The week in between…

Youngest daughter flew back to her little basement apartment home in Kansas City, Missouri.  The house is quiet with just the Hubs and I here.  It’s foggy gray outside, and I hear the rain on the roof over my head.  The Christmas decorations are all put back into their plastic bins in the garage.  The tree, quite dried out and missing many of its needles, is out on the deck, waiting for the Boy Scouts to come and dispose of it for a small fund-raising fee.  The walls of the house seem a bit bare and stark and this wee little house seems a bit bigger with all of the holiday hooplah stashed away for another year.  Once Christmas evening rolls around I am usually already looking forward to decluttering and getting my heart and home ready for the New Year.  In my heart, in my home, on my calendar and journal pages, fresh, clean, empty space, waiting, waiting, waiting, for the future and hope God has promised me.

I count my years by Christmases come and gone, more than by my birthdays.  I remember last Christmas, and the many, many changes and unknowns we were facing.  I look back on this year so filled with the faithfulness of God and I am  so very grateful.  He has been, always will be, the Rock beneath my feet that cannot be shaken.

Before we completely close the book on 2010 and open the fresh clean pages of 2011, I thought I would share some photos of this year’s Christmas dinner table.  It was simple, but I think it was simply beautiful.

 

Still following,

Elizabeth