the heart of Christmas

Well, here’s the next set of thoughts and pictures.

I downloaded the pictures from our camera and found two shots form up in the UP that I felt where worth sharing. The first is of Zuri sitting in the snow and the second is of Pearl’s street.




But it’s nice to be home and back in our own world. This past weekend we where able to help a friend who has really helped us in the past, it felt so good to be able to tangibly return through physical labor a little bit of the blessing they have been to us.

The house officially kicked off the holidays this weekend. We picked out a tree,



put up the lights and



had a wonderful dinner together.



Christmas is one of my most favorite times of the year. I love having the world slow down a little, taking the time to look one another in the eye and smile, I love to see neighbors and homes show beauty through their decorations, I love to see families come together, just to name a few.

I guess these are some of the things in life I love the most.

But Christmas as American’s know it is just a system we’ve put into place over time, it’s just another day, with the same amount of hours, seconds, and minutes as every other day of the year, but the amazing piece to the 25th of December is the heart that has been attached to this day. This heart is attacked every year by the materialist pleas of our TV’s, magazines and world, but this heart is not so easily defeated. The Heart of Christmas, the piece that rings true and good even in the darkest of Scrooge’s heart, is the piece I long to hold close. To let this nugget of truth become a part not only of my December 25th rhythms, but apart of the Rhythms I live with day in and day out.

So what is the heart of Christmas for you? What is beautiful and good about this day in your world?

As I answer those questions for me, and as I set the patterns for my life and home, may this heart not only be found on the 25th but everyday till next 25th.