December is one of my favorite months and like most people I have a list of all the fun holiday things I would like to do.
*Bake Christmas cookies & goodies for family & friends
*Go look at Christmas lights
*Take Faith to the Christmas store so we can buy a new ornament for the year (I have bought her one every year so that when she leaves the home she will have her a good collection to start with on her first tree)
* Buy gifts
*Pick a tree out and decorate it
and the list continues.....
I was especially looking forward to this Christmas with my new lungs and energy. I thought for sure I would be able to accomplish many things for my family and friends and do lots of fun things with Faith. Well I was in for quite a different Christmas and an opportunity to examine my heart. As many of you know December started out with my scary episode in AL but Praise God we were able to come home a week later and I thought,"OK, now we can enjoy the rest of the season". A week later my WHOLE family, extended family as well all got sick with the tummy virus! Just as I thought we were better and that I had some how missed this sickness I got the bug on Christmas Eve and so I spent it with Faith, Jason and the trash can. So, the next day we had to cram in seeing all of our different sides of the family and therefore just how it worked (not by choice) out we missed 2 of our Christmas dinners so by the time we got to my moms house that night we were tired, hungry and a little frizzled out. Faith had not been feeling well ALL day and was very cranky so before we headed to my moms we decided to give her some Children's Tylenol for her running nose and cough. I was in a hurry getting things together and Jason asked me the dose for her and either I said the wrong thing or he heard different I'm not sure but he gave her too much. We realized that she had been overdosed on the way to my moms house (Christmas Day night) so as soon as we walked into the house we had to call Poison Control and make sure we didn't have to make a run to the ER or something. Praise God she was fine and it did a good job of drying her up and she was in great spirits!
You always hear, Jesus is the reason for the season. But.....is he really the center of our Christmas? This is the question I had to really ask myself since everything had fallen apart and my joy seemed very slim due to all the things I wasn't able to do with Faith during the holidays and our plans constantly changing. It was as if He had allowed all the "traditional" things I do for Christmas to be stripped away and then pose the question..........Where does your joy come from?
I was especially looking forward to this Christmas with my new lungs and energy. I thought for sure I would be able to accomplish many things for my family and friends and do lots of fun things with Faith. Well I was in for quite a different Christmas and an opportunity to examine my heart. As many of you know December started out with my scary episode in AL but Praise God we were able to come home a week later and I thought,"OK, now we can enjoy the rest of the season". A week later my WHOLE family, extended family as well all got sick with the tummy virus! Just as I thought we were better and that I had some how missed this sickness I got the bug on Christmas Eve and so I spent it with Faith, Jason and the trash can. So, the next day we had to cram in seeing all of our different sides of the family and therefore just how it worked (not by choice) out we missed 2 of our Christmas dinners so by the time we got to my moms house that night we were tired, hungry and a little frizzled out. Faith had not been feeling well ALL day and was very cranky so before we headed to my moms we decided to give her some Children's Tylenol for her running nose and cough. I was in a hurry getting things together and Jason asked me the dose for her and either I said the wrong thing or he heard different I'm not sure but he gave her too much. We realized that she had been overdosed on the way to my moms house (Christmas Day night) so as soon as we walked into the house we had to call Poison Control and make sure we didn't have to make a run to the ER or something. Praise God she was fine and it did a good job of drying her up and she was in great spirits!
You always hear, Jesus is the reason for the season. But.....is he really the center of our Christmas? This is the question I had to really ask myself since everything had fallen apart and my joy seemed very slim due to all the things I wasn't able to do with Faith during the holidays and our plans constantly changing. It was as if He had allowed all the "traditional" things I do for Christmas to be stripped away and then pose the question..........Where does your joy come from?
It's not in the doing or giving of Christmas, it's not baking goodies (which I'm not good at anyway, hehe), it's not the decorations or how we spend Christmas, it's not even that I have new lungs (even though I am truly thankful!). Although all these things have reason to rejoice in, it should not be the center of my joy.
"Be joyful because you have hope. Be patient when trouble comes, and pray at all times." Romans 12:12
I read this verse Christmas morning, I can have joy because I have hope. Hope in what? In Jesus who came to earth as a baby and grew up and chose to feel and understand what it was to walk this difficult road we call life and then lay down His life for us, sinners so that we might have hope. Just as Jesus was raised from the dead we can have the same hope that for those who have trusted Christ as their Savior we too might be spiritual raised to life and live with God forever.
Like I said before it was a strange and very different Christmas yet it was a kick in the pants that I needed. To examine ones heart is never easy and most of the time I find it quite unpleasant but then sometimes we have to allow him to clean the cobwebs so the light can shine through.
Here is a look at some of our activities in December~
My sweet cousin, Jessica was able to stop by and see us when I was in the hospital the first of December. Her two cute little guys~ Lucas & Alex
I asked Jason if I could have one of these huge blow up Christmas decorations for our house and the answer was.....No! Although I really would like one of those snow machines so we could really have snow on Christmas!
Sick & pooped out on Christmas, this was the only time she would cuddle so Papa took full advantage of that!
Enjoying the nice crisp weather with Nana (or Nannie what Faith has changed it too)
Love my new Dora pj's that mama & daddy gave me
The new style....a onesie, shirt, head band & boots!
Tea anyone? Love to have tea parties with my new tea set
Sweet babies, our nieces~
Nan & Lily
1 comments:
Thanks so much, Emily, for sharing your heart and your lessons! In the end, His plans are best, aren't they??
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