30 Thankful Days {#11}

Christmas! It's coming--THIS MONTH!!! Where has the year gone?! I say that every year and yet December always seems to sneak up on me, especially with little kids growing up before my very eyes. The days seem to slip by so quickly.

I am thankful for Christmas, of course, primarily for it's true meaning. Christ came to Earth as a wee little babe. He came "to seek and to save that which was lost". "For God so loved the world..." But mostly, God loved ME! Jesus was born in a manger for ME!

#11. The CHRIST of CHRISTMAS

So thankful that I know the Christ of Christmas. He saved me by His wonderful matchless grace at the ripe old age of 5. I am blessed beyond measure to barely remember my life without Him as the most integral part of it. He walks beside me everyday. He's always there for me and understands me better than I understand myself. He's my very best friend and I can go to Him night or day--never a dropped call, busy signal, or bad connection either. 

I also greatly enjoy all the other fun things we do to celebrate Christmas. The exchanging of gifts with those we love, feasting on all kinds of Christmas goodies, laughing and playing, and most of all, seeing the shining bright eyes of my children and watching the wonder through their eyes. 

We don't have some of the typical Christmas things down here, like mounds of snow and freezing temps. No gallivanting in the drifts nor tingling sensation of thawing fingers and toes. No wrapping ice cube-like hands around steaming mugs of hot cocoa or throwing another log on the fire is needed here. {Honestly, can't say I am too heartbroken to be missing the cold part, but Clara would LOVE to have some white fluffy stuff!} Last year, Christmas was one of the HOTTEST and muggiest days of the season, reaching nearly 100 degrees. Nice and toasty, don't you think?!

Our Christmas includes sprinklers, watermelon, and sticky, drippy popsicles. Our Christmas calls for T-shirt and flip-flop attire. Our Christmas is a scorcher where you really don't want to turn that oven on to add more heat to your all ready sauna-like kitchen and house.

BUT, we DO have the same Christ at Christmas. The same joy and celebration of His birth. We DO have the same Bible to read the miraculous Christmas story to our children. We DO have food, friends, and family. We DO have a home filled with love and laughter. We DO have plenty to be thankful for. We DO plan to have a fabulous {albeit hot and sticky} Christmas! We hope you do, too!