I’m not sure if what I love most about the holidays are the lights, the smells or the tastes. sweet gingerbread fresh from the oven, the earthy scent of pine, serenades of Michael Buble and Bing Crosby, warm candles glowing, hot chocolate, peppermint, and marshmallows It's all a whirlwind for the senses and for the soul. And in this whirlwind, I tend to get lost in the excess. I plunge into overload, all for the sake of savoring the experience of Christmas instead of the hope of Christmas. Because I don't want to be reminded of how hard life is during the holidays. The truth is we can expend so much energy in trying to forget that we miss out on the true gift of hope lying unwrapped beneath the broken layers of our heart. a marriage hanging by a thinning Continue Reading