Christmas This Year

I guess the reason I did not want to post this until after Christmas...I did not want to upset anyone or cause confusion well, I changed my mind. We decided that we are not putting up a tree this year and we are doing three gifts...stay with me. The reason is--well first of all my husband said so after we discussed that the thought of not having a tree and the whole tradition of placing ornaments and garland and lights made us so nostalgic and sad. So, for us, Christmas had become a tie to these childhood memories that had to be present in order for us to enjoy Christmas. We have read of the whole worship of trees etc and that that is what people are doing by putting up a tree...this pagan tradition has lost all its pagan ties and is not the reason for our decision. If the pagan ties were the reason, we would not be able to say the days of the week...ok different story. We have idolized our childhood traditions during this sacred Birthday celebration- the tree just happens to be the center of it all. The traditions were all tied to the tree instead of the remembrance of our Lord. We would sit and admire- the beautiful tree..the atmosphere. Yes, we would ponder our Lord, but take the tree out of the equation and it was like "HEY!!".

We figure our children are very young and if we would decide to prayerfully observe the celebration of our Savior's birthday in a more Christ centered way...now would be the time to instill in them that it is not about a tree- and lights -and decorations. There is nothing wrong with those things until they become so important that you can't celebrate without them. We have come to a place where we want to check the way we celebrate our Lord and in checking it we need to cheerfully take away the distractions that we have tied our heartstrings to and reattach those heartstrings to where they properly belong- the birth and death of our Savior. Christ was born in a stable...bare of festivities though every bit full of the promise of saving grace. Our house inside will be bare of the lights and garland, but it will be full of the love and appreciation for the GREATEST gift of all. Jesus was brought 3 gifts by the Magi. We are going to observe this by giving one another 3 gifts. One neat thing about limiting it to 3 gifts is that they are better thought out and precious...just as the Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh. I know our family is thinking how sad for the girls and for Ayden's first Christmas, and we are sad too-but for what?...because of the lack of atmosphere-this signals a problem to us. We did put lights on the outside of the house- we do hope our lives are a light to the world..nothing drastic or tacky, and we would put up lights all year round if we could lol. Our celebration in our house will not be distracted by the outside. Again, I think of my heavenly King born in a bare stable with no pillow to lay his precious head- We are depriving our children of what the world has..yes, that they may appreciate something better...the mystery of the Gospel. Christmas in our house will be sweet and every bit celebrated...without smothering the remembrance of Christ's birth in a stable and a death on the cross. This is just what we feel led to do this year, and it is hard for us...I feel sad thinking I had so much invested in those decorations all these years.