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Monday, December 3, 2012

It's Beginning to Look alot Like Christmas...

I was recently talking to a friend of mine,
who was trying to decide if she was going
to put any Christmas decorations up this Year.

After recounting of her experience of a few years
prior when her family had chosen to eliminate
all the "Glitz & Glam" from the Season- she
boldly declared that the Christmas they spent
with no decorations, no trees, not Hype-
was their most SPIRITUAL, PEACEFUL
& JOYOUS that their family had ever known.

I considered her thoughts and her comments.
I have actually heard others declare the same
experience and I can honestly admit that I have
been tempted to downsize our Holiday activities
in an effort to enjoy "The Reason for the Season".
As I was doing the holiday decorating in our home,
I had these thoughts in mind.

Our First Tradition of the Holiday Season is
the Annual Decorating of our HOME, which
happens faithfully the day after Turkey Day!!

I do NOT participate in Black Friday shopping in
any way- instead our family spends the Friday
after Thanksgiving putting our Trees up and
decorating the house. I get the decorations up
and the house cleaned in that one day.

I LOVE THIS TRADITION!!!! And I take it very
seriously, usually rising early and finally falling
to my bed exhausted late that night.
The Sunday after Thanksgiving, we enjoy the
Lighting Ceremony, as all the household lights
are turned off and only the Christmas lights shine.
As we walk around the house enjoying the beauty
of the house glowing only in Christmas Light,
a wonderful and peaceful spirit enters our home and
returns each night as over head lights are replaced
with the lighting from the trees, mantles and banisters.


This year, as I put my decorations up,
I kept thinking of my friends comments-
Have I allowed commercialism to crowd out the
Birth of my Savior?

Have I lost focus on Charity, Kindness and Love?

Do I let the hustle and bustle of the Season
crowd out the quiet, peaceful truth that I have a
Savior born to show me life and bring me safely
back home to Him?

As I walked around my home Friday after all
the decorations were up and the house was
cleaned up, I very confidently declared that
this is years decor had created the best
Christmas House we have ever had!!

AND...
I tearfully realized that throughout my home
& within every aspect of my Holiday Decor
I showed GRATITUDE for the life I have been given,
the people who have walked by my side as friends
& chosen family and the places we have lived!
Almost EVERY single ornament on each of three
trees is homemade by myself or some of my
dearest friends-
I literally cannot put an ornament on my tree
without being flooded with fond memories
of someone in my life!

Every night when the Christmas Lights go on,
and we join together for Prayer and Scriptures,
I show my children that in our home, we CHOOSE
to FOLLOW the LIGHT of our Savior-
not just at this time of year, but ALL year long!

Year after Year, when we embark on the same
Holiday Traditions as each year before,
I make a statement that my FAMILY is the
greatest blessing I have been given and whatever
the effort or the cost- I will keep them close,
safe and bare them my testimony of gift that
became ours in a little manger in Bethlehem.

I think our home is beautiful all year round-
but when I decorate nooks, crannies and corners
with Holiday Decor, I show that there is something
more BEAUTIFUL and SPECIAL this
time of the Year! This outward manifestation
is a symbol of the change that takes place in our
hearts and actions this time of year!

We have a traveling Star that is shared each day
in our home by someone offering service to
another-
this Star is a symbol of what the wise men
saw- and chose to follow- in order to find
baby Jesus. His life was filled with as many
small acts of love as miracles performed.
Our Star, allows my children to not only enjoy
being the RECIPIENT of kindness-
but also to enjoy the Pure Joy of GIVING
KINDNESS, LOVE & CHARITY!

I think it is very easy this time of year
to over do, under enjoy and really
lose focus-
But I cannot imagine Christmas without the
beauty all around-
the lights,
the trees,
the ornaments and
the Holiday Decor-

I see the true meaning of Christmas
in every thing I see-

They say "Wise Men Still Seek Him",
Wishing you the joy to not only Seek,
but to FIND Him this Holiday Season!