Survey says...

What makes it feel most like Christmas to you?

#1 answer - Spending time with family
#2 answer - Listening to Christmas music
#3 answer - Decorating the Christmas tree

Thanks for sharing!

Jesus is the Prince of Peace...

For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given;
and the government shall be upon his shoulder,
and his name shall be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Isaiah 9:6

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude
of the heavenly host praising God and saying,
"Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace among those
with whom he is pleased!"
Luke 2:13-14

Therefore, since we have been justified by faith,
we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Romans 5:1

For he himself is our peace...
Ephesians 2:14a

Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely,
and may your whole spirit and soul and body
be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.
I Thessalonians 5:23-24

Things you can't not know ... by Jenn

It's beginning to happen every year - the decision to wish shoppers "Happy Holidays" instead of "Merry Christmas." And many Christians do their best to take Christ out of Christmas by stomping and whining and insisting that everyone keep Him in. It's really a lose-lose situation.

I mean, yes, it's totally asinine that corporations won't allow employees to wish customers a merry Christmas, when Christmas is the holiday that generates sales that keep their doors open the rest of the year. I also think the stupidest (is that a word? My dad uses it a lot, so...) thing I've ever heard of is to call those lit-up, decorated green things "Holiday Trees." They are Christmas trees. I wouldn't say to my Jewish friends, "Hey, that's a lovely Holiday Candle Holder you've got there." It's called a Menorah, 'cause that's what it is. It's called a Festivus Pole, 'cause that's what it is. It's called a Christmas Tree, 'cause that's what it is.

Having said that, I feel it's also very un-Christlike to demand that we be wished a Merry Christmas. I mean nothing says "I love Jesus" like demanding that a store employee go against their boss to wish you a Merry Christmas.

But that's not really the point of this post. My friend Cristin sent me a story that speaks about these issues, but actually points to a deeper matter that I want to address. The story is about new ads going up on DC buses that say, "Why believe in god? Just be good for goodness' sake." (A similar ad has been running in Britain that reads "There probably is no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life." I would say that "probably" is not a good word to use here. I mean, wouldn't you want to be absolutely sure about that?)

We are studying Romans in Sunday school and few weeks ago, our teacher (who is also a professor at the local seminary) was speaking about creation and God and he used the phrase "things you can't not know." He was referring to creation as being made by God. I mean, you can call it what you want, but really, you can't not know that God made it all. Even my three-year old knows. But even deeper that that, you can't not know that God is. You can deny Him, but that doesn't make Him less true.

In the first chapter of Romans, Paul tells us, "The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse" (vv.18-20, italics mine).

But here's the catch for us - while God as Creator is plain to man without ever being told, Jesus as Savior is not. So it's not my job to convince someone of the truth of creation. But it is my job, my command from the Man Himself, to speak the truth of Jesus, to live the truth of Jesus, and to be the truth of Jesus. And what better time than during Christmas?

How about this season we stop expecting to be catered to? Let's serve, instead of expecting to be served. Time and again, scripture refers to God as "slow to anger and abounding in love." There's no reason we can't be the same. Let's not get grouchy when the lines are long, and let's not do that thing where we mumble under our breath about the service or the employees.

I would love for us to put Christ back in Christmas. But forcing your town to have a public Nativity scene isn't the way to do it. I don't think a plastic, light-up Baby Jesus is the "light of the world" Matthew was talking about. No, that light is you. And it's me.

I do wish you a Merry Christmas, and I pray that you share the "merriness" that is within you to all you meet this holiday season.

Counting down by the book ... by Jen

We LOVE Christmas traditions! One that we all enjoy is unwrapping a Christmas book every night of December. I wrap up 23 different books, the same ones every year, and put them in a basket. Each night the boys take turns opening one up and then my husband or I read it to them. They look forward to it every year. On Christmas Eve, my husband reads The Night Before Christmas and The Christmas Story from the book of Luke. Great memories!

Here is our basket of books!

Here is the first book!

We added a new tradition this year, it was our oldest son's idea. We are singing a different carol each night. He went online and printed out the lyrics for all of us. Though we couldn't sing in a concert hall or anything, it was a sweet, sweet sound!

May you all enjoy your Christmas traditions!

Homemade gifts # 1 ... by Angie

We decided to make very simple gifts for family, friends, neighbors and teachers this Christmas. As we all have taken a big financial hit these past few months as a result of the economic turmoil in our country, it has really made me appreciate the simple pleasures in life... maybe a cup of hot chocolate with my family or a relaxing bath with time to read a devotion.

So this year our family worked together to make hot chocolate mix and scented bath salts to give as gifts. It was so simple that even the children were able to help.

