JOY to the World!

It took a whole week to get it done, but the house is now completely Christmas ready! Yea! And we even got a gorgeous dusting of snow in our local mountains! We are otherwise ignoring that it's in the 60's here and we're enjoying a crackling fire, and hot cider, and all the wintry things with full gusto anyway.

It doesn't truly feel like Christmas to me until our worship team leads Christmas carols in church. Last Sunday, my dear friend Chris Lizotte and I sang a funky, bluesy version of "Silent Night" with the great Eddie Ambrose on Hammond and worshiped our hearts out with the congregation. What a treat it is to lead worship with these awesome musicians who are so in love with Christ! For me it ushers in the awe and joy of Christmas in an incredible way!

This year we hung seven stockings by the chimney with care. I bought these stockings seven years ago in FAITH and now this year we've hung them ALL! Thank You, Jesus, that Your promises are true! The Lord never fails!

Not even in death. I can't listen to "I Miss You Most at Christmastime" without crying yet because this will be the first Christmas for Grandmother (and all of us) without Granddaddy, but when I can I need to get in the studio and record it for her. It's beautifully bittersweet. I know that she wakes up every day and chooses joy, and a peaceful heart as she labors happily on for Jesus training other believers and spreading the Gospel, but after 61 years of loving life together... As my Uncle Walt reminded me, Praise the Lord that they'll be together again soon, as will we all, in the sweet by and by! AMEN!

We are rejoicing in that promise as well. Along with all the blessings of Christmas, we are celebrating having two babies in the house this year who are enthralled with every little sparkly-lit thing in sight, and every pretty package, and all the sweets and treats, too. Evangeline is especially crazy about Christmas trees. "Tree! Tree! Lights! Oooooo! Pretty! No touchy! Mmmmm, smell!" and lots of giggles. Elianna Ray wants desperately to get into everything but so far we've been able to catch her before she's gotten to the decorations. Watching these two be so thrilled at all the sparkling delights of Christmas is so precious. And it inspires in me a fresh wonder at the beauty of the Gift of Jesus, too. God Himself parted with His Loved One for our sake and all Heaven rejoiced with singing at the birth of the King!

And so shall I! JOY to the World!