Christmas is fast approaching, and I'm actually anticipating making our way to the Arkansas Delta. I'm excited about seeing our family and friends. I'm excited about seeing my parents' newly-renovated house. I'm excited to spend the holiday with people I love.
The older I get, the more I like Christmas. I love the music, the lights, shopping!, and spending time with the ones I love. I loved Christmastime as a child, but each year gives me new reasons to appreciate what I have and be thankful for the Reason we celebrate.
It's crazy to think about all the things we've done and places we've seen this past year. I've made some really wonderful friends and had some great experiences. I've also dealt with challenges that, at the time seemed to break me, but in retrospect, actually made me stronger and better. God has a very intricate plan for all of us, and it's incredible to look back and really see how His hand touched each moment. Even during the most difficult times when it seemed that God was nowhere to be found, I can see now that He was the the calm breaths in between the panic; He was the brief glimpses of the big picture when my focus was on the little disappointments.
I'm learning to take things as they are handed to me. During my short time dealing with the military, I've realized that having that attitude is the only way to maintain sanity. So, I've decided that carrying the "it is what it is" outlook over from military life to everyday living can't be a bad idea. Things are what they are. People are lousy, undependable, pathetic, and disappointing, but people are also helpful, forgiving, caring, and encouraging. Life sucks sometimes. But life is also an enormous gift that I'm pretty certain our Creator wants us to appreciate and cherish. I try to look at each new day as simply that: a new day with new situations and adventures and challenges. I hope I can face every day optimistically because God knows I've had years and years worth of bad attitude.
This year, I'm grateful for Christmas and what it really means. I'm grateful for my family and my friends, new and old. Being so far away from my parents and siblings and nieces and nephew really makes me appreciate them.
I'm sure y'all have all dealt with this at some point in the past few weeks, but it is so discouraging to come upon a Scrooge. It really bothers me when people get so furious when they can't find a parking spot or when they can't get their buggy through the isle or when someone makes a mistake in the turning lane (sorry 'bout that!). Here's the thing: does it really matter that you may have to walk a few extra feet because you couldn't snag the front row parking space? No. It's Christmas time and Christ came to this earth to show love and joy. I think we should all remember that, instead of showing anger and aggression over unimportant things. I'm preachin' to the choir here because I'm surely not perfectly patient when it comes to driving in traffic or shopping. I hope I can have an attitude of patience and joy, though, even when some fool tries to cut me off. I hope I can just smile and wave at the fool and pray that he doesn't smash some innocent pedestrian. ;)
Anyway, hopefully I will find the time to update the blog before Christmas, but if not, Merry Christmas to everyone! Here's one of my all-time favorite Christmas songs to put you in the mood:)
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