CANDLE OF LOVE

On this last week of the Advent season we light the candle of LOVE

In our home we had our very first grandkids Christmas party which was filled with LOVE.

Five of our seven little ones attended while 2 babies needed to be home with their mamas.

We had a busy, action filled time with crafts, games, food, movies,and Grampa's annual Christmas treat ... his electric train from his boyhood days.

We are so blessed to have all our grandchildren living in our town and are having so much joy creating memories with them.

Thanking God for His love and the love we share with each other.

Personalizing their very own drums and then

 marching around and around the house

 to the music of "Little Drummer Boy."

This little drummer boy had to go home early

 as he was 'under the weather.'

They never tire of the train doing it's figure-of-eight.

The challenge is sharing the controls!

The drums were a 'hit' and were brought out the next morning

 for a boisterous sing-a-long.

Giving thanks for their kids buffet before watching movies.

Bedtime stories

Snuggling in for a sleep-over in the family room

with Christmas lights on all through the night. 

His Love ..... Reaching

"Right from the beginning God's love has reached,

 and from the beginning man has refused to understand.

But love went on reaching, offering itself.

Love offered the eternal ... we wanted the immediate.

Love offered deep joy ... we wanted thrills.

Love offered freedom ... we wanted license.

Love offered communion with God Himself ... 

we wanted to worship at the shrine of our own minds.

Love offered peace ... we wanted approval for our wars.

Even yet, love went on reaching.

And still today, after 2000 years, patiently, lovingly,

 Christ is reaching out to us today.

Right throughout the chaos of our world,

 through the confusion of our minds,

 He is reaching ... longing to share with us ... the very being of God.

His love is still longing, His love is still reaching,

 right past the shackles of my mind,

 and the Word of the Father became Mary's little son.

And his love reached all the way to where I was."

Gloria Gaither