5 Days and Counting

The gifts are purchased and most are wrapped. Nearly all of the baking is complete and neighborhood gifts have been delivered. Our house is adorned with Christmas decorations (OK, except those that have not escaped ChanMan's touch). I'm feeling closer to being ready for Christmas and our biggest family traditions associated with Christmas Eve.

Though Russ has taken vacation this week, I foresee him sleeping more than being alert - until the kids come home from school. The past 2 weeks have been anything but smooth and seem to have left him restless. That is okay though. I have a few gifts to finish making and then it is on to delivering them to my Young Women on Wednesday. Russ and I also hope to make it to the temple Wednesday morning. We need the peace of the season to inflitrate our minds.

A phrase hit me strong at church today, "Christ died for us." While this is true, I've also thought about how Christmas celebrates Christ's birth. So while I agree that part of Jesus Christ's mission was to die and rise again, I feel it is more important (at least to me right now) to concentrate on his life and HOW he lived as well as the examples he set.

So this Christmas Season, I'm focusing on how I can better live my life for Christ, the way He lived for me.