Hot Chocolate Mix

1 - 30 oz can of Nestle Quick
2 pound bag of confectioner's sugar
1 large (22 oz) jar of Cremora
1 box (25.6 oz) of powdered milk

Using a large bowl, mix all the ingredients together. Wash the containers and make sure they are completely dry before placing the mixture inside. If you have a table in the garage, it may be a good idea to mix it up outside because the "chocolate dust" leaves a fine coating on your counter tops and floor. Once I mixed it together, we packaged it in the kitchen.

To prepare hot chocolate, add 3 to 4 Tablespoons of the mixture to hot water and enjoy!

I taught my kids how to make bows using curly ribbon, and we printed a Christmas message, along with the preparation instructions, on the cards.

The cost is $ .67 per cup of mix, and the containers I purchased at the Dollar Tree for $1 each! Some containers held 4 cups and the others, 2 cups.

Scented Bath Salts

2 cups Epsom salt
1 cup rock salt
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of glycerin
Scent (Purchased at Michael's. It is on the candle and soap making aisle.)
Coloring is optional. (I do not add it because it does not look very "clean.")

Simply mix ingredients together and store in an air tight container. Again, the containers came from the Dollar Tree so the cost came to approximately $2 a gift.

Do you have ideas for homemade Christmas gifts that are inexpensive and fun to make? (You can share one from years past if you don't want to give out all your secrets for this year.) Email us at CelebratingChristmas@gmail.com with pictures and directions. We love sharing ideas!

Celebrating the Circle of Friendship...

Good friends. Now there's a treasure. I don't know whether you've had the blessing of being part of a circle of friends who make meals when a baby arrives, babysit so you can have a date night, bring a box of old books/ CD's/ DVD's/ children's clothes to Bible study and announce, "I don't need these anymore. Take what you want," comment on your blog, send you silly virtual Christmas gifts on Facebook, share fresh veggies from a special garden, shoot an email to follow up on a prayer request you had three months ago, drop cookies by your house because they made a few extra, etc. The list really could go on and on and on. But if you have been part of a group of ladies like this, you'll know that it is a living testimony of the love of Jesus in the church.

This season, take time to connect with your friends. There are many things you can do to get together and celebrate. Whether you meet at a home or a restaurant, for coffee or for a meal. Whether you have a potluck dinner or a catered affair, the main point is to be together and enjoy one another's company. Catch up on what has happened since you were all together.

And add in a little fun, like...

... swap cookies and recipes
... exchange white elephant gifts
... trade Christmas ornaments
... bring wrapped handmade gifts and draw to see who gets what
... make a Christmas craft... ornament, jewelry, gift bag, storage bin, recipe holder, etc.
... donate socks or blankets or hats to the Rescue Mission
... collect books for an after-school tutoring program
... make a giant gift basket of pampering items (nail polish, lotions, bubble bath, etc.) for a group home for girls
... bring a baby gift or gift card for a local pregnancy support agency
... assemble exam survival kits for college students
... sing Christmas carols
... update the praises and prayer requests since you last met
... bring a picture of your favorite Christmas as a child... put all the pictures on a table... guess who is who... share your Christmas memory
... exchange teas or coffees or scarves or mittens or socks or Christmas cards or coffee mugs or tea cups or t-shirts or notepads or framed hand-written Bible verses or books or DVDs or hand lotion or candles/tarts or dishtowels, etc.

Whatever you do... have fun together, building each other up in faith and love.



Got an idea for a great Friend Gathering? Make sure you share it in a comment!

Christmas = Busy! ... by Shannon

For many of us, the Christmas season = BUSY! This means we have to be intentional to keep all the clutter – the parties, the traveling, and, yes, even the presents – from obscuring the purpose for our celebrations, travels, and gift-giving. Often Christ, the One who is central to Christmas, becomes secondary to all the extras.

My husband Lee and I have only been married for three-and-a-half years, but we've already seen this busy-ness plague infect our celebrations. As we prepared to celebrate our first Christmas as a family of three last year, we asked for God's guidance to keep the Christmas season from becoming all about the trimmings. We decided that we would intentionally set aside Christmas morning as our sacred family time. No company (not even grandparents), no traveling, not even any telephone calls or Internet. We explained to our families that we're open to joining them for celebrations the weekend before or after Christmas Day and that they're welcome to join us in the afternoon on Christmas Day if they'd like to … but Christmas morning is off limits. It hasn't always been the most popular decision, but we knew it was the right one for us. As we prepare to welcome our second child to this world this coming Easter, it's refreshing to know that we won't have to juggle traveling with a baby and toddler on Christmas Day 2009!

I don't expect this to be the answer for every family to find some calm in the midst of the Christmas season, but it works for us. What works for your family? We are still relatively newlyweds, so I would love it if you could leave a comment with ways that you keep Christ central to your celebrations in the midst of the busy season!