Christmas Present

The clock on the laptop tells me it's 11:12 pm. We're finished with our rituals and gift opening. Cindy has gone to bed (she has to drive tomorrow and I'm praying the rain will stop) and the rest of us are not too far behind her. This whole weekend has been like one giant Christmas, and the day isn't even here yet.

But it has been special, in most ways good, in a couple kind of bittersweet. Brian and Mike's absence confirms again that the kids are grown up and have their own lives. We're ok with the reasons - it's just not the same without them. Thank God for cell phones. We still laugh allbeit long distance. I have to give the girls credit though - they raised the roof pretty good anyway.

So what did I get this Christmas?

I got to give love in paper bags to 160 mostly unsaved people. Dworeks loaned their van to transport candy and homemade cookie goodie bags to the jail and I was met by five other "ministers", one woman and four men, who eagerly unloaded the boxes and took them to the cells. To my knowledge it's the first time that many of us have been together in one place at one time. Sherry and I had service in the library with all the women. It was pretty special.

I saw and got to visit with a long lost friend. Not really, but time and distance makes it seem that way.

My extended family soldier boy spent the afternoon with us. He's back from basic for the first time in months.

I heard my daughters perform a fifth (or sixth?) awesome song they wrote. It made me cry.

I got to hear Brian cackle on the phone. Twice. I love his sense of humor.

I got to open Mike's present with him present by phone. His conscienciousness is really amazing.

I got snookered again by my husband. Somehow every year he manages to get me something right under my none. This time it was something BIG and I somehow managed to overlook it numerous times in the trunk.

I think the main thing I got was a new appreciation for the concept of God with us. That was what the first Christmas was all about - God with us. It's what the Christian life is about every day, God with us. Cool to think we can live Christmas out every day of the year. We don't need holly and mistletoe for that.

That being said I'm calling it a day and turning in . . .nite all.