Why do Christmas trees never go back into the box as easily as they were originally packed in there? We un-decorated for Christmas yesterday, which I think for most people is not a fun day. Dragging things back up into the attic is a lot harder than getting them down. Jason says at least the Christmas tree comes down easier than it goes up, but what a pain to try to get it to fit in whatever storage container you have!

Everyone has a different theory about when to put away the Christmas decorations. Some do it the day after Christmas, others before the 1st, others immediately after the New Year, and then everyone knows that one house where the decorations don't come down until March - if at all!

Growing up, my mom was huge about getting it down before the New Year began; she always quoted bad luck, but I know she didn't really believe that as she wasn't superstitious. But, I have adopted that mentality, and we've always taken everything down before the New Year begins. One year while we were living in TX, we had been in Nashville for Christmas and came home mid-day on the 31st, went and did something for New Year's Eve, and came home exhausted and ready to crash. We had company coming the following day for our annual New Year's event anyway. (It's an Underhill tradition to make my favorite black eyed pea dip for either a New Year's Eve or Day event - I love it!) I just decided we could take it down on the 2nd or 3rd. We went to bed and slept well, but at around 5 am (company was due at around 9 am for football games), I woke up straight in bed thinking, "What in the world are we doing? We have got to get these Christmas decorations up!" To my husband's alarm, I hustled us out of bed and we got everything down and clean before company got there. We didn't technically make it before the New Year, but 9 am was pretty close! :)

Ever since, I've made sure that we get everything up before the New Year. I'm not superstitious either, but I just like having a fresh, clean house to start the New Year off. I'm ready to put behind me the two months of holidays, crazy schedules, and parties to get down to a fresh new routine. I love facing a brand new year of possibilities, a few resolutions, and the promise of spring coming with an organized, clean house. It just goes along with the New Year for me.

The Bible talks about fresh starts too! Lamentations 3:22-26 says, "Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, 'The LORD is my portion; therefore I will WAIT for him.' The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord." God's compassions are new every morning. Each day is a new opportunity to praise him with our lives. Each day is a chance to start over and be all that God has called us to be.

I also like Isaiah 43:18-19, 21 - "Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland... (for) the people I formed for myself that they may proclaim my praise." WOW! God says, forget about this last year, forget about 2006. Don't dwell on the things that went wrong. I am doing a new thing - I have great plans for 2007! I am making good come out of all the bad (the desert and the wasteland). I formed YOU for my own joy; I made you so that you can tell everyone how great a God I am! This verse was written to the Israelites who went through cycle upon cyle of being oppressed and then restored due to their disobedience and focus on the past.

God wants to do a new thing in our lives. My house is clean in preparation for a New Year, but it will dirty quickly... very quickly I'm afraid! But, God's mercies are new EVERY morning! His compassions fail not. His plans for us are so far-reaching that if we knew them all, we would probably collapse! How exciting!

More on this, reflections of 2006, prayers for 2007, a few resolutions, and PICTURES (finally!!) in the next couple of days.