Simply Christmas

When we lived in Michigan I had one of those vinyl wall sayings on my dining room wall that said, "Live Simply". It was a good reminder to slow down and take time to enjoy the little things in life. Little did I know that moving to Louisiana would SO simplify things that this Christmas found Hosmerville celebrating Christ's birth, just the five of us. All week long. Live Simply.

No trip to Michigan to celebrate the season with family and friends. No running here and there. No baking for this party, no cooking for that. No endless shopping trips for last~minute gifts before the next get~together. No keeping one eye on the party around me while keeping the other on the clock, lest lingering too long would throw the rest of the day's schedule helter~skelter. And I have to admit, it was really nice. A very simple Christmas season. Live Simply.

This year we had to make a very "grown~up" decision. (Grrr, I hate having to be responsible.) In doing so, Tom and I had to follow what our heads were saying and not what our hearts were feeling. And while we most definitely missed being a part of all the familiar activity of those established family traditions back in Michigan, perhaps the "isolation" of our family helped us to better keep the focus on God's gift to us, His Son Jesus Christ, the true meaning of Christmas. Live Simply. 

Never before has the Christmas story and God's great display of His love for us been so personally meaningful. To see my kids perform in the Christmas play (Austin as Caesar Augustus & King Herod, Audrey as Mary, and Lexi as a lamb), to see them and their classes spread Christmas cheer to the elderly and sick, and to celebrate with them in a very special candlelit Communion/Christmas Eve eve service; to see them "get" the real reason why we celebrate the season. That was the best gift of all. And perhaps had we traveled to Michigan we may have lost out on all these experiences that made the significance of Christ's birth 2000+ years ago so real to us this Christmas. So a very simple Louisiana Christmas. And I'm okay with that. Live Simply.

P.S. Maybe next year we will be able to celebrate with our Michigan family and friends and experience the true joy that comes with keeping our focus on Christ. You know, have our "Happy~Birthday~Baby~Jesus" cake and eat it, too;)