Merry Christmas!

I woke up this morning beside my husband, and we opened presents with our kids.

I am blessed.

Enough said.

We went to Christmas eve service at our wonderful church yesterday, and though I knew I would be, I was so glad to be there. I'm one of those people who is moved to tears by church, by the community, the music, and the words our pastor speaks. And standing there with friends and other believers, I felt my eyes well up, and I fought back the urge to cry. Tears of joy that is. Because I am so blessed, we're all so taken care of, whether we know it or not. I was most taken by the fact that I was standing there, in church, on Christmas eve, with my husband. It wasn't very along ago that I never imagined this could happen. I'd lay in bed and try and imagine how on earth I would celebrate Christmas without him. How we'd share our kids, and give separate gifts, and not be together. I prayed for a Heavenly intervention, and I got it, and my biggest gift this Christmas, was to have my husband at my side, and our marriage back on track and our hearts growing together once more.

I'm blessed.

And today I'm puttering around the house getting ready to go to the Christmas gathering with my husbands family, and I'm excited. I'm excited to have all of them back as well. This year we're bringing mashed potatoes (A la Pioneer Woman), sweet potato casserole (also a la Pioneer Woman), and apple crisp (my own special recipe), and I'm excited to share what we made and to talk and be together, and celebrate Christ, and the miracle that He is. I'm excited!

I have a new cross around my next, thanks to Elvis, who surprised me this morning with an assortment of really special and unexpected gifts, and I'm wearing it today with pride. Aside from being an outward demonstration of my faith, its also big, and bold and fits nicely with the personal makeover I've been undergoing for the past few months, its a beautiful piece of jewelry.

So, back to church for a moment, yesterday's service was really special. The story was the same, the telling of how Christ was born, but it was told in a different way then usual, and really helped us to grasp how incredible that birth was. God actually came to earth. God showed up. He came to us, so we could be saved. He didn't have to do it, but he did, because he loved us, and that's pretty special, because not many of us can say we're capable of love like that (are any of us?).

The music of course was unbelievable. I love the music our church plays, it may be my favorite part of church! I always leave with lyrics stuck in my head, and I head home and Google them, and then immediately find that song and listen to it over over. Yesterday we heard great renditions of traditional favorites, like Joy to the World, and these words really jumped out at me:

Let every heart, prepare him room

Not sure why, but those words really resonated with me. Prepare Him room. Make space for God in your life and ....

He comes to make His blessings flow..

Amazing.

I also heard a new song. And it was beautifully sang by my two favorite performers at church, and I quietly repeated the words all the way home so I would be able to search it and share it with you.

Its called "Go Outside" by the Robbie Seay Band, and its lovely!

Here is a link where you can give it a listen (so good, trust me):

Go Outside

I hope everyone is having a fantastic Christmas day, and I hope blessings are being counted. Of course, I know there are many people out there, who don't feel like they have much to celebrate. There are mothers and father's at besides of sick children, and children at their parents bedside in hospitals across the world. There are lonely people, missing family on days like today (and all the other days as well), there are hungry people, cold people, and people feeling hopeless. And you're all on my mind today. My heart and prayers go out to everyone in need of them. And this makes me even more painfully aware of how blessed I am, and how God has helped us weather so many storms in the past few years, and we're still in tact and lived to tell about it.

To my dear friend B, who's experiencing a major heartache and struggle right now, and not at all getting the Christmas she imagined, or deserves, much love and of course, my continued prayers that God will bring you through it.

To a wonderful "Sister" who's missing her family this Christmas, we love you. You're with us in spirit, and if we could be with you today, we would love to do so! We'll see you soon! I hope you'll spend the day loving up your kids, and I know you'll remember His love for you, and that will bring you some peace!

To my many friends, who are celebrating Christmas without your much loved children, some for the first time every, I cannot tell you just how much my heart is with you, and how I am wishing you peace and comfort today and the other 364 days of the year. Christmas seems to be harder then those days, and I know you're missing you baby (or babies) with a bit more intensity today. Much love to you all!

And a special Christmas thank you to my family, who have brought me through so much, with a special brand of love and support, I'm incredibly grateful for all of you and know that families like ours are the exception and not the rule, so of course, I am blessed :)

And to "the board", full of hundreds of great friends who have also stood by me through more then one heart ache, and many more joys. You all have enriched my life, with friendships and comradarie (is this a word?) not found very often, and not found by everyone, you're all blessings to me!

Merry Christmas Everyone! We're one day closer to big, brave and bold new year!

Katie