I just enjoyed a wonderful Christmas devotional
TRUE meaning of CHRISTmas.
First, I thought about all of my family traditions.
My parents began many traditions that I have now
passed down to my children.
Decorating our tree's, Our fun shopping day to buy for one another,
receiving our very own Christmas ornaments each year,
Driving to see Christmas lights, Toy's for tot's, making Christmas cookies/candy
and watching all of our favorite Christmas movies.
I am sure most of you have similar traditions.
It's what makes the holiday magical!!
I LOVE seeing Christmas through my children's eyes.
But even with all of our traditions, we center it around Christ.
My little ones have a "Little People" manger scene.
They know that we celebrate and give because of BABY JESUS
and because of all the "gifts" that Jesus has given to us....
We need to give and love unconditionally too.
Second, I thought about one of the kid's favorite Christmas stories.
'The Grinch who stole Christmas"
My kid's love the Jim Carrey version(obviously WAY funnier)instead of the cartoon.
But in both versions...
The Grinch, that memorable character from the classic children’s story by Dr. Seuss, had a heart that “was two sizes too small,” and he hated everything about Christmas.
Through the course of the story, however, he undergoes a dramatic transformation when he learns that there is more to Christmas than decorations and gifts.
Grinch: They're finding out now that no Christmas is coming.
They're just waking up, I know just what they'll do.
Their mouths will hang open a minute or two,
Then the Whos down in Whoville will all cry, "Boo Hoo!"
That's a noise, (the Grinch said,) that I simply must hear!
Their mouths will hang open a minute or two,
Then the Whos down in Whoville will all cry, "Boo Hoo!"
That's a noise, (the Grinch said,) that I simply must hear!
Narrator: So he paused, And the Grinch put a hand to his ear.
And he did hear a sound rising over the snow.
It started in low.
Then it started to grow...
But the sound wasn't sad!
Why, this sound sounded glad!
And he did hear a sound rising over the snow.
It started in low.
Then it started to grow...
But the sound wasn't sad!
Why, this sound sounded glad!
[Whos singing]
Narrator: Every Who down in Who-ville, the tall and the small,
Was singing! Without any presents at all!
He HADN'T stopped Christmas from coming! IT CAME!
Somehow or other, it came just the same!
And the Grinch, with his Grinch-feet ice-cold in the snow, stood puzzling and puzzling:
Was singing! Without any presents at all!
He HADN'T stopped Christmas from coming! IT CAME!
Somehow or other, it came just the same!
And the Grinch, with his Grinch-feet ice-cold in the snow, stood puzzling and puzzling:
Grinch: How could it be so?
It came without ribbons! It came without tags!
It came without packages boxes, or bags!
It came without ribbons! It came without tags!
It came without packages boxes, or bags!
Narrator: And he puzzled and puzzled, till his puzzler was sore.
Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before!
"Maybe Christmas," he thought, "doesn't come from a store.
Maybe Christmas… perhaps… means a little bit more."
Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before!
"Maybe Christmas," he thought, "doesn't come from a store.
Maybe Christmas… perhaps… means a little bit more."
I love when the Whos gather around the tree, holding hands and sing that memorable song.
It didn't matter that their gift's,tree's and food had been taken. Nope.
They still had something The Grinch couldn't take away from them.
The Spirit of Christmas and each other.
If we look for what is wrong with the Christmas season, we can surely find it. Like the Grinch, we can grumble and complain, becoming cold and cynical about what we see around us. Nevertheless, if we look for the good, we can see this time of year with new eyes—perhaps even with the eyes of a child.
The Grinch saw the good in Christmas when he learned to look past its worldly trappings. If we do the same, we can, with the Grinch, proclaim: “Maybe Christmas . . . doesn’t come from a store. Maybe Christmas . . . perhaps . . . means a little bit more!”
Our heart may not grow three sizes as the Grinch’s did, but our heart will change. Our eyes will open to the miracles all around us—at Christmastime and throughout the year.
*****
This video below has been a favorite of mine since it's release. It actually reminds me of my Lunden.
Why you ask? I will tell you why.
For the longest time I had a porcelain manger scene.
She loved the little porcelain baby Jesus.
Instead of it lying next to Mary and Joseph Baby Jesus stayed safe in Lunden's room.
Usually in her little cupped hands or the little box she made for it.
She had that baby Jesus for the longest time and played with it even past the Christmas holiday.
My sweet girl.
{You'll need to stop my music below to listen to the video}
Until next time....
"The spirit of Christmas illuminates the picture window to the soul. To catch the real meaning of the spirit of Christmas, we need only drop the last syllable and it becomes....
The spirit of Christ"
The spirit of Christ"
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