Where, Oh, Where Has She Gone?

It's the season of Christmas parties and seeing friends. I was asked at one of these festive events if I still blogged. (Gulp) My answer was no. I went on to say that I hadn't blogged much at all since I got married. But, I also said that I hoped to start making time to do it more often. I hope to make more time for it.

Blogging is more for me—at least that's the way it seems. I never did have a lot of followers. I'm not an "Influencer" in the blog world. I'm just me. I'm sharing things that I learn along the way in this maze I call life. If my thoughts inspire or challenge others along the way, then God has used it for His purposes.

I do enjoy writing. My style is more of a conversation in my head that I need to put on paper. So, when you read my blog posts it's a little bit like we're sitting across the table, drinking a cup of tea or coffee, and talking about life. I've done a little professional writing in the past couple of years. I work for a publisher and have published some prose and poetry. I prefer writing prose, but did try my hand at a poem once. I suppose it's because of my blogging that writing prose comes more naturally to me.

My mom was the poet of our family and began writing her poems as a young girl and continued to write throughout her life. She wrote poems about each of her children and grandchildren. Those poems are treasures for all of us! She also wrote a lot of religious poetry. Somehow the content of what she and I write are probably very much the same, but she was able to put it in rhyme and verse, whereas I prefer to write without those restrictions. I never really thought about that before, but I guess we were cut from the same cloth—so to speak. Mom is no longer with us on this Earth. She's now with Dad in heaven and I'm certain that she is enjoying life there.

That is one of the changes in my life since I stopped blogging regularly. There was a period of time when I was taking care of Mom's affairs and seeing to her needs. Blindness robbed her of reading and writing in her final years—two of the things she most loved to do. I've pondered that more than a few times. I don't have any answers to the question of why those two things, but it does remind me to hold everything with an open hand.

Of course, I've mentioned before that I was married almost two years ago. It's amazing to realize that two years ago this week I was making last-minute plans for our wedding! I had a whole lot of help, though. Trying to put together a small wedding in roughly six weeks can be done, but not without help. My fiance (now husband) helped a lot. Several sweet friends stepped in and helped with other details like decorations, flowers, dress shopping, and wedding planning. Whew! That made everything a little easier.

Okay, what else have I been doing? Well, there's selling a house, moving twice, buying a new house, settling into a new life as a married person, and then working full time. Those are just the highlights, of course. In those in-between times, I'm attending church, trying to keep up with family and friends, and dealing with other things that life throws at us. Needless to say, when I get home in the evening after an aggravating commute (traffic is often horrible around here), I usually end up vegging in front of the television with my hubby. It's an escape and a way to relax. Writing is not uppermost on my mind, though I do think about it.

We've been singing about Hope, Peace, and Joy at church—the Advent words. Christmas is more than exchanging gifts. Christmas is a time to celebrate Jesus's birth and the Hope, Joy, and Peace that only He can bring. As I sit here writing, I can see our Christmas tree about six feet away. My husband has hung an angel in the room and just beyond that is the star atop our tree. It reminds me of the scene in Luke 2:8-15, when the angel came to the shepherds to let them know of Jesus's birth:

This is the view from my chair. (c) themazeofourlives

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, 

“Glory to God in the highest heaven,  

and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” 

When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

'Tis the season to tell the Good News. The angel shared the news. Then the shepherds saw the babe in the manger and then they went on to spread the word. The One they had been awaiting had finally come! Share the gift of hope, joy, and peace this season. His name is Jesus!