Countdown to Christmas

Christmas has been going on for some time in the malls and television. Now, it begins for families. We had three gatherings this weekend, and all involved food. So, one has to learn how to pace their consumption. We will be having three celebrations next weekend as well.
It's starting to quiet down, at the same time, it's beginning to be Christmas the feeling instead of Christmas the commercial. At least for our family.
We are catching up on Christmas movies. We are investigating recipes that haven't been prepared for a year and we are feeling closer to our families. It's great and it's starting to "feel" more like a season of hope. We are relying on hope, you know. Hebrews 11:1 -- Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.
Do you have confidence in this season and the promise it brings. Now more than ever, I find my prayers are deeper and more frequent. I have the luxury of  working in quiet and gazing out my window to see a deer walking along the driveway, nosing around for either food or friends. This morning, the sky before the sun was magnificent, painted by the hand of God for all to enjoy. My favorite, the moon has been gaining shape in anticipation of the lunar eclipse on Tuesday. I am hoping to get up and watch it. I can sleep some other time. We must of course, hold on to our cold weather so the sky will remain clear. If it warms up, it may want to snow and then, well, as usual we will miss this great event because of the clouds. Winter gives us such wonderful skies, the stars are so very bright. We have not been privy to the northern lights for some time now. Either they are late in coming each night and we are sleeping or they are disappearing with the change in climate. Our life giving sun is closer to the edge of our horizon at this moment. It will be spectacular - purple, pink, yellow and that grayish blue. It looks like once it clears the cloud on the horizon it will be out all day.
We reminisced a bit about how Christmas used to be. My aunt asked how Grandma could prepare food for everyone without anyone RSVPing. Well, we deduced it was because only those who could, on a rare occasion, NOT be there called her. Otherwise, it was an absolute part of Christmas. We spent Christmas Eve with our own families and then Christmas Day at both of our grandparents homes. We ate, we saw cousins, we opened a few modest gifts. It was a good thing. My grandmother Meidinger always crocheted something for her children. When a grandchild reached a certain age, the Cracker Jacks with a dollar bill taped to the box were reserved for the youngest and we graduated to receiving something crocheted for our future homes. I haven't thought about that for years.
Now families are spread out over the miles, there's some extended families through marriage and divorce. It's complicated. Rather than distress over it all, we just pick a day, any day, and make that Christmas, because as Eric Sevareid says, it's Christmas, if Christmas is in your heart. This is the week to keep it close to your heart.