The Wonders of Christmas!!!!

Every year I look forward to the season of snow, and glitter and twinkle lights. I adore lighting the tree every morning and love all the colors from the ornaments and ribbons and sparkles. I love buying presents. I love baking treats. I love having family get togethers....nonstop, (it seems) when together we have 7 siblings plus husbands and wives and 8 nieces and nephews and our parents happen to live 5 minutes away from eachother! We managed to squeeze ALOT of family time in!

I truly do love this season but there always are a few glitches. In this season there has been joy and sorrow. There has been funerals and parties. There has been health and sickness. All of these things contribute to a roller coaster of emotions. I feel truly blessed and know that my life has so many gifts that I can hardly even believe are mine. I truly do feel so thankful for so many things. But I have been noticing along with all the joy there are many people who are hurting, including me at times.

What can we do. What can I do.

I have been trying to practice inward empathy and awareness that everything is not always as it seems. When I am shopping and people are frustrated and stressed, I try to smile and be gracious to anyone and everyone...although I don't always succeed. When I am given truly thoughtful gifts from my family and friends, I try to take the time to do that for them to. ..although it's easy to give a gift card. (I only gave one this year!). I have tried to be generous...although spending is a weakness of mine and January usually hits pretty hard!!!

But this is not to toot my horn, because the one that knows me best (Danny) knows that I didn't succeed in everything this year. He knows that there were dark and grumpy moments on my happiest day of the year (Christmas Eve) and he was there beside me. And because of Danny, I have learned so much about unconditional love extended to an imperfect girl. I love that guy so much!

I have tried to work through my Advent Devotional and although I did miss a few days it has reached my heart so many days in the quiet moments reading....it reminds me that Christmas is Advent. Its about Jesus coming to me.... to my dark and lonely planet, at times. To a place where angels sing and where evil is plotted. There is joy here, but there is also deep sorrow. He left His Home to be Emmanuel. God with us. I am so thankful for Jesus. I love carols and I felt gypped when my church didn't sing enough of them, so instead I pumped Christmas carols every second I could from my home speakers. I have been ministered from those precious words and I know that Jesus is lifted up this season in those beautiful songs. I pray that they reach hearts that would otherwise never have worship songs playing in their homes or on their radios.

So to conclude. I have felt the wonder of it all. I have learned a lot this year. I feel sad that its over, but I truly do anticipate a beautiful fresh new start to 2014 and look forward to continuing to understand how to love and be loved by the HEART of all hearts...JESUS.

Too excited to sleep!!!

Its my first Christmas that I get to celebrate  with my husband! I am a sentimental fool so this year is especially special for me! These are a few highlights from December, so far!!!

Things like:

*This is us right after we finished decorating the tree!

*Got to FINALLY see Kristin at Christmas and enjoyed some AMAZING treats at Ally's !

*Short but sweet visits with these two ladies!

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*Had this sweet family over for sups!

 

*Plug this in every morning as soon as I wake up!

*Went Christmas shopping with this handsome, patient man!

*Levi (My Little Christmas Nephew, almost 2) reading stories with Mammy!

*First time making Mom's butter tarts

*A Surprise visit to see Missy and this is our 8th year doing a Christmas exchange with my best friends from Prairie Bible College, and this year I got it hand delivered! It's SO SPECIAL TO ME!

OH Christmas! You are so close and I can't even sleep in this morning because I am too excited. I am finally done my shopping, and over spent as usual, but so excited for Dan to open all his gifts! I am looking forward to my brother arriving home (maybe even home now!!!) and want to truly enjoy this beautiful time celebrating Baby Jesus! Thank you for all the gifts you give!

Today's Gifts: 3 Gifts Angelic Song:

*my favorite app (SONGZA) makes incredible Christmas play lists that suit any kind of mood you are in!

*Christmas Music Faves: The Little Drummer Boy and this one too 

*My little nephew Levi's voice when he sings sounds like an angel to me!!! 

My Christmas Devotional: The Greatest Gift

Book Review: The Greatest Gift ( link:My Christmas Devotional)

I have really been blessed with this book and the few times I've perused her website. She has also made video blogs about the Advent Sundays: Hope and Peace, so far. 

Full Disclosure: I do find her very poetic and flowery so I do sometimes skim a bit, and not everyone will connect to her style of writing or expressing herself, but I truly do appreciate her heart and spirit. 

 Reasons why I love my new Christmas Devotional

I always struggle with making JESUS the priority of this most special month. 

I truly know that my heart and mind goes into overdrive of emotions all through this month....excitement, overwhelming ups and downs, financial strain, and the joys and stresses of having two families to squeeze into time slots, etc...We all know that there is GREAT joy that comes with Christmas but also some times of let down and sorrow...its just life. Hard things are always there.  So I have really benefited from this Devo that has Scripture, Poetic and Beautifully written devotional inspiration, Practical applications, and 3 journal questions to respond to. I plan to do it every year so I'm not writing directly in my book.

Last year I did this, and I'm a bit behind, but I think I will do it at random times and try to catch up because its NEVER too late to be grateful! I love reading what my sister journalled last year too, so I hope she also will join!!

December 11 Gifts: 3 gifts Ice Cold

*Snow covering my front and back yards

*My new fridge that keeps things the right temperature, and is a top fridge, bottom freezer! Plus its really shiny white and makes my kitchen (appear) cleaner!!!

*Chocolate Milk

These are a few of my favorite things: Christmas Version

There is absolutely NOTHING in the whole year that makes me feel quite as cozy as sitting in front of a colorful, memory filled Christmas tree. I've had my own Christmas tree for a few years now,  both by myself and with my roomie, but this little tree is the most special to me because its the first one of *THOUSANDS* I hope to have together with Danny.

I love ALL of my Christmas decorations. As you may have started to guess. I seriously sometimes just sit looking around the room and I am such a sentimental fool that I can literally name a memory with almost all the decorations I have (it helps that most of them were given either from my childhood memories or from special friends over the years). Even on my tree we have ornaments that Danny's mom gave him every year growing up, ones from when I was a little girl and even wedding gifts from my sisters! I love my little nativity sets. They are all special to me, and I love having the reminder of Baby Jesus, as the REASON for this beautiful season in all my rooms.

This heart reminds me of my dear friend Amanda, who is in Nova Scotia today. It's a little heart she gave me a few years ago when we were both DIRT poor. I remember thinking, what a lovely gift to give and its been hanging up all year around ever since. This year its especially precious to me because she's not here on PEI. I miss her and her boy and pray for them every day. The candle is just simply the best candle I've ever smelled. Kristi and I both have one and its a pepperminty vanilla smell that fills the air with Christmas!!!