My Morning Musings

God loves commemoration. Throughout biblical history, we see Him marking significant events with a monument—or calling for an annual feast to memorialize a specific time when He showed His incredible saving power and love to His people.

Why is it important to keep such observances?

Because God wants us to remember who He is and what He’s done for us in a deeper way. He knows we need to experience in reality to truly understand it in its fullness.

At Christmas, we have the opportunity to commemorate and celebrate a wonderful event unlike any other: when God put on flesh and came into the world to save us.

While Christmas isn’t about all the lights, presents, cookies, Santa, elves and whatever else you associate it with, as my youngest, Jaylan, said: “we are just decorating REALLY BIG for Jesus’ birthday party!” Besides, who couldn’t use a little Merry Christmas cheer?🎄🎅🏼🤶🏼 🦌 🍪 🥛 🎁 ☃️

In our family, we definitely keep Christ in the forefront of all our celebrations and traditions, but we also enjoy the “fun stuff” that comes with Christmas. We have 2 elves, Charlie & Toby, that show up on December 1st and stay until Christmas or New Years (yes we’ve kept them around until New Year’s because the girls love them!). No, we don’t cheat and make them break a leg so that we can be lazy and not have to worry about moving them 😳 – YES! I said “LAZY.” It bothers me that this is considered a #parentingWIN 🤨 #sorrynotsorry

On their first day back to our home, our elves bring a letter from Santa that reminds the kids to remember the “REAL REASON” of the season and not to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of things. They also leave a Christmas book each day for “25 days of Christmas” – the book is a part of whatever the elves are doing that day, or sometimes we make it super fun and have a scavenger hunt for the book. As a parent, I have just as much fun as the girls do with theses 2 elves! 🤷🏼‍♀️ Life is so busy, and this is a way I can take just a moment of my time to do something fun for my girls that will make memories to last a lifetime.

We bake the cookies, make the ornaments, build the gingerbread houses (or towns), 😁 we trim the tree(s),🎄 decorate the house, put up the lights, visit the displays… and YES, “Santa” comes on Christmas Eve!! No presents before – well one on Christmas Eve, but it is usually pajamas, popcorn and a Christmas movie for family movie night on Christmas Eve. 😊 The milk and cookies are baked and left out, as well as the stockings hung. We LOVE to celebrate Christmas!

Why would we go through so much trouble to celebrate a holiday?

Thanks for asking. It’s simple. It is a time that deserves to be celebrated. Not because of a fictional Santa, reindeer, and elves, the delicious cookies and gingerbread houses, or the beautiful lights and decorations, but because of a Savior that was born on a cold night in Bethlehem. If we can “celebrate all week” or post “#birthdaymonth” for ourselves, why can’t we do the same for Jesus? Sure, He probably doesn’t care about all the Christmas “stuff,” but He does care about me taking TIME out and making memories with my family. I believe He smiles down when I make an effort to slow down from my busy schedule to bake the cookies and make the gingerbread houses. Even though it makes an insane mess, I believe I bring joy to Jesus when I make ornaments with the girls instead of keeping the house nice and tidy because I’m “oh so busy” and barely have time to cook supper much less clean a mess that “didn’t have to be made.” He smiles when I painstakingly choose the “perfect hiding spot” or spend way too much time “perfecting” the snow❄️fort the “elves built” just to see the smiles on my girls’ faces and hear their laughter because those elves get into the craziest of predicaments. 🤣

To some, we may go a bit overboard with Christmas and maybe so, but my girls will remember them forever. They will not only remember their two elves, the presents, the memories we made with our traditions and fun we had during the holiday season. They will also not forget the countless times they heard the Christmas story throughout the month, the cake we eat to celebrate Jesus’ birthday, the less fortunate families that we secretly purchase gifts for, the orphan we sponsor and let them pick out gifts for, and they will always remember the “real reason for the season” because they can quote from memory Luke chapter 2 – yes QUOTE at 5, 7, and 11. They will forever remember the songs like 🎼Away in a Manger, O’ Holy Night, and Silent Night🎶 because they are played on repeat throughout the season.

Christmas is a busy time, but Christmas is also a time when you can make the best memories with your family. Even Mary, Jesus’ mother, had “Christmas Memories”…

But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart. Luke 2:19

I believe the greatest gift you can give Jesus for His birthday, besides surrendering your life to Him, is time spent with your family. Go make a Christmas memory with your family today! 🎁

🎄 MERRY CHRISTMAS!🎄