Lost In the Prairies.....Found by God

I've spent the day trying to think about what to write about.  The last few years I have had challenges for everyone for the Christmas Season.  Best Decorations.  Best Christmas Story.  Holiday Traditions.  You get my point.   This year I have .......Nothing.  

I have tried to avoid Christmas this year.  I didn't want to think about it.  I called the neighbour down the road crazy for putting up her Christmas decorations the day after Halloween (you have to give me that one.)  Every time there is a Christmas countdown mentioned, I just want to scream.  It's not that I have not thought about it or prepared.  I have a pretty good idea of what I am getting everyone.  I even took part in Black Friday to purchase a new Keurig for my mother in law.  Waiting in front of Walmart at 7 am in -10C was exhilarating to say the least.   There were 10 of us who braved it and nobody got hurt.  I digress....

It's not that I dislike Christmas.  I love Christmas.  I love the smells.  I love the lights.  I love the traditions.  I just don't like the stress; the expectations; and the family strife that occurs during the season.  I love surprising my kids with their gifts.  I love sitting by the tree, mesmerized by the light.  I love watching the Christmas shows (The Drummer Boy is still my favourite).  I dislike the mess.  I dislike phony sentiments.  I dislike the commercialism that it has become.

Christmas as a kid and Christmas as an adult are different.  I now know why my grandmother breathed a sigh of relief, along with a glass of wine, after Christmas dinner.  I know the stress of getting that perfect gift so that you can see the light in their eyes Christmas morning.  I know how tired my feet feel after spending Christmas Eve and Christmas Day standing in preparation of a meal that is done in 1 hour.  I too know how good that glass of wine is when all is said and done.  

However, I also know the true reason for the season.  I love watching my kids every day of advent create the nativity scene.  I love when they finally get to put out baby Jesus on Christmas Eve.  I love reading them their Christmas books about joy, compassion, hope, and love.  I know why Christmas occurs and the sacrifice made for us to experience it.  I know that Jesus came with little fanfare and little glory.  The hype that Christmas has become almost cheapens this.  I enjoy the simple.  I enjoy the less.  

This week I finally let the Christmas decorations out early so that I could start to light our Advent candles.  Yes, I'm early but I have been doing the Good Morning Girls Advent Study and this week was on the light.  I wanted to see the light.  The simple candle burning for all to see.  The light representing the hope that was brought into the world.  The simple flame.  The flame that grew to burn around the world.  The flame that continues to burn.  The flame that guides us.  The flame that shines upon each of us.  This is really Christmas.  

This season of advent.  I'm going to look for the simple amongst all the paraphernalia.  I'm going to focus on the flame burning and what that flame represents.  I'm going to focus on the positive in the negative.  I'm going to not become burned out.  I'm going to try to not become Scrooge and allow my heart to be open and not shut.  Won't you join me? 

Have you been avoiding Christmas too?  What are you looking for this season?  Come join the other Java Junkies this week and share in the Christmas Randomness.

Did you know that the oldest Christmas Card was first published in 1843.  It was actually very controversial too as it showed children drinking wine.  Not the first card I would run out and buy.  In fact, I often wonder why we send out Christmas Cards.  Did it start out as the lazy easy way of letting your family far away from you know that you might be were thinking of them without actually writing a full letter. 

I'm fascinated by Christmas cards because I stress about them every year.  I either have to many or not enough.  Which ones do I buy?  Should they be festive, religious or fun?  Should I make cards or should I buy cards?  Should I just produce a photo card?  The final and most important question:  Who gets the cards?  Do I have to give a card to everybody at church?  Which family members get a card?  Do I send one out just to the siblings or should I send cards to our grown nieces and nephews?  Do I have to include a Christmas letter in each of the cards or just to those close and intimate friends and family?  Do you see my dilemia?

My husband comes from a large family and extended family.  My family is quite large as well.  We have many friends and acquaintances.  I always start with a list of names and then count how many people are getting cards each year.  This year it is over 60 cards.  That's a lot of postage.  I do cheap out with postage as I try to hand deliver as many as possible and I try to batch up my family's in one evelope to my Grandmother, where they all eventually go on Christmas day.  But the writing..........I have learned over the years instead of writing a personal message to each individual to just write a short and simple verse or saying.  Last year was easy because we did a photocard with a verse I chose on it.  I just shoved them in the mail and away they went.  

