peace . love . joy

Christmas Eve's here!

Tomorrow'll be Christmas day proper, yay!
Can't wait to see the look on people's faces when they greet each other and when they open their presents and when they gather for dinners..

Christmas.

Let's ask that "what is" question wee kiddies all learn to ask when they receive their first bag of inquiring words & sentence structures that include the all-famous "why", shall we?
What is Christmas?

(I didn't put the inverted commas on the last word so I'm not expecting "a word" as an answer.)
Most Christians would, and have answered "Jesus' birthday".
My Mum says there're some denomenations that refuse to celebrate the 25th of December as Christmas, as the day Jesus was born on Earth, because they say it's the wrong date. I think they're missing the entire point of a celebration, to remember and remind celebrators of important, meaningful events. I don't think it's terribly vital that we get the exact date right, though it'd be nice. Anyhow, that's not what I want to discuss here.

If we build on that answer, "Jesus' birthday", then let's ask this other question:
What happens at a birthday party?

Presents!
Presents are given to the birthday boy or girl, of course.

So allow me to inquire as to what you've wrapped up and stuck a tag on with Jesus' name on it this Christmas?
Or perhaps have you ever consciously given a gift to Jesus on His birthday?

A lovely blue bird once told of a family tradition that I know tickles Jesus each year.

Let's build on it. The previous post had us re-casting the words of the Lord's Prayer into our own. So today, armed with your own personal translation of the Prayer, converse with God, and together, select one line. If it's not too specific, for example "try not to sin", narrow it down, to something like "no lying".

Now write that line on a piece of paper and fold it up. Tie it up with a pretty bow, or fold it into an origami crane, or just simply tape it with scotch-tape, and place it under the Christmas tree.

That is your gift to the Lord Jesus this Christmas. You're saying that you'd make a conscious and continuous effort to live in the Lord's Prayer. You're saying that you're now taking a step to becoming more and more like the beautiful one you so love and worship because He deserves it, because you want to.

Then on Christmas day, open it, commit it in prayer, pledging your year to act in this manner for the glory of God the Father, this promise, this gift you make to Jesus the Christ, asking the Holy Spirit's guidance and nudging.

Place it somewhere where you're sure to see it each day (a mirror would be perfect) to remind yourself of your promise, of your gift.

Happy Christmas.