Wednesday, November 14, 2012

It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like...



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Can anyone believe that Christmas decorations are popping up all over the place?  When we moved, my mom encouraged me to just go ahead and decorate for December, but I love fall and Thanksgiving so much I couldn't possibly think about skipping the mums, the scarecrows, the gourds, the pumpkins, and the leaves and going straight for the holly, the ivy, and the mistletoe!  However, it really hit me yesterday...just as I'm almost finished putting the final touches on my fall decor, I'm gonna have to tear it all apart and bring out the Christmas tree!  *Sigh*

About a week ago, I began my Christmas shopping, and those gifts were delivered to my front porch this morning.  I scratched four names off of my list in about 30 minutes and didn't have to darken the door of a retail center.  I think I'll be doing a little more of that this Christmas.  :-) 

I love how the holiday season reaches out and grabs each of my senses.  The sights, smells, sounds, tastes, and textures of November, December, and January make these my favorite months of the year {although June, July, and August rival a close 2nd for any teacher  :-)}, and I wish that we could just slow the calendar and add more hours to these short days!  Since that is impossible, we have to focus on making every moment count.  For us, this will mean prioritizing carefully and squeezing memories out of every occasion, being grateful for the ordinary parts of our days, finding ways to reach out to those who are less fortunate or hurting, and cherishing every breath that we take as a special gift from the God Who has blessed us with an abundance of good things.

How are you kick-starting your holiday season?  My prayer is that you are able to avoid the rush, the busyness, and the noise to find a quiet, tranquil oasis of celebration and worship this year! 

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