Following yonder Star

How about this little gold thang?  She's got her "I'm a Christmas tree" and "Please cast me as the angel in your next nativity production" poses down pat.  ;)  When my parents brought me this rockin' gold fabric from the L.A. Fabric district, I knew it needed to be a Christmas dress.  It's light, but strangely sturdy and the texture is perfect-o for this season and beyond. I used the Caroline Party dress (3T) sans collar and the end result is golden.  (forgive me, I couldn't help myself)

The other day, I was pulling out Christmas decorations and Madelyn found an old bag of coal at the bottom of the bin. It was a candy bag that Superman had gotten years before and I'm not sure why we haven't thrown it out.  Ew, right?  Madelyn asked, "Mommy, what's this?  Is it candy?"  Not wanting to open up 10 year old chocolate candy coal, I quickly responded, "Oh that's icky coal. It's what you get at Christmas if you're naughty and bad."  Madelyn sat thoughtfully for a minute then said, "I'm vawwy naughty.  Can I have some?"  

That child doesn't miss a trick.  But what she said got me thinking about how sometimes we are naughty, even when we know better.  I have and do make so many silly little mistakes in my life and sometimes I care and want to change and sometimes, darn it, I just want the candy.  I'm grateful though, that no matter what my mood is (and believe me, being pregnant with twins has produced a myriad of moods) I have a Savior who loves me and is willing to help me become better.  

This Christmas, I've been thinking about the Star of Bethlehem and what I can do to better follow it in hopes that it will help lead me to be more Christlike.  I think I'm always hoping that between all my pregnant mood swings, I'm teaching my kids to love and serve.  And that through me, they might be able to see the love that Christ has for them.  In the end though, they're the one's who teach me and show me what it really means to follow Christ.  I'm a lucky mama to have them.