It's a white Christmas.

Let me lay out my surroundings for you before you read any further. First of all, it's Christmas Eve, but that's not a surrounding, that's a fact. I'm currently sitting at a high, mahogany, dining-room table, on one of those comfy, black, luxurious seats. There is a beautiful, decorated Christmas tree with tinsel and lights that glisten in the evenings. As I look around the room I see three stockings hanging on the fire place, waiting to be filled with Santa's treats. I see presents wrapped, with bows and pretty paper, just waiting to be torn open come the morning. As I continue to gaze around my surroundings, I look out the glass-paned patio doors. This is where the real beauty comes. I see the white snow piling up as the sky lets more snow fall each day. The trampoline is some-what covered and weighed down by the huge amount of snow that has fallen on it. As for the volley-ball court, all you can see is the two wooden posts, and a limp net hanging from either end. In-front of the court, there's the foundations to a rather accidentally large wannabe igloo. As I look behind the court the trees stand high without a care in the world. The branches are laden with snow, yet you can still see some slight tinges of red and green. It really is a beautiful site, and I wish you could share it with me. Yes, YOU! I don't know where you are reading this from in the world, but I'm writing it from a beautiful home in Bracebridge, Canada. I am more than 3000 miles away from home, and yet I feel a slight peace about it. Yes, of course I miss my family, and I would have loved to spend my break from school back in Scotland, but that is not where God sent me to. 

I have been blessed with some of the most amazing friendships this year, ones I hope to never lose. I am so excited to be spending my break here in Canada, in this beautiful winter wonderland, with some of these friends. Some plans were changed as power left the homes of friends and family around the area, and yet, I still felt this constant sense of calmness. God has gifted me with a home to stay in, and three beautiful women to live with. I have gained yet another mother figure, and two younger sisters. As the three of us girls snuggled in my futon bed, we discussed the travel arrangements for the next couple of days. I reminded the girls a reminder that was not just for them, but for me too. We come together at Christmas to remember the significance of Christmas day. The day that God's redemption plan came into full-frontal GO. We use this time to remember the gift that God gave us, and also to spend time with family and friends. Whether you have to drive ten minutes, or 10 hours, it's still worth the travel, to share love with your family. God has given me this family to be mine for the break. I reminded them that yes, travelling sometimes isn't the ideal thing to do on holidays, but when you're travelling to spend time with loved ones, it's so totally worth it. Especially when other people around don't have family to spend it with. I suppose I was talking about myself here in a sense, yet I knew that these girls were my family too, and I am just so happy to be here. 

If I wasn't here there are a number of things I would not have been able to do:

1. Build an igloo

2. Have a white Christmas

3. Play in the snow

4. See close friends

5. Share my testimony to the girls

6. Spend time with the girls - hopefully as a good influence.

7. Adventure through Toronto

Lastly, I probably wouldn't have been able to appreciate what it is to find family out-with your own home.

Here's a few things I'm excited for this Christmas:
1. Waking up with the girls in the morning.

2. Spending Christmas in a beautiful country

3. Continuing to remember the grace God has for us, and how much He has changed my life.

4. Christmas carol service tonight.

5. Family time.

6. FOOD.

7. Giving to others.

My prayer for you this Christmas is that you not only enjoy yourself, and have fun with family and friends, but that you also remember the wonderful gift that God gave us. He sent Jesus Christ as a real man, so that YOU could be saved. 

Have a wonderful Christmas

For a better world through Christ, 

Sarah xox

p.s. Enjoy some fun pictures from my break so far.

p.p.s If you haven't already, I would LOVE to receive your newsletters or cards, get in touch and I can message you my address :)