Merry Christmas to All

Today is Christmas Eve, one of my favorite days of the year. I’ll spend the first several hours finishing up the preparations—wrapping presents, running to the store for groceries and last minute items, making an appetizer, setting the table, and hoping that the package I’m still waiting on finally arrives from UPS.

But at some quiet moment as day slips into evening, the time will come to make the mystical transition between Preparing for Christmas and Celebrating Christmas. For me, that moment, that pause, often comes at the Christmas Eve service at church. Crossing the threshold from the hustle and bustle to simply enjoying the here and now, for me, is a conscious shift. It’s laying aside what may not be perfect and may not have gotten done, and embracing the family around me, while thinking of those I love who are far away. I truly will be counting my blessings tonight.

My hope is that you too will have a relaxing and blessed Christmas, wherever you are and whoever you are celebrating with. May we all come to know peace on earth within our time.

Merry Christmas!

--Shelley