and a time for...

I had a moment to share. I was going to pop in and just share a snippet of what I've done differently this year with my wrapping, and I'm still going to share. But before I began to type, I checked in on two other blogs. This one and this one. Sobering. And fitting.

For there is a time for everything.

A time for bawling over loneliness and a time for laughing at the days to come. A time for weeping and praying for those in tragedy and a time for making a mess in the den with your kids.

"Silver Bells" was playing on the radio today. Christian was singing along, "silver bells, silver bells... soon it will be 'Jesus' birthday'." Oh, sweet grace. It has sunk into my children's hearts that this is one giant birthday celebration. This is a time for the most precious party for the most precious miracle.

So now, the time for the light-hearted bit. I choose my wrapping paper fairly carefully each year, to at least have some sort of color theme. But, as for the bows... oh the bows, they've been lacking. So when I saw these in a magazine, I new just what I was going to do! And so I now have finished adding these crazy fun poms to the gifts and I love them.

Some are nice and tight like the ones in the picture, and some look like Fraggle Rock hair, and I love those too.

And that is Christmas.

No, really.

It is the silly silly light-hearted decorate a cookie with your kid meets hearts breaking over a Mommy or Daddy gone forever, and in the midst....

peace. Jesus.