Blessing #1 - GREETINGS

Many people are ready for Christmas to be gone and the decorations packed away by sundown on the 25th. I'm not one of them!

In our family, we actually do most of our "celebrating" the week after Christmas because that is when our out-of-town children and grandchildren come to visit. I'm a true dyed in the wool Christmas junkie and I'm never ready to say "good-bye" to Christmas. Most years I leave my trees up well into the New Year.

I began to think about the Twelve Days of Christmas this morning and noticed a wonderful little book two sisters in my SS class gave me this year and it sparked an idea. The book is called "The Twelve BLESSINGS of Christmas." I thought it might be fun to experience the Twelve Days of Christmas by reflecting each day on a blessing the season brought into our lives.

Blessing # 1 - GREETINGS

Don't you just love getting Christmas cards in the mail? It's such fun to hear from friends old and new, those close by and those far away. I especially love the photo cards and seeing how much children have grown and families have changed from one year to the next.

The American history of the greeting card goes back to 1875. A German immigrant in Boston, Louis Prang, produced the first line of printed Christmas cards for the public to buy. They were an immediate hit!

I love to shop for Christmas cards but must confess to MANY years of purchasing cards that never made it into the mail. You do recall, don't you, that procrastination is my middle name?? Once again this year, sending cards never got checked off my "to do" list - maybe I'd do better to buy New Year's cards . . . nope - probably not!

But here's what I did with the Christmas cards I received this year - and I think it might become a new "tradition" for me because I really found it very special. Each day when the cards came, instead of putting them in my Christmas card basket like I usually do, I put them with my prayer notebook. The next morning I prayed for the person who had sent the card. What joy to thank my heavenly Father for the friendships, family members and relationships He has blessed me with!

"I thank my God every time I remember you." Philippians 1:3