My Not-so-Perfect But Oh-so Enjoyable Christmas

The month of December has a way of bringing with it ample opportunities for stress to enter our lives.  This has been especially true for me over the years.  A time that should be filled with peace and joy and the love of Christ in our hearts can so easily become a time of frenzied anxiety bursting with impatience and negative emotions.  

One of the reasons I have experienced stressful times during Christmas is because of the unrealistic expectations I place on myself.  Sadly, I tend to be a frustrated perfectionist. Borrowing a line from Jane Eyre, "I had imagined something and was quite powerless to realize."  

I imagine clever photo shoots of my adorable family.  Christmas cards enhanced by a 'magazine cover quality' photo sent to ALL family members and dear friends.  An enclosed letter of Christmas greeting and update from our family as an extra gesture of love. 

In reality, I arranged for the photo shoot last year.  I was so pleased to have an amazing photographer look here for amazing photographer who took great pictures and prepared beautiful Christmas cards for us.  

In reality, the cards did not get sent.  This was due in part to my inability to decide who to send the cards to (since I didn't order enough for ALL of our family AND dear friends) and compounded by the fact that I couldn't remember where my address book was currently being stored. 

 But my failure became an unexpected stress reliever for this Christmas because I saw it as an opportunity to send last year's

cards this year.  No new photo shoot necessary.

My awesome family.

I imagine time for pleasant and leisurely shopping for presents and groceries. 

And perfect presents in beautifully wrapped packages with bows and curly ribbons, preferably purchased and wrapped at least a week before Christmas. 

In reality, the presents I gave this year were very acceptable and the shopping was done with great delight.  I kept it simple and set a few limits on myself that allowed me to resist the nagging desire to give gifts to every person in my extended family, circle of friends, church family and neighborhood.  

My children will probably remember this Christmas as the year Mom wrapped the presents and put them under the tree, two at a time, on Christmas morning while everyone waited to open presents.  

It's true.  I wasn't ready.  The presents weren't wrapped.  So my Christmas morning wrapping session was quick and included no pretty bows or curly ribbons.

My sweet family didn't seem to mind and I chose not to allow the situation to cause me stress.  Fortunately, and I praise God for this big time, I was able to keep things in proper perspective and enjoy the morning. Maybe next year I'll be able to do the fancy wrapping that I've always imagined.  

In, reality, I did my grocery shopping on the morning of Christmas Eve. 

While doing this, I saw how seriously some people take their Christmas Eve grocery shopping and how stress behind a grocery cart can cause their behavior to become a bit ugly.

Fortunately, my daughter and I escaped unscathed with our groceries.  I was delighted to find out later that we had only forgotten a few things.  We bought one package of spinach instead of two, two packages of cream cheese instead of three and totally forgot to buy butter.

I imagine special meals for Christmas Eve and Christmas day.  Baked goods for us and lots of goodies packaged up to give away as gifts to all the people we love and appreciate. 

In reality, our Christmas Eve and Christmas Day meals were delicious.  This year I simplified things greatly.  And it was okay.  Everyone seemed happy with the food and nobody complained that we were missing anything.

My daughter, Sera, stepped up and helped with the cooking.  She contributed a cheesecake, a pumpkin pie, a batch of sugar cookies and made spinach quiche for breakfast.

My plan was to prepare chili sometime prior to the Christmas Eve service so that it would be ready when we got home. This.just.didn't.happen. 

I accepted the fact that there wasn't going to be time before church

and chose to let it go.  Once we got home I was able to put a pot of chili together in no time at all and not one person complained about it not being ready as soon as we got home.  Apparently, this has been an unnecessary expectation of my own making.

yummy chili!

On Christmas morning, after we opened gifts, I began preparing our Christmas breakfast (which was now becoming a Christmas brunch).  The menu was the spinach quiche my daughter made, some toast cups with eggs, turkey bacon and fresh fruit. 

