Thoughts, revelations and inane chatter

One week 'till Christmas! Doesn't it seem almost surreal when it gets this close? I'm getting really excited. Although next weekend is going to be crazy-hectic, I'm so excited for it. I had choir practice last night and I did the (gulp) solo. With a microphone and everything! I was almost horrified when they pulled out that microphone. But it went well, a little shaky (my voice, that is), but well overall.
I have to share something. During the preaching yesterday morning at church, Bro. Scott was talking about receiving blessings. He was saying that we could look at his checkbook and try to explain to him how his bills got paid each month. He tithed, paid bills, groceries, gas, etc. and logically and mathematically, he says there's no way he could've made it on his own. He gives to God, so God blesses him! Its awesome. I was sitting in the pew, however, feeling really bad. Jessie and I haven't been tithing like we should lately, it seems like expenses of life overpower us, but...Bro. Scott says that's where faith comes in. When we get our check, we need to go ahead and deduct our tithe from it, then God will help us with the rest. I was thinking about it all day...thinking about ALL that was going to have to come out of my next check. (A zillion things). And right now, we are really very broke. You know, Christmas gets expensive, and so does life. So I was also trying to figure out how to buy a little gas to last till Wednesday, AND give Seth lunch money this week. Then, after choir practice last night, I call Jessie (who's on his way to church) and he informs me that Seth's grandmother gave him $30 for "whatever". I was so overjoyed. Seth's lunch money!! That, to me, was God's way of telling me that HE CAN and WILL provide if we just trust Him. He's amazing. It's amazing to me that He still blesses me when I am so bad at trusting Him to take care of me sometimes. But as we all know, He works in mysterious ways.
Last night I wrapped the "Secret" presents. You know, the ones from the jolly fat guy? Jessie and I stood back and looked at the tree and all the presents underneath it and were a bit overwhelmed. They aren't all for the kids, they are for the names we drew for both sides of the family (his and mine) and for each other and my mom, etc. But still. For some weird, weird reason I keep thinking, "I hope no one breaks in and steals all these presents while we're gone, we'd be out a lot of money". Who knows why the mind thinks the weird things it thinks? To change the subject, Lily is having a Christmas party at her babysitter's today. She was excited. Seth's party is Thursday. I've yet to buy his teacher a present, but I'll take care of that Wednesday. I don't know what the heck to buy her. It'll be one of those "wild card" presents. Like, "I don't know anything about you, but here's what I guessed you'd like!" haha Surely I can't go wrong with a little Christmassy decoration. At least if she doesn't like it, she can stuff it in the closet with her tree until next year.