Welcome December

Today is December first.  I am in my hometown in Alabama enjoying some family, food, and cooler weather.

For many people this is the time that the Christmas season begins.

For me it always begins in November.  That’s the fun of working in a theme park.  You get two months of Christmas versus just one month.

I try to keep my Christmas to a minimum until December though so that I can enjoy all of the festivities without getting burned out.

I haven’t posted since October and so much has happened.

I posted about change in October and change definitely came my way.  Some positive. Some negative.  Unfortunately the majority was negative.

Something big that I wanted to work out for me didn’t work out.  I more or less lost my car.  That has been the biggest adjustment for me.  Living and getting around without your own vehicle.  Sometimes its a blessing and at other times it’s a curse.  Can someone get me a bicycle please?

Daddy is continuing to recover from his surgery.  He is well but every day is a challenge.  Praying for some miracles to work out for both he and Mama.

On the positive side I was able to experience a new place when I visited and discovered Chestertown, Maryland.  What a beautiful place.  Can I relocate there please?

I also was able to attend a Dolly Parton concert as part of her Pure & Simple Tour.  Some of the earliest memories from my childhood are riding around with Mama in her Jeep listening to Dolly Parton tapes and singing our hearts out. Then Daddy regularly commenting on Dolly’s… “well developedness” if you will… lol  Yes I will create a new word there.

For years I have longed to experience Dolly in a live show and it finally happened.
It is often rare that the average person gets to say they experienced one of their inspirations in concert. Unless they are super well off and get to go to shows all the time. Haha.

All I can say is that it was well worth the wait. Dolly delivered!

Mama and Daddy, I’m sorry that you didn’t get to join me, but I was thinking about you the whole time. I got PLENTY of video clips to show them.  It was a blessing to attend and experience.

Now I prepare for probably one of the most financially unstable Christmases we have ever gone through.  It somehow doesn’t bother me though.  I have learned to live without a lot of things.  I am just simply grateful that I have my family, and my friends around me this holiday season.  That is plenty of present for me.  I mean good food throughout is always good too even though I desperately need to lose some weight so that I don’t have suffer in my clothes that have gotten too tight.  I will be enjoying some good food.

I hope that I will remember to spend a lot of my Christmas season this year in prayer.  Prayers for Mama and Daddy.  Prayers for my brother and his family.  Prayers for those who cause hurt but know not what they do.  Blinded by sin and pride.  Prayers for my friends who I hold so dear.  Prayers for better times.  Prayers for less hardship and negative circumstance.  Prayers for peace and understanding.  Prayers for God’s will.  Prayers for the world and all the people suffering.  Especially our friends in East Tennessee.

Jeremiah 29:11 is the verse that I cling to in these rough patches…

“I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord.  Plans to prosper and not to harm you.  Plans to give you a hope and a future.”

I am grateful for my faith because it IS what keeps me going when it seems there is nothing left or that the worst is upon us.

I will also be giving thanks for what I DO have.  I am so very grateful for all the blessings that I have been granted even during the hard times.

I pray every blessing and happiness to you this Christmas and wish you a very Happy New Year when 2017 arrives.

Merry Christmas!

Caleb 🙂