 

This year I decided not to do that and to just buy cards.  I then struggled with religious or not religious?  This is the argument I have with myself every year.  As you know, if you have visited before, my family is not religious in anyway and I'm always afraid I'll go too far with the religious conatation.  Every year, I decide to just be true to myself and share what I am called to share: the TRUE reason for CHRISTmas.  Not the commercial Santa Claus version I grew up with.  Every year I pick out a verse and add it to the card if there isn't one already or if I have made the cards.  (Yes, one year I did make the cards but I massed produced one design for my own sanity.).  

I searched some eCard sites like Dayspring and Crosscards for a bible verse and came up with :  Behold....I bring you tidings of Joy Luke 2:10.  I felt this was appropriate as the inside of the card was already "May your holiday sparkle with joy."   I wanted my verse to reflect where we should be looking for our joy, something I sometimes I have to remember myself. 

I'm know every year my list changes.  People come and go from our lives.  I may stress about the Christmas Cards.  I may even wonder why I continue this tradition.  I think though that with so many people connected via the social media networks there is still something personal about receiving a card in the mail and a small handwritten note as a reminder that we are thinking of the person and praying over them.

I can't wait to see your Christmas greetings.  I know originally I had said that this post would be about favourite, funniest, strangest, etc... Christmas greetings received over the years, but I just felt moved to write about the whole phenomena.  I can't wait to see what your greeting post will look like.  Come and link up this week with your greeting randomness.

PS:  Next week we will be discussing Visions of Sugar Plums and other Christmas Baking......

 As I am writing this it is Thanksgiving Day for many of my American friends.  It is also almost the start of Advent.  My husband and daughter are watching "Scrooge" with Alistair Sims (only the best version of it).  Tomorrow is my husband's and my 11th Anniversary.  This past week we have been remembering past anniversaries.  There has been much laughing, as well as much grumbling.  You see, our anniversaries are cursed.  We have never really had any anniversary plan come to complete fruition.  In honour of our anniversary and in honour of the start of Advent I will do my version of the 12 Days of Christmas in the "11 Anniversaries." 

Ok, so I missed some of the years, but those were probably something happened and we decided just to let our anniversary pass by silently.  Our anniversaries have been a roller coaster.  Some fun, some interesting and some just plain depressing.  It's like life.  But the joy and blessing is that we are together on this ride; that we are committed to our relationship and our family.  Happy Anniversary Honey!

 Now some bloggy business.  Next week I will be starting up the Caffeinated Christmas.  Every week I will have a theme and if you would like you are invited to join in.  I had fun doing this last year and hope you will enjoy it.  The themes this year will be. 

December 2 - All I want for Christmas is...
December 9 - Seasons Greetings (Christmas Cards)
December 16 -Visions of Sugar Plums and other Christmas Baking
December 23 - The Night Before Christmas and other stories

I want to wish you all a very Merry Christmas.  I'm sharing with you today the traditional Dutch Christmas Hymn Ere zig God which means Glory to God.  It is tradition to sing it at Church on Christmas morning as the last song.  I hope it blesses your family this beautiful Christmas morning.

Thanks again for dropping by today.  Only one more week until the Big Event.  Next week will be Christmas Eve and the theme is for your Families' Christmas Eve traditions.  I love to hear what different people do on Christmas Eve and can't wait to hear yours!

This past month, I've been pretty busy getting ready for our Church's Annual Christmas Banquet.  I have to admit that I haven't been around the blogosphere these last two weeks because I've been busy with that, general life or being sick.  In fact I haven't felt very joyful lately.  Usually I'm getting excited about Christmas gifts and Christmas cookies and Christmas....  This year, I've felt almost apathtic about Christmas.  It's coming and part of me is panicing about being ready and part of me just wish it would be over.  That's the consumerism part.

This week I'm going to rest and start to focus "Christ"mas.  The reason for Christmas.  The reason that we should be filled with joy.  Yesterday, I shared a verse with you that talks about joy.  

This verse is reflecting on the Magi.  After they left Herod's palace, they followed to where the star was leading them.  When they came to the place the star was they were filled with joy.  I love the way the New King James Version expresses it "they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy."  Not that they were filled with joy, but that they rejoiced in it.  I can well imagine this joy.  Just think of it in terms of winning the biggest game of your life and the joy that brings.  Now multiply that feeling.  You can't stop jumping up and down.  You can't stop screaming.  You're just so excited and want everyone to know it.  JOY!  Pure joy.

Nothing describes this more musically than Handel's Hallelujah Chorus.  The joy you feel when you hear it is amazing.  In fact there is the story of George II being so moved at hearing the chorus that he stood up.  Which of course being the King, required everyone in attendance to stand.  This is traditionally the explanation as to why you stand when you hear this.  I just think that the music is so moving and so expressive of the joy that we feel towards our Saviour that you have to stand and sing along.

