So close!

I am one week, three days of classes, two presentations, an outline, two papers, and an exam from temporary freedom! :D It is so close that I can smell it; but I persist in finishing the semester. It will be a wonderful thing when, two weeks from now I will be sitting in VA with Mason and his family celebrating the birth of our Savior! Yes, I did just experience a sense of blissful peace! It is so good to stop in the midst of the pre-Christmas bustle to reflect on the genesis of "Christmas."
Christmas is such a different time for me this year. The Lord has not allowed the same income in years past, so the gifts will be smaller, maybe even more scarce--however, I am finding that this Christmas I understand just a trifle more of the depth of God's sacrifice for each of us. Every gift that I give is an act of love, not just from me, but in remembrance of God's ultimate gift. To truly give not just from our fat or abundance, but from our hearts, our souls, our very sustenance. That is closer to the true meaning of Christmas.

Well, I had no intention of rambling on about Christmas, but that's alright. Just a hint of what God is teaching me this year.

Merry [early] Christmas!

-MRI