Christmastime from my world...(and a Christmas card!)

Wow, it's Christmas time?! :) Growing up, there were few Christmases that we got big presents. Because there is so many of us, presents haven't been a big thing at Christmastime. Mom and Dad didn't put up a tree, and we didn't always have stockings. We kids never believed in Santa Claus, and were humorously cautious around our Santa-believing friends--we didn't want to spoil it for them. :)
When we were young, Dad shared with us the origins of the Christmas holiday. If you Wikipedia them, it may cause you to want to throw December 25th out the window. But though these facts of my childhood may cause people to think we were poor, deprived little children, we've always been very thankful and never felt deprived. My family celebrates Christmas in traditional ways, and the lack of trees and presents have helped us remember what it's really all about. What everything is really all about. ;)
Now I love trees and presents! I got to decorate 2 trees this year (at a nursing home and at church) for the first time, and it's so much fun. Especially when you do it with family and friends. Also, Mom has put out two small ceramic trees that were recently-given heirlooms. And this year Jen's credit card wanted to do some bigger-than-usual presents. :)

One tradition we always look forward to is baking our cookies (I didn't get to take pictures this year, it was crazy). Before we moved to the country, we had a sweet neighbor lady who made the BEST unfrosted sugar cookies and brought them to us every Christmas. When we moved, she gave us the recipe, and we continued her tradition. For 6 years, we've baked several dozen and delivered them door-to-door to our neighbors. It's SO fun to do together! This year was the first year we caroled at delivery, haha.

This year, Christmas songs have been different for me. I've related Christmastime to songs like O The Wonderful Cross, O Glorious Day, Sweetly Broken, & O How He Loves Us. Or lyrics that hit on the nose like O Holy Night:

Long lay the world in sin and error pining,
Till He appear’d and the soul felt its worth.
A thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn...

Truly He taught us to love one another,
His law is love and His gospel is peace.
Chains shall He break, for the slave is our brother,
And in His name all oppression shall cease.

No matter what time of year, it's Christmas when I remember the UNFATHOMABLE love of God demonstrated in this...

That while I laid in sin and error, and a slave to my birth-nature that is an enemy of God...

Christ died for me.

Do you relate to the weary world rejoicing? I do, my friend. Because based on my merits, where I shouldn't have HOPE...I DO I DO I DO.

I pray your Christmas is a wonderfully blessed one as you get together with your friends and family. And if Christmas is a difficult time for you, go to Thoughts n Whatnots--LeAnna reminds us that not everyone gets to wholeheartedly rejoice. But I pray joy and peace for you, of the Christ-kind. The peace that passes understanding and the joy that is your strength.

Remember for Whom we celebrate. :)