Christmas Thoughts

I have the Christmas bug.  That time of year where you get to try to figure out what others want for Christmas. 

Last year, I couldn't shop or enjoy the season because of Chemo.  This year...no holds barred.  (Funny expression that one...)  My sister's family has their group put what they want on MyGiftster.com.  It is fun to see what everyone's interests are.  I have already picked what I'm getting for everyone in that group except for my sister...sigh.  I never understood why Daryl made the statement years ago that if he were to be hung, he wanted them to send Carol for the rope.  Now I am getting it...She has so many irons in the fire that it is hard for her to finish anything.  (Now Carol, I mean that in the nicest way...8-)  Of course, like me, she probably has everything she needs and can't think of what to put out there.

We bought a new Thomas Kincaide Christmas tree this year and opened the box and stood it up for a couple of days to see how we liked it and Shadow tried to eat it and threw up.  Now we aren't even sure we can put it out because of Shadow.  Sigh.  It's really a cool tree.  All the decorations are already on it with 4 ribbons going from top to bottom with pictures that Thomas Kincaide painted.  It's a seven foot tree.  Perfect for the living room.  It takes 5 minutes to pop it up.  Tom is thinking about buying some of that spray stuff that keeps cats away.  I don't think they know my cat but we shall see if that works.

I am really  having a hard time trying to figure out what to get Tom.  He needs to get busy and tell me what he wants.  I hate trying to guess what to get him.  We usually pick out our presents and tell each other.  8-)  I hate suprises.  I used to open all my Christmas presents very carefully and then retape them every year so that I wouldn't be surprised when I opened them on Christmas.   I wanted to make sure that if I didn't like it, I didn't let anyone know that I didn't like it.  My face has always been an open book and if anyone were looking carefully, they would know, if I wasn't careful.

I also made the reservations for our TX trip this year.  We are quite excited about the road trip and seeing family after the hard year is over.  We will get there on the 23rd and leave on the 26th.  It will be fun to get hugs from everyone. 

OK, enough prattling...here is some Max for today:

"Family Expectations

By Max Lucado

I will be your father, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty. 2 Corinthians 6:18

Many of us have a fantasy that our family will be like the Waltons, an expectation that our friends will be members of our family. Jesus didn’t have that expectation. Look how Jesus defined his family: “My true brother and sister and mother are those who do what God wants” (Mark 3:35).

When Jesus’ brother didn’t share his convictions, he didn’t try to force them. He recognized that his spiritual family could give him what his physical family didn’t…

We can’t control how our family responds to us.  Our hands are tied.  We have to move beyond that expectation that if we do good, people will treat us right. The fact is they may and they may not.

Let God give you what your family doesn’t.

And don’t lose heart. God still changes families."

By Grace Alone -

Teresa