My sweet friend drove back to Alex City mid-afternoon under a beautiful vanilla sky gathered with pastel clouds of cigar smoke gray and pale purple. As she left she rolled down the window to say good bye and I noticed she had her shirt on inside out. She yelled, “Bye, love you.” I yell back, “Bye, Dummy, love you more even though you’ve got your shirt on inside out!” She just laughed and said, “I ain’t going to change it.” We laughed our whole visit together. She walked in the lady den this morning with the price tag hanging off her pajamas. I bought us matching pajamas, one of our traditions to wear matching pajamas on our weekend spend the night visits. I told Minnie Pearl she had a price tag hanging off her pajamas and we laughed ourselves silly. Laughter is such wonderful medicine for the heart.

Proverbs 17:22 states, “A joyful heart is good medicine,” reminding us that a cheerful positive disposition makes a joyful life. When we live with a negative attitude our live is drained of joy. A joyful life gives us deep-seated contentment and peace. Faith and trust in God and his love are strong foundations for finding joy in our lives.

Heard a great quote on tv once. I scribbled it down on a piece of junk mail. “Memories and dreams are always there and we call them up when we need them.” I think Ben Cartwright said that while I was watching Bonanza. I’m sitting here looking at Rosie’s Christmas tree and thinking about the last Christmas we spent with her and Penelope immediately jumps off my lap, runs over to Rosie’s Christmas tree and sits under it, just like she knew what I was thinking. “God gave us memory so we might have roses in December,” JM Barrie. I’m so grateful for my memories. They give me peace and comfort.

The sun set this afternoon wrapped in a blazing ball of white light, beaming with a glorious shimmer of God’s light. When I glanced her way, I was blinded by the beauty of her formal silver rayed gown. Mother Nature first painted the pageant stage on the horizon a pale blush of pink and as the sun walked down the runway a beautiful glow of honey colored light followed her down the horizon, highlighting the black silhouettes of the oak trees on the landscape. Father Sky tucked the sun under her quilt of peach colored clouds, kissed her goodnight, and turned out the day’s light. The sparkling jewels of stars joined the slivered moon on stage and eventide became night.

God paints a magnificent sunset each night, one of his most beautiful miracles. He doesn’t care if we don’t see the glory of the sunset or the beauty of the sunrise. They are gifts given to celebrate the day’s ending and another day’s beginning. He shows us that even the end can be glorious. Psalm 19:1 says, “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.” And what magnificent beauty we find in his handiwork in the sky.

“God never gives someone a gift they are not capable of receiving. If he gives us the gift of Christmas, it is because we all have the ability to understand it and receive it,” Pope Francis. The greatest gift we can ever receive is the gift of God’s son, Jesus. The gift of Christmas is Jesus. If we accept Jesus into our hearts we carry the light of God with us throughout our lives. God’s unconditional love gifts our lives with love and peace and mercy. God’s gift of eternal life offers us a reunion with our loved ones in heaven. Jesus’ birth is the reason for the Christmas season. God gave us the gift of Christmas.

“Every day is a gift from God. Learn to focus on the Giver and enjoy the gift!” — Joyce Meyer