What DID Get Done for Christmas

 The stockings were hung, by the chimney with care, in hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there! Unless St. Nick is coming to our house… cause in the hectic I never managed to finish decorating the mantles at either fireplace.  When that jolly ole elf arrives tonight, he is going to have to dig the stockings out of my Christmas tote so he can fill them. 

 

But if Santa has been watching, here is what he has seen this week.  Cookies were made, decorated, and eaten with a lot of hard work, determination, and giggles.  Christmas cards were delivered to local friends with a smile and a few even got a hug (if you aren’t local I’m just hoping it arrives in the mail before the New Year).  Christmas movies were watched with sweet snuggles all around.  The older two proudly shopped and picked out their own gifts for their siblings and each parent (and so far have managed to keep secret what they got us!)  We have viewed fantastic Christmas light displays with awe and wonder, and washed/set aside the Christmas jammies everyone is going to wear tonight.  And while the surface looks like adventures, what we have really been doing this week is making memories, sharing joy, doing things for one another out of love, and celebrating the birth of our Savior.

 

 If you ask (a) every song that comes on the radio must either be “Joy to the World” or “Go Tell it on the Mountain.” He has memorized some Christmas verses this year and is happy to share them.  He and I work a lot together on scripture memorization (my feelings on the importance of that is a whole lesson in itself), but more than just memorization we talk a lot about context.  We were working on Luke 2:12, and the second day he wanted to try it all on his own before practicing it together.  He proudly announced “This is your clue.  There is a baby in a feed bunk!”  Traditional wording, not quite. Context- pretty spot on.  As (b) decorated Christmas cookies there was a candle sitting on the counter burning to fill the house with the smell of Christmas.  Before he ate his cookie, I caught him leaning over the candle singing “Happy Birthday.” Happy Birthday, Jesus has been a favorite Christmas takeaway for him at two years old.  I think they get it. 

 

Late on the night of the 23^rd I was trying to plan a special goodbye from their elf, Elfie (the story goes that he flies back to the North Pole on Christmas Eve, so the morning of the 24^th is the last time they go looking for him in the house.)  As I walked into the basement living room I couldn’t help but notice the way (a) had set up their little nativity scene.  Instead of posing it facing outward as we typically see, he had every person and animal gathered into a semicircle turned toward and focused on the Baby Jesus.  It melted my heart, and made me thankful.  I threw out my original plan and took Elfie to join the scene of those who stared adoringly at Jesus.

 

No, this Christmas I didn’t get it all done (case in point- the presents I haven’t even started wrapping yet), but we got a lot done.  A lot of the good stuff.  And that’s what Christmas is all about- giving adoration to the one who gave the best gift of all.  Remembering the promise he fulfilled, and thanking him for ALL the good gifts he gives us every single day (especially the three snuggled around me watching Christmas movies with tummies full of cookies).

 

Merry Christmas from my family and One Life Out Loud!!

 

“The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel, which means God with us.” Matthew 1:23

Making a List, Checking it Twice

 There’s a song about Santa making a list and checking it twice.  I don’t know if that is accurate or not for that guy, but man does it describe this mama right before Christmas!!

 

As a teacher, this is one of the craziest weeks of the year- I have made two Stuff-Mart runs already to make sure I have everything for our various parties, festivities, Grinch Day, crafts, Secret Santa gifts, and dress up days.  My family is having our first Christmas this weekend, so there is a checklist for that event that is totally separate.  There are still several gifts to buy for various people, Christmas cards that need to be sent out, cookies to make, and so many other things to do.  I’m always making a list, and checking it at least twice.  The list eases a lot of the “hustle and bustle” for me and makes things less stressful, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t busy and often chaotic making sure I have everything on the list. 

 

Yesterday was “Grinch Day” in my classroom- one of those days with a LONG list of things I needed.  And no matter what day it is at school things are hectic in our house in the mornings.  I was feeling fairly calm, but just trying to check the list twice to make sure everyone had everything they needed.  (b) and (lk) were dressed and ready and I was hoping they would both just play quietly for a few minutes while we made the finishing touches on our daily run out the door.  Note I said HOPING they would play quietly, that doesn’t happen real often for (b), he is usually in turbo drive, and often in doing so, crashes into his baby sister and causes all out chaos.  However, yesterday morning I looked from the kitchen to the living room to find him sitting in the floor with his sister, holding a Christmas book about the animals’ reaction to the nativity to her, and telling her over and over in his little two-year-old voice about “Baby Jesus! See Baby Jesus!”  It was one of the sweetest things I have ever seen.  And she was very intrigued by his story and kept smiling at him and trying to grab the pages.  In the middle of my hectic, I had to stop and take some pictures, and say a little prayer of thanksgiving for the sweet reminder.

 

No matter how many times I check my list this Christmas, may it never take my focus from the beautiful simplicity of what this season is all about.  “Baby Jesus! See Baby Jesus!”

