This is last weeks assignment for Blogger Friend. I'm running a bit behind. I put this one off because it seemd like it would take a lot of thought.
1. Share your family traditions for Christmas and/or Advent:
When my husband and I got married we had very little money and no Christmas decorations, so that first Christmas together we made a few homemade decorations. That was 18 years ago and the tradition stayed with us. Every year we make something , sometimes it's only something small but it's the time spent together as a family that counts.
A few years ago we added something new...making a gingerbread house. The children enjoy it so much that I think that it's a tradition that will stay with us.
We also have an annual Christmas decoration party. Each year I choose a date and mark it on the calendar to be set aside for the party. On that day the children and I pull out all the boxes of decorations and get the house prettied up, while snacking on things like popcorn, cheeseball and crackers, olives and more and drinking eggnog ,etc...but we don't do the tree until Daddy gets home. When he arrives the tree decorating can begin. From the time our oldest son (16yo) was tiny, it has been his job to help his daddy put the lights on the tree. They do that first and then we all add ornaments. I am always the one to add an angel to the top. After we finish decorating we all sit around in the dark with only the twinkle lights on and enjoy our finished work. We usually have a cup of hot chocolate to finish the day.
Another tradition is our advent calendar. It has a picture of Bethlehem and lots of little doors and windows to be opened, one each day. It has an accompanying story book. We read out of that each night before bed.
On Christmas morning we have a tradition of eating boxed cereal! This may sound strange to some people, but for most of the year we eat wholesome cooked cereal, pancakes, eggs etc for breakfast. We very rarely eat boxed cold cereals. On Christmas eve I get out a large basket and fill it full of small single serving boxes of cereal and nuts (like walnuts) and I set it on the table, ready for breakfast. This makes a quick and easy eat and cleanup the next morning.We have other traditions that I haven't listed here but for sake of time I'll stop here.
2. List 10 ways that you can prepare for the season
This one is a hard one for me...
1. More Prayer
2. More Bible reading
3. Make lists of gifts for kiddoes and relatives
4. Mark the calendar with all upcoming events and choose some family days
5. Begin purchasing extra food items now (this helps keep us from having too much of a budget strain all at once)
6. Begin purchasing gifts and checking them off the list
7. Schedule a day for Samaritan shoe box shopping (another fun tradition in our house...each child makes a box for a child with things that they would like)
8. Start addressing cards.
9. Get a picture of the children ready to go into the cards.(Yes, dear relatives, you will be getting a picture! Yea for me!)
10. Schedule a day to have another family over to enjoy a cozy winter meal with us (as I'm typing this it's 81 degrees outside :-/)
3. Post a Scripture that will help you "get into the spirit"
Luke 2: 10-14
Then the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people.
For there is born to you this day in the city of David a savior, who is Christ the Lord.
And this will be a sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger."
And suddenly there was with the angela multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying:
"Glory to God in the highest,
And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!"
Oh, I just love that scripture! Just think about the meaning of this...Joy to all people!
and just imagine hearing the multitude of heavenly host saying "glory to God and speaking peace and goodwill toward men! This really helps me get into the spirit of the season. I would like to add here how awesome I think it is to hear wonderful old hymns and songs procaliming Jesus birth and the joy He brings being played on radio stations all during December...gives me chill bumps and smiles :-).... God is great! |