While brunch was being prepared, I remembered that I had forgotten something important that I was going to do as soon as I got up. (but when I got up I remembered that I still needed to wrap presents)  So my sweet husband helped me by putting the roast and sweet potatoes in the crock pot.  This would be for our dinner later in the day.

In the afternoon I made a bowl of cole slaw (something my husband had requested), a dish of corn casserole and my daughter made the pumpkin pie.  

After dinner, my daughter came and asked me if the cole slaw in the refrigerator was supposed to have been for dinner.  Why yes!  It was!  This now became a fresh and ready dish for lunch the day AFTER Christmas. 

I imagine clothing that looks Christmassy for every person in my family and new Christmas pajamas for us to wear on Christmas Eve.  

In reality, I kind of gave up on this.  I didn't really have time to think too much about what everyone was going to wear for any of our Christmas functions.  I think we did okay without new pajamas this year ... and since no one went to bed naked ... we're good.

I imagine a house that's clean and smells like Christmas.   Christmas programs and parties attended and plenty of time left to hang out with my family and watch movies together or play games.

In reality, my husband volunteered to help me with some clean up around the house. So the Saturday afternoon before Christmas my sweet hubby and I worked together all afternoon.  (May I add, that was about the most romantic thing ever. We were working and we were productive, but most of all we were together. It was a great day.)  While we were cleaning, I came across some candles from last year and my daughter lit them ... all of them.  Our goal was obviously not a particularly lovely display of lit candles, but we had fun and they did help the house smell like Christmas. 

There were several things about our Christmas that were less than perfect.  My desire to make peanut brittle to give away as gifts never happened.  We didn't do our traditional family shopping trip on Christmas Eve.  Two of our children weren't with us for Christmas Eve and one wasn't with us for Christmas.  The really cool gift I had planned to buy for my husband didn't get purchased.  Instead he got a tie and a bag of jelly beans.  But I think he REALLY liked the jelly beans.  And the Christmas cards from last year that I thought would be our cards for this year .... they are still in my closet.  

Earlier in the year, my mom had mentioned that she really liked a particular perfume but that it was very expensive.  I found a knock-off brand of that fragrance at a local drug store so I bought it for her.  Because I wanted to make sure it smelled nicely and not like cheap perfume, I decided to try it myself first. (by the way, it smelled really great!) That was about four weeks before I saw her for Christmas... so, there was a certain amount missing from the bottle. (tacky, I know)  I didn't get the perfume wrapped ... but she gave me something in a nice gift bag, so I used the same bag for her perfume. (really ... she didn't seem to mind.)  (note to self: next year give her an unused bottle of the real perfume wrapped in beautiful paper with a pretty bow and curly ribbon.) 

But there were many things about our Christmas that were perfectly wonderful.  One of the wonderful things is that I was able to make it through the month without being overcome by stress.  I am finally learning to let go of the notion that I can orchestrate a perfect Christmas.  And I'm delighting in the reality of truly enjoying how our family celebrates the birth of our Lord Jesus.  

Joy to the World

Joy to the World

And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Cæsar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed.  (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.)  And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judæa, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:)  to be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.

And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.

And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. 

For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

It's Not My Fault

Truth or dare.

     Truth.

What is the worst sin you've ever committed?

     Huh?

Tell us your biggest sin.

     My worst sin?  The biggest sin?  

Yeah.  Something really bad.  What's the worst thing you've ever done?

     I've done a lot of stupid things and sinned against God big time.

But have you ever done anything really bad like kill someone or commit adultery or sell drugs?  Something that you could go to hell for?

     The truth is ... we all deserve to go to hell for our sins.  And without Jesus that is where we will     spend eternity.  

We love to classify sin.  It makes us feel better.  Generally speaking we are more tolerant of our own sin than we are of someone else who sins the same way.

But what about sin?  Is it really that bad?  What if societal trends change the way we look at sin?  Or maybe it's not sin because it's not my fault I'm this way.

