Oh Christmas Tree

As I decorate our Christmas tree tonight, I am overwhelmed. Our tree isn't an elegant tree.  It isn't a tree that any designer would recommend.  Our Christmas tree would not be featured in any home decorating magazine.  But honestly, I don't care.  Our tree is a memory tree.  It's filled things that fill our hearts and minds.  It's filled with years upon years of memories.  Nearly every ornament we hang on our tree represents someone and something special.

We have handmade ornaments from the years we did youth ministry with 5th and 6th graders.  Perfect, no.  Beautiful and from the heart, yes. As I hung those ornaments on the tree tonight, I remembered the love in the eyes of the kids who gave their special creations to me. Those 'kids' are now in their late 20's. Our tree has precious ornaments from our grandparents. There are handmade ornaments from our parents, and our nieces when they were wee little ones.  Our tree has handpainted ornaments from my husband's dad, who has been gone for nearly fifteen years now.  The ornaments that adorn our tree all have a memory attached to them. 



One Christmas in our early married years, things were pretty tight.  We had a lot of medical bills that year, and wages were very lean. We had many speed bumps in life that year, particularly the latter part of the year.  Three weeks prior to Christmas, the UPS driver showed up at our door with a box.  I hadn't ordered anything, as there wasn't money to order anything, so I did not know what we were receiving. I opened the box and it was a beautiful octagon box that had old time Santa Claus pictures all over it.  I opened the box, and it was filled with twelve beautiful ornaments.  I grabbed the box to see who the sender was, as I knew these ornaments had to be fairly pricey. There was a company's name. I searched the box for a card, but there was not one. When my husband arrived home from work that evening, I showed him the ornaments and asked if he had ordered them. He said no. We called both sets of parents, grandparents, but no one knew anything about them. The following day I called the company listed on the shipping address. The kind customer service lady looked it up and said they had the order, but that the order came from us. I said we didn't order them. She looked a bit more, and said "well, they must be from Santa so just enjoy them, and please keep them." I offered to send them back, but she insisted we keep the ornaments as apparently their company sent them by 'mistake' but it was their mistake, so therefore, it was a gift for us to enjoy.  We did, and twenty years later, we still do.  I think of that hard year every time I pull the box out, and how God knew we needed that little reminder that even in the hard times, the lean times, there are gifts around us, we just need to enjoy and appreciate them. We also need to take the time to see them.

We have one wooden dog bone on the tree that has the name CODY engraved in it.  Cody was our first dog after we got married.  He died a couple weeks before Christmas in 2001, so that ornament brings tears to my eyes as I place it upon our tree.  When I pulled out the bone that says MADDIE, I shed quite a few tears.  14 years ago, Maddie came to warm our hearts and home two days after Christmas.  She left a big hole in our hearts when she left this year, right after Easter.  Both Cody & Maddie LOVED Christmas.  They would get so excited when the Christmas boxes came out.  Maddie would spend every evening sleeping under the tree during the month of December. She was like a little kid.  Our new pup, well, let's just say she needs some work on this whole Christmas thing and not eating her stocking, the tree, or the ornaments on the tree. 

I love our tree. I love the memories that flood our tree. For each ornament, each memory, I am grateful. 

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Oh Christmas Tree

Christmas Challenge

Christmas weekend is upon us.  I would like to issue a challenge for all of us from now through Christmas night: disengage from social media, engage in real relationships.  Disengage from staring at a screen, engage in staring at loved ones faces, because you don't know when this will be the last Christmas you are together.  A friend of mine buried both of her parents in the past six months.  I know she doesn't wish she had a few more moments this past year that she could have spent on Facebook or Pinterest.  No, she wishes for a few more precious moments with her parents, to hug them, and tell them she loves them.  She did plenty of it while they were alive, but as she said "can we ever really tell those we treasure in our lives that we love them enough?  Can we ever really spend too much time with those who are precious to us?" REAL relationships matter.  

Disengage from playing online, virtual games and engage in real relationships by playing a card or board game. Laugh together, have meaningful conversations, give hugs, go for a walk, enjoy life.  Be thankful. See the beauty that surrounds you in creation, in people.  

