Santa at the Manger...Two Thumbs Up or Gag Me with a Candy Cane?

Sorry if you've got a Santa hanging out on your mantel with the shepherds and the Wise Guys, but I've always been in the Gag Me camp.

I know some people love incorporating Jolly Old Saint Nick into their beloved creche scenes, melding legend with the holy, but as for me, no no no.

Not to offend anyone, but just the sight of Kris Kringle kneeling in the straw gives me a bad case of chiggers. What's next? Might I suddenly forget the words to Silent Night and burst into a chorus of Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer?

But now that I've seen the video below, I can sorta (kinda) understand the idea.
It's Grammy nominated, Dove award winning singer/songwriter Kyle Matthews singing "Everything Santa Knows," a song that has me changing my tune on the Santa front. A friend of Kyle's made the video with his kids and it's really fun to watch. And careful, if you're the tiniest bit of a Santa scrooge like me, it might even get you thinking!

I'm sure I'll still keep Santa a safe distance from the holy babe, but I get the intention. The guy in the red suit is an admirer, just like the rest of us. And I have to say, a bit of a copycat.
(Just kidding, Santa. Love you!)
Enjoy, friends!


Merry Christmas!
Love, Becky

Photo by Jamiesrabbits, creative commons

Trust Falling into Christmas

Have you ever done a trust fall?
You know, folded your hands across your chest, closed your eyes, and let yourself fall stiff as a board backwards into a group of people, trusting they will catch you?
Given all that touchy-feely stuff I had to do back in RA training in my college days, you'd think I would have experienced more than a few trust falls, but I've never done one.
I think I'll start today.

I'm trust falling into Christmas. Care to join me?

Let's take a deep breath and close our eyes and trust.

Trust that our homes don't have to look like the ones in the magazines.

Trust that we don't have to find the perfect gifts for everyone on our lists, presents that capture who they are and what they enjoy most in life. Trust that gifts are really just not that important.

Trust that we can let go of all the busyness if we just need a little quiet.
A little heavenly peace.

Trust that our blogging friends will understand if after almost three years of blog posts we suddenly disappear for a while. If we stop visiting and unplug for a bit. (Yes, that's me, y'all. And I miss you. Life just got a little hectic and I needed to step away from the computer for a while. I'm fine, thank you, and so enjoying the refreshment of a little break.)

Trust that Christmas is meant for each of us, no matter the degree of peace or chaos in our lives.

Trust that God meant to send us a message by birthing Christ into a dirty stable, not a pristine hospital room. That Christ's first breaths of air were taken in the company of parents who held him close, full of fear and wonder, lost as to what the future might bring.

I'm so thankful for a God who loves us that much.
I'm trusting that this year's celebration of The Greatest Love of All will bless you and carry you happily into the new year.

Much love,
Becky

Photo by Dale Chumbley, creative commons