Christmas, off-center

Christmas seems to be a little off this year. Maybe it's because I've been so busy up until this week, maybe it's because it stayed warm here in Chicago until the very beginning of December. Maybe it's because Christmas is on a Tuesday, and no one can quite wrap their heads around the fact that it's only a week away from today. Maybe it's because my family is celebrating early and Scott's family is celebrating late, so we'll be doing a whole lot of nothing for the actual holiday, with the exception of maybe seeing a movie or hanging out with some friends also stuck in town.

I am a Type A personality, so my gift-giving escapades are usually far down pat by today. I usually have many lovely presents wrapped and sitting under the Christmas tree, and have played my Point of Grace Christmas CD (don't laugh, it's really my favorite) to the point of exhaustion. By the middle of November, I'm usually done and ready for the holidays. This year, things are a little different. No tree, only a couple of little decorations around the house. No Point of Grace CD, I've been too busy to go looking for it after the big move this year. And I not only have not wrapped any of my presents, I have not finished purchasing all of my presents! This is craziness to me. My nephew, arguably one of the most important people in my world, is without a Christmas gift as of today. Don't tell my sister! He'll have it by this weekend, of that I'm sure. :)

If not for the snow that God thoughtfully provides and therefore I have no responsibility for, it would not feel like Christmas at all this year. I find myself glad that Christmas is not about gifts, or readiness, or how many decorations I have around the tree. It's about God and about God's gift of Jesus Christ, and His timing is always perfect, even if mine is a little bit off.

Merry Christmas, all, if I don't get on this blog again before then...and a Happy New Year 2008! (This shall forever be marked as the year of my graduation in my mind!!)