Happy Christmas to All

My Christmas cards have been designed, created, and mailed.

The gifts I am giving to family and friends are wrapped. Those that needed to be mailed to far away places have been sent -- on time!

The house smells like Snickerdoodles and Oatmeal, Cranberry, Walnut cookies that have just come out of the oven. As soon as they are cool, they will be packaged into hand-decorated bags for delivery to my close neighbors this afternoon.

A special Black Forest Cake for my Good Neighbor will be in the oven in a few minutes, and will be cooled, decorated and ready to deliver before suppertime.

At church, all the brass and silver has been polished, the Christmas frontal and other special hangings have been placed. The area behind and around the altar has been decorated with white and red poinsettias, small rosemary trees and even a couple of small fir trees (sans bells and trinkets). The window sills are dressed with tiny pine wreaths and candles, and beautiful. large wreaths are hung on all the outside doors. The nativity scene is set up, ready to receive the baby Jesus during the Christmas Eve service. It's all beautiful.

I'm happy and content.

My wish for all of you is a Blessed and Happy Christmastide. I hope you have a wonderful day.

Please remember --

The Work of Christmas

When the song of the Angel is stilled,

When the Star in the sky is gone,

When the Kings and princes are home,

When the Shepherds are back with their flock,

The work of Christmas begins:

To Find the lost - To Heal the Broken - To Feed the hungry -

To Release the prisoner - To Rebuild the nations -

To bring Peace among brothers and sisters -

To make music in the Heart.

- Howard Thurman