It's the Most Wonderful Time of The Year!!!!!!

I love Christmas time.



I absolutely ADORE this time of year. It's magical. The whole world just seems to take on a different tone. The warmth of good feelings and cheer seep into everyday things- totally making up for the fact that it's stinkin' freezing outside. :-) I love going to the malls and seeing the Christmas decorations up- the snowflakes, the Christmas trees. (Ok, the parking lots have been known to bring out certain Grinch-like behavior from your intrepid blogger, but that's besides the point.)

And the Christmas music! Around these parts, every year, one station magically gets taken over by Christmas music. The Good, the Bad and the Heinous! It's wonderful! Of course, I've been known the listen to Christmas music in July.

And then, there's the movies! Ahh, the movies. No Christmas is complete without the full list of Christmas movies. A Charlie Brown Christmas, Mickey's Christmas Carol, The Muppet's Christmas Carol, Frosty & the beloved clay-mations; Rudolph, Santa Clause Is Coming to Town & others.

And Family- I think Christmas is my favorite holiday because it's the one time the my entire family is guaranteed to be under the same roof. It's loud, wild and crazy. This year there will be 9 kids running around my mom and dad's house. Add that to the 10 or 11 adults and it makes for quite a group of rowdies. And I love it. No, I look forward to it with a longing that I can't quite explain. I simply adore my family & to have them all together is my absolute favorite present each and every year.

And then, of course, there's the whole reason we have a thing called Christmas.

There's Jesus.

Ah, yes. Him.

So often forgotten. But of so much importance.

This has been a very hard, very crazy, very emotionally draining and challenging year for me. I'm very grateful to be standing at the end of it. Very grateful to be leaning against my Savior.

We get to enjoy all these wonderful Christmas traditions because a baby was born in a stable in Bethlehem. We get to celebrate his birth because of his death. Because he was the sinless Son of God. And He paid our sin debts. That's one heck of an eternal Christmas present... I take back what I said earlier- this is my absolute, all-time favorite present each and every year.

...... my family runs a close second, though! :-)

Merry Christmas!