This, friends, is the basis of all I hold dear. Because God sent His son into the world, we are able to enjoy all the good things in life. Without Him, this would be such a different world. Any goodness or kindness or joy that you find is a gift to you from God, himself. “EVERY GOOD AND PERFECT GIFT COMES FROM ABOVE…” James 1: 17. With the most wonderful gift of all being the gift of His son, Jesus.

I pray that your days of celebration are filled with all the good this life is full of. I pray your home is filled with warmth, and family, and friends. May you enjoy the bounty that He has richly blessed us with. May your table be filled with good things to eat. “O, TASTE AND SEE THAT THE LORD IS GOOD” Psalm 34: 8. I pray that you experience smiles and hugs and happiness. And, remember to return the same to others you come in contact with.

God Bless You and Yours!

Tonja

Wanted to share a few of my nativity pieces with you today. These have been collected over the years and are just a few of the ones I own.

This one of stone is made up of just these pieces. It is one of my favorite because it looks so primitive.

This one is very tiny. I bought it one year as a gift to myself. Each piece is made of solid pewter and the creche is made of a resin material.

This set I have had since before I was married. Mom and Pop bought it when they went on a trip to the Holy Land. It is made of olive wood and the carving is quite intricate.

This little piece was sent to my boys from some missionary friends of ours that lived in Guatemala.

I love this set of nativity boxes! Each one has such beautiful pictures of it. There are 7 of them, and they look lovely next to the tree!

This is, perhaps, the one that is dearest of all to me. This little set is very inexpensive and has been glued back together more times that I can remember. It has been gnawed on…by baby boys and a baby dog. Pieces of it have been carried around in pockets, in school bags, in the dog’s mouth. Pieces have been found under the covers of a boy’s bed, under the bed itself, in the bottom of a toy box, and even in the bathtub, draining with the rest of the toys that made the bath bearable.

It is the set that was bought for Son #1…and passed on to Son #2 and Son #3. It was the first thing to go under our tree every year, and that was its home base throughout the Season. It was set up, always, on an old block of wood. The pieces would not stand up otherwise. It was arranged and rearranged more times than I can even imagine.

It was a set that said, “Play with me. Touch me. Learn from me.” And, they did. They learned the wonderful story, and could tell it easily using the figures as props. They learned that this story was meant to be loved…explored…told and retold.

And, even when the time came that they were too big to play with the figures…they still looked to be sure it was there. Because, under the tree, full of wonderful surprises and gifts wrapped in bright paper and ribbons, was the depiction of the greatest story they would ever learn. The greatest story ever told. The greatest gift they could ever receive.

Fitting it is that this set is modest and simple. That’s the way the Savior came. Fitting that it should be carried into every area of a young boy’s world. For what it represented has become a part of the lives they live every day. Fitting that it has lasted through the years…as the coming of the Christ Child is what gives meaning to the lives we lead.

One year, the baby went missing for several days. I could not find it anywhere. Until I washed a load of blue jeans. When I removed the jeans from the washer to the dryer…there he was…as clean as I had ever seen him. I asked the boys about it, and one of them finally ‘fessed up. “I jes wanted to take Baby Jesus everywhere I go!” Now how do you do anything but say, “Carry Him, Sweetie, carry Him with you every where you go…every day of your life!”

And, here is the lovely Holy Family statue. I gave it to Mom many years go…she gave it back to me in the most special way. It reminds me that love never dies or goes away…it is just passed on from one to another. I think that is exactly what God had in mind when He sent Jesus so long ago. That love and hope and peace and joy that He sent then is just as fresh and relevant today. Because of that little baby, we have hope for an everlasting life. I wish for you this Christmas the peace that only He can give. I wish that you feel His love wrapping all around you. And, I wish you the joy that come from sharing that love with others. God Bless You and Yours!

Hi there, friends! It’s Rosy Reindeer, here. Just wanted to check in with you readers of Gatherings to let you know that we reindeer were getting ready for our big night! You know that I’m not one to brag…but aren’t my antlers to die for??? I’ve worked so hard to get them ‘just right’ for the big trip!

You can see how hard we’ve been working to get into shape! Long runs through the snow…

Lots of good grooming from the snow boys…sort of like personal trainers…

We’ve reviewed the tapes of last year’s journey…to see if there is anywhere we need to improve…

We’ve practiced our take off and landings…

And , even spent some time brushing up with Santa…

Now I’m sure, being the smart, ‘in-the-know’ women that you are, you are aware that the Santa uses only us ‘girls’ to pull his sleigh! It’s been that way since the beginning, of course, but there’s always some guy who thinks he should be the one leading the group. Sometimes, they will try to sneak in…tie their antlers on and fool the old man. But, Santa is no dummy…he catches them every time!Just look at that sad reindeer…shame on him!

Every one knows that:
According to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, while both male
and female reindeer grow antlers in the summer each year, male
reindeer drop their antlers at the beginning of winter, usually late
November to mid-December. Female reindeer retain their antlers till
after they give birth in the spring.

Therefore, according to EVERY historical rendition depicting Santa?

Today’s post is really random…just a few things I wanted to document. Inside and out, things that speak to me…

Many years ago, I purchased this quilted wall hanging. I love the primitive nature this has…

One of the many birds on my tree in the rear foyer. This whimsical bird has leaves for his tail…

When my boys were younger, high school age, one of them gave me this little ornament. Quite humorous when you consider I lived in a household with 4 of them! Were they trying to tell me something?…

Close up of a fallen croton leaf in my yard. Perfect Christmas colors, don’t you think?…

Love, love , love the colors of the few leaves left on my Japanese Maple trees…

A glittery snowman sits amidst some live evergreen branches on the table on the screened porch! He twinkles at night in the moonlight…

Late this afternoon, I got the nicest surprise. A friend from school, who knows well my affinity for the chocolate, called me and said she had left a surprise by my front door. I went to look, and there was a package…for me! I LOVE surprises! When I opened it, this is what I saw!
Isn’t it great? In case you can not read it…it says, “There’s nothing better than a good friend, except a good friend with chocolate!” This is a big cup…perfect for a nice cup of hot chocolate…with marshmallows! Thanks, DT, you made my day! And the friendship I feel for you is as true as my love of the chocolate!

Just one more to share. I love candles! And, I’ll admit I buy too many of them. I really like for my house to smell festive. I have spent much money on many differing brands that promise long lasting scents that will fill your house with the smell of whatever. But, they don’t. Maybe if you stand right over them…but not from another room. Here then is the candle I have found that will do just that. I can light it in the kitchen…I can smell it in the bedroom, in the bathrooms, all over the house…REALLY! And, it is available at W*l-M*rt! Yes, that is the place for these wonderful candles. This is the scent I chose for the Christmas Season…Cranberry Mandarin. It is light, but certainly there! They have several other scents as well. Their Mulled Spice is delightful, too! The candles come in all sizes from tea lights to the big round ones. Just thought you’d like to know.