Monday, December 17, 2012

Missing Christmas Puzzle Pieces...

I don't know what's wrong with me, but this year I seem to be in a Christmas "funk". Anyone else feeling that way? Normally by now, a week from Christmas Eve, I'd have had the tree up and the house decorated for the past six weeks or so, we'd have had at least one big family potluck meal, and several potlucks at work, as well as an office ornament exchange. I'd have practiced the church Christmas cantata for hours on end, and walked through the Festival of Lights with my mug of cocoa, all of which help ready my heart for Christmas. I'd have watched several friends in their own church cantatas, and felt the love of Jesus and the season overflow from my heart.

But this year, something's missing. Really, all of it's missing. To start with, we don't have our tree up. Attribute that to the fact that we've (or mostly I've) been out of town 23 out of the past 36 straight

Saturday, December 1, 2012

30 days of... Oh look, a squirrel!

They came like chicken pox. First one, then two, then bam! They were everywhere. The Facebook statuses of my friends showed one after another: "30 Days of Thanks, Day 1:" followed by something they were thankful for. From spouses, children, and jobs, to homes and morning coffee.

I, on the other hand, woke up November 1st and said "Huh. Maybe I'll post something I'm thankful for every day instead of just on Thanksgiving." Of course there was no rhyme or reason to it. No predetermined end-date like they all had. Just a 6:00 am thought that I should extend my period of thanks for awhile.

I started with "Day 1: Today I am thankful for...", figuring I would go til Thanksgiving day. Somewhere around day 9 or 10 - oh look! A squirrel! - I lost the day number and just began my posts with "Today I am thankful for..." Then, somewhere around Thanksgiving Day, I decided maybe I