Routine

Thank God for routine. I thought I would be the last person on Earth to ever say that. It is funny what you come to appreciate in the absence of it. Christmas decorations are up and the house is festive again! What a blessing. The girls are getting excited about the big day. Robyn's birthday party is this weekend. I can't believe she is already a year old. What a year it has been. I have a lot to be thankful for this year. The older I get, the more humbled I am at the every day blessings being poured out to me and my family. All I can say is that this year has taught me to drink it up. My family is tired but we are grateful to be together this holiday season. There is a certain cathartic reality that hits you when you go through the holidays after a loss. Every gift you receive is laced with a unique sense of guilt and appreciation. Yet, it is in the giving and receiving this year that I realize that I am still very much alive and grateful to be so. I am grateful like never before to be giving. I enjoy the chaos of this moment and wish for it to drift by like the sweet smell of a vanilla candle. It just feels like I'm home. I think this is what dual Kingdom citizenship is about. And, of course, I don't mean the gifts themselves. I mean the exchange between friends and family. It is the simple pleasure of companionship and comraderie that I am enjoying this year. May we not lose sight of that part of the season. Peace and Joy.