Merry Christmas

We are in Wanaka enjoying a wonderful Christmas with family and I just wanted to pop in and wish all of you a very Merry Christmas! I must apologize to those of you who didn't get cards from us - my computer died a violent death when we arrived and sadly I lost a lot of my contact information. Some of you may be receiving very late cards (as in I haven't even mailed them yet), and others I may miss entirely and I apologize. Aside from the lost list of contacts I've also been sick this week and my head is fuzzy so I've missed some details. All that to say, we send you our warmest Christmas greetings.

I will blog the details of our trip down here and the wonderful day we've enjoyed today, but in the meantime I read this on another blog and thought it was lovely. Enjoy!

This is paraphrase of 1 Corinthians 13 by Sharon Jaynes:

If I decorate my house perfectly with lovely plaid bows, strands of twinkling lights, and shiny glass balls, but do not show love to my family - I’m just another decorator.
If I slave away in the kitchen, baking dozens of Christmas cookies, preparing gourmet meals, and arranging a beautifully adorned table at mealtime, but do not show love to my family - I’m just another cook.
If I work at the soup kitchen, carol in the nursing home, and give all that I have to charity, but do not show love to my family - It profits me nothing.
If I trim the spruce with shimmering angels and crocheted snowflakes, attend a myriad of holiday parties, and sing in the choir’s cantata but do not focus on Christ, I have missed the point.
Love stops the cooking to hug the child.
Love sets aside the decorating to kiss the husband.
Love is kind, though harried and tired.
Love doesn’t envy another home that has coordinated Christmas china and table linens.
Love doesn’t yell at the kids to get out of the way.
Love doesn’t give only to those who are able to give in return, but rejoices in giving to those who can’t.
Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things.
Love never fails. Video games will break; pearl necklaces will be lost; golf clubs will rust.
But giving the gift of love will endure