Merry Christmas! (a couple days late). The past week has flown by in Kansas City – each day after work, I'd head to Mom and Dad's for dinner and to hang out with the family. So it's been very full days of family, food and lots of games! Keith is still in town for another couple days so the fun continues - at least a little longer! I'm so grateful that I've been feeling well through the holidays- not sure that I was able to keep up with the kids, but did ok :). My energy has been pretty good, my stomach continues to hang in there and no emergency trips to Omaha this year! How much difference a year can make!
I never feel like I'm really ready for Christmas and am always sad when it's over. I spend advent trying to get mentally prepared, pondering the meaning of the season, striving to get excited for Christmas and yet I never feel like I'm as “excited and happy” as I should be. Then it's over and I feel like I've missed something. It's like I can't wrap my brain around what we're celebrating because if I could, I'd be ecstatic. Even after all that's happened the past 2 years, I still struggle to really appreciate the birthday of the savior of the world. Why is that? Maybe it's the busyness of our days or the crowds at the mall – the devil has done a great job of distracting us from what December 25th stands for. I've probably heard this verse from Luke 100 times, but for some reason I never “heard” the symbolism until this year or thought that it in any way related to me - “but there was no room for them in the inn” - Would there be room in the inn today? I know that God still has a purpose for me, and when he knocks, I pray that I do not turn him away because “there's no room" for him. So, even though another Christmas has come and gone, I will continue to seek so that I can “see the star and rejoice”.
