Sometimes you have no idea that God is at work. Sometimes you have no doubt. This Christmas season happens to be a time of "no doubt" for me. My typical Christmas is plagued with stress (me and who else?) and just a ton of baggage from holidays past. I get wrapped up in doing the shopping (which I hate) to do the giving (which is important to me.) I desperately want to observe the miracle of Christ in Christmas, but always feel like I've done my savior a great disservice by the end of December.
There isn't one magic thing that has made this year different. However, there are a few notable things.
1. We decided to forego the stack of presents at home under our tree. We were due for a new t.v.--we had a 10 year-old 13-inch and a 15 year-old 19-inch. So, we purchased a family gift for ourselves...a modest, but new flatscreen t.v. Each of the kids will have one package with a toy and their stockings. Wow, does this simplify my life!
2. I changed my decorations. This is silly, but I've always used a hodge-podge of sentimental stuff to change the house over to it's "Christmas look" and it drove me crazy. I couldn't wait to get the trimmings down because it felt so cluttered. This time, I left a lot of things packed. Instead, I did a few inexpensive crafty projects...Christmas bulb bud vases, a color-coordinated tree, runners with colorful fabrics. Everything goes with everything else and my living room looks like a 3-D scrapbook page. I'm just so tickled with it that it's fun to just sit on the couch and take it in. It has improved my holiday spirit.
3. We planned a party.
There isn't one magic thing that has made this year different. However, there are a few notable things.
1. We decided to forego the stack of presents at home under our tree. We were due for a new t.v.--we had a 10 year-old 13-inch and a 15 year-old 19-inch. So, we purchased a family gift for ourselves...a modest, but new flatscreen t.v. Each of the kids will have one package with a toy and their stockings. Wow, does this simplify my life!
2. I changed my decorations. This is silly, but I've always used a hodge-podge of sentimental stuff to change the house over to it's "Christmas look" and it drove me crazy. I couldn't wait to get the trimmings down because it felt so cluttered. This time, I left a lot of things packed. Instead, I did a few inexpensive crafty projects...Christmas bulb bud vases, a color-coordinated tree, runners with colorful fabrics. Everything goes with everything else and my living room looks like a 3-D scrapbook page. I'm just so tickled with it that it's fun to just sit on the couch and take it in. It has improved my holiday spirit.
3. We planned a party.
Yesterday evening, we had a gathering for the "Bodybuilders" (adult ministries group from church.) Our whole family pulled together to make preparations...baking, decorating, cleaning. Katie kept saying, "This is going to be the best day of my life!" Everything was crazy in our little house, but it was wonderful. The pile of food only compared to the pile of shoes at the door and the pile of coats on the bed. There were 19 adults and 12 kids by my count. It was a very merry Christmas party.
4. Mark and I sang together in church. Two years ago, against my better judgement, I agreed to sing a song with him at my home church up north. I was terrified...When it came time to perform, I could not hit the notes that we had practiced endlessly. After the song, Mark apologized to me, but I didn't know why. Then, he guiltily told me that he had forgotten to move the capo on the guitar and had played the song in the wrong key! I laughed so hard! I was just glad it was over. When the service was over, the pastor's wife came up to me and apologized. This was getting confusing. Once the story was told, I learned that my microphone was never on! What a funny way for God to intervene. Well, we tried it again. The song was "Strange Way to Save the World" and we performed it at our own church this time. God allowed me to approach it with such calm and the song went very well. It's almost anticlimactic, but I'll take this ending to the story any day!
Granted, I still need to make it through holiday travels and Christmas proper, but I have so much peace that I can only thank the Lord for calming my heart. I have received a very precious gift this Christmas.
4. Mark and I sang together in church. Two years ago, against my better judgement, I agreed to sing a song with him at my home church up north. I was terrified...When it came time to perform, I could not hit the notes that we had practiced endlessly. After the song, Mark apologized to me, but I didn't know why. Then, he guiltily told me that he had forgotten to move the capo on the guitar and had played the song in the wrong key! I laughed so hard! I was just glad it was over. When the service was over, the pastor's wife came up to me and apologized. This was getting confusing. Once the story was told, I learned that my microphone was never on! What a funny way for God to intervene. Well, we tried it again. The song was "Strange Way to Save the World" and we performed it at our own church this time. God allowed me to approach it with such calm and the song went very well. It's almost anticlimactic, but I'll take this ending to the story any day!
Granted, I still need to make it through holiday travels and Christmas proper, but I have so much peace that I can only thank the Lord for calming my heart. I have received a very precious gift this Christmas.
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1 comment:
Thanks for that reminder, I really needed it today! Merry Christmas to you and your family.
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