Advent Begins

Tis the season.

Its the time of year we rush and spend and stress. The time of year so many look upon with dread.

The Christmas season should be so much more, yet, year after year, we add more to our to do lists. We add more to our credit card debts.  We add unneeded negativity to a beautiful season.

Can we just not?

Can we just pause and reset?

Can we anticipate the gift of Jesus instead of the gifts under the tree that we feel obligated to purchase?

And thus, let's celebrate Advent.

Advent, in Natasha Terms,  is the anticipation of the coming of Christmas.....and all that it entails.

For me, its yearning to be near to Christ in every possible way

To soak myself in scripture that hints at His coming

To sing hymns of praise and adoration

To give thanks for the gift of Christ, eternal life, and all the blessings in between

To focus on Christ instead of commercialism


Would you join me?

This Advent season, I will be reading from The Voice Advent Reading Plan.  It starts today, and each daily reading is short.

Starting December 1, I will begin reading The Greatest Gift by Ann Voskamp.  This will be my second journey through this wonderful book.

Not only will I reset during this Advent season, my family will also.  Each night beginning December 1, we will take a book from our Advent calendar and read and pray over the scripture as a family.  Each book will then be placed on our Christmas tree.

And yes, that is an elf in that picture, our dear Bill Skylander Hotdog, who by the way has a friend this year: Penelope Skylander Hotdog.  We will still continue our usual fun family traditions. However, our focus will be on Christ.  Regardless of the number of gifts or parties or cards or carols, we will pause this holiday season and keep Christ at the center it.

So, Friend, will you join me in anticipating Christmas the way Christmas is meant to be?

When the Christmas Decorations are Put Away

Yesterday, I took down and put away all of my Christmas decorations.

To tell you the truth.....

I didn't want to.

Seriously, I love the soft glow of the lights.  I love how the stockings hang from the mantle.  I love the Christmas cards taped to the doorway.    I love the sound of the jingle bells on the front door.

But it had to be done.

As we put away or decorations, we do one other thing (and I credit this to a blog post I found online a couple of years ago).   We write notes to God.  Each member of our family takes a note card and writes a wish, a promise, a goal, something to God.

Maybe we want to read the Bible more.  Maybe we want to be more available to Him.  Something different for each of us.

We write these out privately. Seal them in an envelope. Place them in our stockings. Pack them away.

The next year as we retrieve our Christmas stockings, we open our notes and share them aloud.

It's amazing to see that we've kept our promises or grew beyond what we wanted.  It's almost like giving a Christmas present to God, but He blesses us more.

These notes help give us a purpose for the year.  We don't want to look back upon reading the letters and realize that we let God down.  We want to live each day intentionally for Him.

Yes, We "Elf on The Shelf"

I've seen the debates (ahem, memes) about Elf on the Shelf.  I mean really.....using an elf to make your kids behave before Christmas???? What about the belt on the shelf? Or just straight up do what you're supposed to do.

Yeah.  That stuff is out there.

But yes, at my house, we have an elf.

World, meet Bill Skylander Hotdog.

Bill is a great addition to our family Christmas traditions.

When we adopted him last year, we were afraid we'd made a mistake.  After going in to Target to shop, we came out to see him buckled in the seat.  The little sucker was already into mischief less than 2 hours after his adoption.

But Bill is also lots of fun. This guy....you never know what he will do.

Bill is a fun fella. Full of mischief, but we anxiously wait to see what he will do next.

We don't press the issue of him tattling back to Santa about the kids' behavior.  They know our expectations, and they know the consequences.  We don't need Bill for that, or a belt for that matter.

Whether Bill comes for a few days and hangs out our house or Santa comes down our chimney (Yes! We have a fireplace this year!), the most important thing about Christmas is remembering why we celebrate.

In my family, we celebrate Christmas because of Jesus.

He is our focus of our Christmas celebrations.  When we give gifts, as our children receive gifts, we keep in mind that Jesus is the greatest gift of all.  Our kids know that Bill and Santa are fun, but Jesus is the whole reason we have Christmas.

And we celebrate Him every day.

We talk about Jesus every day.

We read about Jesus every day.

We pray to God every day thanking Him for Jesus.

Jesus is the center of our family, not just at Christmas, but every day.

So, yes, we "elf on the shelf," but most importantly, we live for Jesus.

A Different Kind of Christmas

December 27, 2012

Christmas day has come and gone.  Yet, I hope I can "live Christmas" everyday.  This Christmas may help me be able to do that.

