Empty Stockings

Here they are after a flurry of gift opening, hopefully everyone was happy with what they got. I know I was blessed just to have them all home and in a fun circle together being entertained in a big way by the grandkit, MKF. We are VERY blessed and thankful!

A Perfect 72 degrees

You may think you know what I'm going to write about after reading my title. But I'm here to bet that you don't!!

Today's post actually comes from a little reminiscing of my Christmas memories. This after struggling all weekend with my decorating efforts of tree, Christmas village and lights. I have to ask myself in the midst of yet another "they worked when I tested them!" frustration. I'm sure you've been there - you get the whole 12 foot tree strung with lights and then for the grand finale you plug them in ...... and only half the tree is lit, the bottom half. Of course you started on the top half which is the most difficult to remedy. You just have to question whether it's worth it all.

But here is why I struggle through until I get it right, or mostly right. When I was little I remember going into my Dad's basement workshop where he was always creating something. He was a hard working farmer but in the winter, when you only did the bare minimum of outdoor work b/c of the sub zero temps, he would find time to tinker with his wood working hobby. He made all sorts of cool things like church collection plates, lamps, furniture, etc.

Well one year he decided to make a large wooden Christmas tree with green lights attached and a star with blue lights. He put these up on the side of our 2 story century old farm house and it was a sight to see for all who drove by.

I especially loved the star because it turned out to be a geometry lesson (you all know how much I love that subject). He explained to me how to measure with a protractor to get exactly 72 degree between each ray that made the 5 points of the star. So from that time on 72 degrees took on a festive quality for me. It was sort of magical and became part of what made Christmas so great.

So now I have my own blue lighted star. It is still not up b/c I don't have a century farm house but we're working on it. That and the village with the lights that just went pop when I plugged them in. It doesn't matter - I love Christmas because it's magical, it's 72 degrees!

I Wanted all That for You

Well, my Christmas spirit is much improved over a previous post. However my planned shopping outing today may crush it once again but I'll try to keep my perspective.

For one thing I have been steeped in Christmas music which is probably my absolute favorite thing about December. I had lots of travel time this week all by myself with my stack of Christmas CD's. My husband and I moved our son and his wife to their new home 4 hours away and we all had to drive separate vehicles to get them there.

The song in my title today brought me to one of those very special Christmas moments - when you get a fresh perspective of the whole nativity event and it speaks to you about something real in your life right now. In other words, you get all choked up and can hardly drive.

http://www.parable.com/familynet/item_7474081032.htm&ct=Song_List

I'm not sure if that link will work or play the song for you so I will try to explain. It's a musical from a few years back that we saw performed live. The words are Mary and Joseph talking to each other and then to their unborn son. First Joseph expresses his disappointment that the trip was so hard and they couldn't find a suitable place all warm and comforting. Then Mary adds how it would have been easier and faster if he didn't have her as a burden. Then they think about the life of their son starting out in a barn. It wasn't the way they had pictured it.

"The way I thought that it would be
Is God would make your pathway smooth
Our steps together would be easy
I wanted that for you

The way I thought that it would be
Is God would take all pain away
Our lives would happen perfectly
I wanted that for you
Oh, I wanted all that for you"

So often things just don't turn out the way we pictured it. It can be disappointing when our lives (or lives of those you love) don't happen perfectly. We wonder how can this be right?

So leaving my son and daughter-in-law in a new and unfamiliar place was like that. Not knowing how long they will stay. Realizing they are all alone. Wondering how they will manage without me?

So maybe God hasn't taken the pain away or the struggle even when you have been obedient. But remember there are angels ready to rejoice over this humble scene, because it is happening just the way God planned it.