Merry Christmas

Last night's Christmas jammies gift opening left me a little less happy that today would be another Christmas without my husband and the father to our kiddos with us. Deployments do that. They kind of like taking those you love away from the family during those special holidays.

What turned everything around?

The Christmas Eve service we went to at 11:30 p.m. It touched my heart and removed those negative contents and replaced it with WHAT IS MOST IMPORTANT: the peace, love, and joy that comes from having a relationship with Jesus. Christmas came upon us "all of a sudden" -- I remember Thanksgiving was literally just here a few days ago, wasnt' it? With Christmas only hours away, I felt emotionally drained, just trying to keep it together, and all the while growing more impatient with waiting for William to come home, Christmas gifts to be opened and past us, and trying to maintain some sort of genuine smile across my face.

Christmas Eve service @ Canyon Ridge Christian Church 2011.
Photo taken by a dear friend over here. 

I finally went to bed around 4:30 a.m. and had to get back up before 9:00 a.m. because that's when William was going to call on video to open gifts with the kiddos. Just so you know, I function a WHOLE LOT better when I have had at least 6-7 hours, but function perfectly when I've had 8 hours of sleep.

Anyway, the kids and William really touched my heart this year. I am a very blessed mother of three amazing children and a very blessed wife to one amazing husband whom I could never imagine anyone more amazing than he!!

After the kids opened their gifts, it was my turn. William said I had to open the gifts from the kids first and his last. They got me a handsfree ear piece, caramel syrup for lattes, sewing storage box (but they said it's for crochet stuff), and a card. I could completely tell they really thought out ALL of their gifts to me, which was really touching.

What really pulled on my heart strings and made me cry happy tears was the card:

MOM: Hope you know how
much you mean to me...

Even though I may never find the right
words or the perfect ways to show it,
I hope somehow you still know what I
feel in my heart. You're loved and appreciated
more than I can say.
Merry Christmas

William got me Timeless: The Selah Collection. I absolutely love Selah and the music they sing. It's more of a worship (slower) style than a praise (more uptempo) style. The music is very calming and when I really started listening to them a couple months ago, calm is exactly what I needed!

Timeless: The Selah Collection. William's gift to me.

No gift is as special and as precious as the gift of Jesus Christ. Earthly treasures may bring a happiness for a short time, but the joy that Jesus gives lasts for all eternity. The treasures I received from the kiddos and William will be forever ingrained in my heart because of the season in life that I am in. 

But, the greatest gift that I will always treasure the most is salvation that has comes through knowing Jesus as my personal LORD and Savior.

"6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7 Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this" Isaiah 9:6-7 (NIV).

"¹⁰ Whoever believes in the Son of God accepts this testimony. Whoever does not believe God has made him out to be a liar, because they have not believed the testimony God has given about his Son. ¹¹ And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. ¹² Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life" 1 John 5:10-12 (NIV).