🎄'Thoughts of Christmas' 🎄

❤️🎄 CHRISTMAS... 🎄 💚...is a "magical" time‼️(LUKE CH. 2) 🎇 Most people enjoy this magical season.  I've always enjoyed it, however, I must admit that, sadly, my, awareness and enjoyment, and, celebratory expression, of it, has weakened - gradually - the last ten years, or so. 😢 It really saddens me that, I have LET this happen! 😔  However, my appreciation for the real meaning of Christmas has increased, deepened, and, matured, etc.! 💚 📖🕊🎄❤️ The younger ME (up to the age of 21 - the age I was - whenever - my mamaw Hill - died from Cancer), assumed that, our family Christmas, celebrations and traditions, would remain the same - as they had always been - for the past twenty one Christmases - for the rest of my life, which, was very naive of me to assume! 😞 Because, from that Christmas on, even through this Christmas "2018" (this coming week), our Christmas activities have continued to change - many times - over and over again - as have - many other things in my life! 😳 Sometimes, I wish that, our Christmases could have remained the same, because, if, they would have, ALL of my loved ones, who have, moved and/or passed, away, would still be here with us!  But, that would also mean that, ALL of  the ones who have been born after they left - would not be (a "double edged sword")!  Therefore, I suppose that, it is best for me to - accept the changes, and, simply - TRUST GOD'S plan! 😔📖🙏🏼 / 🚗🛣 We have a new highway/bypass...the 'Southern Ohio Veterans Memorial Highway,' aka, '#823,' in our county, which, just opened up this past week, and, I love it - for many reasons! 😃 A couple of those reasons, are:  quicker and easier travel (my - one way - trip to church - is around fifteen minutes quicker - by using it), and, it, exhibits and highlights, our gorgeous, southern Ohio, HILLS, and, overall beautiful topography (my maiden name is Hill - Ha! 🤣)!! 💞⛰⛰⛪️ / 💞💲📓🖤 In my observation, I understand that, there are three mortal certainties in this life, of which I am aware, and, they are:  things perpetually CHANGE (Christmases, etc.), taxes, and death! 😏 So, as I was driving to church, on our new bypass/highway, which has many bridges, this past Sunday evening, I was thinking about this subject of, how our Christmases have changed, and, other "FACTS of life," and, how powerless I am - in my ability to stop most of them! 😢 I was also pondering over some of life's quandaries, situations, and circumstances, in general, and, how that - oftentimes - things don't make sense to our mortal, finite, etc., minds. 🤔 And, as I looked over the bridges, it hit me that, I was "SEEING" my "HOME" (county) overall, differently, than I had for fifty four years!  It certainly looked different from that view, than, it had from ground level, or even, from airplane level!  There were many more, and, bigger, hills, than I realized, and, they are much more majestic than I had ever observed!  I was viewing my "home" in a brand new way!  The small villages looked prettier, too - almost like - little, ceramic Christmas villages - set upon the hills - as decorations - for my viewing pleasure! 😂 Maybe God enjoys them as decorations, also?! 🤔 Maybe!?!? 🌎 HIS view, perspective, perception, ETC. is SO much bigger, better, and clearer, ETC., than ours (the earth dwellers), concerning EVERYTHING!! 🌏 One day, it shall ALL be clarified for me, whenever, I get 'HOME,' and, I "SEE" EVERYTHING - the same way that HE (The Omniscient One) does!! PTL!! (1 Corinthians 13:12+13) 👁🙌🏼✝️ I LET GO of the "proverbial rope," to which, so many people still claim to be hanging, a while ago! 🤝 And now, HE continues to have me in "the palm of HIS" trustworthy, capable, omnipotent, etc., "hand" of GRACE, as HE always has (I just didn't KNOW that HE did - without my "hanging on," also, anyway)! 👊🏼✝️💜 ALL of HIS children's names, which, includes mine, are written on HIS glorious hands!! (Isaiah 49:16) 📖👋🏼💜 🎶 The country song that, Tracy Lawrence sings, entitled, 'Time Marches On,' just came to my mind!  It says, "one thing's certain...everything changes"..., and, "TIME marches on"..., and,..."the only thing that stays the same, is, EVERYTHING CHANGES!" ...ALL of these lines are absolutely TRUE, which is, good and bad, I guess!? 😏...for example:  GOOD:  I have grandchildren, ETC., (including - my - mother and sister - both of whom - have dealt with life threatening health issues - the past few years), with whom, to spend this Christmas! 🎄👫...BAD:  I don't have my grandparents, nor my father, ETC., with whom, to spend this Christmas! 👨🏻👵🏼 LIFE TIP (to me - as well as - you):  ACCEPT what presently IS, let God help you - do HIS will (this very moment), and, enjoy life (this very moment)! 🙏🏼✝️💞 After all, you and I, really - only HAVE (guaranteed) - this very moment, so, why not choose to LIVE it, and, ENJOY it - to the FULLEST?! 😘😃🎈🎉 As Sonia Ricotti's quote says, "ACCEPT what IS...LET GO of what WAS...and have FAITH in what WILL BE!" (thank you, Sonia, and, 'Pinterest')! 💖 It comforts me to know (based on God's Word) that, ALL Believers - shall be together again - in Heaven - someday - SOON! 🙏🏼 And, I am looking forward to thoroughly enjoying - the BEST CHRISTMAS (we'll be in the presence of CHRISTmas) celebration of all time!! 🙌🏼 MERRY CHRISTMAS, everyone!!! 🎄✝️🎄I'm gonna go - get another cup of coffee, listen to Christmas music - by - Kenny G, 🎶 gaze at the Christmas tree lights, and, enjoy the magical "Christmasy" moment of the "here and now," with the real Christmas (CHRIST) in my heart (the new "one," in which, HE'S given me)!...🎄✝️🙏🏼💚❤️...until next post...👋🏼...