I have been really thinking this morning and the past few days about what I can do to make Christmas about Christ this year. If we took away all the gifts would we still be so thankful and excited about the holiday? I don't think my kids would be. I don't think I would be either. That is just not right. Probably normal but not right. We should just be happy that Christ was born and that Redemption can be ours. Why isn't that enough? How has Christmas become so about other things? How do we always get so wrapped up in things and miss the real picture? I do it all the time. (Like blogging when I should be studying scriptures).
I want our family to find Christ this Christmas. This year I am going to send us on a journey to do so. I have been thinking about it all morning. I don't have it all worked out yet but here is my general plan. I am going to do some sort of Christ centered spot light every day starting Dec. I want to try to make it as sacred as possible so it may have to be during babies nap and I may have to put a movie in for Bo although I would love for him to participate I am not sure he can control himself. It will be nice that my kids are out of school for three weeks (Yeah, I say that now...) because I can have more time to focus on it with no school work etc... I may do these spot lights to candle light some days or maybe go some where or play music, watch spiritual movies... Like I said I do not have all the details worked out yet but I will keep you updated. I want to pour all my energies into it and really try to help my children (and me) gain and increase our testimony of Christ and the real reason for Christmas. I want us to be happy like on Little House on the Prairie (those who know me know I have a thing about them). They often knew they weren't going to get anything for Christmas (except the peppermint stick and tin cup from Mr. Edwards) and yet they were happy for Christmas because of the celebration of Christ being born. Is that only on T.V.? Can I, in a day of so many material things, just so incredibly much of it, teach my children the true spirit of Christmas? I have to try.
I went to the festival of the trees yesterday to watch my 15 year old do her hip hop dance. I am extremely proud of her. She has never had dance experience or exposer or any "moves" really but she wanted to join with her friends. I think that takes quite a bit of guts! She is doing awesome and I am proud of her for sticking herself out there. As I was waiting for her to preform we were watching other groups sing dance. A group came up and said they weren't politically correct. They were going to sing about Christ. They had their kids dressed up like the nativity and at first for some reason it was a little awkward. People were distracted and talking and it was in the midst of so much ciaos and other worldly things but as I let myself focus I really just thought "what is wrong with us? This is what it is about!" Why has not the world stood still for this? The man sang my most favorite song, I think it is called, "I Was Not His Father He was Mine", about Joseph and Jesus. They also sang "I heard the Bell's on Christmas Day". I ADORE that song. I think during these performances is when my need for "finding Christ for Christmas" came to be. We (or I should speak for myself) are so off base. I have to get us on track.
This is going to sound a little quacky but I am going to cut our faces out and glue them to sheep. Our face will be where the sheep's face would be. We are all sheep hopefully following our Savior, right? I am going to put a big picture of Christ on the wall with 25 numbers leading to Him, clear across the top of the kitchen wall and everyday we focus on Christ we will move a step closer to Him. So that is what I am thinking about today. How to make this happen. I always have big plans and not quite so big follow through but I am going to really pray hard about this one and try to have a change in our home this year. Pray for us also.
I am actually super excited about my tree. I convinced Corey to get me a fake one last year after Christmas sales hit. We truly never even get the tree up until the week before Christmas (seriously!) because it takes him time to find a live one plus they die if you get them to early. I hate that! So this year I have my new fake one and I took as many little pictures of Christ as I could find and stuck them to pretty card stock with a ribbon tie on it and that is going to be my whole tree. I think it will be wonderful. I will post pictures later. I will keep you update on how it goes. Send me any good ideas! I will need them! Just got the sheep printed out. Now I need to find pictures of our faces to fit on them. Corey would think I have lost my mind except he is used to me doing crazy things like this.
Send me your great ideas!
2 comments:
Susan - THanks for the reminder and I know you can do it - it will be awesome. I have a few ideas or stories that I can send you as I find them. We always get our christmas books out and read one every night in December - so much fun! =) Oh - and if I were in your family - you'd have to print out a black sheep for my face! lol.
I love your ideas. You are so creative. I want to try that too! Also, we are commanded to write in our journals, too, no? So no, you don't have to use your spare time only to read scriptures. You can, but you don't have to. You are doing something VERY productive by writing. I need to follow your example and write more.
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