Before I share this post I want to begin with my favorite Christmas verses that break my heart wide open.
Verses that put my heart and mind RIGHT where they should be this season (or any season).
Really read the words.
Lincoln Brewster – O Holy Night (Another Hallelujah)
O holy night! The stars are brightly shining
It is the night of our dear Saviour’s birth
Long lay the world in sin and error pining
‘Til He appeared and the soul felt its worth
The thrill of hope the weary world rejoices
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn
Fall on your knees! O hear the angel voices!
O night divine, O night when Christ was born
Truly He taught us to love one another
His law is love and His gospel is peace
Chains shall He break for the slave is our brother
And in His name all oppression shall cease
Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we
Let all of us praise His holy name
Christ is the Lord! O praise His Name forever
His power and glory evermore proclaim
His power and glory evermore proclaim
Hallelujah…
Fall on your knees! O hear the angel voices!
O night divine, O night when Christ was born
O night divine, O night, O night Divine
The older I get sometimes I am very aware that I don’t have the simple awe and excitement of Christmas I did as a child.
The whole Christmas season can go so fast and before we know it…it is gone.
This is obviously because I have a house to clean, bills to pay, laundry to do, groceries to buy etc.
Being a child is pretty sweet:-)
I have also figured out that when I slow down and focus on what this season is really about…my awe and excitement returns.
As an adult I have also figured out that I don’t like or react well to the busyness of any holiday.
So. I. Don’t.
We are nine days away from Christmas.
Nine days away from celebrating the birth of Christ.
Nine days away from being awoken by excited children ready to open their gifts.
Nine days away from eating way to much sugar and loving every moment of it.
Nine days away from a house of family (for some that is bliss and for others it is stressful).
Nine days away from the reality that unless you make it about more than the gifts…it is just about the gifts.
Nine days away from contentment or feeling that you didn’t get what you wanted and the next day you will go and get what you really wanted.
Nine days.
If you have gotten lost in the busyness you still have time.
You do.
You can choose right now to slow down, connect and make it about more than the gifts.
I don’t remember my mom being stressed out at Christmas.
My mom really tried to make it about Christ and the gifts were the extras.
I am grateful for a mother that taught her children how to be present in the holidays and I am getting better each year.
I have plenty of examples when I got off track.
Heck, when Jack was little we bought him so many gifts he was so tired of opening them that he started bawling.
In the early years of being a mom I was so concerned about it being perfect for my family that I lost sight of my family.
I have been more concerned about the house and keeping it clean than connecting with my guests.
I wanted to take a moment and just share some of my family’s favorite ways to make the Christmas season special.
{I would also love to hear how you make Christmas special within your own family}
I love this movie so much because it helped me to see Joseph in a completely new light.
I also LOVE Zechariah and Elizabeth in this movie.
Did you know that Zechariah means “The Lord has remembered”. LOVE!!!!
It has given us so many good discussions about judgement, shame and embarrassment that is still a problem with young girls pregnant today. Jesus would never shame them…He would love them.
One of our most special activities is to handout words of kindness.
I know it blesses us even more than it blesses them.
You can read about it HERE.
We have really enjoyed doing more acts of service this Christmas season.
I am wanting to make this something we are more active about throughout the year.
It has shown us over and over that to help others feels pretty wonderful.
Each year we do some kind of devotions during Advent.
I have come across different ones that we have enjoyed based upon the children’s ages.
The past two years we have loved THIS book.
You would think this would be a no brainer but I have had to make this choice over and over.
We say no to most Christmas parties, gift exchanges, cookies exchanges but they stress me out (maybe they don’t for you and that is great).
Instead of busyness of going out we really try to plan more movies, books, ice skating, cookie making, crafting with cousins and gift making.
Whatever slowing down looks like for you…I think you will like it.
The more we make not just this season but all seasons about Him…we will show more love and experience more peace.
When your focus is Christ this season your holiday will not just feel stressed, busy and empty.
Take time to “follow on your knees” and be awed by God coming to earth.