 

“She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name, Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” Matthew 1:21

All is "Calm"

 I ordered our Christmas cards earlier this week, and had to giggle at myself when I finished the order and then reconsidered the card I had chosen.  One the front it says “All is calm and bright.” It was pretty, had a faith-based influence, and could fit several pictures on it- those were my criteria in choosing a card design.  However, after hitting order I had to laugh at the statement, because truthfully, there is NOTHING calm about our household right now (evidence in point- I’m publishing my blog a day late).  There is a lot of joy, a lot of fun, a lot of memories being made, and a lot of love shared, but there is nothing “calm.” Instead, there is squealing and cackling of laughter, often some arguing or shouting over a toy or stolen item of high interest at the moment, and lots of requests for food.  There is often someone running, crying, or desperately looking for their lost boot, belt, backpack, or favorite pair of jeans. 

 

Calm is not a word I would ever use to describe our home (or honestly any of our children for that matter), but I would say it is safe, it is a place that encourages faith, hard work, cooperation, communication, fun, and interaction with one another.  We don’t appear calm when we are having a kitchen dance party of worship music, but in that my heart is calm.  We don’t appear calm when the three of them are playing together and all laughing at the top of their lungs, but in that my heart is calm.  We don’t look calm as they boys cheer for rodeo on the TV or barrel through the basement on their stick horses together, but my heart is calm as I watch them doing things they love together.

Not a lot of calm when cowboy (b) is watching the National Finals Rodeo

 There is very little calm in our day to day chaos.  But when they all are asleep and quiet falls over the house, I find myself reflecting.  There must have been moments that first Christmas that didn’t feel so calm either.  The challenge of traveling extremely pregnant, finding no place to stay in a busy city packed with travelers, and realizing the baby is coming when you are not at home.  And when I consider it that way, I wonder if calm may not always be the appearance on the outside, but more a state of the heart.  That place when you realize that God is still in control, He still has a plan, He is still working things for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose, and He is still waiting for the invitation to pour His peace into your chaotic life.  Calm is knowing that I don’t know it all, can’t fix it all, and can’t do it all- but I know the one who can and turn to Him to sustain me. 

 

And so, if you see us “doin’ our thing” as a family, you may not see the appearance of calm, but maybe I can say “all is calm” as I know where my heart lies and who holds together all of our chaos.

 

“Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on Earth, peace to those on whom His favor rests.” Luke 2:14

Decorating Adjustments

 I say it every year, but it is always true, I love Christmas time.  The decorations, the songs, the foods, the special events, the movies and TV Christmas specials, the time spent with friends and family- I love it all.  But as I was decorating our home for Christmas this past weekend, I had to giggle at how much that process has changed over the past few years.  Sharing Christmas with our kiddos has brought a whole new spin on Christmas decorating. 

 

I have a beautiful, ceramic byzantine nativity scene.  And I haven’t set it up for four years.  Instead, our main nativity scene (I have several) is a plastic “Little People” brand nativity that was covered in sticky and had to be cleaned with baby wipes before I set it out.  There was a time I would have been horrified to decorate with a little plastic nativity, but now I set it out each year with joy.  It may not be as fancy, but it serves the purpose in an even better way.  You see our kids interact with it constantly which keeps us talking about the miracle of baby Jesus, how he was born in the stable, the shepherds to came to visit him, and the wisemen who brought gifts and worship.  While I will admit the constant play does lead to an occasional missing wiseman, and even one year baby Jesus himself disappeared for a couple days- the sticky fingerprints on the figures bring me joy to know that our kids are learning about and working to understand the truest meaning of Christmas.

I have always loved a big, beautiful tree covered in white lights and decorated with meaningful ornaments that represent our life and family.  Our kids however, also love to decorate the tree for Christmas and they prefer bold colors and most of the ornaments clumped together on 3 branches.  I struggled with this for a few years because I wanted to include (a) in the decorating process, but just couldn’t handle the finished product.  Last year we came up with a much better solution which is now thoroughly enjoyed by both boys, and their mama.  I purchased a six-foot tree that fit in their bedroom.  They picked out their own red lights to string on it and they are allowed to decorate it with their own ornaments however they would like.  I don’t step in and rearrange anything unless it is in danger of falling off and breaking.  They are so proud of their tree, and I am able to enjoy watching them decorate it (sometimes they even rearrange ornaments daily) without feeling any stress about how it looks.

There are many other traditions I have come to make adjustments on such as cookies that look more alien than snowman, pictures that are more precious than posed, listening to the same songs on repeat to practice for programs, and I know there will be many more through the years.  But I have learned to embrace these adjustments with joy- they won’t last forever and I will someday be desperately missing them. 

And my adjustments pale in comparison to the adjustments that were made on that first Christmas.  I can’t even imagine the humility of God taking on the limited form of a human baby.  I can’t fathom birthing one of my children in a stable because there was no place else for us to go and no one to attend to me but my husband.  I can only imagine how different it would be to share my baby for the first time with a group of strangers visiting instead of my friends and family.  But I will always give glory to God for making those adjustments- his perfect plan was far better than anything I might have considered.  And so, I will celebrate this season with joy and thankfulness, clumps of ornaments, crazy cookies, and a sticky plastic nativity- because our whole family is celebrating God’s best gift of all.