I found out Sunday night at church about a conversation Carson had with his Sunday school teacher.  She was worried that she had upset him.  During class, they had a birthday party for Jesus.  They were talking about what gifts they could give to Jesus, and Carson couldn't think of one.  Well, Rene told him that his gift was allowing his daddy to go to Afghanistan.

I never really thought about that.

We didn't allow Jeff to go.  We just supported what God called him to do.

Is that really a gift?  Maybe so.

Jesus came to earth for us. He was born like us. He lived like us (sort of).  He died and rose from the grave for us.  Jesus sacrificed so much for us.

This Christmas we sacrificed for Him.  I never really thought about that.

We could have been bitter. We could have moped around and been miserable.  What good would that have done?

Instead, we put first things first. We put Jesus first. We kept things low key.  We enjoyed being family the best way we knew how. We stayed in pajamas and cuddled. 

One thing I've learned is that my life is not about me.  It is about God.  He created me. He saved me. He loves me and has a plan for me.  I have to live my life for Him. Part of that is being married to an Army Chaplain.  That is just one of the many ways I serve Him.  Whatever God calls Jeff to do, I must be supportive.

Even if that means a deployment to Afghanistan during Christmas.

It certainly wasn't in our plan, but it is comforting to know that it was in God's plan.

No, we don't earn a medal, and we certainly don't boast. Instead, we serve. We do what God has called us to do regardless if we want to or not.

I won't lie.  Christmas was hard. It was hard to shop and go to Christmas services and write out Christmas cards. Alone.  It was hard for Santa to come and open presents. Alone.  I don't wish that on anyone. But that is what God called us to do this Christmas.

It was hard knowing as my children slept, their daddy was in harms way.  While my children were dreaming of gifts and Santa, their mama was up praying for their daddy's safety.  What kind of Christmas gift is it when random rockets fly overhead?  That, my friend, was hard.  What do you do when you realize you have no control? You pray. And pray. And pray some more.  You put your faith and trust in God because He never fails.

So this was a different kind of Christmas. A Christmas where people loved us and cared for us out of the goodness of their hearts.  A Christmas where Skype and texting and email were my best friends!  A Christmas where we sacrificed for our Father. After all, didn't His Son sacrifice for us? 

I Hope

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas.  I hope you make a commitment to live Christmas everyday, not just one day a year.

I hope that you stop to thank God for the most amazing gift ever, His son Jesus.

I hope that you thank a Soldier for standing guard while you enjoyed the freedom to celebrate the way you wanted.

Wives of Faith Christmas Blog Carnival: Day 6 - Favorite Christmas Military Moment

My grandfather was an amazing man.  Regardless of the mistakes he made in his life, I loved him deeply.  I had a bond with him unlike any other bond I've had with anyone else.  We were connected in a special way.  I was his baby girl.  Carson is actually named after him.  My grandfather was born on Christmas Day in 1925.  When he passed away, it broke my heart. I found comfort in knowing that, at 80 years old, he had received Jesus as his Savior before passing away.

We wanted to find a way to honor him and at the same time, give my dad a special Christmas gift.  So Jeff decided to make Daddy a shadow box honoring my grandfather. Jeff researched Pa Tootsie's service in the Navy.  He had purchased duplicate medals my grandfather recieved for his service.  The shadow box contained the medals, pins, and a photo of my grandfather.  We gave it to my dad on Christmas Day, Pa's birthday. 

It was a very special, tender moment.  My husband blessing my dad by honoring my grandfather, the three men I love the most connecting through the love of my grandfather.

I am sure there are some amazing memories of other military spouses. Go along with me to Wives of Faith to find out who has joined in today's Christmas Blog Carnival. There are also some really cool prizes for each day's topic. 

Wives of Faith Christmas Blog Carnival Day 1

This year I am joining in  the Christmas Blog Carnival sponsored by Wives of Faith. 

Today's question is:

What is your favorite scripture at Christmastime and why?

Well, I absolutely love the Christmas Story found in Luke 2:1-20.  Whether heard in church, as recited by Linus, or in The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, the words melt my heart.  It truly is wonderful news.  News that deserves to be told on the mountain. News that should make us joyful. News that brings hope and comfort to all. What better scripture to share during the season that celebrates the birth of Christ?!?

What is your favorite scripture during Christmastime? You can find out what others are saying at Wives of Faith.

What is better than TobyMac and Operation Christmas Child?

Carson says TobyMac and Legos....

A Little Bit of Christmas

What is better than some TobyMac and Operation Christmas Child?

