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Christmas Memories
One of my most memorable Christmas's was the year I married my husband. We had talked about getting married on Christmas day but then decided against it. We did however get married a couple days later.
That was probably one of the best Christmas's we have had since we have been married. We were snowed in for several days that year. I specifically remember the smell of pine and the wood stove. It is a good memory.
I think that may have been the only truly peaceful Christmas we have had since we have been married.
A couple years later when our oldest son was born we purchased one of those small reusable Christmas trees, (which we used for a number of years by the way). My husband set up a train to go around the bottom of the tree, our son really liked that, he tried to catch it a few times, and then he just watched it. He was just getting so he could stand up at that time, he was still little.
Later that day we went visiting and then went riding. We used to go riding a lot. That is one thing that I always liked about Christmas is we would get out of the house, usually going to the mountains.
There is not so much traffic in the mountains as in the summer, in the areas we used to go.
Most every Christmas the one thing I always wanted was to have the house completely clean, neat and orderly, and a well stocked cabinet. But every year I have failed at what I had really wanted most. Although I tried and tried, often making myself sick in the process.
So finally after all these years I think I have figured out that I will never be able to have everything as clean and neat as I want it, or as organized. And the stress of trying to get everything perfect is just too tiring so I am not even going to try any more. Not with my house anyway.
I am however planning on helping others who are still at that stage in life where they are trying to make everything picture perfect. I think that by helping someone else reach their goal of a clean, neat and orderly home, I will in a way be able to give someone a sense of peace. Relieving at least one person of excess stress caused by being overwhelmed by "everything" that must be done "now", I believe will be more of a testimony to that person of the love of Christ than inviting that person over to dinner or anything else.
When someone is so focused on the things around them that have to be done, it causes them to lose focus on the important things in life. I know from experience. I was never able to really have company over because I was always cleaning or re-cleaning something that was messed up when I turned my back to do something else. (That is a very stressful way to live by the way).
But as I started to say I lost a great many years trying to make everything look pretty and nice, and make the perfect dinner with all the fixings and desserts, and all the rest, years that I will never be able to recapture.
So this year I am going to a friend's house with my children so we can help her to get as much straightened up and organized as possible. As she is overwhelmed at the moment, which makes every small problem seem larger than life itself.
The purpose of this is two-fold, one so that I can by example teach my children one of the meanings of
(Galatians 6:2 Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.)
When we know someone is overwhelmed for any reason and we have the ability to help that person I believe we should. When we could but don't instead resorting to gossiping I think that is a bad testimony for anyone who claims to be a Christian.
Due to various trials we have not yet been able to do all the things we would as a family like to be able to do. But maybe next year will be different.
Some things I would like to be able to do is allow my children to help me bake some cookies to take to the APC (abuse prevention center) shelter, and some to the homeless shelter also. I would also like to be able to make up several gift boxes to send to Pacific Garden Missions in Chicago, it is a homeless shelter that has been serving the homeless for many years. I am planning to make gift packages for this organization for next Christmas.
This past year my husband has been unemployed and we have went through all of our savings so there is very little I could do as far as buying anyone anything. I would like to but I can't. Not even for my own kids.
But really Christmas should not just be about receiving gifts, it should be about caring for others, helping others, and sometimes helping is helping someone who is overwhelmed get caught up on household chores.
With no current transportation it is not possible for our family to help in a soup kitchen but maybe one day we will be able to, just not this year.
I think Christmas is a good time of the year to look back on and reflect on the many blessings we in America have whether we are able to purchase for others or not. Or whether we even have a place to call home, America is a very blessed nation. Even the poorest amongst us could be considered rich in some places of this world. Plus in America we are free to think up any legal business and go into business and become millionaires if we really set our minds to it. Granted it will take some of us longer than others, but in America if you come up with the right business idea at the right time, and market yourself well then you may be able to work yourself out of the "poor house". That is not possible in all areas of the world.
Anyway, this Christmas will be very sad for two reasons, one this is the second year without our oldest son, as he was killed by a hit and run driver in May of 2007. Also our second oldest will not be home this year, because he has joined the military and has left this week for deployment training.
Meaning he will be in Iraq within the next few weeks. He won't be home for Christmas.
It is sad that so many changes have happened so quickly, I would never have guessed that 2006 would be the last year that my oldest son would be alive, that was the last year all of my children would be together and that to me is very sad.
Every Christmas I have wanted everything to be just right but it never was, so this year I am not even going to try to do anything. I am tired of trying. Maybe next year will be a better year.
I hope all of you have a great Christmas, and take time to reflect on your many blessings. And most of all remember that Christmas is the day that Christians choose to celebrate the birth of Christ. So if you can think of no other blessing in your life at the moment that is one, because if it were not for Christ no one would ever see heaven. If he had not been born in human form, we would all die with no hope. But now we don't have to do that, all we have to do is believe and confess with our mouths that Jesus Christ is Lord and we will be saved.
You can read that here in
Romans 10:9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
Christmas is or should be a day much like Thanksgiving a day to give thanks. A day to reflect on the many blessings we have even when are not able to do as much as we would like to do.
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