Chic Streak: christmas

I know I haven't been around much lately and for that I'm sorry! I love doing this and all the people I have met and all the beautiful things I'm exposed to! For me personally I have to be in the right frame of mind in order to write these post and honestly, I just have not been there! This is a much more serious post for me and actually a difficult one to write. I certainly don't mean to bring anyone down or rain on any one's parade right here at the best time of the year, so please take it for what it is! We get sooo wrapped up in the hustle and bustle of it all we just completely take leave of our senses!! What happened to civility, and the golden rule and love and peace that passes all understanding??? Zip, zing, nada...flies right out the window at this time of year!! I do not want to be one of those people!!!

What do you think Christmas really is about, what's it mean to you? I'm not really feeling it this year. This has been one heck of a year for my family. Been lots of pain, hurt and disappointment. Things have been said, done and happened...and there is no rewind button! This is a VERY difficult Christmas for me! As I sit here and feel sorry for myself/my family I have to remember, there are worse things! As most of you know, my daughter in law has cervical cancer. Its not good and its looking like nothing short of a miracle will do! The usual stuff runs through your brain...Lord please let her live long enough to get my granddaughter grown, what will my poor son do if something happens to her, she's so young and that's not the natural cycle of things! Parents go first, grandparents go first...not thirty somethings! How can I fix this, what can I do to make it better...bottom line...NOTHING! There's nothing anyone can do. Only God!!! So as we run around and suffer from road rage, idiots and rude people shopping and shouting, looking for the perfect gift and spending more and more money every year...what's really important here? What really matters?? I realize...this could be the last Christmas we spend with her and actually with or with out her disease...none of us know how long we have. It could be the last Christmas for a lot of us! This is not suppose to be a sad post or a post to bring anyone down and I'm so sorry if it does that! Its suppose to be a gratitude post, a post that makes you stop and think for a minute, reminds you of what IS important, make you appreciate what you have. So tell me what does it mean to you? Seriously, any of you that know me well know that I am all about the bottom line...what's your bottom line here? Is there something you do as a family or on your own that makes it more special or that brings the true meaning home for you? Please do share it, don't keep it a secret...it may be just the thing someone else is needing to hear or you maybe creating a tradition for someone that they will cherish for generations to come...how cool is that one! Seriously, share it and then I want you to go hug your babies, tell your significant other how much they mean to you, call your mama, hug your brother and sister no matter how much you wanna shoot em, smile and look a stranger in the eye with all the warmth and love and compassion spilling out of you and all over them! Here's sampling of what others are saying today...:

What is Christmas spirit? Is it about how extravagant the gift? How much money you can spend on something for someone? Getting what you want? It is not any of the above! It's about spending time with the people you love and care about. Remembering those we lost on the way, new lives that were brought into the world by love, and remembering all who have mad...e the ultimate sacrifice by giving their life so others may live. Christmas spirit is and always will be how much you can love someone unconditionally no matter what they have done in the past or what they may do in the future. Love is the inspiration to be inspired! May everyone have a blessed Christmas!

Borrowed from a friend. via Karen Harvey Barr

Hey, really. God's got this. Keep doing what's right, don't give up, it's going to be OK. Have faith. -- The Management.
via Aaron Manly Smith

I am sharing this from a friend on my personal facebook page who shared it from her friend.~Jennifer~
Did you know that the chopping down of the Christmas tree represents the death of Christ and putting it back up again represents the resurrection of Christ? Did you know that the wreaths we hang are never ending circles, that represent eternity? Candy canes were made to look like shepherd hooks and the colors red, Jesus' blood, white, purity. The gifts, represents the 3 gifts the wise men brought for Jesus. So when you are running around trying to get the "perfect gift", stop yourself, take a deep breath and remember we have been given the perfect gift. Jesus Christ was given to us to remove all of our sins. HAPPY BIRTHDAY to you, Jesus. MERRY CHRISTMAS! *Thanks for sharing Sharon Via Southern Life Beautiful ~ by Sherry Godsey Cates

That last one's kinda my favorite! It means even all those people that refuse to Christmas it up are still partaking in our faith...haha!

Merry Christmas everyone...I love you all and I'm giving you all a big ole group blog hug and kisses! Make this one of the best Christmas's you've every had! YOU BE THE GIFT!!!

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving! I love this time of the year! I know they put stuff out earlier and earlier every year but I don't care because its my favorite time! I'm not crazy about the commercialism of it all, don't get me wrong. I think its all about perspective though and its a visible reminder of my Lord and Saviors birth! Who needs more of a reason to celebrate than that! There's just something about it that evokes happy thoughts and no matter how bad things may be or how bad they're going to be, its impossible to be anything but happy! We've already gotten out the decorations and started decorating but we are no where near through!

Did you know that the first Christmas tree can be traced back to 1441! Traditionally, Christmas Trees were not brought in and decorated until December 24th or for those that celebrated the first day of Christmas, on the 23rd. Then they were removed after the 12th night, January 6th. It was even considered bad luck to have one up before or after these dates. There are still countries that follow their traditions, and ours would be...gurl, get that tree up!!!!

So how about some trees to get us in the spirit this morning!!!!!