• Little Women
  • Homeschool
  • What To Eat
    • Banana Muffins
    • Lady’s Chicken Nuggets with Wheat Germ
    • Lady’s Tortellini and Zucchini
    • Meatballs, The Recipe
    • Skinny Jenny Recipe
    • Tuscan Sausage and Bean Soup
    • What I Cook for Dinner, A Comprehensive List
  • Ask Lady

The Lady at Home

~ Simple Living and Child Rearing with a Smile

The Lady at Home

Tag Archives: christmas tree

Keeping Christ in Christmas

10 Monday Dec 2012

Posted by Christina in Uncategorized

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Christmas, christmas tree, colors of christmas, gingerbread, meaning of Christmas

For years, I have struggled like so many Christian moms and dads to find the balance in Christmas.  Between the commercialization and honoring Christ.  I feel like Charlie Brown, “Can anybody tell me what Christmas is all about!?”  

I often read other blogs where the parents seem very negative toward the Christmases we grew up with, with packages and stockings, Santa Claus, and sugar plums.   Often, these blogs suggest a stripped down version of Christmas more befitting a humble baby in a barn.   I am usually left feeling guilty for celebrating Christmas the way we do.  

I think the idea of a humble Christmas is right and good.  I believe that some of the most meaningful Christmases happen without ribbons and tags, packages, boxes and bags,    because, yes, Christmas doesn’t come from a store.  However. . .I also know that we celebrate an exquisite gift from the King of Kings!  A king who loves us and desires to feast with us in the splendor of his love.  A glorious, beautiful, merciful King!  Not only the humble child he became. 

So here’s how our family does it…

Image

We have a Christmas tree.

It’s evergreen branches represent the everlasting life offered to us by our Heavenly Father. It’s shape points to heaven, causing us to look up and remember Him from whom all blessings flow. It’s topped with a star which reminds us of the Star that announced the birth of the Messiah. It is decorated with gold representing the his royalty, white for His purity, and red to call to mind the blood he shed for us. It also has lights, as does the outside of our home, to remind us of the Light of the World (John 1). The tree itself is also a reminder of the tree that our Savior hung upon as he died 

Our presents, which we share to as a reminder of both the gifts given to the infant Savior and the Eternal gift from our Father in Heaven, are wrapped in kingly gold with blood red ribbons. As I placed them under the tree this year, I was moved to tears as I looked at the cascading ribbons like flowing blood on the perfect, royal gold packages.

We started a tradition of reading the Luke 2 Christmas story, acting out the story with our nativity,and lighting candles with our children before they open their presents. Then we give each child three gifts, one for their body, one for their spiritual development, and one just for fun. These gifts remind us of myrrh which was used in burial preparations (for His body), frankincense which was used by the Jewish priests (his Spirit, he was the Priest of Priests), and gold which was, of course, a royally precious metal for the King of Kings.

We love to bake gingerbread men too.  And as we do so, I will say to my children, “Did you know, in ancient times, people used strong spices as part of the burial preparations.  When Jesus died, his body was covered in spices.  Jesus said that he was the Bread of Life.”  Even our special treats can point back to Him.  

Perhaps the Christmas conundrum is part of the mystery.  Perhaps the tension we feel is a reminder of the strange dichotomy of the Creator of the Universe, the Savior of all mankind, the most holy, glorious King of Kings and the heart-breaking humility of a savior born in a stable to two poor teenagers and crucified on a rough hewn cross between two thieves. How could it be so?

I hope that in teaching my children these things, along with charitable acts, that we will somehow combat the over-indulgence of “commercial christmas” and plant seeds in their hearts to understand the true spirit of Christmas. And perhaps, the abundance of grandparent gifts and even Santa, will leave an emotional memory to draw on as they realize that the gift from God is so much better than even that wonderful feeling.

Image

Merry Christmas!

 

PS Most of this info I gleaned from a favorite book of ours, The ADVENTure of Christmas by Lisa Whelchel. She shares the meanings behind many of our Christmas traditions, many which were altered from pagan celebrations as they were converted and carried traditions in to their new faith.

Proverbial Wisdom

Whoever walks in integrity walks securely, but whoever takes crooked paths will be found out. -Proverbs 10:9

Who Is This Lady?


Born in the wrong decade, but thriving in the 21st century, I'm a small-town girl loving life, God and my man and growing everyday.

RSS Word of the Day

  • An error has occurred; the feed is probably down. Try again later.

Most Popular Posts – Fan Favorites

  • Alligator Pancakes
  • Scrapbook 100--Supply List

Like What You Read? Subscribe!

RSS Feed RSS - Posts

RSS Feed RSS - Comments

The Complete Lady Collected Archives

  • December 2012 (1)
  • November 2011 (3)
  • October 2011 (2)
  • January 2010 (11)
  • December 2009 (20)
  • November 2009 (26)
  • October 2009 (22)
  • September 2009 (32)
  • August 2009 (50)
  • July 2009 (1)

Blogroll

  • Beating Debt
  • CoffeeShop Photography
  • Coupon Mom
  • Crown Financial
  • The Provident Woman
  • The Quiet Life
  • Unchained Melody

Blogroll

  • Beating Debt
  • CoffeeShop Photography
  • Coupon Mom
  • Crown Financial
  • The Provident Woman
  • The Quiet Life
  • Unchained Melody

Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy