Writing is Important

I love to read. I love to write. Just because I enjoy writing, though, does not mean I am good at it. I guess I write well enough that I got through college and grad school... and grad school was mostly about writing papers.

With homeschooling I feel that I am having an opportunity to learn all kinds of things that I never learned the first time through. One is writing. Both my boys *hate* writing. They do pretty well at it, but like many boys, they think they are allergic to pens and pencils. Anyway, we use a writing curriculum called "Institute for Excellence in Writing". Love it!! I have learned a lot and they have too, even though they still claim to hate writing.

Anyway, every once in a while I read something that makes me wish I was more eloquent. The following is such a piece. It is someone's Christmas letter that they shared on an IEW yahoo group that I am on. And I share it here... wishing the words were mine.

Merry CHRISTmas!


Can you believe it is here again? Weren't we just planning barbecues and mowing grass? So much to do and so little time! The cards must go out. The tree must be trimmed. The gifts must be wrapped. Reflecting upon the list of preparations, it becomes evident that there is a certain irony about the way we celebrate Christmas.
Christmas is the time for baking, decorating, and giving gifts. We moan about the weight we gain eating our favorite goodies, we string the lights and hang the holly, we battle the crowds looking for the perfect gifts, the latest and greatest of goods. And yet, it is not enough. Next year, we will need to bake and decorate and shop all over again.
The irony is that we are consumed by all these things that never fully satisfy, never end our longing for more, during a time that we celebrate the birth of the one who can satisfy our every necessity and desire. He came to earth as a babe, fully God and fully man, to die in our place, to take our curse upon Himself. Once was enough to completely meet our need.
His gift fills our greatest need of all: salvation. "I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord" (Luke 2:11). We were lost without hope, but he paid the penalty that we deserved. If we accept His gift, it will never need to be returned, regifted or refurbished. It will be enough forever.
Soon the sweets will be gone, the decorations packed away in boxes, and the gifts forgotten. Before we know it, it will be time to paint the eggs and fill the baskets. However, there is one gift that can continue to bring us great joy even when the season is over. His gift is enough.

I pray you all are enjoying His gift!