7 days until Christmas!

WOW! I just can't believe it. Christmas is almost here, and soon the year will be over. I'm not sure I'm ready to start writing 2009!

You know I always have a hard time getting into the Christmas spirit, but this year it's especially hard. So many people, some I know, some I don't, are having such a difficult time right now. People are being laid off or being fired, with jobs being so hard to come by. It's just so sad. Not only do they have putting food on the table to worry about, they also have Christmas for their kids on their plate at the moment. How do you explain to a child that Santa can't come this year? How can we expect people to take that magic from their children? It's just so sad, sad that they have no other choice. Even more so that there are so many people out there that are still doing very well for themselves, buying their kids loads and loads of gifts for Christmas. Well, if they could take one or two of those toys from their child's list and donate them to someone less fortunate than they are, then maybe these less fortunate children could hold on to that magic, if only for one more year.

I wish I were rich. I wish I didn't have to worry about money, bills, etc., so I could help out the ones I know and love. I wish I could full fill this woman's wish of having a Christmas for her 9 year old son (who still believes in Santa), or another persons wish of having stability for her family. I wish I could make the casino's on the coast stop laying people off, having people worrying daily if they are going to have a job the next day or not. I wish I could heal the world, but there's nothing that I can do and I feel so helpless! I just want to help, but with limited funds in the account, a baby on the way and so much that is still needed for her, there's just nothing that I can do. I hate saying that! I hate saying there's nothing that I can do, but I can't make the money appear.

Don't get me wrong, I know that presents don't make Christmas. Too many children aren't taught the true meaning of Christmas and expect tons of presents on Christmas morning. This is something that I don't agree with. But I do feel that every little boy and girl should have at least one gift from Santa under the tree on Christmas morning. That's not too much to ask, by any means. It's keeping them children, if only for another year or so. Kids grow up so quickly these days, we should hold on to that innocence for as long as we possibly can.

I guess all I can truly offer is my support and my prayers. I truly hope that my prayers will be answered and all of these people that are struggling so badly are given a miracle. Some way, some how, this has to get better. Things have to start smoothing over and working out for everyone. I am, by no means, "set", but do consider myself blessed to finally have some sort of stability with my husbands current job. We may not have a lot of "things", but we do have our bills paid and food in our stomach, and that's a lot more than most people have right now. We still live check to check and some weeks I wonder if we're going to make it to the next pay period, but at least I know that next pay period is coming. For that I'm forever grateful, as we were so close to being homeless in Gulfport, and that's no exaggeration. One more month down there would have been the end of us having a roof over our head. Food was already becoming next to impossible to come by. Thank you Lord, for giving us this chance. Thank you for providing for us in the ways that you have, and continue to do so.

OK, I'm sorry for such a sad post. It's just really bothering me to see so many struggling.