Today I woke up and thought to myself, "I don't want to put up a Christmas tree this year." I'm struggling with the "holiday spirit" thing. I know I need to recognize Christmas. My family expects a certain amount of Christmas around our house. Maybe I'm just tired from all the house repairs and work to organize and re-organize the house a tree came into it from hurricane Irene. Maybe I'm just broke because the economy is in the toilet and I've spent all my extra cash on everything the insurance wouldn't pay for. Like all the trees that DIDN'T hit my house, but are laying in my back yard and front yard. Maybe it's because I've found a Bible study group I like and I'm making an effort to do things the way I think Jesus would like them done. You can see, my list of excuses run from completely selfish to altruistic.
I heard about the Shoebox Project being done by Samaritan's Purse. (click the link) I think this looks like a good way to get me into the Christmas spirit. I have to have my box done by November 20th for it to get to my child by Christmas. You may have more time, but I don't know where you are when you are reading this. Check the link, it has drop-off places and times. I want to thank God for waking me up this morning with such a Ebenezer Scrooge-like attitude, bah hum-bug Christmas. I also would like to thank him for reminding me it is much better to give than to receive. I'm going to do three shoeboxes. One from each member of my family. I won't force the others to join me in the making, but I'll ask them if they'd like to participate. Maybe they need help getting in the Christmas spirit, too. I watched this YouTube video on making the boxes.
Just thinking about participating in this project is warming my heart. Maybe I will put up a Christmas tree this year. And, maybe some lights on the outside of the house would look festive. I may have to draw the line at cookie baking. Baking, *sigh*, that is a lot of work...
I've read all the blog complaining about Christmas coming too early and too much commercialism. But, click on the links and watch the video. I'm going to share the love of Christ by giving to a child on Christmas this year. This is the first way I'm going to do Christmas differently this year. Check back with me and see what other ways I find to put Jesus back in my Christmas. Feel free to share any of your Christmas ideas with me. I'd love to hear how your family traditions keep Jesus in Christmas.
Linked with Emily at Imperfect Prose
I heard about the Shoebox Project being done by Samaritan's Purse. (click the link) I think this looks like a good way to get me into the Christmas spirit. I have to have my box done by November 20th for it to get to my child by Christmas. You may have more time, but I don't know where you are when you are reading this. Check the link, it has drop-off places and times. I want to thank God for waking me up this morning with such a Ebenezer Scrooge-like attitude, bah hum-bug Christmas. I also would like to thank him for reminding me it is much better to give than to receive. I'm going to do three shoeboxes. One from each member of my family. I won't force the others to join me in the making, but I'll ask them if they'd like to participate. Maybe they need help getting in the Christmas spirit, too. I watched this YouTube video on making the boxes.
Just thinking about participating in this project is warming my heart. Maybe I will put up a Christmas tree this year. And, maybe some lights on the outside of the house would look festive. I may have to draw the line at cookie baking. Baking, *sigh*, that is a lot of work...
I've read all the blog complaining about Christmas coming too early and too much commercialism. But, click on the links and watch the video. I'm going to share the love of Christ by giving to a child on Christmas this year. This is the first way I'm going to do Christmas differently this year. Check back with me and see what other ways I find to put Jesus back in my Christmas. Feel free to share any of your Christmas ideas with me. I'd love to hear how your family traditions keep Jesus in Christmas.
Linked with Emily at Imperfect Prose
Making the boxes sounds great... although a little sad you have to do it so far ahead of time and can't send them on Christmas Eve or something symbolic like that.
ReplyDeleteI'm definitely not ready for Christmas. Nor to start thinking about it. At all. Good on you for at least giving it a passing thought! ;)
I love a Christmas Eve candlelight service. I used to think it disruptive, but now I wouldn't miss it.
ReplyDeleteAs I was reading your post, I was thinking to myself: awwww...I want to send Evie some cookies for Christmas; shipping wouldn't even cost very much considering she's just a couple hours away.
Then I remembered that Evie isn't really your name: that you're writing under an alias. BUT. If you feel brave enough to e-mail me your real name and real address, I'll totally ship you some cookies. And I won't tell anyone your real name. And, no, this isn't just a ploy to find out your real name, because I rather like the ones I make up for you. I amuse myself in trying to trick others into thinking I know your real name when they don't. I keep waiting for someone to call you by a name I've made up for you.
But anyway. Seriously. Christmas cookies. I would love to ship you some.
Please pray for Clementine, today. She stuck a foreign object in her ear, and the pediatrician couldn't extract it. So we're off to the ENT specialist at 2:50. Thanks.
I do something similar through my church every Christmas - I give money to support our "Caring Tree" in which items are collected for needy families in our area.
ReplyDeleteThere was a time when I dreaded Christmas - my ex-husband LOVED it and put massive energy into decorating a carefully chosen huge tree so that it was show stopping. Then we had to put the decorations back in the box perfectly. :) The first year we were separated, I just tossed them in a box and let them tangle.
