From the Inside Out

2009 offered us a rare treat for Christmas…SNOW! The last time Dallas saw snow on Christmas was back in the ’20s! The flurries started yesterday afternoon, but since temps from the previous day were above 70, we didn’t expect any accumulation. However, the temperature kept falling, along with the snow, and by early evening, it began to stick on the rooftops and grass. It appeared that everyone’s wishes for a white Christmas might just come true.

Around 5 pm, we went to Forney to celebrate Christmas Eve with my husband’s family. The snow was still falling, but the roads were in good condition so we weren’t too worried about it. We ate dinner, read the Christmas story, exchanged presents, and had fun watching my nephew play with his new toys.

When we left their house is when things got really interesting. The roads seemed normal until we got on the highway and headed North. The overpasses were icy and very dangerous. The first icy one we traversed had a few wrecked cars on both sides of the highway. Cars were slipping around them as we slowly passed. Things just got worse as we continued. Finally, we decided to test our luck on the back streets to avoid the icy bridges and overpasses, especially the “high five” intersection. It was a slow and painstaking trip back home. What is normally a 45 minute drive turned into 2 hours — oh, the joys of a white Christmas (haha)!

The snow stuck around for Christmas day also. While the sun came out and melted most of it, some still remains tonight in the areas that were shaded from the sun — a white Christmas, indeed!

Today was the big Christmas celebration at my house. Gary and I got up early to exchange presents, then the entire family (my family and Gary’s) converged at my house for lunch and the big gift exchange. It’s always a fun experience, especially with the kids. We spent the afternoon playing with the new presents and enjoying the company.

Gary and I wrapped up the day with a little Sherlock Holmes at Studio Movie Grill. We learned our lesson last year when we tried to find a restaurant open for dinner. Apparently, there are few places open on Christmas night, so this evening we decided to have dinner with our movie. SMG rocks!

All in all, it was a fantastic Christmas experience. I hope you and your family had a great holiday also.

Happy birthday, Jesus!

I saw this on Twitter and just had to share it because it’s brilliant. Louis Gray depicts the Christmas Story, as told through Twitter. Those of you who are tweeters will love it! To see the original, visit louisgray.com.

JosephOfGalilee: AFK for a bit w/@MaryofNazareth. Headed to Bethlehem. #caesartax

JosephOfGalilee: @MaryofNazareth says no baby tonight. But can’t be long now.

MaryofNazareth: Off to Bethlehem! Hope we find a good inn. @JosephOfGalilee waited until last minute. #caesartax

MaryofNazareth: Bethlehem is a zoo. @JosephOfGalilee says @InnKeeper1 claimed “no room”. Uh-oh.

JosephOfGalilee: No room at the inn. @InnKeeper1 and @InnKeeper2 both. Kill me now. @MaryofNazareth not looking happy.

MaryofNazareth: RT: @JosephOfGalilee No room at the inn. @InnKeeper1 and @InnKeeper2 both. Kill me now. **Anyone???** #caesartax

JosephOfGalilee: @InnKeeper3 says ‘no room’, but to go to a stable. Like animals. @MaryofNazareth beside herself.

MaryofNazareth: Now at a stable. Surrounded by animals. Baby is coming. If not for baby, I wouldn’t even talk to @JosephOfGalilee right now.

JosephOfGalilee: Baby on its way!

JosephOfGalilee: Baby has arrived! @MaryofNazareth says its name is Jesus!

JosephOfGalilee: Jesus now wrapped in cloth, placed in manger. @MaryofNazareth very tired.

Sheepmaster: WHOA. Just got visit by an angel. Said baby was born in Bethlehem. Going to check this out with @ShepherdDude and @Flockof240.

Flockof240: RT: @Sheepmaster: WHOA. Just got visit by an angel. Said baby was born in Bethlehem. Going to check this out.

ShepherdDude: @Sheepmaster @Flock240 that was wild. And sheep slept right through it!!! LOL

WiseOne: Big star looks to have arrived. @WiseTwo and @WiseThree, the night we were waiting for is here! A new king! #bigstar

WiseThree: RT: @WiseOne: Big star looks to have arrived. The night we were waiting for! #bigstar

WiseTwo: On my way to meet up with @WiseOne and @WiseThree. Bringing myrrh. #bigstar

MaryofNazareth: Jesus has arrived! Tired.

MaryofNazareth: Shepherds coming to the stable? What now? @JosephOfGalilee going to see.

ShepherdDude: With @Flockof240 @Sheepmaster. On way to stable in Bethlehem after visit from an angel. Crazy!

Sheepmaster: Stable is in sight. Nervous.

JosephOfGalilee: Shepherds say they saw an angel and came to see baby Jesus. @Flockof240 seems nice.

