There is freedom in focusing on Christ...after all, He is the reason we celebrate Christmas! He enables us to find joy in those special things we associate with this season so that they don't become trappings. Eyes set on the Giver of Life are able to enjoy the season and not become enslaved to it. Bondage to Christmas is the antithesis of the holiday; it's falling into the enemy's trap and contrary to the whole reason Christ came. I cringe when I hear people talk about Christmas as something weary, complaining of all they have to do, and what little time they have. Seek the Lord, and live.
Here I am at one of my favorite places, with one of my favorite people:
My friend Liz and I were at church about two weeks ago, and I had to have a photo of her gorgeous dress. She makes all her own dresses, and they are works of art! Liz is well-known at Missio Dei church (and, I guess in our area) for her exquisite wardrobe. She uses her God-given talent to glorify Him and spread the joy of Christmas in a unique way.
The girls and I couldn't ignore this in school:
I was taken aback when I realized that the attack on Pearl Harbor happened seventy-five years ago this year. I remember when I was in high school, it had been "fifty years ago," which seemed like a long time. The "Greatest Generation" is rapidly being taken from us by time, which has to march on. We are blessed to have had them as our grandparents, and to have heard their stories. Soon our World War II veterans will be but a cherished memory. This sentence was our copywork for the day, which the girls carefully put into their notebooks.
Something we look forward to all year is baking gingerbread. This is not an activity to be hurried or crammed in between other events. There's the dough preparation, cutting out various shapes, baking the cookies, then finally the girls' favorite part: the decorating! I reserve several hours, and often an entire morning or afternoon for gingerbread. The fun and memories (as well as the finished product!) are well worth the time.
The girls had a blast and put hard work and time into these cookies. They are the folks at the racquet club where the girls practice tennis, and we took them right over as soon as they were ready. Notice the animals; these are the club dogs, Daisy and Dinho!
And you might guess who these are...the girls made cookies of themselves this year!
Our pastor recommended this book for Advent this year, and I'm enjoying spending time in it daily:
In addition to my usual reading of The Cloud of Witness (which begins daily readings during Advent and goes throughout the year), Bonhoeffer's selections provide profound growth during Advent. Each daily devotion takes only a few minutes to read, rich in ideas on which to meditate during the day. I like to read this in the morning and The Cloud at night.
Here is a note from today's reading in God is in the Manger:
"...look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near." Luke 21:28
I have written before about our church group that comes over every Tuesday. Our church serves several counties in western North Carolina, so we have people who go from near and far. During the week, groups meet in homes all over the area so that we can get to know those from the church who live close to us. Our group consists of thirteen adults and seven kids; the adults vary in age from twenty-five to forty-five, with some married, some engaged, some single, and some separated and standing for their marriages. We share a meal every week, then spend rich time in the Word and prayer.
We have come to love each individual in the group as we share our lives together. Life is messy, and our group is a safe place. People can share deeply or not. I have noticed that it never takes long for a newcomer to feel like a part of our group. We are brothers and sisters in Christ who sharpen each other and spur one another on, growing more confidence to know each other and be fully known.
This week, we decided to all provide appetizers and desserts, then we did a "white elephant" gift exchange with old stuff from our own homes that we didn't want anymore. One thing about our group: not only do we laugh and cry together...we EAT together! I wanted to make something special, but there was that time factor I mentioned earlier.
I decided to try an easy Pinterest bark recipe. The girls and I used one bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips, a bag of Andes mint chips (a seasonal item; can also crush regular Andes mints), and some crushed Kit-Kats. All we did was put foil on a shallow baking pan, dump and combine the chips and mints, and put them in the oven for two minutes at 325. Once they were slightly melted, we took them out and the girls swirled it with toothpicks while I drizzled the Kit-Kat pieces over the top. This process took a total of maybe five minutes. We placed the creation in the refrigerator for a half hour to harden, then I took it out and broke the sheet into pieces. Instant Christmas bark!
This will be a must for future Christmases because of its ease, and the little time it takes. The possibilities are endless: omit the mint chips and just do chocolate with drizzled bits of coconut and almond for the Almond Joy fans in your life, or use white chocolate instead and drizzle it with crushed candy canes. Broken Reese's peanut butter cups would make a yummy topping for a plain chocolate version, too.
Liz and Burney were first to arrive, and he was donning his own unparalleled creation:
This wins the Christmas sweater contest! Burney is a coffee roaster and spoils us with freshly roasted and brewed coffee every week. This time, as he went around the kitchen and dining room serving it, he jingled everywhere he went!
What a feast we had!!!!!! I love the foretaste of heaven, fellowshipping over the table with my brothers and sisters.
There was apple-cream cheese spread, regular cheese spread, ham croissants, a beautiful meat tray, pizza bites, biscuits and a veggie plate that arrived later, corn, ambrosia, Oreos and Nilla wafers, chocolate chip melt-aways, mini chocolate chip cookies and ice cream, candy canes, and the bark. Our group knows how to have a meal!
Until next time....focus on the real reason for Christmas, our Creator and Sustainer, the Giver of Life. Although He should not be overshadowed by anything, don't be afraid to receive the joy that this season brings in the form of fun things. It is our receiving with gladness and not guilt or tiredness that we prepare to receive Him, our greatest Gift.
MERRY CHRISTMAS
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