CHRISTMAS DREAMS

I just read a quote that triggered my thoughts and put me on a new direction for my day.

"Hold fast to dreams, for if dreams die, life is a broken winged bird that cannot fly." Langston Hughes

I've had a yearning to sit by my fire and watch the snow fall, read and dream a little. I woke up this morning with a long list of to-do's, but also to a beautiful snowfall. I decided this was the day.

With coffee in hand, carols softly playing and Bible next to me, I sat, read and reflected on Jesus, the real 'reason for the season.'

The flames warmed me as my heart was grateful. This was the special gift my soul was longing for all month. I was encouraged.

I can go forward and enjoy family and friends now.

All is well with my soul.

Encouraging Words for CHRISTMAS

Anyone else being blown away by all the Christmas preparations? I don't know how to keep up with how fast time is going!

Christmas is just one week from today.

I don't know about you, but I can't enjoy the season because of my frantic schedule.

Time to put the breaks on and slow down. I can't keep going at this pace.

My soul needs Christmas. I want to reflect on all this special season means to our whole world.

I am grateful for the miracle of Christmas.
We joyfully celebrate the beginning of our faith as God reaches down and gives us His love through the baby Jesus.

I am grateful for the mystery of Christmas.
It is truly marvelous that we commemorate Christmas year after year because if Christmas were only a time of commercialized gift giving, it might have run its course years ago.

I am grateful for the memories of Christmas.
We know it gives us a sense of family, a place to belong and connects us to generations who have gone before.

Encouragement for a Generous Kid Holiday Season

Holidays can be intense as you are trying to train your kids to go from greedy to grateful and generous. Moms, you know there is so much more competition for the hearts and minds of your kids. You have to be intentional in teaching and modeling attitudes you want your kids to grow up with. Do you know any spoiled bratty kids? I mean seriously, who likes to be around them?

You know, it starts early, moms. Even before Thanksgiving and really before that. It’s about the whole culture in your home.

Holidays can bring about intense feelings that sometimes surprise us—we might have to face our insecurities. There is pleasure and pain involved--whether it be an overload of family relationships or expectations you put on yourself-about buying presents when you can’t make ends meet already. What will my kids say and think about me if they don’t get their wishes?

Instead of focusing on the gimme’s, which I did not realize I was doing, like when they were bored or fighting, I would tell them to make lists of what they wanted, I tried to read some stories of people less fortunate than us or stories that had heart. We did angel tree and took our kids with when we delivered the presents. One year was especially precious as the mom called the dad from prison and the kids told him what they got from him--in front of us. We just did the Operation Christmas child-maybe you included some of your older kids in choosing and buying.

If you ask and are aware when you receive those special moments, the atmosphere in your home will be all about Christmas magic and you can really live the real reason for holiday season.

ENCOURAGE FAMILY CHRISTMAS TRADITIONS

Family celebrations create memories that last a lifetime. We can all remember birthdays and holidays—the special occasions we celebrate every year and how our individual families do it and then as our children arrive on the scene we want to have them experience the good things that happened to us on those holidays.

Traditions are especially important during this season because they create a continuity of family heritage, drawing grandparents, parents, cousins and children together in a way that may happen only once a year. They are the threads that link one generation to the next.

Maybe the way your family celebrated Christmas was not the storybook kind. Whose is anyway? But the good news is we all get a chance to change and recreate our children’s memories and legacies. One word of caution, don’t be too hard on your parents, as my mom says, we did not have all the resources you kids do.

What will you do this year to create family traditions in your home?

CHRISTMAS ENCOURAGEMENT

Whew! I need a reminder of the real reason for this season. All I seem to be doing is rushing, rushing, rushing, and buying, buying, buying and what for?

"Christmas is just days away
and once again I am eaten up
with my annual insecurities.
Materialism and self-doubt
dominate my thoughts.

Everyday,
or so it seems,
we receive another full color catalog.
Their glamorous offerings
not only tempt me to lust after things
I do not need and cannot afford,
but they also raise doubts
about my ability
to provide for those I love.
I mean,
if I don't shower my family
with the latest fashions
and electronic gear,
them maybe I'm not really
a loving father/mother or a generous parent.
On another level,
all this glitz and holiday hype
stimulates my personal insecurities.

I'm too short,
too heavy,
too old.
As a result I'm tempted
to go on a spending spree
in a misguided attempt
to make myself acceptable,
to become one of the "beautiful people."

Help me Lord.
Remind me again
that the true message of Christmas
affirms my worth apart of what I have,
or what I do.
Help me to remember
that You became the "Son of man,"
that we might become the sons of God.
Now that's the real meaning of Christmas
and it proves I am a person of eternal value
even if I can't afford the latest fashions
or electronic gear.
Amen."
Richard Exley
Thank you, Richard, for saying so well what I am feeling. I needed this today.

Encouragement to Seek a Spiritual Celebration

Our souls need Christmas.

If this season was only about commercialized gift giving and frantic activity, it might have run its course years ago. But it didn't, because it's more than that. It is necessary to be aware in the depth of our heart the origin of this Season. To understand that God reached down and gave to the earth, His love in the form of a baby, who would one day become its Saviour.

We need to make each day a holy day, understand the true meaning for our celebrations and find spiritual fulfillment at our core. We need time to begin again in our inner lives and time for renewal, rededication and rejoicing.

Therefore let's make Christmas even more special with spiritual celebrations. Let's delight in Christmas to the fullest. Let's forget what we want and learn generosity of the heart. Let's really listen to words of the songs and give thanks for the gift that was given us. Let's worship with genuine joy and not empty words spoken out of obligation. Let's seek the true Christmas Spirit this season.

Our souls will be grateful.