.We haven't put up our tree or any Christmas decorations. That is very unusual for this mom who loves to celebrate anything. For several years, I even left our tree up year round, just changing the ornaments with each season or holiday. As we were raising our children, we celebrated the "12 days of Christmas". Some years, they were every other day beginning December 3rd (my birthday) until the 12th day - December 25. Other years, we began on December 13th and someone got to open a small gift each night until we all opened our presents on the 12th day (Christmas Eve night).
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Tomorrow is the 13th and I'm trying to pull together my thought processes of how I can make this work this year. I love traditions! I love making memories! Yet, it's very hard when there's a sick one or two in the house. On the other hand, it's probably more important than ever to do it.
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I've been very nostolgic this week since reading something that my "sister-in-love", Sandi, wrote about my mom. My mom's name is Kathleen. She lives with my brother, Steve, and his wife Sandi and their family in Alabama. Mom has Alzheimer's. Life for Mom or Steve or Sandi or their kids can be very rough at any given moment. Mom has certainly had better days.
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Here is mom with her 3 children a few Christmas' ago. I'm in the back. My sister, Pam, and brother, Steve, flank Mom. I remember our Christmas times together, growing up. Often, we were stationed somewhere afar with the military "on assignment". Mom made sure we had our special times together. We usually opened gifts on Christmas Eve night. It was not always easy to be so far away from extended family. Mom was a woman of great strength because she knew our great LORD.
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I hope to see Mom in the next month or so. We'll watch together some of her favorites TV shows that she'll get for Christmas on DVD: Andy Griffith, I Love Lucy, Leave It to Beaver... We'll sing! She loves to sing! We'll sing Christmas carols! Oldies! We'll sing hymns! And, we'll sing one that has been her favorite for years:
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VERSE ONE:
I serve a risen Savior!
He's in the world today!
I know that He is living,
Whatever men may say.
I see His hand of mercy.
I hear His voice of cheer.
And just the time I need Him,
He's always near.
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CHORUS:
He lives! He lives!
Christ Jesus lives today!
He walks with me and talks with me
along life's narrow way.
He lives! He lives!
Salvation to impart!
You ask me how I know He lives?
He lives within my heart!
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VERSE TWO:
In all the world around me
I see His loving care,
And tho my heart grows weary
I never will despair;
I know that he is leading thru all the stormy blast,
The day of His appearing
will come at last.
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CHORUS
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VERSE THREE:
Rejoice, rejoice! O Christian!
Lift up your voice and sing
Eternal hallelujahs to Jesus Christ the King1
The hope of all who seek Him,
the help of all who find,
None other is so loving,
so good and kind.
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CHORUS
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I hope you have time to take a moment to read Sandi's kind words about my Mom by following this link:
http://www.pleonast.com/users/the_mom
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1 comment:
Thanks for sharing about your family. Glad to hear you love to sing hymns. So do we, at our house.
Your blog caught my eye this morning because you posted the gospel song "He Lives." Today is the 123rd anniversary of the author, Alfred Ackley. To find how how he came to write the song, you can check out today's blog on Wordwise Hymns. (Great daily site for hymn-lovers!) God bless.
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