Christmastime

I love Christmas. December is such a fun month... cold weather (the coldest winter we've experienced in San Antonio so far, for sure!), lights twinkling everywhere, Christmas trees & Christmas smells. Last week I went to 5 Christmas parties in one week, which was lots of fun! A couple church parties, a get-together with friends, & a traditional Mexican posada which was a new experience... we sang songs in Spanish, I have no idea what we said! But it was neat to celebrate the coming of Jesus in a completely different culture.

Monday is the last day of work before Josh gets to take off for Christmas, & I'm very excited to get some time together to relax & enjoy the season. Each year God makes me think of how Josh & I will celebrate Christmas when we have our own family, by considering traditions we already have as well as things we want to do to make sure our kids are focused on Jesus & the fulfillment of scripture instead of gifts.

I'm excited for this next week, for celebrating Christmas with my family, & giving them the gifts we have picked out/made! I love giving gifts & give lots of thought into what I give so it's always fun to finally present them!

However I'm not ready for the new year. This one went by so fast!! I have had to make sure I don't freak out with all the things I already see on the calendar in my head. Take it little by little... God always gives grace for the moment. Today has enough worries of its own (Matthew 6:34)!

I'll ponder 2010 another time... for now, it's Christmas, & I choose to focus on the Advent season... waiting with expectation on Jesus to come... celebrating the first time He came as God in flesh, & putting my hope in the time Jesus will come on a white horse to judge the earth (see Revelation 19) & take us to the place we were meant for... to be in the full presence of God!