Christmas 2011

I'm sitting here reflecting on this year's Christmas season. For my family, for the most part it was absent of the usual busyness that comes with this time of year. The parties were few, the shopping was minimal and the feelings of needing to cram every possible Christmas activity in before the "big day" was non-existant and to tell you the truth I am so thankful. Thankful that this season was spent in much more reflection of its true meaning. Even though this Christmas season brought me closer to experiencing Christmas in a way that I believe honors God's greatest gift to us, I am still left with the feeling that there are many more aspects of our celebration of Christmas that need to be evaluated and changed. It is my desire that for the 2012 Christmas season that my family will experience Christmas in a new way. That we will spend our Christmas season focusing our hearts on Jesus and the mercy and grace He showed us and that we will in turn be a reflection of that mercy and grace to others. It is my desire that we spend Christmas 2012 with an attitude of giving. I believe that this attitude of giving however must start with the other 364 days leading up to December 25th, 2012. It is my heart's desire this new year to instill in my children an attitude of giving, and I believe that it must first start with me. I am desiring that God will give me an attitude of giving and guide me throughout this year to experience the joy that comes from giving back that which God has given to me.