Tis the Season to be Jolly...

Growing up, Christmas time was my most favorite time of the year. The sights and sounds danced across my eyes, filling my heart with such joy it felt as if it would almost explode. Now that I'm an adult and a mama to 5 beautiful girls not much has changed in how my heart feels. It's more the why that's changed. It's no longer about what gifts I receive Christmas morning that make me happy. Instead it's watching my children call out to Jesus, wishing Him a happy birthday. I never did that growing up. It's watching them acknowledge Him and what a gift He was/is to us.

Something else that has changed in me over the years is that I now know that this isn't the only season to be jolly. Every season warrants that kind of emotion.

Our family loves Christmas time. I know some Christian families don't celebrate it because it's become such a commercial holiday and it's not really the day of Jesus' actual birth. God tells us though, not to judge each other as to what days we choose to celebrate Him. In our family we celebrate Jesus every day but on December 25 we celebrate the day of His birth, whenever that really was.

 

 We bake cookies.

We ice them.

 

We sing Christmas carols even when we're sick.

 And we decorate a tree.

This year my tree had it hard. My two year old really loved taking ornaments off and moving them around. She also enjoyed messing up my burlap ribbon. I finally gave up and had my 4 and 7 year olds fix it each time. That alone was amusing. Tis the season to be jolly, right!? lol We don't worship our tree. It's a mere decoration, and apparently I have a future design artist on my hands with my two year old.

 

Christmas in our family isn't about gift giving. Although it sure is fun and we do it when we can.

 

 

 We give all kinds of gifts. We give both bought and homemade ones. This year my twelve year old gave my seven year old a jewelry box that she painted and decorated herself. It was really special!

My two year old got a doll she's been looking at for months in a catalog we get. Her Grandma Debbie bought it for her and she was super excited.

All in all it's about celebrating the birth of God as man. We've had Christmases with lots of presents and some with not so many. It's about how thankful we are that Jesus came so that we could live. Because of Jesus' sacrifice on the cross our family can commune with God and we can be together for eternity. We love each other so much, just as most families do and this excites us. When our bodies stop working we know that it's not over. We will be together again. What a gift!

It's Jesus who gave us that gift by taking our sins upon Him and conquering death for us. Because of Jesus, my husband, daughters, and I will live forever reigning with Him in heaven. Now that's something worth celebrating if you ask me.

I hope y'all had a Merry Christmas!