A Christmas to Remember

So, was it everything you planned it to be? No, well that's ok. You get another chance next year! This was one of the best Christmas' we have had yet. Awesome gifts, you say? No, not really. Although I did get the dough mixer I have been drooling over for 4 years. It was so much more about just enjoying each other, and the time together. Everyone does it differently. We are not a sports family, we are a movie family. So we watched about 3 movies, ate lots of sausage balls and chocolate and popcorn from my new air popper. And just enjoyed the peace. As we head into another awesome year of our Lord, that is my fervent wish for you. To enjoy the peaceful moments. Cherish those quick minutes of sweetness, and be ok that they are few and far between. I am going to continue to work on being a better me, but I am also going to work very hard at being content with who I am. Cause God don't make no junk!! So bring it on, 2011!

Blessings

If you're not ready for Christmas, you still have a couple of days left. This year has been more hectic than ever. I know that my plan for next year will be to....have a plan! You are much more able to appreciate your blessings that way. I have many blessings to be thankful for this year. Even though this will be the first Christmas without my dad and my father-in-law. Each year, someone you know receives hard news, or a loss right at the holidays. You can easily rant and rave about the unfairness of it. But I think we are really meant to search harder for our God and His mighty power. It is hard to think that people who believe in different ideas, or don't believe in anything at all, get to celebrate or twist the Christmas season to suit their needs. But then I try to look at it from God's perspective, and realize that He has a plan for each and every one of us. It doesn't matter if I understand or not, just that I believe. And that is the best blessing of all.

So, to you all, I wish God's blessings and peace.

Kids and Christmas

Ok, are your kids over the top excited? It's a good thing. Have they lost all focus on seat work? It's a good thing. Are you wondering about how to imprint the meaning of Christmas on them? Be calm. Christmas is about many things, not just Jesus' birthday. That is the reason for the season, but not the end of it. Christmas is about family, compassion, joy, hope, and reaching out to others. So when you take your daughter to buy her gift for her brother, you are teaching her to think of others. When you take your children to see a Christmas tree lighting, you are teaching them about the simple joy of lights. When you pile up on the couch to watch It's a Wonderful Life, you are teaching them about spending time with people you love. When you pack up a box for Operation Christmas Child, you are teaching them about mercy and grace. God knows our hearts, and He knows all the ways to reach us, and teach us. Be well blessed this season, and embrace all the aspects of the holidays, even the frustrations of Christmas traffic!