As Christmas Winds Down...

We have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Romans 5:1

Our Father, Thou Who sittest upon a throne high and lifted up, Whose glory fills the Heavens, make us conscious this morning that Thou art not far from any one of us, Thy children. Thou hast revealed Thy nearness to us in Jesus Christ our Lord. Help us to see that our selfishness is the only thing that can separate us from Thee. Take out of our hearts every selfish impulse, and fill them with a holy love for Thee. Then we know that there shall be fulfilled for us the promise of Jesus, that Thou, our Father, and He, our Brother, shall come in and dwell with us this day. Speak to us by Thy still, small voice.

Christmas Day has come and gone. We have given and we have received the tokens of friendship and love. We cannot repeat these gifts every day, but we earnestly beseech Thee that the Christmas spirit may abide in our hearts and in the hearts of mankind everywhere. Take out of our hearts every trace of jealousy and hatred toward any of Thy children, and give us the attitude toward all mankind which was in Jesus Christ our Lord. Hasten the day when our ears shall hear the morning stars singing together and all the sons of men joining with the angelic choir in the anthem of the first Christmas morning, "Peace on earth among men of good will." Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 

  

(From God's Minute, prayer by Rev. Frank W. Padelford, Boston, Massachusetts) 

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"Christmas Day has come and gone" to be sure but, as Kris Kringle said in Miracle on 34th Street, "Christmas isn't just a day--it's a state of mind." It doesn't have to be over just because we flip a page on the desk calendar. 

I'm going to be enjoying my Christmas music and my candles and twinkle lights for a few more days, at least. Today I hope to listen to Handel's Messiah in its entirety* while I tidy up the house and experiment with my new #10 Oxford rug punch needle and write out a few thank-you notes. Gradually I'll resume "ordinary" life but only as I'm ready to bid a fond goodbye to this lovely season for another year. There's no rush.

It's been a privilege to have you as a reader and follower this past year. I want to thank you for allowing me a share a small place in your life. To my Etsy customers, another big thank you! It's been an adventure and a delight to work with and serve so many gracious and talented individuals. 

I'll be on vacation for some little time. I've projects I want to work on and lots of organizing to tackle, so I'll be blogging only infrequently for the next few weeks, and the shops will remained closed for the present. It's a time for drawing in, for a slower pace, and for dreaming and creating. 

I wish you all the best now and in the coming year.

(*If you'd like to listen to the Messiah, you can access it online at no cost through www.allclassical.org. Click on "Listen Now", then "Audio Archive", and then "PBO Messiah". This presentation will be available for about a week, I understand. Happy listening!)