Well it has been quite a while since I blogged. Sometimes I think I am too busy to blog, and sometimes I think I am not in the mood to blog, sometimes I think that I don't know how to keep my mouth shut and blogging will just get me in trouble! Most of the time I am right :)
Today I am basking in the glory of God's provision. Everyday I am thankful for the way God provides for my family. Over the last year our income has decreased by more than half. In spite of that we have continued to maintain our same lifestyle with very few sacrifices. We don't buy as many new clothes, we have started to shop at thrift stores and we think before we buy things that we don't need. But we have not suffered or done without one thing. Our bills are paid, our home is just as warm (or cool) our bellies are full of food and we are blessed!
This time of the year I miss my family more than any other time. I have such wonderful memories of the holidays. The holidays were the time of the year when there was always candy being made, houses decorated, presents wrapped, gifts hidden, wishes granted. I don't think there was a year that when there wasn't something that was thrilling. There was always some one thing you wanted more than anything else, something your heart was set on, but your mind held the doubt that it would show up under the tree. Either it was so popular that you weren't sure it could be found, or so expensive that you thought it was out of the question. It was always the gift that was last at our house, but it was always there :) My parents did everything they could to get us everything we wanted! Looking back though it isn't the presents I remember as much as it was the time, the dinners, the gatherings, the Christmas Eve at Nannie's with homemade candies and a meat & cheese tray, a fire in the living room, the tree twinkling, a pile of gifts under the tree. "The boys" would all climb under the piano so that we couldn't see the new underwear they got for Christmas. Christmas music was always playing and everyone was in a great mood. Every year we had to wait on Aunt Jo , my grandmother's sister, to get there before we could open presents. We kids would be squirming around and fairly bouncing off the walls by the time she got there. I am not sure she even made it in the house before we started opening stuff! Even as we got older we still gathered every year and we had a wonderful time.
I truly miss the holidays! I miss all the love and joy and peace, but in my house in order to have peace I have given up on trying to have a Christmas this year. Before you become outraged for me let me explain. There is no where in the world that I want peace more than my very own home. The only way to have that peace is to play the game. It doesn't take away who I am. It just takes away the stress. I have prayed many times about my religious convictions, about the changes my husband has made and if I should make those same changes. Truthfully there are many things that I agree with him about..... but not everything.
And so I am ever thankful for God's provision for me. Every time I think that I am getting down or discouraged or disheartened by the sacrifices I have made to have a happy home; God provides me yet another opportunity which keeps me going. I won't go through all the various things that God has done for me.... they are too numerable. God is blessing me now, allowing me the opportunity to make lovely holiday items for other people. I can imagine these items in homes around the US. I can imagine children and adults reaching into their new stockings and finding candy, toothbrushes, oranges. I can help to make other's holiday beautiful and that is a great thing and I love it.
I wish each and every one of you a wonderful holiday, a very Merry Christmas! I wish all of God's blessings for all of you this Christmas and all year long!
Jennifer
