how blessed we indeed are.

Wednesday night, we all bundled up & went to church & we had a guest speaker. She was amazing & she made it fun with her little ventriloquist doll! He was just darling!

among the things she talked about, one that really struck with me, is how Jesus is the most precious, perfect gift that has ever been given, and yet so many have still not received Him.

my best gift I ever received (and man I've received great gifts) has been Jesus. To think, know, and feel that He had me on His mind when He climed up on that hill just blows me away.

It's not about the presents under the tree this Christmas, it's about THE ONE that hung on the tree for you & I. WOW. That just puts things in proper perspective, doesn't it?

We've not put up our tree, and we didn't have one last year. We were simply too depressed last year with Travis totalling his truck, me losing my job, and then this year was another sad year because Travis lost his job...and in all honesty, I wasn't going to put up one again this year. But, it dawned on me earlier this morning......what am I teaching my kids about faith? Here I am being all depressed because I know I can't afford to get them what they need, let alone what they want for Christmas......when there's no way in this world I can ever give them the gift they truly truly need, because that gift comes from Jesus. They only need accept it (which Supergirl is saved, we are just waiting for Wonderboy!).....that is truly the best gift of all.

yesterday, I noticed something alarming.

they are synical like we have become about a lot of things. Here we've been synical about the Christmas tree & such & my groom always gets so grouchy this time of year (it's the pressure of knowing how truly bad things are here.....) and I can't allow them to be that way. How can I expect them to treat Christmas the way that even Sugar Momma did if I let that tradition fade away?

I want the children to come & see me, and especially on Christmas, but if I'm depressed & all sad & things what message does that send them? Will they be likely to visit me? I don't know....would you?

faith. It's one of my favorite words. Faith means so much to be such a small word........so does JOY.....I love the word JOY.

so, I'm gonna put up that tree today. NO, I don't have much to put under it...and I don't know where it will come from, or even if it will......but I have faith that whatever the Lord provides will be just what we need.

joy. I will have joy. I want the kids to have joy & that sometimes starts with Momma, don't you think? I don't want to set it up so that they hate Christmas because I was always so sad....I want them to love Christmas & remember no matter what I tried to make it special....

so, won't you join me?

lets have faith
lets have joy

we already have the only present we ever need. Christ Jesus. amen? Amen!

now, where'd I put that tree?