The longer I live and the deeper my relationship with Jesus becomes, the more He allows me to see my sin. Truth is ... God is holy.  We can try to minimize God's holiness so we are more comfortable in our sin, but it doesn't change the fact that He is holy.

We are all born into sin.  Remember what happened in the garden?

Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?”

 The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’”

“You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman.  “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.  Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.

 Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden.  But the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?”

 He answered, “I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.”

 And he said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?”

The man said, “The woman you put here with me—she gave me some fruit from the tree, 

and I ate it.”

Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?”

The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”

It's not my fault.  Besides the serpent said we would not die.  And the serpent's explanation seemed more reasonable and less inhibiting.  God makes rules just to keep us from enjoying life and having a good time.  If He is a loving God, He won't punish us for our sins.  If He punishes us for our sins then He must not be a loving God.  This is just the way I am.  This is the way God made me.  It's not my fault.

We are all born into sin.  It doesn't matter what family you are born into.  It doesn't matter which country you are born in.  All of us have a sin nature when we enter life here on earth.  Fortunately, God has made a way for our punishment to be canceled.  Our debt is paid.  Our life redeemed.  

God loves us the way we are.  Yay!  Best news ever.  There isn't anything we can do to earn God's love. However, just because He loves us the way we are, our relationship with Him doesn't end there. Remember, we are all sinners.  His love for us in our sinful state doesn't make our sin acceptable.  His love for us as sinners should cause us to be broken before Him.  His love for us should be sufficient reason to despise our sin, not flaunt it as acceptable. 

In the course of getting to know God through reading His Word and intimate conversations, we see our need for His grace and forgiveness.  In Isaiah we read, 

In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him were seraphim, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying.  And they were calling to one another:

“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty;

    the whole earth is full of his glory.”

 At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke.

 “Woe to me!” I cried. “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.”

Isaiah saw the Lord.  He heard the seraphim proclaim the holiness of the Lord.  In that moment, in the presence of the Almighty, Isaiah was keenly aware of his sin.  

We can keep our distance from God's presence and possibly become comfortable in our sin.  But do not be deceived.  Our acceptance of sin does not alter it's origin or influence it's reality.  No matter how favorably we choose to view certain sin, or how benign we feel the consequence to be, we will always be wrong.  Sin separates us from God.  The only way to be washed clean from our sin is through the blood of Jesus.  Our hope of eternal life in fellowship with God is through the gift of grace.  

The words "it's not my fault" from our lips will never skew the truth or sway the verdict when we are in the presence of the Holy and Almighty Lord.  The only One truly able to say, "It's not my fault" is Jesus.  He suffered severely because of our sin even though He had never sinned. Even Pilot declared, "I find no fault in Him." As He hung on a cross, giving His life as payment for ours, His heart toward the Father was, "Don't hold this against them.  They don't know what they're doing."  

Every aspect of our life must be placed at the foot of the cross.  Every ounce of our being must submit to the holy authority of a holy God.  Everything within us should cry out to the Father for mercy.  Every heart transformed, holy and without blemish.

I'm pretty sure the lamest excuse or defense anyone would want to utter when standing before God in judgment is, "It's not my fault." Rather, we should declare, "I'm a sinner saved by grace. The blood of Jesus paid my debt. And although I've done nothing to deserve a place in Your kingdom, I am Yours."  

   

Photo-a-day Challenge

Week 3 in Review

Day 22 - Sparkly
Christmas lights on our tree. 

Day 21 - On the Door

Our front door wreathe made by the talented Beth Miller.  

Day 20 - I'm listening to...

My daughter, Sera, playing Christmas music on the piano.

Lovely.

Day 19 - 'Tis the season to ...

Celebrate the birth of Jesus

Nativity set in our entryway.