I've shared the version that has been going viral through the internet the last two weeks.  A choral group sang this "flash mob" style at a food court in a mall in Ontario.  I love looking at the people's faces as they try to figure out what is going on.  Isn't this true about non-believers and believers? 

|: Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! :|

|: For the Lord God Omnipotent reigneth.
Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! :|

For the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.
|: Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! :|

The kingdom of this world
Is become the kingdom of our Lord,
And of His Christ, and of His Christ;
And He shall reign for ever and ever,
For ever and ever, forever and ever,

King of kings, and Lord of lords,
|: King of kings, and Lord of lords, :|
And Lord of lords,
And He shall reign,
And He shall reign forever and ever,
King of kings, forever and ever,
And Lord of lords,
Hallelujah! Hallelujah!

And He shall reign forever and ever,
|: King of kings! and Lord of lords! :|
And He shall reign forever and ever,
King of kings! and Lord of lords!
Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!

I'm linking up today with Shawntele at Saved by Grace for Music Monday.  Come over and share your Christmas Music with her today.

So I've vlogged this edition of A Caffeinated Christmas.  I apologize right now for the video.  It's my first vlog ever and I did it by myself.  I also have to admit that I really dislike public speaking.  For many of those who know me personally I know you don't believe that as it does take a lot to get me to be quiet, but put me in front of a camera or large group of people and I get tongue tied.

I also realized that you may be wondering why my tree in the background is not decorated.  We just got it and are waiting for the limbs to drop.  I'll post some pictures of the finished product when it's done.  But I do have to say that so far it's the nicest tree we've ever had. 

Again thank you all for participating.  I hope you enjoyed watching the vlog and had a good laugh, I know I enjoyed making it.  Hope we see you next week for our Favourite and Worst Christmas memories.

Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens
Bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens
Brown paper packages tied up with strings
These are a few of my favorite things

Oh, this is the wrong favourite things.  I'm looking for more of this kind of favourite thing:

Now don't get too excited.  I don't have anything to actually give away (although watch out I may have one next week).  I also don't want anyone to get too excited as I can't afford to have EMTs on hand at everyone's home.  But I thought I would list 10 of My Favourite Things that I would love to get or have and would love to share with all of you when I win the lottery (this too would be one of my favourite things).

Yes, the new iPod Nano Multitouch.  Look at the rainbow of colours you can get it in.  I would personally like the pink one.  But you can all have whatever colour you like.  I just like the fact that it's small  enough to  fit in my pocket while I cleaned the house or walked around town.  Plus, unlike the MP3 player I have now, you can actually see which album you want.

Call me old fashion or truly Canadian, but I so want my own Blackberry.  You can get them in many colours as well.  I love the QWERTY keyboard.  As a former legal assistant, I know where the keys are for texting.  I also love the fact that you can take pictures, videos or play music with it.  I think every busy mom needs one of these to help keep her life organized.

For all of us busy moms who just want one hour to sit, read and drink a cup of coffee, I think this would come in handy.  I know a few moms who already have one and they say it does really clean and it works for one hour on one room.  Just think, set and  go and come back to a clean rug.  Now if your house is all rug, you may have to spend an hour a day on each room, but just think that's one hour a day of drinking a great cup of coffee instead of vacuuming. 

A netbook.  I know many of you already have laptops, but some of us don't.  Wouldn't it be great if we could all have a little netbook to log on to and read each others blogs, look up recipies, check e-mails, pay bills, ....the list is lenghthy (hint, hint honey!). 

Isn't this the cutest little purse and it's called the Michelle.  It would be like having a little piece of me around with you while you're shopping which I'm really good at.  Plus don't you just love the colour.

This is the cutest sweater.  In fact, I'm wearing it right now.  You'd never guess it came from Avon.  It's so soft.  It works great as a mommy shirt and then going out top.  The boat neck is very flattering.

Now that we're all in cookie baking season, I think we all need one of these.  I was given one from my sister as a wedding present.  I love it as it does all the work for you, especially during a double batch.  You can get them in white, green, black, red, or even purple.  

As this comes out tonight at midnight.  I think no matter if you're one Team Edward (I personally call this Team Cullen) or Team Jacob, that this movie is for you.  Just a bit of fluff for some quiet time never hurt anyone. 

I hope you enjoyed this Caffeinated Christmas.  I'm sorry there weren't any plus sized tube tops (You know who you are?).  I can't wait to see what you're favourite things are. Join us next week for Holiday Decorations which just maybe a VLOG (did that sound like a cheesy promo for a soap opera?).

