This Could Be The Year
Remember this?
And this?
This streak may come to an end. I can't say for sure, but I am mentally closer to putting up a tree than I have ever been before.
I've talked about this before here, but Christmas, as in the season, is not something we make a huge deal about. We are Christians and we believe that each Sunday, when we gather with the Church, we celebrate the coming of Christ, his death and resurrection, and his imminent return. So the balance between participating in
the season, yet keeping proper focus is one that we will strive to acheive.
That being said, I am very into family traditions and I want to have many things throughout the year that our boys, and any other children the Lord gives us, can look forward to. And I'm thinking decorating a tree might just need to be one of those traditions.
And, obviously, I don't think there is anything wrong about paying special attention to the incarnation around this time of year so we may incorporate the Jesse Tree into our regular tree as well.
So watch for my first official "here's our Christmas tree!" post. It may or may not be coming soon.
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7 comments:
I see what you mean on both sides of it. I hate that I am so into the Christmas spirit that EVERYTHING in my house is decorated so that my children can "enjoy" the festivities and yet, I have to pop their hands every five minutes to keep them from eating an ornament. LOL. Sounds kinda silly..
We are not really 'holiday people' and really dont decorate more out of indifference than conviction, but this year I bought a pre-lit Christmas tree with colored lights. I figure every little kid needs to admire a cool christmas tree and nothing is cooler to a kid than a tree with *colored* lights! Its going to look a little over the top, but this the only holiday the kid gets so he might as well enjoy it. :)
Of course, the tree is still in the back of the car...
No tree for us this year. I am just not that into it right now. Eh.
If you get one, I am sure you will love looking at it every evening, it is pretty cool to see something so bright in the living room every night. Every time I turn on the lights, Alex gets so excited, as if he'd never seen it before. My cat, who has NEVER been outside, also loves to lay under our tree, I think that gets her "nature" fix in for the year :). The pine needles to vacuum up every morning are well worth the view I have at night. YOU CAN DO THIS!!!
Hey girl, hope you are doing well. I gave you a blog award!!
I can definitely see your side of it. It can be somewhat of a hassel to get the decorations down from the attic and to clean up and clear away other stuff to make room for what you get out, not to mention the cleanup.
But in regards to family traditions, in my family we made a special night of listening to Christmas music, drinking hot chocolate with a fire and putting up the Christmas decorations. We then read the Christmas story before heading to bed. This is such a cherished memory from my childhood, that I want to pass it along to my children. So I guess it's mainly what you consider worth it to start a tradition for your kiddos.
You ARE right in that the season needs to focus on Christ.
The Crowells actually celebrate Advent, which we separate from the secular holiday version of Christmas/Santa Clause, etc.
We have an advent wreath which we light in the four Sundays before the 25th and have a special service each Sunday night at home, dealng with the four attributes advent deals with, leading up to the celebration of Jesus's birth.
Then Christmas is celebrated where we exchange gifts to celebrate the gift of Jesus and our love for Him and each other..make sense?
also i think you should do a tree this year. Come on it will be fun.
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