Feeling some better today. The sun this morning was like light at the end of a tunnel. How we need sunshine! I finished wrapping the grand-girls gifts and Fred helped me carry them up to the living room. Christmas will be worth all this effort when we watch these little ones open their gifts and carry on with excitement at what's under the wrapping paper. This year I will ask the girls if they would like to read the Christmas story and sing carols before opening gifts. I type it out and they take turns reading. Perri & Erica are old enough to take part this year. Their reading skills amaze me.

I also want to talk with them about doing something a little different next Christmas. There are children in this world who have so little and our girls are old enough to understand the principle of sharing what we have with those in need. I hope they'll agree to our supplying a need for a child or children next year. World Visions offers excellent opportunities this time of year and I want the girls to know about them. We'll still buy for our girls of course, that's part of the joy of Christmas, but they need to learn about little girls who have so little and they need to learn the joy of giving to help them.

Christmas has become a money-making season and I am so tired of all the commercialism. WE are the ones to change that, but are we willing to? Sadly many feel they can't. We want to live up to the expectations we think others have of us, rather than look into God's face and see what He says about it all.

I truly believe He means for us to live joyfully simple, peaceful lives. That definition will be different for each one of us and we need to honor and respect the choices others make as they celebrate this special season. For me and Fred, we'll spend Christmas day, Lord willing, having dinner at home with our sons and their families. The girls will play games and read the Christmas story and sing a couple of carols; gifts will be opened and the girls will run to their Moms & Dads saying "Look what Gramma & Papa got me!" Pictures will be taken and desserts eaten as if there's no tomorrow, and as the day winds down we'll be thankful for one more Christmas in this house with our children and their children. May our grand-girls remember having a God-honoring experience in their Christmases at Gramma & Papa Moore's home.