holiday bustle.

i can't believe it is october. and i really can't believe we are almost halfway through the month. where did the time go? and WHAT IN THE WORLD have i been doing??


i'll readily admit that i'm the type that likes to dream-up big plans for the holidays. maybe i watched too much of Tiny Tim's family as a child--all huddled around a humble Christmas table, their family unity prevailing over the excessively commercialized holiday season. and in the midst of all my dreaming, i seem to have lost track of time. because wow, i checked the calendar this morning while i was writing in patient's charts and would you believe that it is the MIDDLE of october?


i have christmas gifts to make. and things to organize. and presents to buy. and things to wrap (well, actually, jon does the wrapping because my present-wrapping skills resemble that of a preschooler). and cookies to bake. and recipes to try. and...and...and...


isn't it amazing that already i'm getting overwhelmed by the amount of "work" (which i really thrive in) that the holiday season involuntarily brings? and yet, i'm finding that as time goes on, my heart longs for a holiday that is more raw...more native...more Christ-centered.


i heard about this book last year. and i still need to order it. because, quite frankly, it may be a nice reminder of what the true Thanksgiving holiday is about. the lavish spread we feast on each year hasn't always been the tradition. and i think this book will be just the reminder we need about humility, a hearts true thankfulness, and the overflowing storehouse of gifts God has poured out on this country.

and then just today i found this new thanksgiving tradition. and although jon & i don't have children yet (give us a few years, mom), i think the year-round reminders to be thankful may elevate our awareness of just how blessed we really are.

so i'm going to try my best to approach this holiday season with a calm, and ever-so-grateful heart. with the love of family & friends, an incredible relationship with my husband, and the immense magnitude of God's grace & forgiveness in my life...there is still a bounty left to be thankful for.

i think i'll start tonight :)