It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

I love Christmas time! The feelings of service in the air, the smell, the cool crisp weather, the lights... I could go on and on!

Oh, Christmas tree... Oh, Christmas tree...

The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,

In hopes that St. Nick would soon be there...You better watch out

You better not cry

Better not pout

I'm telling you why

Santa Clause is coming to town!

He's making a list

And checking it twice

Gonna find out whose naughty and nice

Santa Clause is coming to town!He sees you when you're sleeping

He knows when your awake

He knows if you've been bad or good

So be good for goodness sake!
O! You better watch out

You better not cry

Better not pout

I'm telling you why

Santa Clause is coming to town!

I DO love my Santa's but I love my nativities more...

Luke 2

11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
12 And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,

14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

15 And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.

16 And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.

I have collected nativities for a while... My boys brought me one home from their missions to Brasil and Argentina! I currently have 21 set up in the house, unfortunately I do not have room for all of them. Here are a few of my favorites:

My Bears...My Snowmen...
My friends have been giving me pieces and parts to complete the "Willow Tree" nativity, I just LOVE it! Thank you Kathy and Andrea!!!
And, thank you Pam for my beautiful nativity from Africa!!!

One last thing I want to share...

My dear friend Alanna gave me this mitten several years ago, she said when she saw it, it just shouted "Shaila". I think because of the "shabby sheek" look, I do love that! But, even more then the look I want to tell you why I love it the most... it reminds me of hands... HIS hands... and how WE should serve! It reminds me the story below. I am sure when others look at my cute little tin mitten at the bottom of my stairs they don't know why I love it so and the story that I think of every time I see it... now you might.

During the Second World War, a quaint little French village was bombed by mistake. The villagers were forewarned by air-raid sirens and cleared out of the village before the bombing started. Through the tears of sadness, they sat on a nearby hill all that night and watched flashes and fires as the bombs leveled their town. They returned to their village and began digging in the rubble for anything salvageable. There wasn't much. But, all the villagers joined together in the effort to rebuild their village from the bottom up. As the rubble was cleared from the village square, several pieces of white marble were found, the remains of the stature that stood in the square. The villagers called on the best sculptor to rebuild the old stature as are membrance of the rebuilding of their village. The sculptor worked for years on this great challenge. Finally, as the remaining bit of paint was put on the last building in the quaint village and the streets were washed out for the last time, a veiled figure stood in the square. The villagers held a great three day celebration to commemorate the rebuilding of their village. As the last feature in the celebration, the villagers all met together at the town square for the unveiling of the stature. Finally the veil was removed. There in the square stood a figure of Christ exactly as in the visitors center in Salt Lake City, with his hands outstretched to all. But this stature had no hands, because a bomb blast hit too close and pulverized them beyond repair. So the inscription, instead of reading as it once had, "Come unto Jesus," now read "I have no hands but yours."

I hope that we might remember... and that we will be His hands this Christmas season!