After that year, I didn't put up a tree for a time. But now I have a tiny fake one that I bought on sale at the drugstore after Christmas and put it in my pass through between the kitchen and dining room. It has one strand of white lights just draped on and all homemade ornaments that I have been given. I love my front door wreath with its white lights. And I love listening to my CD of The Chieftans "The Bells of Dublin." I adore it and have listened to it about a million times. And I'm with you, my friend, not into baking. :)
What a wonderful idea. So inspiring. I'm on a similar search for more "Jesus" in our holiday.
ReplyDeleteAmen to focusing/putting Jesus back into Christmas! Our family is trying and learning every year what that should look like, feel like and be like! We too did the shoe boxes, four, one for each of us! (See great minds think alike!) It was very satisfiying! The girls got to pick for kids their age and my hubby and I bought for older kids. Another amazing organization is Gospel for Asia - www.gfa.org ALL the money you send goes to the people AND the make it a priority to spread the gospel. Check out their Christmas cataloge, where you can buy things like goats, chicken, dig wells, and more for families - it's very neat. Anyways - I apprecaite that you are trying to change how you do Christmas - I'll be praying for both of us! :)
ReplyDeletePS> and if we lived closer, I would totally bake some goodies for you! :)
nice...we do shoeboxes every year as well...it is cool to know that you can give christmas to a child that may not otherwise have one...
ReplyDeleteWe've done everything from light one candle every night for 7 nights on a Menora (someone gave me as a gift) while telling a part of the Christmas story each night, ... to encouraging our kids to give a "gift" to Jesus (wrapping it up and putting "whatever" under the tree and all), ... to doing the shoeboxes, ... to this year we've adopted a Compassion child. Maybe we can do something special for her in honor of Christ and Christmas this year! Thanks for getting my creative juices flowing! :)
ReplyDeleteI love Operation Christmas Child! Of course, I'm one of those annoying people who thinks about Christmas all year long. Doing gives me time to do the things I really want to do--like pack a shoebox. There are times and seasons for celebrating Christmas in different ways. Remember Little Women? The year they had no presents because Father was off to war? Sounds like Hurricane Irene declared war on your home! Some of the years, when I haven't had the emotional energy to "do Christmas," were the sweetest. Those were years I could simply receive it as a gift. Looking forward to your posts.
ReplyDeletewe love this too...and to be honest, my kids are always the ones who make sure we get it done. those small folk are good for me (what the world am i going to do when they grow up and leave?). :)
ReplyDeleteyou're the best. i love how open you are. although i can't imagine christmas without a christmas tree :) i've already got garland up and lights and the works. :) aiden and did the shoebox thing this year too... it's wonderful. it's what the season is all about...
ReplyDeleteI hear you and every year I wish I could make Christmas simplier and more what it's supposed to be. Thanks for the reminder about keeping the spirit of Christmas centered around His birth and why He came.
ReplyDeleteHave you heard of the Advent Conspiracy? It was started by the pastors at the church we used to go to. Here is a promo video. I think you'll like it!
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eVqqj1v-ZBU
I have heard of this. I'm not a fan of giving money to organizations that say they will do things, especially in Africa. Often that money gets moved to the very people oppressing the people you are trying to help. There is so much corruption in the world. The shoeboxes we did were in lieu of a present to each other in our family. So I will be spending less on ourselves and our loved ones and more to serve those in need. Thanks for the link.
ReplyDeleteNext year I'm going to ask my brothers if they would like me to do a shoebox for them instead of a gift To them. :)
It's so good to hear about others doing for others. :)
ReplyDeleteYou will probably be tired, like I am. Then you will look for ways to make Christmas special. :)
ReplyDeleteI love your reference to Little Women. I love that book. I'm thinking my next project will be... I don't want to spoil the surprise. :)
ReplyDeleteI think the idea of telling the Christmas story is a wonderful idea. I like the idea of investigating how others celebrate is good, too. :)
ReplyDeleteIt was a lot of fun.
ReplyDeleteThis looks great. I'm going to have to speak to the fam about this. Thanks :)
ReplyDeleteKeep reading me and find out what I do. :)
ReplyDeleteChristmas can be tied up with so many memories, good and bad. I have my share of memories from Christmases past I'd like to erase. I LOVE "the bells of dublin" I will probably make some cookies as gifts for co-workers, but that's IT. I don't want those darn things around the house. :)
ReplyDeleteI'm going to have to find me a Christmas Eve service to attend. I am so glad your little girl is pink flower free. What an ordeal. Kids are so much fun, aren't they? :)
ReplyDeleteI am committed to making this year's Christmas different. :)
ReplyDeleteChristmas is the off-shoot of a history of giving that goes back to when God gave us His son. I guess I "believe" that by giving in love, looking into hearts we are practicing giving, maybe not as BIG as God giving us Jesus - but not a perfectly, unselfishly done, but to me Christmas giving, each gift, symbolizes that Holy gift, even if it is a jeep to a 4 year old, or an Ipod to an 18 year old - it works out that giving spirit in us:)
ReplyDeleteI'm writing a book about our 12 Days of Christmas Project that we've done every year for 20 years...a simple way to give to a needy or special family that costs very little. I'll be blogging about it over the holidays. Hope to get the book published by next Christmas. I've been perusing posts on your blog and really enjoy it.
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