Deck the Halls

I enjoy decorating for Christmas. It is probably one of the only times during the year my house looks presentable.  Here are some photos of some of my favorite Christmas things.

What are some of your favorite ways to decorate or some of your favorite Christmas things?

Happyland Christmas Program

Thursday was Carter's first Christmas program.  He did wonderful on stage. Of course his age group can't really sing yet, but watching them move to the music and clap is always so cute. 

Our pictures NEVER turn out well at the Happyland programs. I'm sure it is our camera. Maybe one day we will invest in a high quality one.

Weekend Happenings

This past  weekend was full of Christmas activities.

Friday night, we spent the night at "our hotel" (Opryland Hotel).  Of course it was decorated from top to bottom for Christmas.  We saw Santa, Po from Kung Fu Panda, and Shrek.

 Saturday, we went to Jeffrey's unit for their family Christmas party.  The kids got to see Santa. Each child was given a gift. We had a great lunch, and I got to meet some wondeful people.

 Sunday night was when the boys had their Christmas programs at church.  They did a fabulous job.

Soon we will have our annual Christmas party at our house. It is always a good time.

Family Christmas Party

Friday night was our annual family Christmas party. We had 13 kids in the house, along with their parents and our parents. A good time was had by all. This was the first Christmas we've spent with the Rogers family in quite a while. Brian finished up his military duty at the first of the year after serving in Iraq. We were glad to have them home.

Back into the swing of things???

How how nice it was to go back to church today! Although I still feel quite terrible, I was able to make it to church to teach my Sunday school class and work the nursery. There was only one darling in the nursery.....the same darling that was my teacher's assistant during Sunday school because he didn't want to go to his class! With Carson's pneumonia, Colin's headcold, and my sinus infection, we had to miss church for the last couple of weeks. The last time I went was for Colin's Christmas program. Last Sunday night was our candlight service. I spent the entire day on the couch.

I hope everyone has been enjoying their Christmas. Colin got up yesterday morning and said, "Merry Christmas, Mama. Oh, Christmas day is over so I probably shouldn't say that." I told him that was ok. We should celebrate Christmas everyday! He liked that.

What a sweet season Christmas is! Growing up, I knew that Christmas celebrated the birth of Jesus. However, as a Christian, it is even more special. God gave us His son as a gift. What an amazing gift! Having opened my heart and received that gift personally, makes Christmas even more special. I savor the sights, smells, and sounds of Christmas. I'm in no rush to take my trees down and put my decorations away. I guess if it wasn't considered to be so redneck, I'd keep them up all year! Yes, I did change my blog background, but I am hoping to see some snow before we head back to school on January 4. A girl can dream can't she?!?

Merry Christmas to you, everyday!

An Invitation for You and Yours

You Are Cordially Invited To A Birthday Celebration.

Guest of Honor: Jesus Christ

Date: December 25th

Time: When you're ready, ( please don't be late, though; or
you'll miss out on all the fun!!! )

Place: In your Heart...He'll meet you there ( you'll hear Him
knock )

Attire: Come as you are...grubbies are okay. He'll be washing
our clothes anyway. He said something about new
white robes and crowns for everyone who stays till the
last.

Tickets: Admission is free. He's already paid for everyone..( He
says you would not have been able to afford it...it cost
Him everything he had! )

Refreshments: New wine, bread and a far-out drink He calls
living water, followed by a supper that promises to be
out of this world!!!

Gift Suggestions: Your Heart. He's one of those people who
already has everything else. He's very generous in
return though; just wait until you see what He has for
you.

Entertainment: Joy, Peace, Truth, Light, Life, Love, Real
Happiness, Communion with God, Forgiveness,
Miracles, Healing, Power, Eternity in Paradise, and
much more!
( All rated "G" so bring your family and friends )

R.S.V.P. Very important! He must know ahead so he can
reserve a spot for you at the table. Also He's keeping
a list of His friends for future reference. He calls it the
( "Lambs Book Of Life" )

Party Being given By His Kids ( That's Us )
Hope To See You There!!!

got this in my morning email devotion and wanted to pass it on.

Griswald Family Christmas

Saturday night, we had our annual Christmas party at our house. We had lots of yummy food, great company, and lots of fun. The kids exchanged gifts and the adults played Dirty Santa.


Santa showed up!

And this cute little elf!

Just before the last guest left, my boys crashed on the loveseat and couch. I spent the whole day Sunday on the loveseat, feeling horrible. Evidently, I caught a little something toward the end of last week when Carson was getting over his pneumonia. YUCK! Hopefully, I'll start feeling better soon.