Day 18 - Big

Hoover Dam

Day 17 - tree

My son standing in front of a tree at Gaylord Opryland Resort

in Nashville, Tennessee

Day 16 - Makes you feel merry 

Merry-go-round at Opry Mills mall in Nashville, Tenneessee

Day 15 - Lights

The lights inside Gaylord Opryland Resort

Week 2 in Review

Day 14 - Drink

A homemade iced latte.  This mug belonged to my Grandma.

She had two of them and we would drink hot chocolate from them

when I was little.  

Day 13 - Composition

The church on the Ingall's Homestead in South Dakota

Day 12 - Joy

Stocking hangers that are not hanging on our mantle.

Day 11 - Green

A leaf that Kyle gave me.

Day 10 - R

Royal Crown Cola - I bought this bottle of soda on a family trip to Helen, Ga.

It sits on my dresser now and collects pennies.  For this picture

it is sitting on our mantle.  (Beautifully decorated mantle by Beth Miller.) 

Day 9 - This is the weather today

Very foggy day in Augusta

Day 8 - I shop here

I like shopping at TJMaxx

Week 1 in review

Day 1 - Red

Orthopedic surgery waiting room, Doctors Hospital

Day 2 - Where I Stand

Doctors Hospital

Day 3 - Silver

Bow at Target

Day 4 - In the Cupboard

Inside my pantry

Day 5 - Tiny

Nesting dolls that I bought in Russia

Day 6 - Shadow

Me and my shadow, Kyle 

Day 7 - 6 o'clock

An old Winnie the Pooh book that both Sera and Kyle used in learning to tell time.

Our Life

Educating our children at home is a wonderful thing,

except on the days when it isn't so wonderful.

When it goes well it is the most amazing thing ... ever!

When it doesn't go well, ... on those days I have no idea why we're homeschooling.  

  

Still, I would rather be here with my children as they explore and learn and grow 

than anywhere else on this planet. 

I would just like them to cooperate a little more consistently and 

I would like it if the house didn't wear the clutter of homeschooling quite so much.

A girl can dream.

This morning my prayer group met at the church.

I am blessed to be part of such a fine group of ladies.

When I got home the chimney sweeps were here to clean out our chimneys.

This is the first fire we've had in the fireplace this fall.  Of course, with the

temperature unable to decide if it is going to be warm or cool

it hasn't really mattered.  

The weather outside today is cool and foggy, so it feels nice having a fire going

in the fireplace.  During the winter this becomes a favorite spot

for doing school. 

Kyle found this really big leaf! 

That was fun. 

In school today, Kyle was learning about the bullet train.  He built a model with

a train he got at Dollywood last year. 

While he was working on his train, he was sharing with 

me all kinds of information he learned about physics and other things.  He explained

to me about the air flowing over the train and the reason for the 

tapered ends.  It's at those times I wish I was one of those moms who really

"gets" science and can carry on intelligent conversations with her children about things

like physics.  Don't get me wrong, I understand the basic principal of aerodynamics, but he goes into much greater detail and my brain starts getting fuzzy.  

His train turned out really nice.  But the best part for me was when he wanted to take a picture

of it.  I really like his picture.  

I added another photo to my 30 day photo challenge.

Day 9 challenge:   this is the weather today.

Foggy

One of Kyle's assignments was to draw a cow.

I think it turned out great!  It's very much a Kyle cow.

Sera has stayed busy with French, Algebra and English classes.  I enjoy hearing her converse

in French during her French class.  That is one part of homeschooling that I especially like;

on-line classes for my children.  We have been fortunate to have really great teachers.

In between her classes, Sera spent some time at the piano.  She plays so well; I could listen all day long.  

We really should get her some piano lessons one day.

This has been a good day of school.  Whether good or not so good, this is how we spend our days.  

And when the assignment said "tell a parent or older sibling how to spell Mesopotamia", Kyle 

read the letters to me off the computer screen. 

It didn't occur to him that he was suppose to learn how to spell it.

 I love my life. 

