Christmas is Coming!

Christmas is coming!

I have to tell you I really didn't think I'd be able to get the tree up and decorated this year. But yesterday our son Scott came home (after working for several hours in the early morning and then driving an hour to get here) and by the time we got home from lunch after church he had the tree already standing in the living room with the lights on it! That was a miracle to me! (And we brought him a nice hot cheeseburger and fries from the restaurant for his lunch too). As the afternoon progressed, I did manage to start putting the decorations on it, and by evening it was looking pretty good!

These pictures are a realistic view into our living room when the Christmas boxes come in from the storage shed...again, thanks to our son Scott.  He dodged a little bit of rain to get everything in just in time before it really started pouring.

Then, since he was still here with us, we called the other "kids" to come over to visit and have an impromptu "breakfast for supper"...bacon, sausage, eggs, and biscuits. It was pretty good and fun to be together before Scott had to hit the road to get back to Jacksonville.

Our grandpup Sugar was enjoying sitting in her Daddy's lap and stretching her head backwards to look at the pretty tree...

It did look very nice. I love the lights most of all, don't you? There's just something about lights at Christmas...

We didn't try to put up the train/village last night as we were all a bit too tired to start that project. Still not sure if it will happen this year or not...time will tell.  If I can't get down on the floor and back up again, then it probably won't happen, unless the kids want to come back over and spend another evening playing with the trains. However, I must say, I truly believe I am starting to turn the corner with this arm/shoulder/back pain...little by little, day by day, I believe it's getting better...but I still have to pace myself and not overdo it. I do give thanks to the Lord for the improvement that seems to be happening.

Today I did a few more things...the Tea Cup tree is ready, 

along with the angels singing...

And tonight I had my first official cup of hot cocoa of the season (hot ovaltine,  actually...my favorite!)

It's always fun to sip a cup of hot cocoa while watching the skaters and the sleds on the little pond...(lol)

Poinsettias and candles and the little white church make the table look pretty and bright...

This little white church was a Christmas gift last year from my sister in law. I love it.   I love how it lights up and shines so brightly.  

It reminds me of our own little white church, and it "shines so brightly" as a light in the darkness around us.  

Yesterday we sang this song in the choir..."Christmas is Coming, let the church bells ring...people celebratin' the birth of a King...shoutin' hosanna 'til the heavens ring! Christmas is comin', let the church bells ring..."    You might enjoy listening to the song...this is not our choir singing, but we did our best to sound this good...

 Do you ever wonder why we have so many lights shining at Christmas?  Maybe it's because of the Star of Bethlehem that the Wise Men followed...or perhaps even more so, the lights of Christmas shine for Jesus..."The Light of the World"

John 1:1-14

"1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. 8 He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light.

9 The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. 11 He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. 12 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth."

And in John chapter 8:12, Jesus declares to us:

12 Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

Yes, I believe that is why we love the lights so much at Christmas...because we celebrate the birth of Jesus, "The Light of the World".    So now, when you see those lights twinkling and shining so brightly everywhere, on Christmas trees, in the windows of houses and churches, on the rooftops and porches all across the land...wherever you may see the lights of Christmas, remember that Jesus is the Light of the World...and whoever follows Him will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life!  Praise God for that beautiful Light, Jesus, the Light of the world!!

Happy Advent!!