I finally did it! I ordered my Christmas cards on December 20th.  This is the picture we finally settled on for our card.  Debate swirled for days in the Moore household on which photo to use from our Carrie Wildes photo shoot.  I had about 30 favorites.  Meanwhile, this one is Bruce’s favorite.

As this year comes to a close, I want to wish you a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!  I’ll be back after the first of the year.  Until then I will be savoring every moment with family and friends as I celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ.  See you in the New Year.

There are a lot of things I love about Christmas.  Being with family, celebrating the birth of Christ, stealing kisses from my adorable nephews, and consuming sweet treats.

And, I just love Christmas Cards.  Each year, I anticipate their arrival.

In my estimation, Christmas cards are like a little piece of holiday cheer coming right to my doorstep each day.

Christmas cards jumpstart the season.  By December 1 or 2, usually there are one or two cards waiting in the mailbox to usher in the holiday season.

Christmas cards are a way to keep up with ministry friends who serve all over world.  I love seeing pictures of families grow and change from year to year.

Here’s my mailbox ritual: First, scan for the envelopes that are card size.  Then put aside all bills, junk mail, and advertisements.  Once all the cards are in a pile, then, I look at the return address on each envelope.  Knowing whose card I am opening just builds excitement.  Finally, I rip open each envelope to reveal a card that so often reflects the unique personality of the sender.

This year, however, I have not received that many cards.  Less than 30.   In years past, I got as many as a 100.

Maybe it’s the economy.  Maybe more people are going green.  Maybe there are people like me, who despite my great love of cards, have yet to order theirs!  If you usually get a card from me—hold on—it might be a little late, but it will arrive in your mailbox!

Have you received fewer cards this year? Are Christmas cards becoming a thing of the past?

The world of social media has expanded my realm of friendships.  In the past few months, I have met women I would never have met if it weren’t for FB and Twitter.  An online friend, retweeted a blog post written by someone called The Stubborn Servant.  Well, that grabbed my attention!  I had to find out who would be completely honest enough to not just call themself stubborn but to do it online for the whole world to see.

When I opened up Nicole’s blog, I loved it.  I felt like I could relate to her.  Plus, the posts on her family trip to Disney were hilarious!

So when my husband launched his blog, I knew that she needed to be a guest blogger.  In fact, she is the first in a series of guest bloggers offering practical advice on leadership in the church.

I hope you’ll take a few minutes to read her post. It is chalked full of straightforward advice and honesty. Just click on the link provided above to Bruce’s blog!

Thanks Nicole!

For the first time since becoming a Mom, I went on a Girl’s Getaway. I had heard of these weekends from friends. I had even read about them in blog posts and magazine articles. But, I had never actually flown the coup leaving my little chickadee behind.

Diane Nix of Contagious Joy invited me and several others to visit her in New Orleans. I jumped at the chance. Girl talk, encouragement, and Cafe Du Monde.

Truly, she had me at beignets. I’m a southern girl–I’d fly anywhere for fried dough!

I left with the lightest suitcase ever. Remember, I am still participating in the October Dress Project. So I literally packed in like 10 minutes before leaving for the airport.

I’ll post more about Diane’s ministry later, but for now let me just camp out on the beignets. No trip to NOLA is complete without a visit to Cafe Du Monde. It is legendary. The wait staff dresses old school. Crisp white shirts, long white aprons, black bow ties, and paper hats. The menu is posted on the side of the aluminum napkin holder. It is a true experience.

With a steaming cup of cafe au lait in hand, I had one goal: take down an entire order of beignets. Mission accomplished! Hey, don’t judge…it was a Girl’s Weekend.

We sipped coffee, ate a significant number of beignets, and laughed well into the night. My Girl’s Getaway was only an overnight trip, but it gave me a chance to spend a few concentrated hours laughing and talking with friends without the distractions of laundry, dirty diapers, or wondering if the flank steak would be defrosted in time for dinner.

Have you ever been on a Girl’s Getaway? Even if you’re dreaming of one, where would you go?

I have a friend named Ashley. She is such an amazing woman. You need to know her.

Someone suggested I get to know her. It was a time in my life when I needed friends. So I picked up the phone, introduced myself and flat out asked, “will you be my friend?” She said, “yes!” we both laughed and we have been conversing ever since through email, Facebook, and the occasional phone call.

She is super smart and teaches classes at New Orleans Seminary. She is the mother of two adorable little girls, Karis and Alethia. Her husband is currently deployed and she holding everything together beautifully.

On a recent trip to NOLA, I got to meet my friend in person. I was so excited! We laughed and shared like we were old friends. I got to hug those precious little girls.

She and her husband are about to venture into the exciting world of church planting. In just about a year from now, they are going to launch Moasic Church in the Mid City of New Orleans. Their desire is to be a multicultural church developing deep community roots. So if you are in the Mid City area and want get in on the ground floor of an exciting new venture then you need to check them out.

But here’s my Pro Tip for you:
Don’t under estimate the value of the internet in cultivating friendships. Just recently have I reaped the harvest of consistently communicating with a few people in order to intentionally develop friendships. As a pastor’s wife, this has been a great way to find others who understand the issues I face and know how to encourage and pray for me.

So join Facebook groups or google websites and blogs that center around your interests. Then reach out and you’ll find friends!

Every once and while a girl needs a getaway! This weekend I am NOLA bound. I will be meeting up with Diane Nix of Contagious Joy. I met Diane through the friend of my sister. We have never met in person, but I have grown to appreciate her via the internet.

She is assembling a group of women to discuss and brainstorm how to expand the ministry that she is developing to ministers’ wives.

The weekend will be filled with meeting new friends, creative brainstorming, and I am hoping and praying that there is a visit to Cafe Du Monde in there as well!

It would be a sin to go to New Orleans and miss the cafe au lait and beignets.