{"id":1845,"date":"2014-12-01T13:47:00","date_gmt":"2014-12-01T19:47:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mypeacezone.com\/its-most-wonderful-time-of-year\/"},"modified":"2019-02-18T10:01:55","modified_gmt":"2019-02-18T16:01:55","slug":"its-most-wonderful-time-of-year","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mypeacezone.com\/?p=1845","title":{"rendered":"It&#8217;s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\">\n<a href=\"https:\/\/mypeacezone.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/Decor-Centerpiece.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" border=\"0\" src=\"https:\/\/mypeacezone.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/Decor-Centerpiece.jpg\" height=\"240\" width=\"320\" \/><\/a><\/div>\n<p>I love Christmas &#8212; always have, always will &#8212; and the celebrations start the day AFTER Thanksgiving. &nbsp;It takes every ounce of willpower I have not to listen to Christmas music until AFTER Thanksgiving &#8212; but the day AFTER &#8212; let the &#8220;O Holy Night&#8221; and &#8220;Mary Did You Know?&#8221; and &#8220;Here Comes Santa Claus&#8221; music BEGIN! &nbsp;Honestly, it\u2019s been my favorite time of the year for as long as I can remember.<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019ve known great joy at Christmas. My daughter was born in December &#8220;several&#8221; years ago. &nbsp; &nbsp;But, as just a teenager, I knew heartache at Christmas &#8212; my Dad passed away just eight days before Christmas. &nbsp;I remember watching my precious mother, through tears, opening up the Christmas presents she had wrapped for him.<\/p>\n<div class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\">\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\">\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\">\n<a href=\"https:\/\/mypeacezone.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/Decor-Church2.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" border=\"0\" src=\"https:\/\/mypeacezone.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/Decor-Church2.jpg\" height=\"320\" width=\"240\" \/><\/a><\/div>\n<p>But the most precious times have been realized in this season: decorating the house with &#8220;memories&#8221; &#8212; my &#8220;Christmas Church Collection&#8221; <\/p>\n<div class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\">\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\">\n<a href=\"https:\/\/mypeacezone.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/Decor-KitchenTree.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" border=\"0\" src=\"https:\/\/mypeacezone.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/Decor-KitchenTree.jpg\" height=\"320\" width=\"240\" \/><\/a><\/div>\n<p>and my Kitchen Christmas Tree, <\/p>\n<div class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\">\n<a href=\"https:\/\/mypeacezone.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/Decor-MomsReindeer-1024x822.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" border=\"0\" src=\"https:\/\/mypeacezone.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/Decor-MomsReindeer-1024x822.jpg\" height=\"257\" width=\"320\" \/><\/a><\/div>\n<p>my Mom&#8217;s ceramic reindeer <\/p>\n<div class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\">\n<a href=\"https:\/\/mypeacezone.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/Decor-MomsTree-1024x768.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" border=\"0\" src=\"https:\/\/mypeacezone.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/Decor-MomsTree-1024x768.jpg\" height=\"240\" width=\"320\" \/><\/a><\/div>\n<p>and her ceramic lighted tree, <\/p>\n<div class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\">\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\">\n<a href=\"https:\/\/mypeacezone.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/Decor-RyanStaciKidsPic-768x1024.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" border=\"0\" src=\"https:\/\/mypeacezone.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/Decor-RyanStaciKidsPic-768x1024.jpg\" height=\"320\" width=\"240\" \/><\/a><\/div>\n<p>decorating the house with the photos of my two children when they were little to visit Santa, <\/p>\n<div class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\">\n<a href=\"https:\/\/mypeacezone.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/Decor-Papa4kids-1024x768.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" border=\"0\" src=\"https:\/\/mypeacezone.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/Decor-Papa4kids-1024x768.jpg\" height=\"240\" width=\"320\" \/><\/a><\/div>\n<p>Papa reading the Christmas Story to the grandkids <\/p>\n<div class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\">\n<a href=\"https:\/\/mypeacezone.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/Decor-FamilyPic3.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" border=\"0\" src=\"https:\/\/mypeacezone.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/Decor-FamilyPic3.jpg\" height=\"240\" width=\"320\" \/><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\">\n<a href=\"https:\/\/mypeacezone.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/Decor-FamilyPicwithDW.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" border=\"0\" src=\"https:\/\/mypeacezone.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/Decor-FamilyPicwithDW.jpg\" height=\"240\" width=\"320\" \/><\/a><\/div>\n<p>(and now displaying photos of those precious times in my Christmas decor&#8217;). <\/p>\n<div class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\">\n<a href=\"https:\/\/mypeacezone.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/Decor-KidsProgram.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" border=\"0\" src=\"https:\/\/mypeacezone.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/Decor-KidsProgram.jpg\" height=\"320\" width=\"213\" \/><\/a><\/div>\n<p>And, oh, the sweet memories of the children&#8217;s Christmas programs, taking the children and grandchildren to see Santa, the Talent Shows the kids and grandkids would provide for us each Christmas Eve, the &#8220;Happy Birthday Jesus&#8221; cake. <\/p>\n<p>But my most favorite part of Christmas&#8230;..is the #1 REASON FOR THE SEASON &#8212; just thinking about our Lord coming to this earth as a little baby &#8212; to be one of us &#8212; to know He knows EXACTLY how it feels to hurt, to feel pain, to feel rejection, to feel the joys. He was ALL MAN. &nbsp;He is ALL GOD and HE SINCERELY GETS US! &nbsp; &nbsp;I am overwhelmed with emotion for Who He is, what He&#8217;s done for us, and why He did it.<\/p>\n<p>I share some of my favorite and sweet Christmas treasures with you in these photos. And &nbsp;I urge you to get caught up in this beautiful time of the year &#8212; with thanksgiving for the MASTER MINDED, GRAND and PERFECT scheme of it all. &nbsp;As I type this post. I know the PERFECT PLAN became reality. &nbsp;It isn&#8217;t a fairy tale story. &nbsp;It is a REAL FACT! &nbsp;How do I know? &nbsp;I sense His presence with me right here, right now! &nbsp;Indeed He is Emmanuel &#8212; God With Us!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>I love Christmas &#8212; always have, always will &#8212; and the celebrations start the day AFTER Thanksgiving. &nbsp;It takes every ounce of willpower I have not to listen to Christmas music until AFTER Thanksgiving &#8212; but the day AFTER &#8212; let the &#8220;O Holy Night&#8221; and &#8220;Mary Did You Know?&#8221; and &#8220;Here Comes Santa Claus&#8221;&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_coblocks_attr":"","_coblocks_dimensions":"","_coblocks_responsive_height":"","_coblocks_accordion_ie_support":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[4217,494,491,562,4260,11045],"class_list":["post-1845","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-christmas-program","tag-emmanuel","tag-god-with-us","tag-happy-birthday-jesus","tag-reason-for-the-season","tag-the-most-wonderful-time-of-the-year"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mypeacezone.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1845","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mypeacezone.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mypeacezone.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mypeacezone.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mypeacezone.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1845"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/mypeacezone.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1845\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3084,"href":"https:\/\/mypeacezone.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1845\/revisions\/3084"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mypeacezone.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1845"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mypeacezone.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1845"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mypeacezone.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1845"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}