Christmas Eve.
Christmas is my favorite time of the year.
I love to decorate the house with all my wonderful decorations collected over the years. Snowmen, angels, trees of all shapes, sizes, and material.
And lights. My favorite. Candles in all the windows, twinkle lights on all the plate rails in the dining room and among the fresh greens which fill all the rooms. Light to remind us of The Light which shone in the darkness.
We will have a different Christmas Eve this year.
Our tradition is to eat an early dinner and get dressed in our Sunday best and head off to our Candlelight service at church. We've been doing this for 25 years (except one) and I'm going to miss our "family" with whom we celebrate this wonderful night. The church is dimly lite and candles are passed out to all. We sing lovely Christmas carols and hymns, selected children read from the Old and New Testament, telling us of the old familar story. The beginning of our redemption. We have special music performed by a select choir (Ethan, Rob and myself have been a part of for years), a reflective message about the reason we are celebrating, and the lighting of the candles in a dark church singing Silent Night. Then quiet hugs and love to all and a return home.
At home we gather in the living room, pass out hot chocolate and Christmas cookies, enjoy the Christmas Tree, and open one gift. Then off to bed, so Mom can put stockings on the couch, filled with love and a letter to each, refecting on the pervious year and casting vision for the next.
This year it will be different.
We will be in the desert. Jesus spent a lot of time in the desert; praying, fighting spiritual battles, walking through from city to city to heal, help and love.
I'm looking forward to our trip to the desert. The message will still be true and relevant and personal.
Jesus came to this earth as a baby......for me.
"For unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given" Isaiah 9:6
Merry Christmas to all who still read my blog. And I pray that Jesus is the Light in your life.
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1 comment:
Margaret,
I still read your blog and I still am SO encouraged and blessed by it! Keep posting. What do you mean by "in the desert?" Just curious. You don't have to elaborate but I was just wondering. Blessings to you and your family and may you have a blessed Christmas....no matter where you are!
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