That is love.
That is Christ.
Love!
Merry Christmas!
You are deeply loved and appreciated.
Thank you for being a part of my life and allowing me to share my heart.
I will see you after Christmas.
Beautiful post! Merry Christmas to you and your sweet family!
So beautiful…God’s redemption, your heart, His love in and through us….eyes opened, needs met, grace poured out….just beautiful:-)
This is absolutely refreshing and I thank you for spreading the Goodnews. Merry Christmas…xoxo
I cannot listen to that song and not choke up and have tears come to my eyes. It is the same with The Star Spangled Banner. Thank you for reminding us to take a moment and reflect on the true meaning of Christmas.
Oh, this post is very meaningful to me.
“His law is love and His gospel is peace”…..I have to spend some time with that line today. I’m a little messed up today, this week, resenting most of what I have had to do to ‘get ready’ for Christmas. I think there’s some hope for me in that line.
Bless you! I appreciate your spirit!
Jeanne, thank you for the reminder of what Christmas is really about. I must admit that I got caught up in decorating (doing a lot of DIY and spending $ and time at Hobby Lobby and Michaels), socializing and trying to do too much. I finally realized that I need to reflect more on Christ and my family and friends. So I am slowing down, finding quiet moments to worship and pray and being more Christ like. Giving, serving brings me joy and honors Him.
O Holy Night is my favorite Christmas song. In fact I stenciled it on a burlap runner this year and placed it on our sideboard in front of our nativity. It is a constant reminder of what Christmas really is about. We are blessed to have Lincoln local. We go to a different church, but we attend the Christmas services at Bayside where Lincoln is the worship leader. We will be attending one of the services tomorrow night. It always helps me get focused on Christ and his birth.
Merry Christmas and may the hope of Christ be with us all.
Thank you for such a touching post about remembering what Christmas is all about. I was just discussing last night with a friend that I’m just not “feeling” Christmas this year…..The music is playing, the decorations are up, the packages are wrapped…..but I don’t have the Christmas spirit. Going through the motions does not help you to be a part of the real purpose of Christmas. It is so nice to read about what someone else is doing to not only promote the meaning of Christmas for herself, but also her family. I was just reading Miss Mustard Seed’s blog where she was showing off a bag that you made her (which was amazing, by the way) and thought I’d check out your blog…..I’m so glad that I did! Enjoy the rest of your holiday season, Jeanne!
I came across your blog by way of Miss Mustard Seed. I am so glad she directed us here. I enjoyed this post so much. You’ve no idea. Because our family has discussed these same things….that we need to slow down and make this celebration about what it is REALLY all about….the LOVE of God sent into the world for us! Oh what joy!! I can’t thank you enough from the bottom of my heart for sharing this with your readers.
May God bless you and your family this Christmas season as we celebrate God’s greatest gift to us all. Praise the name of Jesus!
I really like you. You stir up the good in people. Merry Christmas
Thank you, Jeanne.
Love this post Jeanne! What a sweet reminder! Merry Christmas!!
Beautiful! Merry Christmas! Lost both my parents this year, so I did a very simple Christmas all the way around and feel much less stressed. I plan to continue the ‘less is more’ trend in the coming year. Always so enjoy your blog, Jeanne! It’s one of my favorites!
The older I get, the harder it is to maintain that “magical” feeling that used to come with this season, when I was little.
The season tends to rush by faster and faster…my dad says it’s normal, but still, I don’t like it.
I want to savor each day of the Advent season…what a bummer that another season has rushed by!
Andy and I always have a business meeting before January 1 to think through the next year…..this year, we’re DEFINITELY making a plan for next December…something’s gotta give!
Duh! I even forgot to wish you and yours a MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!
I think this flu bug that bit our family has gotten the best of me. 🙁
We watched nativity story two nights before Christmas, and it is such a wonderful film. I also noticed recently that the actor who played Joseph is in the new folk music movie by the Coen brothers! 🙂 O Holy Night is my favorite too. Happy new year!