The gifts just keep coming.

My Christmas decoration day came a little later this year.  So many planets have to be aligned for this to be successful. It starts with a feeling of inclination towards "Decking the Halls," followed by the availability of willing participants in the "bringing every box labeled 'Christmas' from the basement" activity.  I find the textiles box which includes runners, stockings and fabric used for puddling, draping and tree skirting. At some point I run into the "Breakables" box.  It is identified by thousands of styrofoam bubbles hiding Wal-mart bag wrapped Nativity pieces, some from the pretty white set, with 2 wise men, one shepherd, but no animals, some from the badly painted colored set with no wise men but 1 donkey, Father Christmas, and other random "look, but don't touch" items.

 It pleases me to greet these old friends named Christmas decorations.  I have ornaments from my childhood, from my children's childhood and from my recent "I want a color-coordinated tree because I'm old, so I'm buying cheap red ornaments with no sentimental only superficial value-hood" I love them all. All of the boxes and bins can be trusted except one...the light box.  It's the box that says, "Look at all the lights we have. Aren't you glad you bought lights last year so you'd be prepared? Oh, sorry they don't work." I know that lights are not immortal, but I really needed them to be there for me this year. This is not the year I wanted to reinvest in the vital twinkling and magical aspect of the tannenbaum. I took each strand of hope to the outlet for testing, plugged it in, closed one eye to dampen the disappointment, and ta-da! It worked!  The next lights....worked! All of the lights in the bin worked! That was a Christmas miracle, a small one, but I saw it.

Another gift I received came in the form of our last seminary class of the semester.  A few weeks ago we studied the principle of developing and using our gifts for doing good and testifying of the Savior Jesus Christ.  Someone suggested, and I agreed, that we should have a "gift sharing day" kind of like a talent show, but deeper, purer, a gift given in honor of Christ's birth.  We set the date.  Each student could either 1. demonstrate a gift. 2. Plan, execute and describe a service or 3. Bear testimony of the influence of Jesus Christ in their life.  Most students committed to participation and preparation. When I reminded them on the Monday before the appointed Friday, they were, of course, surprised that the day was coming so soon.  They're 9th graders after all.  On Thursday night it occurred to me, "I need to have a lesson prepared. This gift giving activity could be over in 7 minutes." But bless their little hearts. In they walked with flute, violin, ukulele, guitar, and readiness.  Something you need to know about me. I have exquisite fondness for a Christmas program.  It's all I ask for from my children for Christmas. It fills my heart every time, and there I was on a Friday morning at 7:10 with my heart filled with love for these good teenagers.  They all started with apologies and ended with power.  Someone wrote a song, another wrote a monologue of Mary's observation of our modern Christmas celebration. There was service, singing, and just a lot of goodness.  I'm blessed to know these excellent people.

Have I mentioned that my cousin lives 15 minutes away from me?  She's even in my own stake. (church region similar to a diocese) I love having her in my world. A couple of weeks ago she took me to lunch at "The Fork in the Road." It's where a person would go to eat southern...squash casserole, fried chicken, jalapeno chicken chowder, homemade current jam on cornbread or biscuit, hummingbird cake. It's also where a person would go to visit with their cousin about kitchen remodeling, children, dogs, the good stuff. This was definitely a gift, but the real gift came on Friday night. I'm singing in a choir that was performing at the Peach Tree City Church Nativity Festival.  It was minutes before showtime and the director asked me to make some copies. All was well until I ran out of paper.  There was none to be seen. This wasn't my usual church building so I was feeling the panic.  As I went into the hall looking for help, guess who walked in... my cousin. She's a girl who can get things done. In not very much time Kim had contacted the wife of the man who was the holder of the paper (it helps to know people) and I was in copy business again.  I called out a thanks and wisked away, but I thought for a long time about how the help was there when I needed it and it was in the form of a cute cousin with skills.

Some elves came to our house on Saturday. Well, not really our house, more like the neighbor's. Our neighbors had hired them to power wash their sidewalk. Their truck and trailer were parked 10-15 ft. in front of our driveway. My husband assured them that it was no problem. When they had finished and gone my daughter told me, "They blew off our lawn."  "What?" "The sidewalk people blew the leaves and pine needles off of our lawn.  I asked them what we owed them and they said, 'Merry Christmas." It does feel like a Merry Christmas.

One of the sweetest gifts I'm given every morning started when school started. There is a darling little bus-waiter who enthusiastically waves as if we are best friends, and well she should because she has become one of my best friends. As the mornings got colder and darker and I varied my departure time and route to avoid traffic delay I forgot about the moment that was the highlight of many days.  Then I started driving by her bus stop again at 6:54 am,  There stands this little darling with her coat and mittens and bundled up sweet face peering into the darkness, and as I drive by she waves a shivery albeit friendly wave and makes my day. Someday I need to tell her how much she cheers me up. In the meantime I'll just pray for Heaven's choicest blessings on these good gift givers.