Merry Christmas!

Good Sunday afternoon! Hope you are all enjoying a wonderful and relaxing weekend.

A week from today we will have celebrated our Savior's birth in the form of Christmas Eve, Christmas Day or whatever day you celebrate. Or many may still be awaiting the celebration as the holidays have gotten so hectic that many of the family get-togethers are put off until a later time when everyone is less stressed about the holidays.

We had our first family gathering on Friday night, our last Christmas party last night, and this morning was the wrap up on the church Christmas program. Basically, that leaves only two family gatherings left. 

This year is bittersweet as it marks one year since my mother left this earth to meet her Savior. This year I have had two friends who lost one of their parents in the past week or so. While I would have naturally reflected on my mother's death this week, knowing friends are facing this same loss this year brings back the memories of that time afresh. I'm sure I will always think of Mom's passing each year (I still think of my dad's death on Father's Day, which is the day he died). I am so fortunate that, while I miss my parents terribly, the memories of them are overwhelmingly happy and joyous memories.

At our house we are in a state of transition this year. We are preparing to relocate to Arizona until spring makes its appearance, so about 3 1/2 months. Even though we have worked to duplicate the necessities in both our house and RV, there are still plenty of things that need to be packed and readied for the move. It's always a juggling act to leave things in the house until I'm sure I won't need them again. Having to go to the camper to reclaim something is unhandy. 

This year we are having my nephew renovate the last original room in our house during our absence...the guest bedroom. So we have had to gather some of the supplies and will need to clean everything out of that room as soon as the last guest moves out of it after Christmas. We have a half a beef at the processor's right now and are hoping to hear from them this week so we don't have to bother someone else with the task. And besides, we might want to take some of that good Sandhills beef along since Arizona beef is awful!

So anyway, these are the mundane activities at our house and my musings on the season. Everyone's holidays are different. Different family traditions, different phases of life which makes for different activities and responsibilities. Different memories that mark the holiday and tend to surface at this time. But one thing is the same, even though it tends to get lost in the shuffle, Christmas is the time to honor Jesus Christ. 

Christmas is so steeped in holiday traditions and preparations, the decorating, the baking, the gifts, planning celebrations, attending parties and events. None of these things really has any bearing on the true reason for the season, and yet you are considered a Scrooge if you don't decorate, bake, shop and party throughout the entire month of December. It exhausts me just to write about it!

So my plan for this afternoon, since I've already had my Sunday afternoon nap, is to try to find the movie, "A Charlie Brown Christmas" and settle in for an afternoon of relaxation. And if I can't find that movie, I will pull out a Hallmark Christmas movie, and I know I can find dozens of those, and enjoy the pre-holiday weekend in peace.

As we enter into the Christmas week, I hope that you will be able to find some quiet time to reflect on the true meaning of Christmas and pull away from the hectic activity that marks the season. 

Merry Christmas!