I came home yesterday to this sight:

A star. Not just any star…. A star with lights. And a big soft place in my heart. And just like that, my eyes and my heart begin to fill up and spill over as I rolled into our driveway.

You see, someone who meant an awful lot to me had one just like it that he’d hang on his house on the top of a hill each and every Christmas. Christmas stars like this ALWAYS make me think of my grandfather.

And my sweet dad made it happen for me. He spent the time researching, building, painting, wiring and hanging a star just like it for me. 

My sweet dad took the time to make sure it was just right. Even after it was hung and I’d dried up my tears (for the most part), he still had to make sure it was juuuuuuuust perfect with one last adjustment.

This star means so much to me… if you saw my post last night on Instagram, you’ve read how I imagine my grandfather watching my reaction to seeing it’s lights shining on the front of our house as I arrived home. I can only imagine the lights my grandfather was welcomed with as he arrived home. 

I am so thankful for a family who means the world to me, and for happy memories made new each time I look at the bright lights on that star… And Pops, I’m so thankful for you and your handiwork. It’s the perfect reminder as I get home each day that this season is about so much more than twinkly lights or gifts under a tree. It’s a season about love and family. It’s a season about Christ and his light.