Christmas Recap - Top 10 Style

Hopefully, I'll return to "real" writing, rather than list writing, in the coming week. Until then, here's a quick recap of my time at home.

10. Viewing the lights around town, multiple times. I'm pretty sure that we are one of the only families who tried to visit every home or business that won an award for their lighting display.
9. Going to both the 4:30 and the 7:00 Christmas Eve services. It was the best of both worlds because we got to see all the families with young children at the 4:30 and then got to participate in the candlelight service at the 7:00 and hear "O Holy Night" sung by one of our favorite singers.
8. Laughing and more laughing - it's one of the many things we do so well together.
7. Catching up with old friends of all ages. I didn't get to see everyone I'd hoped to see, but I got to visit with many friends whom I see only once a year.
6. Trying new restaurants and revisiting lots of our old favorites, as well as eating homecooked meals.
5. Having my sister as my personal shopper; she's got an eye for fun stuff that I would never even think to pick up and put together.
4. Having my mom off the whole time we were home.
3. Getting to secretly pick up the tab at Sunday lunch for a couple who has blessed our family over the years.
2. Learning that I cannot outgive my mom and sister. They are incredible gift-givers.
1. Spending 9 days with my mom and sister. God gave us safe travel, good health, and lots of fun time together, which was a wonderful Christmas gift.

Christmas Traditions (finale) - Christmas Eve Candlelight Service

My traditions would not be complete without the Christmas Eve candlelight service. The service at our church is filled with all my favorite Christmas hymns and Scriptures on the birth of the Christ child, and it ends with the darkening of the church to allow us to sing "Silent Night" by candlelight.

As we gather together as a community of faith with lifelong friends to celebrate the real Reason for this season without all the commercialism, it's like a little glimpse of Heaven. We bring nothing but ourselves, and yet, we receive so much.

May your Christmas be filled with joy, with love, and most of all, with Him.

Christmas Traditions 10 - The Stockings

Some traditions stick because they are so easy. And this is one such example.

Every Christmas, we "open" our stockings first. After my sister and I make our way through the ornaments and other little (or sometimes not so little) gifts in the body of the stocking, we always check the toe of the stocking for an orange and an apple. I think "Santa" has only forgotten them one year, though many years we have reached in to find that they were ice-cold, having just been removed from the refrigerator.

I've never even asked if there's a story behind how Mom started this. I've just always known they'd be there. And there's just something sweet about that.

What stocking stuffer traditions do you have?

Christmas Traditions 9 - The Gifts

"It's better to give than to receive." That old saying is sometimes hard to grasp as a child, but I've found it to be absolutely true the older I've gotten. Nothing makes me smile more than to find a fun, surprising gift for a friend or family member. But sometimes, it's not about driving all over to find the right gift. And that should be great news with only 10 days left until Christmas.

For instance, our church is participating in the Advent Alternative. In lieu of buying a regular gift, you can go online and honor someone by giving a donation in their behalf to a worthy cause like Heifer International, H.O.P.E. Farm, World Vision, or others. Or if you just love to shop, one of the gift alternatives I have used in the past is to honor a friend or family member by adopting an angel from one of the Angel Trees around town.

I've also been a big fan of making gifts. From baked goodies to preparing jars of Christmas scent to making personalized notecards, I've run the gammit. I've also enjoyed serving my friends by putting lights on their trees or helping them get their shopping done. I don't think you can go wrong when you bless someone with the use of your time and talent. I know I've been blessed by some wonderful gifts that haven't come in a box, like my sister flying in to drive me home and friends coming over to replace outdoor lightbulbs (where ladders are involved) and put up my Christmas decorations.

Those are just a few of my attempts to think outside-the-box when it comes to gift giving. But I'd enjoy hearing what gift-giving ideas you have.

Christmas Traditions 8 - Tour of Lights

One of our family traditions that keeps moving up on our calendar because we can't seem to wait until Christmas Eve is our tour of the Christmas lights in various neighborhoods in my hometown. It's always a treat to see the winners of the local lighting contest and to see the creativity change from year to year.

But the one thing that can sometimes get lost on me is the symbolism of the lights. This season highlights Jesus coming to the world and being the Light of the world. That's something I hope to focus on more this year.

So do you participate in a tour of lights?

Christmas Traditions 7 - The Movies

Does Linus quoting Luke chapter 2 get you every year like it does me when A Charlie Brown Christmas comes on television? Or do you wait for the tongue-stuck-on-the-flagpole scene from A Christmas Story? Or maybe you prefer a more recent movie like Home Alone, The Santa Claus, or How the Grinch Stole Christmas.

It seems like the Christmas season, with family gathering and time off, provides the perfect opportunity to watch some old favorites or venture out to see a new movie at the theatre. Movie makers know that a good story will drive us to the theatre in droves. (Just look out how The Blind Side surged to #1 this past weekend after being in the theatre for several weeks.) But no matter how good their storyline is, there's a greater story that each of our hearts yearns to hear, and it's the one Linus recited.

So as you pull out the stack of movies this Christmas season, challenge yourself to set aside some time and re-read the story from Luke. You won't be disappointed.

Christmas Traditions 6 - The Photos

I can still remember waiting in line at the local Wal-Mart. It seemed like we spent half of each December there waiting in line with my mom and sister as we tried to get the annual Christmas photo taken. All the while Mom worried that our hair and our dresses wouldn't stay nice for very long amidst our attempts to entertain ourselves during the wait.

Now that we are spread out across this and other states, we don't "get" to take the annual Christmas photo in time to send out to friends and family. But we still try to get some photo ops in while we are home together.


But I have no desire to cover my refrigerator with pictures of myself. That's where all of you come in. It is so fun to receive Christmas photos from you. I keep them up year-round. So for those of you who spend half of your December waiting in line with your kiddos to have their picture taken, please know that the photo will find a coveted spot on my refrigerator for months to come!