Its beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas…

I love this time of year! I love all of the hoopla that goes along with Christmas! Think about it…other holidays get one day, but Christmas is a season. On black Friday when almost every other human being on earth was out trying to find a bargain, I was pulling Christmas decorations out of storage. As I was bringing 30 years worth of accumulated ornaments down to the living room I could not help but think about Christmas’ past…there was the Christmas of ’68 when an ice storm prevented my parents from making it down to “the house” (my grand mothers) to bring my Christmas gifts. I will never forget my grand mama making her way to Orange’s grocery to purchase something for Christmas morning, so that I would at least have a gift. I remember the biscuits and chocolate gravy…I remember making the trip to the coal pile for a bucket of coal for the furnace. Even though we were snowed in, I remember the Christmas magic! A tender Tennessee Christmas. Then, there was the Christmas of 1978. I was in love and I remember all I wanted to do was spend time with this girl named Sheila…even if it meant I had to spend time with this guy named Billy (my soon to be father-in-law) and his entire family (16 brothers and sisters) at a place called spout springs. Christmas of 1980 will always be very special to me; Sheila and I (married now) spent our first Christmas together. I remember decorating our first tree together. We were building traditions and making history…only we did not realize it! It was the beginning of something wonderful, something timeless. I remember Christmas of ’82 was celebrated early. I only had a certain amount of time before my ship would be underway for “West Pac” a deployment made by all West Coast US Navy Ships. It was our first Christmas with our new baby (Emily). The hardest thing that I ever had to do was leave on December 16 to fly back to California. I knew my babies first Christmas would only be something that I would hear about from others who shared it with her. Sheila did a great job making Christmas special, even though it was two weeks early. Then, there was the Christmas of ’84 in North Carolina, our second child (Ashley) there to celebrate with us. Christmas in the low country of North Carolina, I will never forget friends and a family, a time to reflect on what we truly believed in. Christmas of ’90 I was underway and in a foreign land, I will never forget talking to my wife from Toulon France on Christmas Eve. I will never forget the lonesome overwhelming feeling that consumed my body. This was not right, I was supposed to be with family, I was supposed to be with my babies, I was supposed to be watching them as we decorated the tree and listened to Randy Owens sing “Christmas in Dixie” or “Christmas Winn Dixie” as Emily would say. I remember wanting so badly to be home, that Christmas day passed without me even being thankful for a Savoir who gave His life so that I might live! Christmas of 1992 was very special, another babies first Christmas (Boo). God had blessed us with another little girl. Christmas for me at that time was all about my little girls. Each of them special, each of them growing and dreaming of the things they would accomplish. We would sit and listen to Christmas music for hours and I always so enjoyed decorating our tree. Then there were all of the Christmases in Panama City, each one special, and each one adding to our tradition. Christmas of 2000, a new millennium and more opportunities to feel and express the love of a Savior! God allowed me to give away a daughter in 2002 and gain a son. Brian joined us as family the Christmas of ’02. Christmas of ’04 brought us another baby (Hadley), only this time the baby was a granddaughter…it was so nice to have little ones around again and even nicer in ’06 with the addition of another grand daughter (Avery) and life was getting better and better. Traditions were being made and life was grand! Another son-in-law (Jason) in 2007 and I am so looking forward to Christmas of 2008 and being able to share it with my first grand son (Ben). God has been so good to me across the years. Christmas memories reverberate through my life! I love this time of year; it truly is the most blessed of times! I am looking forward to many more traditions that will be made and memories that will be cherished!

“For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord” Luke 2:11 KJV