My husband grew up in the Christian Reformed Church. Most members of this denomination are from a Dutch background. My husband's parents both immigrated from the Netherlands after WWII. One of the traditions of CRC church is to sing Ere zig God during Christmas services. They do say you can sing in English, but there is something lost in sound. I have, however, put the translation of the song for you.

Glory to God! Glory to God!
In the highest, in the highest, in the highest!
Peace be on Earth, peace be on Earth
To the people whom God delights in.

Glory to God in the highest, glory to God in the highest!
Peace be on Earth, peace be on Earth, peace be on Earth, peace be on Earth
To the people, to the people whom God delights in,
To the people whom God delights in, whom God delights in.

Glory to God! Glory to God!
In the highest, in the highest, in the highest!
Peace be on Earth, peace be on Earth
To the people whom God delights in.

Amen. Amen.

Now share your favourite song on Saved by Grace.

This week, our Caffeinated Chieftain has asked what our favourite Christmas Songs are. To tell you the truth I haven't met a Christmas song I didn't like. However, I'll give you my top three (you can even dance to two!).

The song that reminds of Reason for the season is Who is This Child. It reminds us why He came and what the purpose of Christmas is.

My favourite childhood Christmas song is Suzy Snowflake. I had a record (yes Virginia there were big large black disks that spun around and made music) that had numerous Christmas songs by artists from the 50s and 60s. Growing up where we received little or now snow (I can count on one hand how many White Christmas' we had) I could imagine the little mischievous snowflake calling me to come out and play.

The other Christmas song that I love to hear is of course Elvis' Blue Christmas. Who cannot listen to this song with singing "wohoho?" This was the song we often played while decorating the tree.

Today I was out Christmas shopping. This is the one act every year that could turn me into Scrooge. However, when I was out I remembered the time I went Christmas shopping when I was young, maybe 5 or 6. My grandmother had given one of my aunts money to allow me to pick out and purchase my own gifts to give to our family. I remember buying my grandmother Calgon. I thought she needed the break! I bought one of my aunts a wobble pen. These gifts were simple but came from love.

The gift that I really comes to my mind, however, is a trophy of Snoopy. His arms were wide open and the brass plate read "I love you this much!" I purchased this for my grandfather. I always remember when I was little the bear hugs he gave us. His arms open wide and always inviting us in. He was always one for hugs, even when we got older. The great things about his hugs is that he hung on for a long time to make sure that you know how much you were loved. I still remember the smell of his aftershave, Old Spice (I think I bought him a bottle the next year.)

This is the one of the things that I miss about my grandfather since he passed away 12 years ago. Since accepting Christ, I have a new father whose arms are open and inviting me in. Who wants to hold one to me with dear life and never let me go. I sometimes want to wiggle out of His hold, like I did with my grandfather. However, no matter what I do, and where I go, His arms are always there welcoming me in.

First of all - Thank you Caffeinated Chieftain, for bringing back Caffeinated Randomness. I will have something to do on Friday's again. It was hard to think of something of my own to talk about on Fridays. I have many ideas floating around my head that seem to get lost or mushed together when I try to blog.

Today Andrea wants us to talk about our craziest or favourite ornaments. Before I do that I have to tell you about the trees I grew up with. They were not "Martha" trees. There was no organization and no colour concept. They were decorated with love and kindness. The decorations that we decorated were either ones we had made or ones that had been given as Christmas presents. Some of my favourite Christmas memories are of making popcorn strings that went around our large living room, let alone the tree and making decorations in Brownies to put on the tree.

Leroy's and I first Christmas together, I talked him into getting a tree and letting me decorate it for him using decorations I had been given over the years and few he ended up purchasing. We had friends over after I decorated it. I was so excited as I finally had my own tree and loved it. When our friends came over (by the way they had a blue and silver "Martha" tree), I was informed that I had an "interesting" tree. I loved our tree and this small comment took away some the enjoyment of my tree.


My great grandmother was always making crafts to give to the family. I am the happy owner of numerous beaded dolls and Christmas decorations. However, the ones that I really loved were the ones she made out of Styrofoam egg cartons. I grew up putting these decorations on our tree every year. They were sparkly and they didn't break unless you sat on them. The Christmas before she died, she made me a box of egg carton decorations for my own. I treasure these decorations and love to see my kids putting them up. The picture does not do them justice. I hope that my children will see the love that she placed in these simple decorations.


Now go to Andrea's blog and blog about your favourite Christmas Ornament.