The man opened the mail and couldn’t believe what he saw. A jury summons, for the week before Christmas, one of the worst off all times to be called to service. With so much to do before the holidays, he couldn’t believe he would have to spend every day, possibly in a courtroom. He was a person who believed everything that happened to him had a purpose, so as he went to the courthouse each day, he asked God what in the world he had planned for him. Why did he need to be there this particular week? Could there possibly be any good reason?
Monthly Archives: December 2011
The Blessing
when Christmas doesn’t match the picture
I am writing this today for those of you whose Christmas season isn’t looking so festive. You’re struggling perhaps. Or your finances are a mess. Or a loved one is sick. Or a child is rebelling. Or, or, or, you know. Life isn’t always that perfect picture .
And Christmas time?
Well, sometimes Christmas time hurts and looks nothing like we think it should look.
Know that right now, as I write these words, that I am praying for you as you sit behind your screen and read my words. You are not alone.
I am writing to you because I’ve experienced those kinds of Christmases.
Preparing for peace
I love Christmas and everything leading up to the celebration of the greatest gift ever given. As a family, we enjoy all of the festive Christmas traditions. One of the things we love to do is to cut down our own tree. However, as a family of six, this process can be all but peaceful. We all have different opinions and ideas as to what the perfect tree is, and some of us just want to have our own way. Last year when we went to cut down our tree, the process was everything but peaceful. To start off, the trip was sort of spur of the moment.
Learning to Receive
I am not sure who has more trouble sleeping on Christmas Eve – me or my three girls. After resisting the temptation to go ahead and give them all of their gifts early, I lay in bed imagining how delighted they are going to be the next morning.
And when my daughters get up, they do not disappoint. Though they may start out sitting in sleepy-eyed wonder, it does not take them long to wipe the sleep from their eyes and dig in. Tearing through wrapping paper. Turning stockings upside down to make sure they get out every single teeny-tiny thing.
Do over!
I blew it as a mom on Thanksgiving morning. All my daughter wanted was for me to watch the Thanksgiving Day parade with her. But I had other things to get done, and the parade was not on my agenda. With a huffy and unpleasant attitude, I joined her in front of the TV. Her bouncy excitement immediately turned to silence while she sat by herself on the couch. I realized how I had squashed her enthusiasm, and all I wanted to do was shout “Do over!”
Remember do overs? As a kid, my friends and I would yell “do over!”