REAL people, REAL relationships are what matter.  Take the next few days to deeply invest in real relationships, face to face.  

Merry Christmas!

Quiet Time In The Middle of the Night

It's the wee hours of the morning.  The sky is a deep midnight blue with sparkling stars shining brightly as far as the eyes can see.  I stepped outside with my dog a few minutes ago.  I didn't stay long, as the temps are right around zero, but it makes for an amazing landscape across the sky.  

I sit here in the silence.  The only noise I hear is the fire crackling in our wood stove.  I am in the dark, with our Christmas tree lights giving off a warm glow across the room.  I have been placing ornaments on it the past few hours.  This  year, decorating has been a chore.  I haven't wanted to do it at all, which is not me.  One reason, I started working part time, and life has been very busy.  My mom-in-law's health has drastically gone downhill the past few months, and her life has changed as she is now in a care facility recovering from some health issues.  Her care team told us a week ago that she will not be able to live alone again.  Life is drastically altered for her, and really for us as we now need to adjust to her being dependent, which she doesn't do well.  Many friends & family are dealing with some difficult life events and it's just been a rough season to walk through right now.  My emotions got the best of me earlier in the day, and I just sat in my car and had a little cry.  

Another reason decorating has been difficult is that pulling ornaments out of their boxes floods my thoughts with memories, and fills my eyes with tears.  There are numerous ornaments from my Gram, my Grandpa, handmade ornaments from my father-in-law.  They have all gone on and are celebrating Christmas with Jesus, but their memories flood over me tonight.  I laughed as I pulled out a miniture wooden antique coffee grinder ornament that my Gram gave me when I was probably 12.  I told my husband she must have known that I would turn 40, and love coffee.  When she left this earth, I still thought coffee was disgusting.  Now, I have a bit of a love for a good cup of coffee.  Our tree isn't a fancy tree.  It's filled with ornaments of love, many handmade by my mom, all with a memory attached.  I would rather have a tree like ours any day than a fancy tree.  This tree represents the love and memories in our lives.  

Right now, I need to quiet my mind and my heart, and have a silent night, a Holy night.   All nights are Holy when the focus is clear.  Right now, I need to laser focus on Jesus.  I need to focus on the fact that He knows life is difficult, but this life is not all there is.  I need to remind myself that He is walking right beside me, never leaving my side, or the sides of my loved ones who are dealing with difficulty, loss, and pain.  When following Christ, life beyond this earthly journey has no more tears, death, cancer, sickness, sorrow, or pain.  But, beyond all that sorrow, pain, hurt on this journey, there is always hope, always love, and faith.  That is what I cling to.  I pray you do, as well.  Find Jesus this Christmas season.  Even if you walk with Him, it's easy to lose sight of Him in the busyness.  Take time to sit in the quiet as I am doing right now, and be still.  Connect with the One who loves you through it all, and never leaves your side.  Just like I wouldn't trade in my tree of memories for a fancy tree, I wouldn't trade my walk with Christ for anything this life has to offer.  He is my hope.  He alone can quiet my restless soul and overwhelm me with His peace.  

Manito Park Lights

If you live in the Spokane area, and you enjoy Christmas lights, I recommend a trip to Manito Park this weekend.  My husband and I took in the lights at the conservatory, and it was so beautiful!  Of course, I love visiting here year round, so this was an extra treat!  The conservatory is staying open later this week, through the 18th, until around 7 pm, I believe.  Beginning the 19th, they go back to regular hours, closing at 3:30.  So, if you want to enjoy the lights once darkness falls upon the plants, plan a trip this weekend!  

Mr. Mall Clause Could Learn a Lesson From an 8 Year Old

The other day, I was with my mom and nieces at one of the malls in our area.  The girls wanted to see Santa, so we waited in line to see him.  I started to wonder about this Santa long before we got in to see him, because he makes the kids stand in front of him and tell them what they would like for Christmas, instead of sitting next to him in his giant chair, or sitting on his knee.  Well, I guess he lets those paying to get their picture taken with him sit on his knee, but they are the only ones.  I will say, he looked authentic, with real whiskers, and hair, and he is an older man, much as you would suspect Santa would really look like.  However, he doesn't have the heart of what I suspect Santa would have.  

