All Is Merry and Bright

It is the Twelfth Day of Christmas today, and our family is slowly taking down the Christmas decorations that have adorned our home for the last month or more.  I always have the potential to get a little glum and sad when the decorations come down.  This is such a magical time of year for me, and I am always a little sad to see it come to an end.

As I was feeling wistful (prayerful, hopeful) that the lessons of Advent...and Christmas...and Epiphany--the lessons of deliberate, mindful gratitude for the gift of Christ; and of purposed thankfulness for every little blessing that comes our way as we walk with Him each day; and of noticing and thinking and dwelling on the amazing reality of our salvation in Christ--that they will stay with us as we move back into "normal life," the following arrived into the mailbox of my daughter EL from her Opa:

                              Good morning, EL. Came to wish you a wonderful day! Opa

And what could be happier, in a more daily-day way, than that?  Thank You, Lord, for grandfathers and for fried eggs and for smiley faces and for every other wonderful thing that will cross my path today.  And tomorrow.  And next week.  Make me ever mindful of Your amazing love and grace extended toward me!