Royal Birth

     We tend to blame the fact that people overlook the true meaning of Christmas because it has become so commercialized. Stores put out decorations right after Halloween, Black Friday sales start on Thanksgiving, and It's A Wonderful Life can be seen non-stop. Somewhere within all of the hustle and bustle, the birth of Jesus gets lost.
     It wasn't always like that. 2000 years ago there weren't mega malls, television, and 24 hour news cycles. Life was much more simple. We know that Christ our King was born in a manger, in a stable, in Bethlehem. We know that shepherds came and the Wise men followed a star. But what about everybody else? What about the inn keeper? Did he know? Did life go on as usual in Bethlehem the day after Jesus was born? I have a feeling it did.
   
     Meanwhile, Will and Kate will soon give birth to a royal baby who will be tweeted about, photographed, and celebrated. The whole world will know within minutes.


This is what I've been thinking about every time I hear this song.

Do you hear what I hear?

     I look forward each year to the day Christmas music starts playing on the radio and listen to it pretty much non-stop throughout the season. As much as I love it,  I do get tired of hearing the same songs over and over. This year, we have really been trying to simplify Christmas and focus more on the true meaning of the day. One of the ways I have chosen to do this, is to scale back on the Christmas music that usually plays 24/7 in our house. Instead of listening to music that talks about Santa and presents, I have only been listening to the songs that focus on the birth of Christ and what that means.
     It has really made me stop and think. This story, about the birth of Jesus? The story that I have heard at least 200 times in my life, never gets old. It is amazing, and wonderful every time I hear it. And as I have grown, I have found different parts of the story meaningful.
     Last year, my first Christmas as a Mother, this song really touched me. I know there are plenty of songs about Mary, but I had never really stopped to think about how Joseph felt. Being a new parent is such a scary thing. Imagine being a parent to Jesus.



     Over the next few days, I will be sharing some of the songs that has helped to make this Christmas more Christ focused. I hope you take the time to listen to each one and reflect on what God has done for you.

Changing our focus

Not a good idea to let the 20 mo. old carry the snow globe!

In years past, we have focused more on the parts of Christmas that are commercialized and Santa related than we have on celebrating the birth of Christ. Although I was raised in church and consider myself a Christian, my husband was not and it had not been a priority in our home for many reasons and none of them are good.



This year is different.
This year is different because we have finally found a church to call ours. We started going last January and although we haven't been as regular as we like, we do feel like we have a place to go.
This year is different because I want to make sure Baylee is brought up in a Christian home that remembers the most important gift of all- Jesus.
This year is different because earlier this year, our family suffered an unimaginable tragedy that made us realize just how fleeting and precious life is. We lost our 15 year old son (my stepson) earlier this year to a terrible accident.  Christmas will never be the same. Our lives will never be the same.

If it was up to my husband and I, we probably wouldn't even put up a tree this year. It's a fine line we are walking between keeping ourselves from feeling overwhelmed with loss and letting Baylee discover how magnificent Christmas can be for a 20 month old.

This year our focus has changed.
So, we have made a decision to keep it simple. This means saying no to parties and obligations. This means we are not turning all of the house red and green with decorations. We have made a list of activities that are important for us to share with Baylee and will do our best to make them happen. If they don't? That's okay. Our focus this year is on the promise of peace that arrived in a stable in Bethelehem many years ago.