24 Nights Before Christmas

'Twas 24 nights before Christmas and all through the cities
The men were grouchy; the women were bitties-
All the attitudes had started & there wasn’t a care
Of what Christmas was about and that we needed to share!
I lie in my bed, pondering on this,
Wondering if this year would be another miss!
Kids wanting and wanting and parents giving and giving
How did they not know this wasn’t the reason for living!
Things and toys…they just don’t matter!
They end up in the closet or on the floor with a splatter!
What could I do? What could I say?
To get people to realize it should be Christmas everyday!
I jumped out of my bed and got on my knees,
Praying to God to show me something please!
Then all of a sudden it hit me like jello!
Someone should tell them it’s not about the red-suited fellow!
From that point on, every person I saw
I told them about Christ and how he came to save us all!
How He loves each of us the same
No matter what our name!
The attitudes changed and I could see people caring
They had started giving and helping and some even sharing!
I knew it was a start and there was much more to do
To get people to realize God’s love is important too!
When I think of Christmas there’s much more to tell
Than of santa and snowmen and a jingly silver bell!
There’s wisemen and shepherds and a manger for a bed
Where the precious baby Jesus, laid his little tiny head!
He came to die for us, to take punishment for our sin
So that one day we can spend eternity with Him!
That’s the best gift there is and one that we can share
With friends and family and people everywhere!
Merry Christmas to each of you, who live far and near
And let’s celebrate God’s love, everyday of the year!!

Thanksgiving

So many people will take this time of year to share what they are thankful for. I’ve always been amazed at how you don’t hear a peep out of some people all year but come Thanksgiving, they have this epiphany and all of a sudden they are thankful for everything from their jobs to the shoes on their feet. Why is it that we don’t share these thoughts and emotions more often? Is this the only time that people can muster an offering of Thanksgiving for their lives and their blessings? Surely we can be thankful for more than just 1 day out of 365?

Families unite for a brief time to share a feast that women have labored over for hours, only to see it consumed like a pack of hyenas devouring the Lion King. Then they spend the rest of their afternoon cleaning up the carcasses that were left and putting their homes back in order. Uncle Bob is still mad at Aunt Lucille because she got the turkey a little over done; the kids are running through the house playing football, even tho Aunt Marge told them 100 times already to stop it because the house was not a playground! Barbara Ann has the tv up too loud because she can’t hear worth a flip anymore, which makes the women sitting at the table talk louder about Jenny’s big thighs, because they can’t hear each other over the television; Becky’s in the other room pouting because at 14 she thinks it’s so “un-cool” to be around all these old people and how she would much rather be at her boyfriend’s house; Janet’s daughters are spending a tearful moment reflecting on how much they miss their father and wish he wasn’t gone; the rest of the male cousins and uncles are all outside-some of them hiding around the corner from their wives, hoping they won’t get caught stealing a smoke because they promised they had quit already-the rest are talking about how that coach on that football team needs to give it up and let them coach because they could do a much better job at it then he was! And they call this Thanksgiving? How can any of that make you feel thankful? Especially if you’re the one who’s hosting this massive family feast! It’ll take you weeks to get your house looking like your house again. But these are the moments that we should be the most thankful for. What memories you are making!

My fondest memories are of the times when everyone would gather at my grandmother’s house for the holidays! There was way too much food and a crazy amount of people! All her sister’s and their spouses, and they each had kids who had kids! We would be crammed in the house like sardines. The kids would get in the big coat closet and play and get lost in our childhoods. Oh how I wish I could have those moments back! The house is silent now during this time of the year. My grandparents are in heaven with some of their brothers and sisters…some of their kids and each of the nieces and nephews and grandchildren have scattered, only to be left to make their own memories. I’m so thankful for all of those times we had. You never realize how much you miss until you no longer have it anymore.

Don’t wait for the holidays to tell people you’re thankful for them…you’re thankful for the memories…you’re thankful for their part in molding you into who you are today. Everyday should be a day of thanksgiving. If those aren’t things you can be thankful for, be thankful that God gave His only Son so that you could have everlasting life! What more is there?!

Did you here me???

"Mama...mama...mama...mama..." over and over my nephews will say this until they receive a frustrated "WHAT?!" in return. My sisters can be right in the middle of a conversation, or trying to do something but that doesn't matter at all. What my nephews want right at that moment from their mother is more pertinent to them than anything else that is going on. They haven't quite grasped the concept of what no interrupting means and quite haven't figured out that mom's can multi-task and while their attention may be directed elsewhere at the moment, they still heard them say "mama" the first time. What seems to be even more frustrating is that when mom finally does respond and gives them their full attention, the "pertinent need" is simply "open this" or "Macey won't let me...." or "Blake won't..."

This made me think about Christians and their relationship with God. Constantly calling on Him, over and over again, thinking that He's not listening to us. We know He's right there. We know He always hears us, but yet we allow frustration to set in because He's not answering us as quick as we think He should. There a billions of people in this world that call on Him every second of every day! Some need Him more than others and each of those people feel that what they need right then and there is more pertinent over anyone else's wants and needs. All we need is to call on Him just once and He knows...He hears...He will. That concept is too much for a 6 year old to grasp onto but in time they will learn that only once is needed.

How many times does God call on us? He patiently stands there, calling, "Amy...Amy...Amy..." and sometimes we finally will stop and say "WHAT?!" "What now?" And when He knows He has our attention, all He wants to tell us is " I love you" What He wants is more pertinent and pressing then what we want. What He desires is more important than anything else and yet we don't hear or don't listen and even some chose to ignore.

Do you want God ignoring you? I don't think so. Keep your heart open to Him, don't make Him call you over and over again. You might miss out on something life changing!