Christmas Eve

So like I mentioned in my previous post, our Christmas Eve this year was filled with fun family traditions! Some of them we have done in the past, and some of them were new this year! I love traditions- it's been fun to blend some of mine from growing up with some of Anthony's family traditions from growing up.

This year we gave the boys the Little People Nativty Set. We have always talked about making Christmas Eve the time to read the Christmas story from the bible together as a family. While Colt was obviously still too young to understand, we did read it with Levi. The figurines make it cool for the kids to act out the story :) It'll be something for them to look forward to every Christmas season when they can set up their own Nativity. I remember helping my mom every Christmas set up her nativity scene. It was this old manger scene and it had a little light in it that made it light up at night. I loved placing all of the figurines in the manger - the shepherds, the wisemen, Mary and Jospeph and always last, little baby Jesus.

The boys enjoyed playing with it through-out the day and acting out the Christmas story. (side-note..a few days after Christmas I found Levi with the wise-men and his Captain America Tank- he was making shooting noises and throwing the wise-men. I asked him what he was doing and he said that Captain America was blowing the kings up! LOL- ahhhh- the difference between boys and girls right?)

The little star on top lights up and plays "Away in a Manger" Colt was pushing it with his nose.

Getting ready for Christmas Eve Service. We actually weren't planning on going, but our neighbors Sharon and Carl invited us to go with them to their church (our church didn't have a Christmas Eve service)- so we went with them and absolutely LOVED it!!! So much that we have been going to their church for the past couple weeks :) It's a lot closer to our house- which is a huge blessing!

It was nice out on Christmas Eve. I would prefer to have snow- but the nice weather wasn't so bad either!

A tradition that Anthony always did with his siblings growing up was to open gifts from each other on Christmas Eve. We let the boys do this last year and again this year. I think its great for them because they can really appreciate the gift given to each other from each other-without all the distractions and gifts on Christmas. Colt gave Levi a Thunderbird Airplane and Levi gave Colt an airplane too!

Our freinds, The Keith's, gave us some Reindeer Food this year. So a new tradition was started this year, to put out Reindeer food in our yard before Levi went to bed :)

Lastly, Levi put out the classic milk and cookies for Santa before heading up to bed. I can remember doing this as a kid- one year I even wrote a letter to Santa and asked him for his autograph- that way I could REALLY proove he was real ;) I think my parents may still have that letter- with my dad's forged signature of the man in the red suite!

The Bible tells us that we are an advent people- meaning a people in waiting. And a lot of times the anticipation of the bigger day can almost be more exiciting than the big day itself. A lot of times it is that way for me with the Christmas season. I love all of the anticipation- the traditions that lead up to Christmas- going to church services-the shopping- the lights- the baking- the carols- the Christmas letters-Christmas parties, ect....and then sometimes by the time Christmas Day actually rolls around-you almost can feel a little let-down, becuase you know that taking the tree down is coming- that K-love and the MixMas radio station won't be playing the Christmas songs on the radio anymore. You know that going to thegrocery store won't be as festive- and it'll be dark again at night when you drive around because all of the Christmas lights are taken down (except for the few year round redneck houses- which I can say we are NOT one of!!!!) The anticipation of Christmas Day can be so great- that we sometimes lose focus of the day of celebration itself!! Honestly, I don't see anything wrong with anticipation.... That is how God has made us- he created us as people who look forward to great and wonderful things!!!

However-while the waiting and leading up to Christmas Day can be so exciting and filled with traditions and memories...God made us not for the yearly anticipation of Christmas, but for our entire life anticipating the day we spend eternity with Christ. Whether that is when we spend our last day here on this earth and He calls us home, or when Christ himself returns to earth and takes all of his believers home....I anticipate THAT day with all of my heart.

I'm not sure if it's because I am getting older,or if it's because I have kids of my own, or because I am married to a police officer who experiences the evil of this world daily. But there are some days that the pain of this world is so great- and I know there are so many people who are suffering- so many people who are persecuted because of their faith- so many children who are beaten and killed- I watch the news and see how our countries morals and values continue to decline...there are days that the evil and the pain of this world are so great, that I simlpy cannot WAIT for the day that I will spend forever with Jesus. God made our hearts to anticipate something greater than this world.

So while our decorations have been taken down-the carols no longer play-the cookies have all been baked and eaten (and our New Year's resolutions of losing the weight from those cookies has begun)- and it's dark again in our house at night...I remind myself, that theres a greater anticipation....that for us believers our hope and waiting doesn't stop and start again with each Christmas, but that it goes on every day and will continue to everyday until we see our maker and creator face to face.

Anthony and I often joke on the day after Christmas that we only have 355 days until next Christmas. That is true, yes...but when you look at the bigger day that is coming...we have no idea what the countdown is....are you ready? Are you anticipating THAT day of celebration?

I am thankful for God's grace and his mercies- that they are new each and every single morning for me. And praise God they are:)

I truely hope that your anticipation for Christmas this year was joyous. I have started to realize that the holidays can be so difficult for some- families who have lost loved ones, families who are experiencing pain and suffering, ect. For those people I pray that you can anticipate the bigger Celebration with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

I am not perfect- I do not claim to be perfect. I actually am a terrible communicator. God didn't give me the abilities to always have the right words to say to a person who is suffering or hurting. I do beleive that God gave me a gift to express my emotions in words. So through-out this upcoming year, I will often turn to this blog to write out what I am feeling- what I am thinking- what I am going through in my spiritual life. I struggle with obediance to His word. I struggle with patience, with pride, with selfishness...and a boatload of more things.

If my ramblings can be of encouragement to just any one single person who reads this (honestly, I think maybe only like 2 people read it, lol) then it is worth it!

Wow- I am done for today....I had no idea I was going to write all of that!!!

Until next time- God bless you- I would love to hear from anyone who atually reads this!!