Happy Birthday Jesus!

On the 25th Day of December my daughter gave to me...... ( my gifts to Jesus)

ME!  .........silly girl, wife, mommy, mother-in-love, daughter, sister, friend, sinner, lover of Jesus, child of God!

As we get ready to welcome family into our home and sit and open presents, I look at the wrapped gifts. Some are so pretty with perfect bows and glistening paper and some are fancy gift bags with tons of tissue paper billowing out the top and others are more simple and plain with a name written on the tag or the ones in a trash bag with a bow (because they're too big for a gift bag or paper or a man wrapped it...lol) In the end it doesn't really matter what the wrapping looks like, because the gift inside is what matters. Sometimes I feel like the fancy wrapped gift and other times I feel like the trash bag. But inside, my heart is what Jesus wants and loves.

Happy Birthday Baby Jesus....thank you for being so awesome and not being picky about my wrapping paper!

(manger in the barn next to the Inn of Pinterest)

Amazing stuff

On the 16th day of December my daughter gave to me....(my gifts to Jesus)

My wonder...... awestruck, can't believe my eyes, questioning the amazingness of it all

Have you ever seen something that just hits you hard in the awesome department? The thing that leaves you amazed at how wonderful it is?  Well I have. In fact I get amazed at so many things. Things that the normal Joe might not think is very amazing.  I'm amazed at the amount of stuff that creeps into my house and scatters itself everywhere while I sleep. Those clutter elves are pretty hard workers and do a really good job. I'm also amazed and how many pairs of socks get eaten by the washer/dryer. It is so hard to comprehend how amazing that is!  Ok, I jest ... I am actually amazed at how blessed I am for having a wonderful husband and awesome boys. I just don't understand how me, a silly girl with so many imperfections, is blessed with so many wonderful things. It really does blow my mind. But how about this.....  God looks down onto the earth He created and sees this silly girl and He sees you too... and He says I need to save them so they can come live with me someday.... what shall I do?   He decides to send His son, Jesus, (now mind you, God has one Son... one!) as a teeny tiny baby that grows up in our imperfect world. Who goes on to tell everyone of God's plan  and how much He loves us. Then he dies on a cross for a silly girl, and you too, just so we can be saved and go live with Him someday. Now that is amazing..... and that is what makes Christmas so special.. It's about the giving of the most amazing gift of all time.  It kind of makes that sweater or fruitcake gift seem so insignificant doesn't it?   I hope you are all filled with God's wonder today!!

(pretty decorations on the pinterest tree ... www.jenniferhayslip.com)