Month: December 2012

This year we did something new and rented a cabin in Blue Ridge for the week of Christmas, and we had such a great time.  My parents came the first few nights.  Irv stayed with  us the whole week.  We enjoyed relaxing and eating good food.  We put a puzzle together, went on walks in the woods, enjoyed the jacuzzi and drank lots of coffee while sitting by the fire.

I learned some things about myself while we were away as it relates to Christmas and traditions.  This year I didn’t buy them Christmas pajamas because it just seemed wasteful since they have enough pajamas; however, once I uploaded the Christmas morning pictures, I see that the kids look a little cuter on Christmas morning with new pajamas as opposed to ones they have been wearing for the last two years.  And I also missed our “Happy Birthday Jesus” cupcakes.  Those are really very small things, I know.  Overall, I would say that this Christmas we were, as a family, more focused on Christ throughout the whole season than ever before and less distracted with gifts and other things that tempt to consume us.  We actually did some things and gave in ways that were hands on and more biblical than years before.  We are learning and growing, and for that I am thankful.

There isn’t a clear order to the pictures, but here are some of the ones I took:

This year we went to Lake Lanier to see the lights and play at their mini fair.  Looking back, I do believe it was one of my most favorite memories from the season of Christmas.  We had so much fun as a family.

Mack was a little short for some of the rides.  He cried when he couldn’t get in a bumper car…until Josh brought over some yummy fair fries!  The tears miraculously went away as he devoured the bucket-o-fries (with a little help from mom and dad).

I do believe we will put Lake Lanier on our list of fun things to do next Christmas!

 

Molly and Mack take piano each week and were able to play at Towne Center Mall in December.  Molly played SILENT NIGHT and did such a great job!  Mack played JOLLY OLD ST.NICHOLAS with a few other kids and also did a great job.

This semester the kids said they wanted to be in choir.  We would go every Wednesday night to practice for 45 minutes.  They seemed to like it, and they were able to be a part of the Christmas performance at church.  Ruby even got to wear a robe, which she thought was neat-o.

Molly was riding in the back seat yesterday when, as serious as she could be, she asked, “Mom, what does it take to be famous?”

“Hmmm,” was my reply while I wondered why she might be asking such a question.

She continued, “Like, are you famous only because you can sing?”

I started by telling her that it didn’t take singing to make you famous—there are famous authors, pianists, artists, and more.  THEN, I also added that it depends on what you think famous means.  And I assured her that she probably wouldn’t really like being famous….and she quickly replied, “Oh yes I would.  I want to be famous.”

Ruby, being the opposite of Molly, said, “I do NOT want to be famous, where all those people know you and want to come to your house.  I would not like that at all.”

We had a little discussion about how the people that are often NOT well-known in the world are the ones that serve without recognition and are known by God, which is most important.

This conversation prompted me to look up the word famous.  It’s an adjective that means “known about by many people.”  Synonyms for famous are “renowned, celebrated, noted, well-know, famed.”

Then, that made me think about that praise song about Jesus being the famous one.  And He is in my heart….known, celebrated, famed.

But then that reminded me that while Jesus is known by many people, He is isn’t known to nearly all that He wants to be known to, which should spur me on to make Him famous to those I come in contact with daily.  This season of Christmas is such a wonderful opportunity to share Christ.

The stage is set for us to talk about the true star of everything, Jesus Christ, the celebrated One!