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Christmas & Perspectives

Okay, I'm just going to say it- Christmas really isn't my favourite time of the year!

It probably has a lot to do with the fact that my husband intensely dislikes this time of the year. He doesn't have very fond memories of Christmas from his childhood and so it's really poisoned his attitude.

As a result, most years Christmas is merely a blip on the calendar, and then we keep plowing through- basically ignoring the whole thing insofar as we can.

Having said that, I decided that this year I wanted to do things differently. To slow down and put some thought into WHY we even do this in the first place.

I started by getting an Advent book and candles- so that we'd have a daily reading to do. The story is quite interesting (and very gruesome at times), but as we're working our way through it- I'm realizing it's the right book to help us learn and remember.

Then, I decided that we'd scale back the school work (which wasn't too difficult because we seem to get so little of it done on any given day anyway) and do more fun things as a family. Baking together, decorating the house, decorating the baking, art stuff, etc.

However, there's a problem with all that- the inevitable fighting that goes along with it.

The bickering is kind of driving me (and definitely my husband) insane.

I keep trying to remind myself (and my husband) that they aren't going to remember any of the fighting (although he isn't so sure)- but that they WILL remember the time spent together doing all these things.

It's like all those times when I go out with the kids and I think they're acting like little monsters- the fighting, bickering, yelling and screaming (both theirs and mine) make for such a miserable day that I question my sanity and remind myself NOT to EVER do that again!

Then we get home and all of a sudden they're thanking me for such an amazing day and that they had so much fun, etc.!

WHAT?!?!?!? Didn't we just spend the same day together at the same place?!??!?!!

You're kidding, right?

But they aren't. They're totally serious.

They aren't remembering all the times I got upset with them for not behaving- they're remembering that I took them somewhere that they liked and they enjoyed it.

Philippians 3:12-16 (NIV) says, "Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.".

Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead... I haven't been very good at this lately, but it's exactly what my kids find so natural to do. Seize the joy of the moment and ignore the gunk.

I think it's also a bigger picture for my life right now- on so many levels!

I've been really discouraged lately and have had a hard time getting back up again- which can get you feeling even more down about things.

Maybe pressing on needs to be my motto for a while...

Keeping it real, by the grace of God...
Tammy


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