Love the week after Christmas. Now it’s time to:

• Take naps.
• Enjoy the colorful lights and decor surrounding you.
• Admire the glossy pictures in Christmas themed magazines.
• Sip gourmet hot chocolate or special gift teas that were given at Christmas.
• Watch more Christmas dvd’s. (my husband has given me a deadline of New Year’s for this…)
• Take a walk in the country and breathe in the brisk winter air.
• Light scented candles in the evening and read a good book.
• Bake those cookies you didn’t have time to bake before.
  
• And when your energy is renewed…catch some of the after-holiday sales: such fun!
• Give thanks for all the numerous blessings God has bestowed upon you.
  

I pray you enjoy the quiet after all the busyness, continuing the Christmas celebration, peacefully and prayerfully.

We had great suggestions in the previous post on last minute gifts. Keep them coming! Winner of the dvd will be announced in a few days, stay tuned.  (Note: Today’s photo is from Inn Victoria at Chester, Vermont – our favorite Vermont Inn)

If you’re still running around trying to find the perfect gift, here’s a few suggestions that I’ve found to be helpful:

• Car Wash coupon booklet –  I don’t know about you, but we never seem to take good care of our cars and keep up on the car washing deal. Having a convenient booklet of coupons makes it so much easier.
• Personalized address labels – Yes, it’s too late to order labels. But you can buy special holiday/winter return address labels at your local Office Max or Staples store. It’s easy to set up the matching template and run them off. I’ve found this to be an ideal gift for two friends who have recently moved to a new address.
• Warm gloves or mittens – Okay, I admit I tend to lose gloves very easily. Surely I’m not the only one with this problem.
  
• An Entertainment coupon book – Especially for your family and friends who love a good deal and are a “saving” kind of people.
• Gift certificates to their favorite restaurant – I visit a local tearoom a lot and often receive gift cards to it – love it!

If you want to avoid the malls, sometimes you may find gifts at your local grocery store: favorite teas or coffee, food items or lovely Christmas flower arrangements. 

Announcing the winner of “Christmas Gifts” book: Emily Reynolds!  Please send me your address and I’ll get this book out to you. 

Next week’s Christmas giveaway: the dvd “Christmas Comes Home to Canaan.” To enter, please leave a comment here with a last minute gift suggestion. But hurry, we’re running out of time!

I offer this post today to those of you who have lost loved ones or those facing difficulties at this “most wonderful time of the year.”  My mother died in December several years ago, so the holidays are always bittersweet. Yet through the passage of time, God has restored my joy and my peace. Christmas is still a beautiful season to celebrate the birth of our Savior.    I marvel whenever I hear an old Christmas carol playing in the middle of a mall. There is no other time of the year you will hear a Hallelujah chorus praising God in the midst of your shopping. Truly it is a season of light, hope, joy and peace. 

• Dwell on the good memories, not the hard times.
• Keep your focus on Jesus, the only One who can comfort your heart.
• Embrace the season.
• And most important – cherish your friends and family that are still with you. 

I pray God’s perfect peace will surround you, and that you feel the brush of angel’s wings as you slip softly through this lovely time of year.  

If you would like to add a suggestion or leave a comment, I will be giving away one copy of “Christmas Gifts,” by Gail Gaymer Martin and Brenda Minton. Winner will be announced next week only on the blog so do check back to see if you have won!