Christmas Memories

Our waiting is finished!

Thomas and Sarah creating our traditional
Gingerbread Houses on Christmas Eve

Finishing touches...

We celebrated our Christmas Eve by candle-light.

Sarah dressed in her new Christmas Dress
given by her Grandma and Grandpa Coose

Five candles lit...

Hope, Peace, Joy, Love and the most important Christ!

We read the story of Christ and of His saving grace...

Grandma and Grandpa Coose
Sarah and Thomas listening to our Christmas Devotional

We silently remembered that night long ago...
when there was no room in the Inn.

We we sang and praised the birth of Christ!

Uncle Jonathan and Sarah playing Silent Night

The children awoke the next morning with glee and anticipation...

Thomas and Sarah opening their stockings!

This day is a day of celebration!

The children received an abundance of gifts
from loved ones and friends...
we feel very blessed to have such
love and generosity shown to us in our lives...


A particularly special gift of love from Mommy and Daddy,
a new horse bridal for Sarah...

and for Thomas... a Train!

A Very Merry Christmas...

Advent, A Time of Waiting

Advent is waiting; a contemplative heart preparation; a looking forward to; a longing for the coming day of the Messiah.

As we celebrate Advent this week, we light the candles of Hope, Peace and Joy...

Throughout the month we have been studying the history and heritage of Christ and the people of Israel. In the time before Christ was born, the Jewish people were suffering under the harsh burden of Caesar. Yet, they dwelt in Hope... knowing that there was a promise of a Messiah who would deliver them. Many believed and waited and shared their Hope with their children Joyfully... it was their tradition to tell the stories of the history of their people (many can be found in the Old Testament) to keep their Faith alive...


In the same way, this is the reason we celebrate Christmas... it is a time to share our Hope and the reason for our Joy, with our children... One day, Peace will reign on this earth. Our Messiah will return...this baby that was born to be a King... not only for the rich and mighty... but a king for the poor and humble, will come again!

This is truly a Gift to be treasured and waited for.

"For unto us a child is born, to us a son is given,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
And He will be called Wonderful Counselor,
Almighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Of the increase of his governments and peace
there will be no end..."

Isaiah 9:6-7a

Let It Snow...

What do little boys do at the first sight of snow?

They become giddy with joy and
must go out and experience it first hand!

Thomas enjoying our first day of snow...

What do Mothers do to help warm little hands???

Have lots of Hot Chocolate on hand!

Seeing Through A Child's Eyes

This weekend I was unpacking our Christmas boxes with my son. Actually, Thomas excitedly unpacked the boxes and I contained the clutter as paper was flying everywhere!

We found the Nativity and put the boxes aside for opening later in the evening together as a family. I actually have two Nativity sets. One is an incomplete version that I have had since before Sarah was born. The other is new... and, complete. I enthusiastically chose to put up the new and beautiful gift of last year (that was given to me by my Mother and Grandmother), as we celebrated the first night of Advent together.


As I unwrapped the individual pieces, my son grabbed the one with Mary and Baby Jesus and looked in horror and then welled up with tears... "Baby Jesus has no eyes, Mommy. Where is my baby Jesus with eyes?" We were in the midst of reading our Advent Devotional... and, I finished setting up the Nativity we had started, with the promise of, "tomorrow we will unpack the other Nativity". He was not happy, but accepted my consolation for the moment.

The older nativity is porcelain and has a very life like looking baby Jesus that comes out of the manger for little hands to love and hold. (It is a miracle that the figure is not broken to pieces after years of both little Sarah and now Thomas loving him so dearly).


As soon as we awoke the next morning, my son was at my side leading me to the box to free the true "baby Jesus with the eyes"!


I sat with him and we opened the box... and Thomas breathed a sigh of relief as he held his treasure in his little hands... I pray that baby Jesus becomes his heart's treasure all his life.

She will give birth to a son,

and you are to give him the name Jesus,
because he will save his people from their sins."
Matthew 1:21

Traditions

Christmas is the time of year I just can't help reflecting on the importance of tradition...

This week we light the Candle of Hope

My Grandmother Thomas loved the Christmas Holiday and I recall, as a small child, delighting in her white flocked trees in many rooms of the home (living in Southern California... her Kentucky heart yearned for snow). She lovingly filled the beautiful trees with red cardinals and white doves... She was joyous and excited to share the birth of Christ with everyone she had the opportunity to have a conversation with (especially with her grandchildren!). I remember sitting along side her many a Christmas Season... as she wrapped her arms around me and shared the meaning of her Christmas Tree...She was a great story teller, her eyes full of sparkle and her words would always keep us wrapped in attention. She explained... that Christ came to be my savior. She would tell me the tree represented the cross... the white doves represented the purity of Christ and the red represented the blood of Christ shed for my sin. I always felt loved and special in her arms. And, I understood the reason why we celebrate with such joy, the birth of Christ!

As a mother of my own children... the tradition of the tree lives on.

Thomas hanging his new ornament
that his Grandma lovingly gives him each year!

I have a special joy in my heart at this special time of year, when I pull out my Christmas decorations and slowly unwrap each ornament I've collected over almost 20 years of marriage. I have slowly built traditions in my own home which reflect the same message of Christ... Instead of red cardinals, I choose deep burgundy balls... they represent the blood of Christ on our green tree... with white lights. Jesus is both pure and the light of our world... "in Him there is no darkness"... I tell my children.

White lights are the representation of Christ,
both Holy and "the light of the world";
Red is the blood of Christ shed for us (the reason he came);
the Tree is the representation of the Trinity,
(as it is in the shape of a triangle with three points),
The Father, Son and Spirit; and
Evergreen represents eternal life ...He came to bring us.

And so the traditions are shared and the message of Christ is told to the young, and rekindled alive in the old, as we look forward to this season and remember Christ came to fulfill the promise of a Savior...

All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet:
"The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son
and they will call him Immanuel" -
which means, "God with us".
Mathew 1:22-23