"Feeling" Christmas 2010

The weeks leading up to Christmas were so busy that I didn't get to enjoy the true spirit of Christmas. I enjoyed all the activities and the time I had with my family but it was too busy to really "feel" Christmas. We did get to get away the weekend before Christmas. We went to Texas to camp and fish. We stayed in a one room cabin right on the water. I got up and fished in my pajamas. One day we took the boys to an indoor water park and then one evening we rode The Polar Express. After the Polar Express we needed to eat. It was late and most restaurants were closed. As Daniel and I were tired and couldn't decide on a place and who was going to make the decision, we pass by a place called The Purple Pig. I thought Daniel was crazy for pulling into the parking lot. As we went in it was obviously a place we wouldn't normally eat at. As we looked at the menu we saw a few familiar items. I had to ask our waitress were the name Purple Pig came from. She explained it came from their specialty: a pulled pork sandwich topped with purple coleslaw. So I ordered one. OMGoodness!!! It was so good! We had the best time in that restaurant and even saw a real "Santa." But he worked there and was not dressed in his red suit. Christmas Camping and Fishing Trip Pictures

Then it was time to head back home. I was sad the trip was over and back to thinking about buying more presents. I was so tired of shopping and spending money. I have never been tired of spending money but I was ready to slow down and bake and enjoy Christmas with my family.

I did finally get to cook cookies with my boys. The days leading up to Christmas we baked at my mom and dad's house. My mom had stacks of groceries ready for baking. I have pictures of all of us baking Fruitcake Cookies. We made so many that I am still eating them. My grandmother use to bake these so it was special getting to cook these with my mom.
Pictures of us making fruitcake cookies.

I also enjoyed and "felt" Christmas at the Christmas Eve candlelight service at church. But that feeling didn't last long. My parents rode with us to church so we could all go enjoy Christmas lights together. So after the church service we drove around town and looked at Christmas lights. Well the looking at lights was not magical. The boys were tired and fussy and really just wanted to be at home. The expectations of the night were not met. But things began to look up when we got home.
We made cookies for Santa at our house when we got home. The cookies were made from cookie mix that Kevin bought at his school bake sale. I sent Christopher and Kevin to school with $5 each to buy something at the bake sale. Christopher came home with Tiger Butter (yummy!!! Our family loves Tiger Butter) and Kevin came home with mix to make your own baked goods. He told me he bought the mix because he wanted to bake with me. He melted my heart. So we saved the mix and made the cookies for Santa. We even made icing and decorated them. Then we put them on a special Santa plate and gave him milk and diet coke. We gave him a choice. He got diet coke because Kevin said he was getting too fat!

Then it was time for everyone to go to bed so Santa could get to work and come visit us. Poor Santa had a hard time delivering to our house. Christopher is a sleep walker. He came walking in a couple of times. One time he started to head upstairs. As we stopped him and asked where he was going, he replied, "I am going to go write Santa a letter." We finally go him back in bed but Kevin then woke up trying to see what was going on. The it was Andrew's turn to "get a drink". Then Kevin woke up again and decided he would wake Christopher up to go see if Santa had been here yet. It was an interesting night. I think Santa was a little off schedule after his delivery to our house. But the next morning was a joy. The boys had a great time opening presents. We read from the our Advent Devotional book and lit the candles on the Advent Wreath. We had Christmas dinner at our house with my parents and Daniel's dad. The day flew by!!! Christmas Pictures

Even though the day was enjoyable I didn't "feel" that special feeling of true Christmas joy. But how fitting it was for the day after Christmas to be on a Sunday. We woke up and went to church. To be honest, I was so tired and having a hard time getting up. Daniel had to drag me out of bed. I almost didn't go. I am so thankful that I did. The craziness of Christmas was over and I could sit and relax and "feel" God's presence. And I did!!! Sunday School was absolutely perfect. God was really speaking to my heart. And then it was time for "Big Church" or as some may call it Worship Service. We usually sit in the balcony in the same place on the left side in the front. Something was a little different this time.

There was a man on the very front row of the balcony. He was wearing torn bluejeans and a camouflage shirt. He had long messed up hair and you could tell he had not shaved. He was actually a very nice looking young man when you looked past the roughness. However, I was not able to see all of this at first. For most of the service he was bent over in a prayer position with his eyes closed. At one point Christopher leaned over and asked me what he was doing. As I sang songs and prayed at prayer time, this young man was in my eye sight. What was he doing? Was he even awake? Then someone in my Sunday School class went down and sat next to him and began talking to him. Then this unknown man went back to the prayer position. What was his story? Then it was time for the message. Wow! What a message! It was about the true meaning of Christmas.

Now that our minds were off of the craziness of Christmas we could really open our hearts and hear what Christmas is really about. As I listened and "felt" this message I couldn't stop wondering what that man's story was. Then it was time for offering. This rough looking not so put together man pulled out his wallet and gave everything that was in it. Who is this man?

And by the way . . . the message was about climbing into the pit with someone that has fallen. Wow! On that very day, one of my Sunday School members climbed into the pit with that unknown man to see if he needed help to getting out. It made me think. Do I have the courage to climb into a pit with someone else? 

The message continued. . . if you've been in the pit already, you know the way out of the pit and can get the fallen out. And many of you know, someone threw Daniel and I in a pit the last several years. I do know that the only way out is through Jesus Christ! He has pulled us out of many pits! Christ jumped in that pit with us and gave us peace, comfort, hope and strength that we couldn't have gotten anywhere else. I still today do not know that man's story and probably will not but he helped me not only hear the message but "feel" the message! I am kind of glad Christmas is over and I now have time to "feel" the real meaning of Christmas.

Then the message was over. I may never know that man and his story but he truly blessed me on the Day After Christmas. I stopped thinking of myself and started remembering all those lost people out there who have a story. And I don't know there stories or how they spent their Christmas day. People are going through so much these days. I just hope they have the courage that that man had. It took courage to come to church dressed the way he was and search for something. You could tell this was a man bothered by something. I will probably remember this man for awhile (I hope I never forget him) as I continue to pray for him and remember all those people out there that need prayer for hope, strength, peace and love! It's not about me and my expectations. It's about loving others and putting others before myself. My human sinful nature doesn't want me to remember that. Now that we have slowed down and I am home with the boys playing and enjoying them. I am trying not to let my sinful nature take over and lose that "feeling".

We have slowed down and it is so nice. Kevin told me tonight that he is glad that he is the baby of the family. He said, "It is pretty special to be me." He was trying to tell me that he is special and that being the baby wasn't so bad. One special time we have together is in the morning when the other boys are still sleeping. We get to lay in bed and watch TV. On school days he starts the mornings off by coming to our bed. We have a little snuggle time before the craziness of getting out the door begins. He has also started reading so he likes to bring me books in bed and read.

I hope you are now slowing down too and enjoying the Birth of Christ. Every day should be about the true meaning of Christmas! Merry Christmas! Without the birth of Christ, how would we get out of our pits?