dreaming … not of a white Christmas!

So here it is December 8th well for the next half an hour anyway … the year is winding down and along with it comes the usual heart wrenching ‘review’ of what “I should have, would have, could have” done as well as what I did not do!   But there is hope that springs up within me to sustain even the toughest of “critical moods” I can enter into all because as the year winds down there is a brand new clean slate in sight.  Yes a brand spanking new Year is coming our way and we can pick ourselves up and begin anew.
It’s not too early to be looking ahead!  It is NOT!!!!

Oh the patterns I drooled over and yet they sit undone, the yarns that I just had to have waiting for my hook (or possibly my needles) to put them to good use.  The incredible insights that I just know everyone out there in cyber land would be delighted to read about ~ oh sure I’ll share them even though I believe even my “followers” probably have given up “following” me since I don’t write more regularly!!! 
The house work that beckons and taunts me with my failures … the half finished organization of the upstairs and the upcoming painting to be done which means more cleaning and organization necessary in two more rooms of the house (mind you upstairs was sooooo close to being finished before I traveled in November but fell just short of completion and now I’ll have to get something settled & soon since the bedroom & den will be under attack in a week & a half!!)
The thousands of photos awaiting my sorting for the photo book for my mom of our trip to The Holy Land … yikes I really need to get those sorted and uploaded and a book ordered soon… almost more important than the organization of the house … umm another excuse I’m sure  .
So with the fond memories, the sad ones too I look (early for a change) at the year in review …
2010 held many fun & exciting times … January held our beautiful grandson Anthony as he arrived on the 20th …  April we celebrated my mom’s 75th birthday … May I turned 50!  July we traveled to NC to visit the kids and especially to see our grandson Mikey (moo) … spent time at the beach, brought Sarah & Mikey back to NY for a visit and to surprise Ashley for her bridal shower then back to NC another visit to the beach before heading home … September and it was Adriana’s turn to head off to school, Kindergarten for her & Kyla entered First grade (boy time flies by ever so fast!!!) … very end of September the Pollies arrived and we celebrated Mikey’s “First Birthday” as he turned 11 months old … October ushered in with wedding bells for Ashley & Patrick, followed by Mike coming to our house and repairing our living room ceiling and archway & painting    November mom & I traveled to Israel, and came home changed!!!  December brings more home repair which allows for another visit with Mike & Sarah & Mikey moo! 

As December winds down we will undoubtly be thinking of gifts for family and friends but I hope we could get to the place where we stop and pay attention to the whole reason for celebration … it’s not about the gifts. It’s all about the birth of our Savior! If Jesus had not agreed to come we would not be able to be reconciled with God the Father.  A tall order for a little baby! And yet being fully God while being man He was able to pull it off for us.  So as I let this day come to a close and the thoughts of Christ’s ultimate gift linger in my mind I hope to share with someone out there in cyber land the truth of God’s love. 
We may celebrate and in order to “not offend” someone with a different faith we opt to say Happy Holidays instead of Merry Christmas (by the way Holiday comes from Holy Day)  in the end regardless of what we say God cares more about our heart.  He cares more about our actions for our actions speak louder than our words.  I can say with my mouth that I Love God and will live my life for Him but then not put that into action.  Leaving the statement void of conviction.  Or I can live my life for Him and fail to express with words the fact that He is the source of my strength, my love for others, my joy, my peace, my everything.   So I chose again and again and again to Live my Life for Jesus Christ, the Only Begotten Son of God, my Savior, my Redeemer, My LORD & KING!!!!  May you know Him as I know Him, still ever growing in the knowledge of His Love for me, daily leaning on Him fully for all things. Trusting in His Truth. 
Peace on Earth, Good will toward Men … May God reign in your hearts this day.