Thanksgiving is still a couple of weeks off, yet tomorrow is the beginning of our Christmas preparations. Victoria and Huimin invaded the craft stores today and so tomorrow the children will begin making Christmas ornaments for the families.
Years ago, in the late 70's and early 80's, Tim was involved in the Big Brother program. His little brother, Dale, and his family made an entire set of ceramic Christmas ornaments to hang on our Christmas tree. We still have them. They are beautiful and a treasure we rediscover and enjoy every Christmas season!
I never really knew what to do with the Santa story when the children were little! That beloved Christmas fable!! I tried to tell the kids that "Santa" represented the love we have for each other and that we give gifts to the ones we love. However, I think my tries got run over by the jubilation of Santa's coming. It was everywhere.
I hope that, as families, we can all establish traditions for celebrating the birth of Jesus, Our Savior. His gift to us is His love. Our gift to Him is love--not only for God, but love for one another.
1 Corinthians 13 (The Greatest Gift) 1 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. 2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.
4 Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; 5 does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; 6 does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
8 Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part. 10 But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away.
11 When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. 12 For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.
13 And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.
It is not always easy to love others, to refrain from being contentious and argumentative when others hurt, slander or lie about or to us. We need to remember, that others are acting out from what they have been taught or witnessed...that we all need a Savior and we just might be the only witness that comes into that one person's life that needs Jesus tonight. He is returning soon.
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