It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas

I am really working on extricating myself from all drivenness and performance. Made a conscious decion NOT to work this past weekend and the world remained on its axis. lol
I asked Mike to invite some of his friends to come over and help Ray decorate the house inside and out. Ray never had that as a child and LOVES it. His stamina has been waning and I really wanted him to participate without the pressure.
The deal was I would cook while they decorated.
We had a blast.
I think I am about through with fear of poverty. I always save my most exquisite ribbons for Mary Kay or presents. Instead I opened the door and said use whatever you want. Enjoy. Enjoy they did. I did not direct. I simply let them have at it. (a big step for me. lol)
They ate and had fun. The guys went for seconds, thirds, but there was no greed present today.
I really wanted to spend Thanksgiving with my family, but God showed me today that is exactly what I did. My church family is still family and God-orchestrated.
Mike told me before one family came that they have to find another place by the first. So I paid attention to conversations. There was no hint of impending crisis or lack. They just laughed and oohed and ahhhed. What a ministry session I had today. lol I saw what "casting all your cares on Him" really looks like.
At the close of the day the Christmas parade passed in front of the house. All of the Christmas lights were on to greet them. I cry at every Thomaston Parade. I am 66 so I remember the simple times before the gross commercialization of Christmas. We had decorated fire trucks, tractors and even horse-drawn carriage. A far cry from Macy's. Very low tech, but absolutely chocked full of love and smiles.
The squirrels have been busily collecting my pecans. They saved few for us. Usually when they are that fast and furious,it means we are in for a long cold winter. There is snow in North Georgia already. Maybe, just maybe we will have a white Christmas.



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Old-Fashioned Christmas

When I first moved here, I compared Thomaston to Mayberry. While it isn't that simple, it is a safe place with lots of good people.
The first hometown parade I saw here was the Fourth of July. It was like being transported back to the 50s with decorated cars and floats without all the pyrotechnics or other blaring electronic devices like a Macy's or even a college parade.
It is real people sharing neighbor to neighbor. I felt so safe that I stood there and cried with joy. They aren't the least bit concerned with being politically correct. They are just real.
We arrived home in time Saturday night to watch the Thomaston hometown parade. It is like a blast from the past and it passes right in front of our home.
First there were the screaming sirens from decorated fire trucks and police cars. These were followed up with tractors with Christmas lights on them. There was a particularly old one that seemed to huff and puff like chitty-chitty bang-bang. There was a gleaming John Deere as well.
All had lights and drivers and passengers shouting, "Merry Christmas!"
There was a horse drawn carriage with lights on its wheels creating a pinwheel effect as it traveled down the street.
We had begun our outdoor Christmas lights and they were the only ones on the block. So the kids would shout, "I like your lights!"
Soon I began shouting, "Merry Christmas!" back at them. It's contagious!
Yet I could not help but wonder how much longer we would have that privilege. In many places Merry Christmas has been replaced with Happy Holidays. Where is Christ in that? I am expressing my heart. Merry Christmas.