Photo-a-day Challenge

Day 10 - This is the weather today

Very foggy day in Augusta

Day 9 - where I shop

I like shopping at TJMaxx

Week 1 in review

Day 1 - Red

Orthopedic surgery waiting room, Doctors Hospital

Day 2 - Where I Stand

Doctors Hospital

Day 3 - Silver

Bow at Target

Day 4 - In the Cupboard

Inside my pantry

Day 5 - Tiny

Nesting dolls that I bought in Russia

Day 6 - Shadow

Me and my shadow, Kyle 

Day 7 - 6 o'clock

An old Winnie the Pooh book that both Sera and Kyle used in learning to tell time.

Come, Lord Jesus

Once as we waited for a Messiah
Waited with longing to finally see
   all of our hopes fulfilled in His kingdom
We walked in darkness and longed to be free

Come, Messiah
Build Your kingdom
We are waiting for a Savior
Come as promised to deliver
Come and reign upon Your throne

Now we are waiting, our hearts fixed in wonder
Waiting to see our Lord's glorious appearing
All of our hope rests in Jesus our Savior
His kingdom now we can see He's preparing

Come, Lord Jesus
Build Your kingdom
We are watching, we are ready
Come and make us
Pure and holy
Come, Lord Jesus, build Your throne

     Heaven is waiting, saints of old gath'ring
     Mansions are ready to be occupied
     Come, Lord Jesus, Come receive us
     As Your pure and spotless bride!

Come, Lord Jesus
Come, Lord, quickly
We are waiting
We are ready
Come and take us to the Father
Come and take Your children home
Come, Lord Jesus, take us home

words and music by Terha Knittel
copyright 2005

Grateful for the "divine" appointment

The "divine" veterinary appointment.

My husband and I have been happily married for twenty years.  
You might say ours is a match made in heaven.  
And you would be correct.

I love telling people that I married my vet.  
We met one day when I took my cats to the veterinary hospital for annual physicals and vaccinations.  
As a young single girl, living on my own, I had cats that kept me company and I loved them dearly.

This young, (and might I add handsome), veterinarian wore Levis jeans and cowboy boots.  He was incredibly gentle and kind to my cats.  

I was impressed with his demeanor and the professional care he gave to my babies. 
 But I assumed that he was married with a sweet little family.

In an innocent conversation with a dear friend, I shared about my encounter with the young veterinarian.  
My friend's face broke into a huge smile and her beautiful blue eyes twinkled as she told me that this young doctor was not married. 

A few days later I would be calling after hours with a sick cat, 
and meeting the young veterinarian back at the animal hospital.  
He graciously examined my cat, Psalms, treated him and soon I was on my way home.  




Now that I knew he was a young, 
handsome, single veterinarian, 
I looked forward to the next opportunity I would have 
to visit the veterinary hospital.

Little did I know that I would receive a call one evening from the vet 
to check on my kitty.  *wink*

It is so sweet to hear him tell how he sat on the sofa at his house 
that evening watching television.
At the end of every thirty minute sitcom he would tell himself
"I'll call her when the next show is over."
How sweet that it took him all evening to get up the courage to call me. 

That phone call was the first of many to come.
My vet worked with both small and large animals.
On certain evenings and every other weekend he would be "on call" to see animals after hours.

How fortunate for me that he was the vet on call the night my kitty was sick.

Whenever he would get a call from a client about their pet or a farmer about a cow, horse or pig in need,
he would call me on his way and ask if I wanted to ride along.

Why, yes!  I believe I will ride along.  


Thus began a three year friendship/courtship.


I tagged along for small animal emergencies and farm calls.  I watched him pull calves,
 do C-sections on cows,
treat colicky horses
and 
a host of other procedures.

I did not arrive for that initial visit at the veterinary hospital
with any idea of what God had in store.
Certainly, I did not go that day looking for a husband.

In His perfect time and in keeping with His plans and purposes for both my husband and myself, 
God arranged for us to meet.
And my heart is eternally grateful for that very special 
divine veterinary appointment.