Tis the Season

Every year I try and plan what I hope to accomplish before the actual day of Christmas arrives. For many years I had fun doing this. My daughter and I would sort of pick a theme and begin planning as early as July. I was so tickled that our Christmas cards was one of the first that our friends received, shopping was done before Thanksgiving day, plenty of food to prepare goodies with was in the pantry, new ornaments that the children and I had made hung on the tree and generally everything was really for us to enjoy the holiday season. How things have changed this year! I am barely getting cards out the door to make it to friends and relatives house hopefully before Christmas. Although I did get shopping finished for my nephews and a few things made for friends, generally the shopping has been done by my husband. I hope to purchase food items for our goodies before Christmas Eve since I have to have food prepared for that evening. The children and I have not made the first ornament and things are not “ready”.
I guess this would seem depressing if someone had told me that this would happen a few years ago and yes, I miss the ornament making, but this different Christmas will be one that I hope to always remember. Why?…Well, all those hours that I normally spend doing those things were replaced with hours of family time. We visited museums, a theme park, played putt-putt and laser tag, rode an alpine slide and watched the children ice skate. There were stolen cuddly moments with my husband which are so hard to come by with our busy days. There were visits with dear friends, long phone calls and holiday movies….ah precious times. I think that in the years to come my loved ones will not remember who purchased their presents or what did not get accomplished but the sweet gift of TIME spent this season with each other.
May God bless you and your family as we remember and celebrate the birthday of His Son Jesus Christ who gave us the most precious gift of all…SALVATION