A Lot Like Christmas

Yes, the kids are excited

Lights are twinkling

The nutcrackers are standing silent vigil

All decorations are standing ready

Final presents are in place

Ornaments peak from their posts on the tree

And angelic eyes watch over us

Family, friends and neighbors brought wonderful packages

It's a scene worthy of "A Christmas Story"

The countdown nears its end

This is an exciting moment

God has been faithful and always generous

Our nutcracker ornaments have brought comfort to me this year

They seem are a wonderful family tradition

Our living room is so cheery just now

Our nutcracker from Busch Gardens is a welcome addition to our army

I like the nutcracker chefs

Don't you?

The light over our dinner table is decked out for Christmas too

Here's the view from the dinning room into the living room

Classic ornaments

This fellow is offering his candy cane with a smile

Merry Christmas every one

Christmas Cookies

Sometimes comfort comes in sweet packages

This year it surely did

We always have fun decorating and just being in each others company

Gabby keeps reminding me of the daily count down to Christmas

In the mean time we eat cookies

and build forts in the freshly fallen snow

Book Ends

Seasons can go out with a flair

This fall seems to be leaving that way

The decorations have been comforting to me this year

Putting them up with the kids was particularly wonderful

This year ends with great difficulty for us

Somehow I feel the family warmth from these things

Like a person warming himself in front of the fire I bask in the family that's still with me

They're not just gifts...they're God given treasures

Family sustains me just now more than ever

These things never freeze in cold nor melt in the heat

Our love for each other stands vigil in rough times

A burning candle in a dark room

We are not alone

Though we feel alone many times there's a cloud of witnesses cheering us on

Many Are Called, Few Chosen

How does one retain chosen status

What sets us apart

Life marks us all

Even similar situations doesn't guarantee similar responses from us necessarily

Some become bitter and give up

while other chose a more positive course

Scars of life don't have to make you ugly

Life's storms we weather make us who we are

but even more accepting God's course...ah, that defines us

Will we become emotionally leathery and hard to touch

Or will we chose a higher path

All of us go through things someone else has suffered

But will we transform under God's grace

or simply wither and fade

Tribulation often feels isolating

But everyone goes through it

You might say it's a beautiful struggle

Each triumph and lost effects us

Humanity is shaped by this eternal struggle

We cling to this mortal coil

and how we respond shapes the outcome of so many things

What's our role

On the tree of life are we unique

The Bible says to be holy as He is holy...but the choice is yours