So This is Christmas...

"...And what have you done
Another year over
And a new one just begun
And so this is Christmas
I hope you have fun
The near and the dear ones
The old and the young

A very merry Christmas
And a happy New Year
Let's hope it's a good one
Without any fear"

from Happy Christmas by John Lennon

Christmas...

my favorite time of the year.

Now if only I could step back in time to a little village like this one...

...my new favorite Christmas decoration...

I might keep it up all year!

But this Christmas...

maybe a bit different.

Oh, I still love it...

and always will.

The lights, decorations,

excited children, gift wrapping, baking

people digging into their pocket to drop change in the little red bucket,

Christmas movies,

the Nutcracker...ESPECIALLY the Nutcracker:)

churches all decorated with lights, poinsettias...

and mangers.

The Christmas message...

HOPE!

But I'm just a bit melancholy...

It seems so many friends are hurting right now,

"HOPELESS"

and that makes me sad.

To them I say,

if I could make it all better, I would.

All we can do is pray...

and know that there IS hope...

and be there the best we can...

with a smile and a hug,

because those come easy and are free.

So please remember the people in your path whose lives

are crumbling and a tiny bit hopeless.

Maybe they need just a little bit more merry and grace right now.

It doesn't mean we can't laugh and be full of cheer...

 It is a time to be HAPPY...

to celebrate the birth of our Savior.

Along the way, enjoy these special days that come once a year...

with a laugh, a smile, a hug, a kind word...

 and a few cookies thrown in for good measure.

Don't worry if your baking doesn't quite turn out like this...

(bakerella)

It isn't the "perfect" time of the year...

It's the most "WONDERFUL" time of the year.

XOXOXO