Celebrations and Memories to Come

This past Christmas holiday was one of the best I have experienced in a long time. We have been deployed the past few years during the holidays, but this one was full of family and friends. The holiday is over, but the experience of the peace, love and joy remains.

The taking down of the decorations is more of a job than the putting up the decorations! The anticipation is gone....but the memories remain. As I take each ornament down, I can tell you where we got each one or who gave it to us. My husband says this is a mystery to him how I remember these things, or why I would want to remember! Ha...that is a true man!

The tree gets packed away in it's box, unlike when I grew up and it was dragged out of the house to be burned out on the farm in a bonfire. Memories of my family going into our woods to chop down and old cedar tree, always way too big to go in our window, floods my mind.

The family that I grew up in, my Mother, Father and my older sister, have all moved on to their new home in Heaven. I know they don't miss me, but I sure miss them during the holidays. Daddy always made his popcorn balls and Mother made her fruitcakes. My sister tried her best to keep me out of her new make-up and her new clothes!! Sweet memories!

Now, our children and grandchildren are making new memories. This year they rotated coming to our home, much like a revolving door. Our home was full of laughter, food and family. Games were played and a huge jigsaw puzzle was put together. Even though our children did not grow up in the house we now live in, one son stated it nicely, "We always love coming here, it's home." Needless to say, that pleased us, to know our children like to come and visit!

Let's think about the place where my family is....Heaven. As I thought about this holiday season and how good it has been. I thought about the memories, old ones and new ones being made.....and heaven. What I have experienced this Christmas is very similar to what I expect Heaven to be like.....laughter, family, friends....and most of all the Presence of Jesus won't be a baby figurine in a manger.

Every time a child of ours came into our home, there was celebration, shouts of joy and precious hugs! It will be the same in Heaven! We each will probably say what our son said, "We always love coming here, it's home." Yes, we will finally be home....and we will never have to leave to go back to school or jobs. The celebration will last through eternity, all because baby Jesus came to our home and into our hearts first!

It is bittersweet to pack away the memories from years past. But Jesus promises us a future in Jeremiah 29:11 and we also know He promises us a home that He has prepared for us! John 14:3 "And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am."

Let us move forward with hope and anticipation! 

Have you made the decision to invite Jesus into your home and heart? You may contact me at http://on.fb.me/1tyhUGB

God Bless,
gs