WiseThree: Looking to meet new king. First will see @KingHerod with @WiseTwo and @WiseOne to see if star prophecy was right. #bigstar

WiseTwo: @WiseThree and @WiseOne are here. @WiseOne brought gold and @WiseThree has frankincense. Hope my myrrh is ok. #bigstar

WiseOne: Meeting with @KingHerod went okay. Doesn’t know of new king but asked us to report back. Back on the trail with @WiseTwo and @WiseThree. #bigstar

WiseTwo: Star in the East is bigger than I have ever seen. @WiseOne @WiseThree #bigstar

JosephOfGalilee: More visitors on their way. Three this time. @Flockof240 @ShepherdDude and @Sheepmaster with @MaryofNazareth and Jesus.

JosephOfGalilee: This night is nuts. #caesartax

WiseThree: Met @JosephOfGalilee and @MaryofNazareth. Gave gifts to the baby king at stable. Leaving now.

Flockof240: Just saw three magi and the child who would be king. Long night. Headed back to pasture.

JosephOfGalilee: The visitors said they were magi. Brought incredible gifts. @MaryofNazareth and I finally calling it a day. What a day.

MaryofNazareth: @JosephOfGalilee says we have to go. Can’t tell you more now. @FatherOfJoseph @MotherofMary

It’s a busy time of year. Some people are rushing to the malls buying last minute Christmas gifts, while others are preparing to travel. It doesn’t matter whether you are packing suitcases for a flight, making sure the kids won’t be bored on that long road trip, frantically wrapping presents, getting the house ready for company, or preparing the Christmas day feast, it’s chaos!

It recently struck me that Mary and Joseph may have experienced similar chaos in their lives before the birth of Jesus. They were forced to travel to Bethlehem so they could register for the census. It couldn’t have come at a worse time. Mary was pregnant, expecting her first child. The baby was due soon. It was no time to travel. Regardless, they had to embark on a week-long journey to another town. They must have been busy stocking up for the journey, rushing to buy things they needed for the trip, and packing — all while preparing for the birth of their son. It was chaos!

Upon arriving, they learned that all of the inns were full. Imagine being nine months pregnant and seeing only “no vacancy” signs posted at your destination city! I can’t imagine how concerned Mary and Joseph must have been when they were told the only place to take shelter was in a barn. There would be no bed, no privacy, and no comfort offered to them while in a dirty stable where animals were housed. I’m sure they were hoping the baby wouldn’t come while they were there. It couldn’t have been the experience Mary had dreamed about when imagining the miraculous birth of her first son. Modern women wouldn’t dream of having a child in those harsh conditions.

However, the baby had plans of his own. He had a prophecy to fulfill, and he wouldn’t wait for them to return to Nazareth. I can’t imagine how chaotic it must have been that night as Mary struggled to give birth far away from her home, in a strange place, in the middle of a barn. It had to be a scary experience for her and her husband, much different from what we see depicted in the peaceful, serene nativity scenes today. She had to question why: why now, why here, why like this?

It doesn’t seem to make sense, but in the middle of her chaos and confusion, something beautiful was born. In that moment when Jesus took his first breath, Mary must have felt that it was worth it all. From chaos came beauty and perfection.

During this Christmas season, you may be experiencing your own chaos. It may be uncomfortable. It may not be what you expected or what you’d desired, but take heart. Don’t be anxious; dont worry. God has His own plans, and maybe, just maybe He’s getting ready to deliver beauty in the midst of your chaos.

I love Christmas decorating as much as the average person, maybe even more. I have three Christmas trees and decorations in all of the main rooms in my house, but there’s a big difference between healthy, normal decorating and obsession. I saw a video tonight featuring a women who starts decorating her house in July. Yes, July! No, she’s not celebrating Christmas in July; she’s decorating for Christmas in December. Her entire house is overrun with decorations.

Is it too much Christmas? Check out the video below and decide for yourself.

One of the most difficult things about Christmas can be figuring out what to buy for the person who seems to have everything. Sometimes, it’s even difficult to come up with a list of gifts that you want others to purchase for you. Personally, I prefer cash because it can be used anytime, anywhere for whatever you want, but it’s not always the most creative gift option.

If you need help picking out a gift, I recommend Gifts.com. They provide customized gift suggestions for popular holidays and better yet, for age, gender, interests, or personalities of the recipient. You can even find ideas for stocking stuffers or secret Santa gifts. My favorite is the “Personality Profiler” which allows you to answer questions about the recipient to help identify their personality. Once the gift “personality” is determined, then you see a list of options matching that personality. I tested it last night, and it works pretty well. I found a few items that may get added to my Christmas wish list this year.

One of the other things I like about Gifts.com is that they don’t sell products directly, so they can provide unbiased gift recommendations and offer lots of variety. Their staff of “gift gurus” hand pick presents year round, and while they have some of the same standard faire options found on other gift websites, they also have some creative options like hot air balloon rides, customized nutrition bars, framed stock certificates from Fortune 500 companies, and more.

Visit Gifts.com to check it out and find some new gift ideas today!