Wow. It's already December.
Melanie - December 3, 2008
I'm not sure what part of Thanksgiving has come and gone I don't understand, but I was honestly stunned yesterday when I had to write the date on something and realized it was December 2nd.
How did that happen?
And, more importantly, how did that happen without me having any Christmas shopping done?
I told my husband that we absolutely have to get our tree before the week is over because I need to get maximum tree enjoyment. I've already hung the wreath on the front door in the hopes he'll get the hint that it's time to put up the outdoor lights.
So far it's not working.
Over the next few weeks, we'll bake sugar cookies, make a gingerbread house, decorate the tree, and look through countless toy catalogs.
But, most importantly, I want us to take time to reflect on what Christmas really means. I want to teach Caroline about the hope that came to earth in the form of a tiny baby. I want her to know how God showed up after 400 years of silence.
We're doing a Jesse Tree this year, but I'd love to know if y'all have any other ideas or suggestions on how to keep the focus on Jesus this season.
After all, it is His birthday.
Melanie
Melanie
Sophie
Sophie
Paige
Paige
Kris
Kris
Comments (6)
I wrote a blog post that talks about things we do for Christmas to help keep our focus. you can view it here. http://tinyurl.com/5blhf2
Posted on December 3, 2008 7:01 AM
What’s a Jesse Tree, Melanie? Do share…
Posted on December 3, 2008 7:15 AM
I love the Jesse tree - we always made them at school (Catholic grade school). It helped us remember WHO Christmas was really about.
At home, my parents set the example by encouraging us to give to the poor. We gave both money and toys etc.
Another favorite thing was our manager scene - my sister and I would rearrange it every day. Mom always hid Baby Jesus until Christmas day - it was another way to await His coming!
Posted on December 3, 2008 9:53 AM
I decided to put a wooden cross on the top of the tree instead of a star or angel. We also have several cross ornaments on the tree too. This gives us a chance to share Christ with the neighborhood kids when they come over and ask us about our tree.
Posted on December 3, 2008 10:31 AM
Driving home today from the grocery store after being gone in Texas for over a week, I was thinking about this very thing. I have yet to shop, mainly because I’m “terrified” to spend a dime and I so want to be wise in this area.
Then I heard a song—a Christmas song, and that not a Christian one. She was singing that all she wanted for “Christmas is you.” She was talking about a man, not Jesus. But I began to hear Jesus speak over me—“Holly, all I want for Christmas is you.”
Melanie, I think that is what He wants from our families. He wants us.
And it’s going to be a battle, every day, I know. But I so want to give Him what He wants.
I guess I should have written a blog post, huh? Hee hee!
Posted on December 3, 2008 4:02 PM
We talk about Him every day, and incorporate the meaning of Christmas into our everyday conversations. And then I hear about them talking about it with their friends at school, it makes me so proud.
Outside of that, last year we did something inadvertently that turned out to be a huge blessing for us. My husband’s army unit was going to dinner at a local orphanage the week of Christmas, and we were supposed to bring a wrapped present from each of our children to give to the orphans there. Well, I had slap run out of time to go buy 3 toys to take, so an hour before we left the house, I told each of them to go under the tree and pick out one of their wrapped presents to take with us. You’d have thought I asked them to cut off their own arm and take it. But they did it. Painfully.
We got there, and don’t you know, these precious children - with no families of their own this Christmas - were there all dressed up to eat with us. I’d just assumed we were dropping the gifts off and eating. It was the best dinner ever! And after dinner, my three children got to actually see the recipient of their gifts open them and be excited and blessed to have them. Oh my goodness. They were SO happy to see what their sacrifice had meant to someone else. I can’t even describe it to you here without just bawling. (They never even asked to have their gift replaced under the tree like I’d anticipated).
On the way home, we had a great conversation about what it means to give something that means so much to you to other people, for them to be blessed by it. And we compared that feeling of them taking their precious ‘gift’ that night, to God giving us His Son.
What a blessing it turned out to be. So much so, we’re going to do it again this year.
Posted on December 4, 2008 6:18 PM