Wishing everyone a blessed Christmas.

I hope and pray that everyone has a peaceful and blessed Christmas this year. It has been a bittersweet Christmas for me and my family. Three family members were added to our band of guardian angels this year. We continue to feel a mix of joy and sadness, peace and unrest. It is difficult too at this joyous time of year to run into old friends and acquaintances and answer their giddy, cheerful, honest questions with the sobering truth. I tend to feel more sorry for them than myself, since I have been preparing myself for these encounters, and they are being caught unaware.

I think back to last year, and remember how perfect Christmas felt despite what we all knew loomed before us. I'm so thankful that we were able to share that special time together. It was beautiful, and I will cherish that memory always.

Thank you to everyone who has sent cards, gifts, and well wishes my way. For the first time in years, I didn't send any Christmas cards. I hope that everyone knows that despite this, you are all in my heart. Though it has been a tough year, I don't think I've lost sight of all that I have to be thankful for. I've seen churches, families, and friends draw together to express support towards me and my family. It has been beautiful, encouraging, and inspiring. I hope and pray that in the coming months I can better show my appreciation to everyone who has helped carry us through this difficult year. I really do love all of you. Even if you happened upon this blog by accident and haven't a clue who I am, I love you for caring enough to read.

The prayer of my heart is that no matter what you are going through or experiencing this year, be it overwhelming joy or heartbreaking sadness, you are able to have a peaceful and blessed Christmas. I pray that you are able to feel loved. I pray that you feel the capacity to love. I pray that you are able to feel thankfulness in your heart - even if it's for something silly like striped socks. I pray that the stories of amazing people like, Joe, Amy Wilhoite, and Baby Livi will continue to touch you and encourage you in the next year to cherish every minute and live for each moment. I pray that you will know that even having petty arguments with a family member, or cleaning up another spill, or waking up to a crying child is a blessing because it means that you are still able to have the privilege of spending time with a loved one. I pray that you are able to feel the desire to be more kind, more sensitive, and less judgemental to those around you. None of us ever truly knows another persons full story. I pray that you will know when to be selfless and when to be a little selfish. I pray that even if it seems impossible, that you know that God loves you. I pray that you are still able to be touched by the beauty of Jesus' birth. These things I also pray for myself.

And because I believe that Joe is still with us in spirit, and it's important to find reasons to smile. For a limited time only...something fun that everyone and their pet ferret has fiddled with. (It still makes me smile every time!)

Click here. Merry Christmas!

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In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirnius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to his own town to register. So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them. "Do not be afraid, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."

Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."

When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about."

So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

~Luke 2:1-20