The mystery of socks.
One always seems to get lost in the laundry.
A sock may even fall out of the basket as the laundry is being brought downstairs.
It lies there…lonesome…forlorn…on the steps…waiting!

Socks tend to get holes in them…one at a time.
Mending socks always leaves an annoying bump of thread that is not pleasant to walk on.
I throw the torn sock away and save the good one in the back of the drawer.
Inevitably another sock will get a hole in it…then two good socks become a new pair.

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The Christmas decorations are all packed away.
Packed away until next year…if God allows.
The house has been decorated since the day after Thanksgiving.
Even though the tree was watered faithfully, it still dropped a lot of needles.

I know it is inevitable that the externals of Christmas get packed away.
I am mindful of the fact that the internals of Christmas are ongoing.
They are alive and well in the heart of every believer in Jesus Christ.
Alive because HE is alive in their heart.

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When everyone is home we always try to do some planned family things.
We enjoy going out to dinner to a favorite restaurant.
We usually try to go to a current movie that everyone wants to see.
This time the movie was Les Miserables.

Les Miserables was published in 1862 by Victor Hugo.
It is known as a French historical novel…one of the greatest novels of the 19th century.
It is so much more than that.

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Children love to draw.
When they begin coloring, their pictures are monochromatic.
Eventually, their pictures become an explosion of color.

When children first begin to draw people, they resemble Mr. Potato Head.
A circle for a head and two vertical lines for legs.
Eventually, two lines, depicting arms, come out of the circle
I often wondered if that is why Mr. Potato Head has been such a popular toy.
It mimics the way children draw the human form.

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Today we chose our Christmas tree.
Frazer Fir…nice shape…right height.
We decorate the house for Christmas the day after Thanksgiving.
We decorate the Christmas tree the following week.

There is something so wonderful about a Christmas tree.
To think that strands of lights and a collection of ornaments can bring such joy.
We have a tin star at the top of our tree…which took the place of the angel from years ago.
I like the tin star better.
It is more rustic and matches the primitive ornaments.

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There is a hand game I never knew how to play.
I watched my sons play it when they were young to determine who goes first in a game.
I never quite got the concept or saw the point of the the whole thing.
Seemed like a lot of work.

Rock. Paper. Scissors.
A game played much like drawing straws or flipping a coin.
It is a game of decision…though not totally random.
Skill is needed in order to anticipate your opponent’s choice.

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Oh, how I wanted my ears pierced!
It seemed like every girl was allowed to get their ears pierced when they turned thirteen.
Not me!

I laid out all the arguments explaining why I should be allowed to have them pierced.
Nothing worked.
When my mother made up her mind…it stayed made up!

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I was dressed and ready for my morning walk.
It has been a bit cold in the mornings, so a heavy coat and light-weight gloves are worn.
I tied my sneakers…ready to go.

As I walked through my kitchen, ready to embark on my two mile walk, my shoe was terribly uncomfortable.
Something was in my shoe.
I sat down on one of the benches around our long table to see what was wrong.

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Most cooks have experienced it.
You go to your pantry to get the one ingredient you were sure you had…and it is not there.
No time to run to the store.
You improvise.

Yogurt instead of sour cream.
Applesauce for a healthy alternative to oil.
Make your own buttermilk with non-fat milk and lemon juice.
You make do with what you have on hand.

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We do not have a cat…but our neighbor does.
I have been amazed at the way her cat shows affection.
The cat puts a dead mouse on her doorstep.

Now, that is not exactly the kind of present I would like to receive.
However, I’m beginning to understand.
Cats hunt.
What better way to show their appreciation than to bring you something they have caught.

It’s the thought that counts!

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