Finally! I got to share the secret!

So much to look forward to at Christmas!

Since May 16, I have been ready for Christmas.

No, I didn't have the house decorated or the Christmas letters sent (as a matter of fact, I still haven't mailed my Christmas cards and letters). But I had the gifts. And, since that day, I have had to keep a wonderful secret.

On May 16, I was invited to speak for the opening of the Pottery Festival sponsored by Wesley Chapel United Methodist Church. The church cemetery is full of the graves of famous Catawba Valley potters and the annual pottery festival is a great celebration. I not only enjoyed opening the day with a devotional. I loved shopping at the displays.

One potter had especially exquisite work. Trudy Hunike from Charlotte had an amazing display and there was one plate that was especially beautiful. When I looked on the back of the plate, it said, "My Mother's Lace". Since my mother did all kinds of handwork, I asked the potter what the inscription meant: My mother's lace. She told me that her mother had been very crafty and one day, she used one of her mother's crocheted pieces to form the pattern on the plate. It was lovely...and more than a lovely pottery piece. It was a memory.

So I laid down her plate and asked her if she would make plates for my family with some of my mother's handwork. She said she would be glad to try. From that moment on, I knew I was going to have amazing, precious gifts for everyone in my family. And I also knew I had a big challenge to keep the secret until Christmas. I have a hard time keeping things quiet--especially when it comes to good news.

Using a hand-tatted doilie and a crocheted placemat, Trudy made the most beautiful plates that I gave my family. Each piece said, "Rosalie's Lace" on the back. And, as soon as I picked up all the pieces, keeping quiet was even harder.

So, God bless them, I told all my churches about it this fall. They didn't care, of course, what I was giving my family for Christmas. But I couldn't tell my family and I was preaching in churches every weeknight and 3 times on Sundays during the Charge Conference season. They were very gracious about giving me an outlet.

At our Christmas gatherings, my family loved the gifts every bit as much as I had dreamed they would. I was the queen of gifts (not to be confused with the centers of attention -- an uncontested distinction belonging to our 5 little boys ages 5 and under!). The great thing about the gifts is that they took the imprint from my mother's loving hand and created something beautiful -- but something that also reminded us of her life and her love for us. This Christmas I had the chance to combine what I love most: giving a gift AND making a memory.