Greene Family Christmas 2013

My precious children, great presents, yummy food, and naughty cats. The best part of the day was spending time with my dad. I know he was missing my mom something terrible...we all were. But he made us laugh, and made the day extra special. We are abundantly blessed. Thank you Lord!

Christmas Eve 2013

Our new Christmas Wreath

I am in love with my new Christmas wreath. It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

My Christmas Wish

This year my Christmas wish is not about asking for more processions ...but more about ridding my heart of burdens. I wish to let go of the hurts of the past...and focus only on what and those who bring joy. I ask for Forgiveness from greed, selfishness, self-pity...a soul filled with Peace, Love and Compassion and... a heart filled with Faith, Charity and Understanding.
May the spirit of Christmas bring you Peace

The gladness of Christmas give you Hope

The warmth of Christmas grant you Love.

From my family to yours...we wish you
a Glorious Christmas
and a Prosperous New Year!!!!

Jingle Bell Ball

Last Saturday our youngest child, our baby girl, Shelby went on her first date. She and her very sweet beau Randall attended the Jingle Bell Ball. The JBB as we call it is hosted every December by our local high school. Much to her relief...her father was not sitting on the front porch cleaning a shot gun when her date arrived as he has always claimed he would. Since it is a fairly formal event and she only gave me 4 days notice...well, let me just say that it was a pretty busy week! Randall had no time to order a tuxedo, and Shelby had no time for hair and makeup appointments...but it all came together and they had a very nice time.

Blah Humbug

Has Christmas Really Changed...Or Is It Just Me?

I just cannot seem to get in the holiday spirit this year. Come to think of it...I have said the same thing for the last several years. I just feel so blah, so lost and so very sad. It annoys me that the stores begin putting up decorations and playing Christmas music before Halloween under the guise of “Holiday Spirit."...and before Thanksgiving even arrives...the madness begins.

I know how this sounds and truly...I do not hate Christmas....but I do not like how commercial this holiday has become at all. It breaks my heart to hear that it makes sad people feel even more sad, lonely people feel even more lonely, poor people feel even poorer and even the moderate-income folks are pressured to keep up.

It is pathetic how we suddenly remember poor people and homeless people for two weeks and then promptly forget about them again. I look all around and I see greed, commercialism, and hypocrisy all over the place. I cannot stand the profoundly tragic irony of increasing materialism in our children as part of the celebration of the birth of the Child for whom this very materialism was anathema to the will of God.

I confess... I do sometimes resent all the expectations and demands placed on me at Christmas. I’m not poor but I’m certainly not rich either, and I have bills to pay. There is an endless list of things I am expected to spend my money on - gifts for everyone, tips for all, food, Christmas Cards, It is financially irresponsible to buy gifts for everybody but if I don't... then I feel Cheap and guilty.

Christmas has become the antithesis of itself. It is supposed to be an attitude from the heart of sharing, reflection, and spending time with the ones you love. For those who believe in Christianity it is supposed to be a quiet remembrance of the Biblical Christmas story.

Instead, so many rush around going through the motions out of a sense of duty. They want to appear as though they have the Christmas spirit but instead are just mindlessly complying with all the demands and obligations that bombard us from every direction.

I love Christ, I love my husband, our children, our family and friends and I love spending time with them. But the fake “cheer” the hype, the buy buy buy mentality just makes me feel... BLAH humbug!

Mary's Dream
I had a dream, Joseph.
I don’t understand it, but I think it was about a birthday celebration for our son.
The people in my dream had been preparing for about six weeks.
They had decorated the house and bought new clothes.
They’d gone shopping many times and bought many elaborate gifts.
It was peculiar, though, because the presents weren’t for our son.
They wrapped them in beautiful paper and stacked them under a tree.
Yes, a tree, Joseph, right inside their homes! They’d decorated the tree with sparkling ornaments.
There was a figure like an angel on the top of the tree.
Everyone was laughing and happy.
They gave the gifts to each other, Joseph, not to our son.
I don’t think they even knew him.
They never mentioned his name.
I had the strangest feeling that, if our Jesus had gone to this celebration he would have been intruding.
How sad for someone not to be wanted at his own birthday party!
I’m glad it was only a dream. How terrible Joseph, if it had been real!’
~Author Unknown