I suppose many of you have mile-long lists of things to do before the holiday! I've begun my 'to-do list' also but it's not too long. Life is fairly simple for me and I try NOT to complicate it!

I'm a bit Bah! Hum-Bug about Christmas, actually. You can read on "Walking God's Way" my feelings about the celebration of Christmas. In a nutshell, I'm not in agreement with the manner in which the Christian community has come to pass off Christmas as a 'holy day' or a God-ordained celebration. I've delved into the roots of the holiday and now take the position that Christmas is not a Biblical holy day and no where in scripture are Christians instructed to set aside December 25th to honor the Lord and worship Him. I view Christmas pretty much as a pagan holiday, complete with all the pagan rituals and practices, but now twisted, shaped and 'packaged' in a way that appears acceptable and palatable for Christian participation. BAH! (just my opinion)

In spite of all the negatives of Christmas, I must say, I DO enjoy the spirit of the holiday season, though. I appreciate the attitude of benevolence that is in the air, the special acts of kindness that people perform and the many occasions of fellowship and love that are shared during this season. I fully intend to embrace the season with a visit to PA, to visit family and loved ones. I will share my love in the form of special gifts and acts of kindness as well. I like the warmth of white lights and fireplaces, the smell of pumpkin pie and gingerbread cookies and so much more! I like snow falls here in New England, vacation days from work, holiday carols and PEACE ON EARTH. I actually began enjoying the 'season' before Thanksgiving and will continue through the winter. In all of these enjoyable activities, I continue to keep Christ central and honor Him each day.

As for the birth of Jesus? I celebrate the birth of the Christ in my life EVERY DAY. I proclaim His Name, share His Love, spread His Hope and so much more; this is the manner in which I chose to celebrate His birth.

All that said, allow me to post a photo of an activity that was enjoyed by my charges on Friday. The oldest daughter hosted a "Little Ladies Lunch" for 7 of her friends and part of that fun was decorating Gingerbread Houses! In advance, I made 12 Gingerbread Houses from graham crackers and icing and then provided gobs of candies, cereal and goodies as decorations! The 8 little girls had loads of sticky fun and the two younger children got to make their own Gingerbread Houses later in the day! This was a very simple activity that anyone could adapt depending on age. If you'd like instructions, just drop me a note!

Enjoy the season!