It's Beginning To Look a Lot Like Christmas

   Christmas Lists are in the making. I have always felt silly making a list  for Christmas. Somehow it feels presumptuous. But maybe it is time to grow up and think about others more than myself. So I made a list. Lo, it is a lot of fun. On my list, among other things I might actually get like Bible pencil markers, are two large area rugs for this house, a remodeled bedroom, and a new subscription to a cottage decor magazine. What fun to dream, anyway. These lists are revealing. Elv needs shirts and a new supply of Zebra pens but he needs/wants a roll top desk, too. Needs and wants keeping swapping spots on our lists. 
   Hopefully, we are focusing on our true need of a Saviour and Lord in our lives Who provides us abundantly above anything we deserve. We have so much already. Lavish abundance, exceedingly abundantly above, so loved that He gave, and other such phrases come to mind. 

 The children brought in pine and rose hips to go with last year's pine cones that are still wonderfully shiny and usable. 

   Another year has raced by and here we are, in the holiday season again. We're looking forward to Frances coming home in a little over two weeks. Then Gabes will be here for Christmas for a week. We love to have the house filling up with family and festivities again. 

    Benny stood transfixed at the coffee table gazing at this Willow Tree Mary and Joseph and Baby Jesus. Finally, he pointed at each of them saying, "Daddy, Mommy, and Asher." 

   When the old nativity scene came out of the Christmas boxes this year; Amy and I knew exactly what to do about the ugly chipped colors of them. A can of white spray paint brought them to life again.  We seem to be missing an extra India Rajah, but  no matter, we still have the proper number of kings and camels accordingly.