I mentioned a couple of posts ago that our family is doing Christmas a bit differently this year. Well, there are a lot of things that are different, actually.
First of all, we aren't exchanging gifts this year. There are many reasons for this, but let's focus on the main reason. Growing up, it didn't matter that my parents told me time and time again that Christmas was about Christ's birth. It didn't matter that we went to church every Christmas Eve to celebrate that fact, and I always sang a solo of Oh Holy Night. It didn't matter that we did things as a family to prepare ourselves for the celebration of Christ's birth. It didn't matter that we always adopted an "Angel Tree" family and helped deliver gifts to people in need - teaching us that Christmas was about Giving rather than getting, and that we should help out those that are less fortunate than ourselves. All of these things were amazing, and I give props to my parents for trying really hard to get the real reason of Christmas instilled into our little heads. But no matter how much they tried to emphasize Christ on Christmas, I still always looked forward to one thing - what I was getting on Christmas morning. That I was getting presents. From everyone. From Santa, from my parents, from my brothers and sisters, aunts and uncles, cousins, grandparents, etc. I gave all of these people gifts as well, but that wasn't exciting to me. It was the gifts I got that mattered. What can I say? I was selfish.
Neil says that growing up, leading up to Christmas, he was always thinking about what he was going to get on Christmas morning. He says that even as an adult, he would be more excited about what he was recieving than what he was giving.
So we started thinking about this. We wanted a change. Our hearts were changing, and we wanted to get rid of the baggage. And do we really want Bella growing up expecting gifts on Christmas morning as we did? No, we want more for her than that.
We want her to really, truly understand that the day we celebrate Christmas is totally focused on Christ. And the only way we can teach her that, is if we experience it for ourselves.
We no longer want the focus on ourselves (meaning everybody - people in general). we want the focus on Christ.
We want her to really, truly understand that the day we celebrate Christmas is totally focused on Christ. And the only way we can teach her that, is if we experience it for ourselves.
We no longer want the focus on ourselves (meaning everybody - people in general). we want the focus on Christ.
Many may argue that the wise men brought Jesus gifts. And they did-it's true. But that's just it - they brought Jesus gifts. Not Mary, not Joseph, not the Shepherds...it was HIS day - not Mary's day, or Joseph's day...you get the point. It was all about Christ. That He, and He alone is worthy of our praise.
So instead of giving each other gifts on His day, we want to give our hearts to Christ. How do we do that in a tangible way? Well, that's a good question, and we're still working on it. But I think it means being his hands and feet. Doing what we are called to do all year long - love. and love is an action. I've got some thoughts in my head that have been brewing for probably about 8 years...maybe I'll actually follow through this year.
So instead of giving each other gifts on His day, we want to give our hearts to Christ. How do we do that in a tangible way? Well, that's a good question, and we're still working on it. But I think it means being his hands and feet. Doing what we are called to do all year long - love. and love is an action. I've got some thoughts in my head that have been brewing for probably about 8 years...maybe I'll actually follow through this year.
In the meantime...here's some other stuff we're doing instead of gifts:
1. The Jesse Tree. Not a Christmas Tree, although from a distance it may look the same, simply because we're using what we already have. We set up our "Christmas" tree, put lights and an angel on it, but the rest is quite different. These are no ordinary ornaments, and the tree doesn't get decorated all at once. It started out just with lights. A day at a time we add an ornament to the tree - and our tree tells God's love story over the course of 4 weeks. Each ornament is decorated with a symbol that represents something in scripture. Starting in Genesis, and leading up to the birth of Christ, we read a passage of scripture every night, then Bella gets to put the appropriate ornament on the tree that represents what we read.examples: a mud-man for Adam, the ark and the rainbow for Noah, the burning bush and the 10 commandments for Moses, a harp for David... I love it.
2. Making a "Happy Birthday Jesus" cake, singing "happy birthday" and celebrating that it's His birthday.
3. Having family worship time. I'm taking my guitar to Texas, as my family has requested, and we're going to sing and praise the Lord together as a family.
4. Enjoying each other's company and soaking it all in.
So many times, we've noticed that when it comes to our family gatherings, we would all be talking and hanging out together, and then as soon as it became "open gifts" time, the conversations would cease and all attention is focused on the opening of gifts. How sad, when we don't get to see each other very often! So this year we are just enjoying one another and having good quality family time.
So many times, we've noticed that when it comes to our family gatherings, we would all be talking and hanging out together, and then as soon as it became "open gifts" time, the conversations would cease and all attention is focused on the opening of gifts. How sad, when we don't get to see each other very often! So this year we are just enjoying one another and having good quality family time.
5. Giving to charity. Somehow what we decided to do (not exchange gifts) with our immediate family (Neil, Bella, and I) had already started spreading to MY immediate family...which then started spreading to my mom's side of the family...
anyway, on my mom's side, we've decided to put together all the money that we would have spent on each other for gifts and give it to a charity. One person each year gets to choose what charity we give to.
anyway, on my mom's side, we've decided to put together all the money that we would have spent on each other for gifts and give it to a charity. One person each year gets to choose what charity we give to.
So I guess you could say that all those things my parents tried to instill in me as a kid really weren't a waste after all. It's just taken all of us a while to really "get it." I'm excited to see what this year holds. So far, it's amazing...and it's not even Christmas yet! I feel like I'm anticipating the coming of Christmas the way I'm supposed to for the first time ever. And I feel closer to my Savior because of it. What an amazing thing.
Bella and PopPop - again, smiling for the camera...
Posing in PopPop's Harley hat...
"Steering" a submarine at the Submarine Museum...
