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When We Hide and What I Learned We couldn’t find him anywhere — my nephew, whom I see every day. Our precious blessing with an extra chromosome had wandered deep in the woods

If we strive for perfection, there’s no need for a savior, and we will never meet everyone’s expectations, including our own. I don’t want to make New Year’s resolutions by downloading a list of regrets at the end of December. His opening declaration is one I claim as my own: Being sensible that I am unable to do anything without God’s help, I do humbly entreat Him by His grace to enable me to keep these resolutions, so far as they are agreeable to His will, for Christ’s sake. Come on, it’s New Year’s Rebel-utions time.

One minute, I was doing the wash, thinking of the babies we’d have, imagining making our home with Joseph’s carpenter’s shop around back and the excitement in our children’s eyes the first time they’d see the Temple, when suddenly, the brightest light shone from the middle of my room. I’ve been called horrible names I don’t understand, and when I asked my momma what the words meant, she wouldn’t even look me in the eyes. Please, don’t tell Joseph that, but I was so scared he wouldn’t know what to do if we had complications. As I’ve told this story to our kids, I’ve continued to “walk” with Mary onto and through the crucifixion, and I’ve been reminded, “Are we pointing the Christmas story back to the cross?

We remember that it’s the little things that are ALWAYS the big things like family karaoke to the 12 Days of Christmas, gathering around the table, sleeping under the Christmas tree lights, picnics on the family room floor. (okay, we never took one so that doesn’t count), it wasn’t all the decorations I spent money on, it was the experiences, the traditions, the music and laughter – the simple times we gathered together. It’s the little things that are the big things” since I started writing here ten years ago and the best part about it? With friends and family, neighbors and co-workers, time together doesn’t have to be all consuming, but simple gatherings make the season sweeter.