The hustle and bustle of the holidays have come to a close with the exception of New Years Eve. Cec and I will stay home that night and enjoy a glass of sparkling grape juice--probably be in bed before midnight!!! The big bonus is that we get to keep our grandson for an overnight. What a way to bring in the new year.

Christmas was wonderful this year, particularly because of all the fun we had watching Dylan tear into his first ever Christmas gifts. Even at nine-months he was starting to catch on to the fact that beneath all that noisy paper was a special surprise.

The shopping, the baking, the wrapping, the decorating, the entertaining, and the worshiping--all of it's been recorded in my mental book of memories. And now that I've put away all the decorations, dragged the tree outside, vacuumed up the pine needles, dusted and scrubbed in order to put the house back in order, I have a bit of time to reflect and recharge. I love this time of year. But I also love the thought of moving ahead, seeing what's next. Time marches on, which to some can be a disturbing thought (we're not getting any younger), but I'm determined to stay positive and seize each moment.
God is good. I don't want to miss one single opportunity to spread His love and good cheer.

Be Blessed and Encouraged!


Sharlene MacLaren/ www.sharlenemaclaren.com