Time to CELEBRATE!

Happy Christmas!

The preparations are over.
We have shopped, wrapped, baked, visited, cleaned, given, received.
We have waited in hope.
It is time to celebrate.

Christmas is HERE!
It is not over.
It is not time to take down the tree and turn off the carols.

NOW is the time to celebrate.
To rejoice with the angels.
To adore with the shepherds.
To wonder and ponder anew
the miracle of GOD swaddled and held.












God incarnate.
For us.
Vulnerable.
Beautiful.
Human.
Here with us.

Praise God for these twelve days!
The hustle and bustle and frenzy give way to days of rest and play.
Even Mother Nature slows us down.... with a blanket of white, pure, soft snow.
Now we can exhale, be still, ponder the awesome Gift of Jesus, God Made Flesh.

We reflect on one year coming to an end and appreciate all the ways He's been God With Us.
We look forward to a fresh start and to new experiences and revelations of His grace and love.

These twelve days are so not about a bunch of birds or swimming swans or lords-a-leaping.
They are not about more and more and more presents.
Or more and more and more shopping.

They are days of great joy and feasting.
Especially with so much sadness and worry in the world and in our hearts.
Christ is born.
Anew.
His Light shatters the darkness.
Glory to God!

So please join me in celebrating these great days.
In quiet pondering.
In boisterous praising.
In family fun.
In joy.

........................

We've been home in our pajamas for two days! How awesome is that?

I'm not sure if the song "The Twelve Days of Christmas" was really written as a secret Catechism... but it is really cool to see how each number can symbolize important things about our faith. We're singing and learning along with the song this year. We're using this book and poster ---




We've learned that our "true love" is God and that the "partridge in a pear tree" is Jesus and the cross. Our first day of Christmas was exciting and fun. We opened presents and prayed, played, and ate together. We shared the day with good family and friends. But we also had a very sick cat. (Mari)

Today we learned that the "two turtle doves" represent the two parts of the Bible: the Old Testament and the New Testament. Our second day of Christmas was snowy! We had a great time playing in the snow and Jon even got to come home early! Mari ended up having to go to the vet and have surgery to remove an obstruction in her bowel! Praise God she will be OK... but we'll be paying that bill off for a long time.

 

I promise more details and pictures of our Christmas celebrations.... coming soon!

 

For now,

from our family to yours,

Merry Christmas!