The Heart of Christmas

  Some of you may recognize the title of this post as the name of the xmas movie produced by Matthew West about the true story of a little boy who was battling cancer and how his mom's online journal impacted the life of another woman and her family.  I cried the entire movie.  So, if you haven't yet seen it, please do, but be prepared to go through a whole box of Kleenex!  Anyway, I thought this title was also fitting for the reason of my post tonight... as we prepare our hearts for Christmas... I am grateful. So so grateful.  
   I cannot believe xmas is right around the corner, which also means we will be ringing in a new year too, wow!  Where did this year go?!  My baby boy will be 9 months old this Saturday, and on Sunday we will continue our tradition by spending the day in Chicago looking at the lights and Macy's windows and hopefully going ice skating!  And then one week from Sunday we will be celebrating the birth of our LORD Jesus Christ.  I always look forward to the holidays, even with all the hustle and bustle and colder weather.  I love listening to xmas music, I'm one of those who start listening to it the week of Thanksgiving and usually continue listening to it all the way through January.  I love xmas decorations, my house is all decked out in holiday style, and again, I'm one of those who keep my decorations up through January.  I love making and decorating xmas cookies, my favorite being sugar cookies.  This year (last night actually), Dan & I did it together, and it was SO much fun!  We made the dough (I cheated this year & used a mix), cut out the shapes in mittens, snowmen, xmas trees, & stars, baked them, and frosted and decorated them.  They turned out as cute as can be!

  I love the sappy xmas movies on the Hallmark channel, Lifetime and ABC Family... one of them being Moonlight & Mistletoe staring Candace Cameron Bure, so good!  I love that usually by now we have snow, or have had snow.  I love looking out my window and seeing the snowflakes fall from the overcast sky.  Its simply beautiful.  I love getting my loved ones xmas cards and letters in the mail!  I look forward to opening each & every envelope!  I love attending Harvest's Women's xmas program each year with my mom, mother-in-law, & aunts.  It has been a great tradition for 5 years now!

This year at Harvest!

Special guests: Matthew West & Mandisa

  I love buying xmas gifts for my family & friends and seeing their faces when they open it.  But what I love most of all at xmas is the whole month leading up to December 25, Advent.  I love taking time out of our busy day to remember Christ's birth.  I remember Advent one year at Harvest, it was my favorite.  Each weekend in the worship service we watched a video... one being on Peace, Love, Hope, & Joy.  It was beautiful to hear from other Harvest families about how the LORD has offered His Peace, shown them His Love, given them Joy, or provided them Hope.  I'm really looking forward to the xmas eve service at Harvest this year and celebrating Jesus' birthday with my loved ones.  Every year we go back to my parents house & enjoy a delicious ham dinner cooked by my mom, we open our gifts to Jesus and sing Him Happy Birthday.  We also open our gifts to each other since my dad usually has to work on xmas day.  It is such a special night with my family.  I'm so excited to have Josiah here to share it all with us.  I can't wait to celebrate his first xmas, even though he probably won't remember it, it's still pretty special to us!  Then on xmas day we go up to Rockford to spend the day with Dan's parents, his aunt & uncle & cousin.  Aunt Donna always makes a yummy ham AND turkey dinner, with Dan's favorite cheesy potatoes too!  We open gifts & enjoy each others company by sharing stories & laughs.  Then we make our way back home and stop in Elgin at my grandparents to see some of my aunts, uncles, cousins & grandpa & grandma Kressin.  It's a busy day, but I love it!  Can't wait!
  So as we prepare to celebrate our Savior's birth, I am grateful.  I am grateful for all these things about CHRISTmas that I love & get to enjoy.  Thank you LORD for sending your one & only son to this earth to die for me.  Wow, so grateful.  The Heart of Christmas has a name.  And the name is JESUS!  Keep Christ in CHRISTmas and say Merry Christmas to everyone you meet!  Merry Christmas everyone!