Christmas is Coming

So here we are almost to the close of 2008 and Christmas is coming on like gangbusters everywhere you go. Downtown lights are lit, parties abound from every direction and even the most devout hermit needs a Blackberry to keep up with his holiday calendar of events.
I myself am juggling church and work parties and making time for movie nights with friends who are so close we don't need an invitation to celebrate together. Most of my Christmas presents are made because somewhere in my youth or childhood I decided homemade presents were the best. You would have to consult all the receivers of my gifts to get a real idea of whether or not I should hang that idea up or not, but I get a real kick out of it.
The church choir contata is tomorrow and of course I am thrilled even though the idea of choir robes makes my curly hair lay straight. This is by far my favorite time of year. No two Christmases are ever alike except that they all have their own special spark, their own little miracle waiting to be unwrapped. Sometimes they are big and flashy like Rudolph's nose and sometimes they are understated and found only when you take a moment to watch the squirrels pack in their food for the winter and smell the air for the hints of pumpkin, apple and pecan pie.
So here I wait anxiously to see what will be the gift of this year, and try desperately to remember that although all of the granduer lifts my spirits, the Lord's birthday is the reason for all of this and that lifts my soul.