santa isn't real but that there are many children who believe that he is and that we should respect their thinking by not arguing about the matter. Ok, now I'm ready for comments.

3. After taking Abigail to the potty in a place of high traffic business tonight, she exited the restroom and announced to the customers, "I just pooped alot!".

4. I'm getting a hair-cut tomorrow. This is cause for extreme excitement for me considering I only get my hair cut twice a year. Those things are expensive!

5. Remember all those posts I've written about how much I love The Jesus Storybook Bible? Remember how I tried to win one of the new DELUXE editions that were released not too long ago with a narrative CD of the stories? Guess what!!?!?!?!?!?!? A sweet, dear, gracious friend of mine is blessing me with our very own copy! What a wonderful gift! Thanks, friend....you know who you are!

6. As a family, The Annie Moses Band is one of our favorite music groups. Our children enjoy listening to the various instruments being played but no one enjoys it more than Luke. He is intrigued by the piano, the guitar, the violin, the cello, and the mandolin. I told him he could play any instrument he wanted to and be a musician all the days of his life if he wanted. He turned to me and asked, "Mommy, what instrument do you want to play when you grow up?".

7. Andrew cracks me up. He is always asking me, "Mama, what was I about to say?", as if I could read his mind.

Pray for Matt

Matt Chandler, lead pastor of The Village Church in Dallas, TX, is headed into surgery this morning to have a section of his right frontal lobe removed. Please pray for him, his family, and his church. He has already posted his thoughts this morning on his blog. I'm touched by his faith.

...The last seven days have been some of the most interesting of my life. I have felt anxiety, fear, sadness and a deep and unmovable joy simultaneously and in deeper ways than I have felt before. I am grateful for this heightened sense of things. Today at 10:45 a.m. CST I will have a good portion of my right frontal lobe removed. I head into that surgery with a heart that is filled with gratitude and hope.

Here are some of the things I am thankful for in no particular order:

  1. I am thankful for the thousands of you who have prayed and fasted for my health. It has brought far more tears to Lauren’s and my eyes to receive this kind of attention from the Church universal than this tumor has.....

Read more.....

Thursday, December 03, 2009

Free download of UP soundtrack

Did you like the movie UP? Mitch and I went on a date one night just to go see the delightful Disney animation. We loved the relationships in the movie and I've always been one to listen carefully to the soundtrack. So, I was delighted to see a free download of the ENTIRE movie soundtrack today! Use the code latimesdisney to get yours, too!

Wanna know why I'm not bloggin' much?

Our home computer has been in our life for MANY years. I think it's about to crash 'cause it's movin' real slow - slower than it ever has...this just after having bought an external hard drive last week.

Tuesday, December 01, 2009

Free music on Amazon

It's starting up again. Amazon is offering one free Christmas song per day. Just click here to download yours now.

Today's free song is Joy to the World by Casting Crowns.

Here's another freebie, O Come, O Come Emanuel, by another of my favorite bands, The Annie Moses Band. Enjoy!