Decorating for Christmas

Ahhhh…It’s that time of year…when the world falls in love…every song you hear…

seems to say...

Merry Christmas....

Wow—I just LOVE that song!  Click here to play. As one commenter on Youtube put it,

“Why is it that we never seem to get tired

of Christmas songs?”

I’m linking to Natasha’s Sunday Song linky party at 5 minutes just for me to share this wonderful nostalgic song.  Natasha is the ‘queen of Christmas’. If you want to jump start straight into the Christmas spirit, then visit her. She has a special blog just for celebrating Christmas all year long! I love it!! 

Can you believe that I used to listen to Christmas music all year long?  That was during the years when I battled depression.   I knew that the Lord had healed me when I could listen to nothing but the birds chirping or the children playing and feel perfectly happy.  But I still LOVE Christmas music. 

All of these decorations come from German Christmas markets, thanks to my daughter-in-law’s father, Klaus, sending us to Germany to visit family there.

Some of my favorite memories are of Christmases of years past.  Grandma Wood was the queen of Christmas and I miss her every year when I pull out the boxes of Christmas decorations. When she had the stroke that began the last year of her life, it was just after (or before) Christmas. 

I know that I packed up her home for Aunt Joan after Grandma got home from the hospital. She went to live with Uncle Jay and Joan..and never went home again.  I packed all her things away. Her Christmas decorations were still hanging on the walls and gracing every available surface, when I walked in the door that first day. I still feel a sense of anguish when I remember that day.

 

Some of the things you see here..came from her, like the ceramic church and snow covered tree.  In fact, most of the decorations I pulled out of the boxes this weekend remind me of a precious family member who doesn’t live close by or is no longer with us.  The memories make the unpacking so special.  

I hope you enjoy pulling out your decorations as much as I do this week. This would be a great week to do that, don’t you think? Be sure to let the kids help and don’t get too worried if the results aren’t picture perfect.  The kids will always love helping if they aren’t ‘critiqued’ afterwards.

My boys set up and decorated the tree while hubby and I were gone today. The result was quite ‘unique’. ( I think that is the word I’m looking for….:o) They were so proud of their efforts and I was too!  Break out the eggnog and make some cookies or almond bark candy with the kids. Let’s make Sundays special times of remembering the reason for the season—the Lord himself.

Tablecloth from Germany while visiting family in Gelsenkirchen two Christmas’s ago.

Monday, I’ve got a great new tool to tell you about to help you with your lights this year too.   But today, the first Sunday of Advent..let’s remember that this is the season to remember the gift of a the Son of God to a hurting and dying world. We will be lighting the “ first candle  which is traditionally the candle of Expectation or Hope (or in some traditions, Prophecy). This draws attention to the anticipation of the coming of an Anointed One, a Messiah, that weaves its way like a golden thread through Old Testament history. 

As God’s people were abused by power hungry kings, led astray by self-centered prophets, and lulled into apathy by half-hearted religious leaders, there arose a longing among some for God to raise up a new king who could show them how to be God’s people. They yearned for a return of God’s dynamic presence in their midst.” according to The Christian Advent.  If you have never made an advent wreath or celebrated advent, click here to read how to make one and how you can make this Christmas season the most meaningful one ever for you and your family.

Happy Homemaking…and Merry Christmas!

Tell me about your favorite Christmas decorations. In what special way are they meaningful to you?