Cypress & Sage - Hill Country Living

 
Word.

I love Christmas. Level: Obsessive.
My halls have been decked since the second week of November.
(My tree was up before Halloween. Don't judge.)
Santa figurines grin from every angle.
Nativities inhabit special spaces.
 Store bought collections mingle with homemade and school made crafts.
The main tree drips with assorted ornaments weighted with memories.
A smaller tree showcases shiny, colorful glass blown beauties,
Tabletop trees feature themes like sports or cooking or textiles or
Texas or nature or sentimental keepsakes or names of Jesus. 
Candles, melters, and diffusers collide the fragrances of Christmas.
Fake greenery crawls every surface because real evergreens would never 
survive six or seven weeks in a Central Texas home.

This year, as I sashayed around in the glow of warm, white lights,
inhaling orange and clove wax as I fiddled with red berries and pinecones,
I noticed words.
One word. A phrase. Quotes.
​

These words. 
Comfort.
Joy. 
Welcome.
Home.
Hope.
​Heavenly.
​Peace.

They speak strength, delight, hospitality, community,
​encouragement, love, and rest.
I want to experience and offer to others all of this.
May my words declare life and do no harm. 

This season, whether you
 pause with wonder to ponder the humble birth of King Jesus, 
or celebrate the whimsy and symbols of the season,
or resist the holiday commercialism in favor of compassionate deeds, 
I wish for you these things:
Comfort and Joy when you are fragile or weary,
a Welcome Home when you are lost or lonely,
Heavenly Peace when you are stressed or worried,
and Hope when you are fearful and discouraged.

Here are some of my favorite inspirational Christmas lyrics.

Here are some of my favorite not so inspirational Christmas movie quotes.

Here are my final words. From my house to yours.

What are your favorite Christmas words, quotes, or lyrics?

Comfort & Joy

Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, 
but only such a word as is good for edification
according to the need of the moment,
so that it will give grace to those who hear.
Ephesians 4:29 NASB

In my novel, All In For Life,
philandering Ace endures a bittersweet welcome home dinner,
longsuffering Krystal finally embraces hope for her future,
confused Hayley slips into a waiting season of heavenly peace, and
desperate Felicia finds joy through the strengthening comfort of an old nun.
Get caught in the intriguing web of how 
​these fascinating characters intersect in 
All In For Life.

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