One of my nieces wrote her letter to Santa at the beginning of the week.  I read it.  I shed a couple tears.  She doesn't really ask for anything.  She is 8, not a very typical thing for a little girl.  But, my little niece has a big heart and is a very caring. 

 She had two things on her list.  If she read my blog, I would be in trouble, because I am not supposed to tell anyone what she asked for, but I am going to do it.  She asked that the homeless kitty that wandered to their home a week or so ago can stay, and she asked for snow for Christmas.  She told me the kitty needs a place to live, and a family, so she just wants it to be able to stay at their home and they can take care of it.  I met it, and although I am not much of a cat lover, this kitty does not know that.  It snuggled against my legs, becoming my new best friend while I was out in their driveway.  It refused to give up on becoming my friend, and I gave in and petted it and loved on it.  In return I received loving purrs and soft meows.  I am sure the kitty has a new home at my sister's house.  


The second thing she asked for.....snow.  She asked for snow because everyone loves snow at Christmas.  While it's a big thing to produce, it's a pretty humble request from a little one, in my opinion.  This is what she asked Mr. Mall Santa for, to which he didnt' have much of a response at first.  He stood there, dumb struck.  I just kept smiling as I watched him stumble over his words, and frankly, make a jerk of himself, at least to the adults watching.  He asks her what do you really want, to which she continues to reply 'snow.'  He then says, in a rude voice 'Well, why don't you just ask for world peace!!!???'  My wide-eyed niece stood staring at him, not realizing he was being a sarcastic, rude man.  He had the nerve to say it to her again.  By this time, my mom and I were starting to tense up and at least I was thinking of telling Mr. Mall Clause a thing or two about talking to little kids.  He continued to make a few dumb comments, continuing to ask her what toy she wanted or what game, to which she shook her head and said she only wanted snow.  I was worried that my little tenderhearted niece was going to pick up Santa's bad attitude and get teary-eyed because he was being an insensitive person to a pretty sensitive little girl.  She finished up by telling Mr. Mall Clause that she wanted to knit a scarf for Mrs. Clause because she thinks it would be nice to give her a present, since Santa is always giving presents to others.  He said in a fairly gruff, you are wasting my time kid voice, 'Oh, well, you have a nice Christmas now,' as he pretty much pushed her along.  I would expect the real Santa would say to her how it was nice that she was thinking of Mrs. Clause, and that Mrs. C would love a handmade scarf, and that she was a thoughtful little girl.  I would also expect that he would think that she didn't have a long list of give me's would be something that was nice as well.  Yes, she's my niece, but I would feel this way about any kid/Mall Clause situation.  I watched him with a couple other kids, and he is far from a person who should be representing Santa.  One kid was scared to death of him, and he kept trying to shove a color book in his face, the gift he was giving to kids, instead of just talking to the little guy, getting down on his level, and trying to calm him down, not make him more upset as he kept saying 'here take this book.'  


I am proud of both my nieces.  Neither one is centered on the give me's of Christmas.  My other niece just asked Santa for a dark blue dress.  Pretty simple list for a little girl who just turned 7.  They aren't asking for the latest and greatest toys, Ipads, phones, computers.  They have simple lists, lists we all should have.  Their focus isn't on the materialism of Christmas that the world tries to push on all of us.  They are focused on the little things, the simple things.  They are making a lot of gifts to give to all their loved ones, and that is what they are really excited about.  They are also excited about Jesus, the real reason for Christmas.  They are learning how to do sign language to Jesus Loves Me for their Christmas play at church.  They are so excited to share that song.  In all that matters, what Mr. Mall Clause thinks doesn't matter one bit.  What matters is having a giving heart, a heart focused on others not self or materialism.  I hope I can remember to be childlike throughout this season, to keep things simple, to appreciate the little things, to look at things with wonder, and to take time to remember that Jesus Loves Me.