These are only a few of our Christmas ornaments. I have been collecting them since 1979 and can’t bear to throw away any ornament or decoration given to me. I don’t even want to think about the years of greeting cards tied up in bows and stored in a box. Of course, I can look through them and see messages from loved ones who are now with the Lord. There’s just something special about seeing the handwriting of someone who is now with The Lord!

I have given away only one collectable ornament that my little cousin (more like a niece since her Mom is only four years older than me and we have always been close. That goes for all of my younger cousins.)

In 1984, little Emily gave me a beautiful clear, teardrop ornament with a candle embossed on it. Actually, she picked out this ornament for our Aunt Shirley – “Sissy.”  Sissy didn’t get to enjoy her gift, however. She lost her battle with breast cancer and spent that Christmas in Heaven.

Emily told her Mom that she wanted Aunt Kathy to have the gift she had so lovingly chosen for Sissy. I still have tears whenever I think about it. Each year as I placed that beautiful ornament on the tree, I was reminded of the love behind it. Now that Emily has children of her own, I thought it only fitting to return it to her so that her boys would know what a sweet, thoughtful Mother they have. Also to remember “Sissy.” Funny, isn’t it how one little item can bring back so many memories!

Somehow, I have the feeling that every time Mary walked into a stable or heard the sound of bleating sheep she was reminded of the wonderful night she held the Son of God in her arms – indeed, God himself who took the form of man to redeem us. Immanuel – “God with us.” The Bible says that “Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart.” Luke 2:19 

Organize!

For nearly twenty years, I stored all of our Christmas decorations in the original boxes in my college footlocker which I kept in our den closet with the artificial tree. However, I ran out of space and the boxes began to smell musty and had to be thrown away along with the footlocker. I had to find someway to organize all of my “Christmas stuff!” The answer to my dilemma came to me at Staples. We were buying plastic file drawers for our home office and also for my sewing room. Inspiration hit like a bolt of lightning. The files were perfect! I still have a few boxes for more delicate ornaments but I can just roll the file out to the tree and return it to the closet when I’m done and I know where everything is. Everything else will go into a plastic tub which will sit on top of the file. I love organization. Don’t you?

If you have a story about special ornaments or organizational tips, I would love to read about it!

Praying my readers will have a new year of joy and blessing!

Love,

Kathy