Ever had a day so glorious you just can’t soak it all in and you’re still covered in golden family fairy dust at bedtime? I’m sitting in the lady den, snug in my feeted pajamas, watching my little fireplace heater logs thinking of all the wonderful holiday memories with my family I’ve gathered to keep close in my heart, grateful for my loving family, and the wonderful little family Chief and I created.

Drove up to Peachtree City this morning with my youngest son, dressed in my Grinch pajamas, to eat brunch with my oldest son and his family. Was going to wear my new feeted Christmas pjs but could’t get my shoes on over the feet. The children met me at their door in their pajamas excited to show me what Santa had brought them. I always tell them I’ve picked out what I want from their piles and I’m packing it up. They always laugh and say no. Santa Claus always brings the best books to my grandchildren. My granddaughter got a set of classic children’s novels that had the prettiest feminine bindings, their covers in pinks and blues.

Scripture says God views family and children as blessings and gifts, stressing that parents should raise their children in a way that honors God. “Children are a heritage from the Lord, offspring a reward from him,” Psalm 127:3. My younger grandson said the blessing this morning, a heartfelt prayer of thanksgiving ending with “Happy Birthday, Jesus.”

Another melted vanilla ice cream sky on the way home this afternoon. The sun was white lightning bright when it would burst through the clouds. So pretty with all the cloud layers pooling together, gray and aqua blues and whites. When we got to Alabama a rainbow cloud escorted us all the way home. I immediately thought the cloud was a smile from Chief and Rosie as I watched the cloud in its beautiful rainbow shades, resting a crown of love on top of this happy day.

I’ve been longing for Chief and our daughter Rosalyn these last few days. Holidays are hard when our loved ones aren’t with us. I’m trying to remember our last Christmas together as a family of five but I can’t conjure up the memories with Rosie’s last Christmas. Going to get still in the porch swing tomorrow and conjure up memories of our last family Christmas with her. The last Christmas with Chief our whole family was suffering with Covid, so, so sick we couldn’t have our family holiday dinner or attend my nephew’s wedding. Then Chief died January 2 that year.

I love these Bible versus. “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted,” Matthew 5:4. And, “The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit,” Psalm 34:18. We all experience grief but we don’t have to grieve alone. God will give you comfort through his loving grace. Ecclesiastes 3:4 states that there is “a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance.”

Been reading quotes tonight. Came across a few I liked enough to mark the page with a scrap of paper. “Ask not for a lighter burden, but for broader shoulders,” Jewish Proverb. Burdens are things in our lives that are very difficult to accept or to deal with. We all have times in our lives when our burdens are just too heavy to carry alone. God will take those burdens off your shoulders and transfer them to his. His “broad” shoulders can carry the tiniest of worries to the heaviest of life’s complications. My mother was always telling me God doesn’t give us more than we can carry. I’d complain and say my load was too heavy to carry and that I was stumbling around. She’d always remind me that God was walking beside me helping me carry the weight.

Sometimes we have to wait patiently for God to help us carry the load. Sometimes we have to wait for God to show us where to put down the load we’re carrying. Sometimes we have to pray on blended knee to transfer the weight to God’s shoulders. Think God’s not helping you, look for his footsteps in the sand.

“We all leave footprints as we journey through life — make sure yours are worth following.” — Bob Teague