Today, marks the end of the Christmas season at the Schillinger house. Now I know what you are thinking....Christmas was almost a month ago, but we love Christmas and decorating is a big deal for us. This makes the take down process very long and relatively yucky. However, it has given me time to pause and reflect over the Christmas season.
Our community of believers, Living Hope, did this awesome thing this year called Advent Conspiracy. Which helped us re-think how we did Christmas. It called for us to: Worship fully, spend less, give more and love all. This really inspired Jim and I re-evaluate somethings. In almost all years past, we try to make a budget and stick to it....but it rarely happens. In an effort to make things "even" and then finding that thing that someone "just has to have" we have blown the budget and just gone crazy. This year however, life has been a little different. As some of you know 2008 goes in the record book for me as the hardest of life to date. But, I wouldn't change a thing. When I first had my kids, many people told me that babies grown in their sleep and that was why they slept so much. Well, as followers of Jesus, grow through adversity and difficulty, at least in my case. I have had some incredible moments with my Savior this year, and honestly that for me was presents enough. But there were other people around us, so we decided to sit down with the kids and talk to them about AC and how some things were going to change for our family. We told them that since the Wisemen brought Jesus 3 gifts, this Christmas they were also going to get 3 gifts as well. (we do not do Santa at our house, so that was not a conflict.) In the beginning you'd have thought we told them Christmas was cancelled. But as they began to actually think about what they wanted if became a learning experience for them to really want the present and not just circle a bunch of things in the toy catalog. It's funny because I am the one who usually throws caution, and wallet to the wind at Christmas time, which is totally out of character for me...I am the frugal one of the house. But this year, knowing I had a budget to spend less and had to stick to it. God was so good....He provided just what everyone needed and somehow helped keep my spending even on each kid.
The kids even got involved too and my parents, even though they didn't realize it. My mom likes to bring crafts for the kids to do with her when she comes to visit. This year, the kids took all their crafts and wrapped them up for Jim and I for Christmas. It was so special and sweet. When Christmas came, it was so nice to not be buried under paper and bows, but to actually spend time with my kids and husband, together as a family therefore being able to give more of ourselves. It was not stressful running from here to there constantly looking for something. It was peaceful, and joyous, which I image that is the way it was intended.
Loving all and worshipping fully came as a package deal for me this year. This year has been a rather interesting year for me and my extended family. Some things have happened making our relationships strained. It has been very difficult for everyone. During his message on Worship, Gib talked about Mary, and how probably she wasn't where she'd thought her life was going to be, I began to think about my life and how it wasn't exactly where I thought it would be either. Jim and I were about to write off Christmas with the family and try again next year, but then it happened. God moved me, and reminded me that loving all was more about Him loving us unconditionally and how could I show that to others. It is my prayer that when we spent Christmas Eve with my family, that they saw more than just us showing up, but us honoring God and our relationship with Him. I am hoping we can take the things we learned this Christmas in to the New Year.
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