Christmas has been hard for me the past four years as I navigated the loss of my Daddy, our business and home, being away from family and friends, and the loss of my Mom. So this year, I set out to focus on the JOY of celebrating the birth of JESUS and enjoying all the blessings He provided throughout the year.

Each of us are fully aware of the challenges faced in 2020. There were illnesses, deaths, fear of both, quarantine, businesses shut down, jobs lost and insane amounts of stress! As if that was enough, we had all that while having to wear masks out in public, along with a shortage of toilet paper, hand sanitizer and Clorox wipes! Top that with a presidential election like no other in American history, and well, one could say 2020 is definitely a year for the books!

#but God has still been good. I truly believe there were a lot of lessons learned in 2020 and I hope we all choose to grow from those lessons:

• Gratitude for good health, our lives, family and friends
• Prioritizing family and friends over material things
• Enjoying fresh air in the great outdoors

Those are just a few things I’ve noticed a shift in, and I know there are many more. My point: there is always JOY to be found amidst hardship – we just have to focus on it!

As we wrap up 2020 and prepare for a new year, regardless of the challenges we have encountered, I pray you will join me in pausing to give thanks for all the blessings in our lives.

Jesus,
As we collectively celebrate your birth,
our hearts are filled with immense gratitude for the JOY you brought into our world!
You came humbly; your entourage was a donkey and some farm animals.
Your resting place was a manger. Your visitors traveled miles to bring you gifts, and
the ruler of the land wanted you dead.
#butGod had a plan for your life, much like His plan for our lives:
to bring others to Him through Salvation and belief in YOU.
Your life brought us HOPE of an eternal future with God.
Your life brought PEACE to our hearts amidst the toughest of times.
You bring JOY, HOPE and PEACE to our world because YOU ARE our JOY, HOPE and PEACE.
Happy Birthday, Jesus!
We love you with all our hearts.
May our celebration of your birth honor and give you the glory you so deserve.
~Amen~

In closing, I would like to share some Christmas fun with you; I hope you enjoy! XOXO

Things I am enjoying this Christmas Season:

• Jackson being here for Christmas
• Being able to stay home, just the three of us + the dogs
• Feeling the cool crisp winter weather
• Warmth of the fireplace
• Sound of Christmas music playing in the background
• Scent of Fraiser Fir in the air
• Taste of Chocolate Chai tea

Goodies I’m baking:

• White Chocolate Macadamia cookies
• Oatmeal Raisin cookies
• Brownie Brittle
• Peanut Brittle

Meals I’m Preparing:

• Meatloaf and mashed potatoes for dinner tonight
• Our favorite breakfast casserole for Christmas morning
• Smoked Ham, Potatoes, Salad and my Aunt Jeanie’s Cranberry dessert for Christmas dinner

Wishing you a very Merry Christmas, filled with the JOY, HOPE and PEACE of Jesus.