Sheng Dan Jia Kuaile! (or Merry Christmas!)

Honestly, I have no idea how this happens. I could have sworn I just posted last week, but alas, it's happened again. Two weeks has past with no blogging. Whaddya do.

We had a fantastic and exhausting Christmas, but I guess that tends to be part of it, doesn't it? I realized that living here entails Mom isn't around to adorably wrap gobs of presents, decorate the house to perfection, or make a scrumptious Christmas breakfast magically appear. To all of you women who do this year after year, I applaud you. I'm looking into hiring a live-in elf for next year.

We had a great time hosting a large Christmas party the weekend before Christmas, and I think our head count topped out around 36. It was wild, crazy, and simply precious in every way . . . thank goodness we had a group of college students visiting to help! I can only imagine cleaning up the popcorn-garland/snowflake cutting/cookie decorating stations without them - Lord have mercy!!

Here's a pic of our sweet little Christmas tree, just ignore the strand in the middle that went out!

 

My favorite Santa helping make Christmas cookies for friends (thanks for the new pj's mom!)

With some dear friends opening presents after Christmas breakfast:

With our co-workers Tim, Molly and peanut (not pictured, he/she still has about 5 more months until he/she is ready for his/her closeup!) after dinner on Christmas night.

Do you think the Bentley's have the photo head tilt down or what? SHEESH!

All in all it was a great Christmas. We were able to Skype with our families, and participate via interweb in Christmas merriment. We of course missed them and being with our friends, but I feel like this quote best captures my feelings:

"When you have everything, you can see Christ in everything. When you have nothing, you realize Christ is everything."

Without question, we could hardly count ourselves in the "having nothing" category; quite the opposite really. But in the absence of some dearly loved faces and places, we were able to more deeply celebrate He who is everything more sweetly than ever before.

Apologies & Advent

Well, what's there to say. Life happened, blogging didn't. You understand, right? Of course you do - it's December all over the world for goodness sake! December all too often = complete madness. In a different but refreshing way, this holiday season has been unlike any other.

While songs on the radio, lights on houses, and crowds in stores have been the cultural cues of Christmas for the majority of my life . . . those cues this year are noticeably absent. At first it was a bit odd, almost as if we were the only ones in on the secret that Christmas was coming.  But as December has sped on, I have found myself looking elsewhere for what tunes my heart to the coming of Christmas.

Since our Truett days, I have had a growing interest and appreciation not only for the liturgical calendar, but Advent in particular. This year I found myself scouring the internet for Advent wreath lighting liturgies, tales of the Jesse tree, books and devotion to guide me through the season. And in true Katie fashion I might have gone a bit overboard (3 online and 2 pdf devotionals is too many to daily follow perhaps?), but I can honestly say my heart has never more fully anticipated and marveled at His coming.

While listening to one of my many Advent podcasts, I heard the following quote which perfectly encapsulates all this season has come to mean to me: "If we say that the birth of Christ 2000 years ago changed everything, then it has to continue to change everything." I love this, because it makes Christmas about so much more than a singular event thousands of years ago, but turns our eyes to see how Christ's birth continues to change absolutely everything.

I think I have spent much of my adult life wanting to make sure that "special" happened each Christmas; that I had just the right music, went to a poignant Christmas performance or two, and that our family was beginning and continuing just the right traditions. I think my heart has been in the right place, but I was missing something. Christmas isn't a magical lamp to be rubbed in hopes that nostalgia and warm feelings coming pouring out, but rather a season in which we are to reflect on how Christ did and does change us.

It's amazing to know that the God of all of creation, born in a pushed away corner to unremarkable people, loved so deeply that he stooped down and became one of us, part of us. Innocent, vulnerable and yet entirely perfect . . . becoming like us so that he might fully know and love us. In his birth, he brought hope that the ages longed for, peace that was desperately needed, and love that is unparalleled.

This season as I have marveled at the God who defied all logic for the sake of love, I have rejoiced in knowing that He continues to bring the same gifts as that first Christmas into my life.

Hope - For all the dreams He has put in my heart.
Peace - In knowing that He is Lord of all in it all. 
Love - Rejoicing that I am called His own, intimately known and treasured. 
Joy - Marveling that the God who did is the God who does.  

My prayer is that this Advent season would find you not only rejoicing in the miracle of His birth, but in the miracles He continues to bring. He was, is and will be all that our souls long for. And that my friends, is reason for "a thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices!"