January's Spirit of Christmas

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this.  Isaiah 9:6-7


Today was another beautiful warmer-than-usual January day.  My "boys" spent some time playing outside.  It was fun to watch them play ball and then go right into fight mode with light saber and scarf turned whip.  I suggested Dad needs a light saber.  He says it should be Darth Maul's double-bladed light saber.  (So he has thought about this also.)

 

 I wanted to focus on the spirit of Christmas this 25th day of the month after December.  There is so much hustle and bustle and focus on gifts and trees and treats during the holidays.  I want to make sure we remember to teach our kids about the real reasons that WE celebrate.  


First we set the mood with some rockin' Christmas tunes and measured out the holiday chex mix while we waited for dinner to finish cooking.

I dug out a few lone red plastic cups left over from December and found a few loose napkins at work with poinsettias on them.  Mason set them on the table with real china plates. We lit a candle as a centerpiece and he insisted we should eat with the lights off.  I was tickled that he wanted to play along.  





We poured some wine and sparkling cider and Michael read the verses above and told us in child-easy language what the verses meant to him. 


We pulled out a few Christmas greeting cards we received this year.  They are the only remnants of the season still left out for display.  We took time to pray for each of those families by name.  

Next, we enjoyed a splendid "Christmas" meal complete with favorite treats.  There was a small gift for each person just to keep it festive.  It was an enjoyable evening and one with simple focus and discussion.  I was happy with the kids' participation and questions.  I look forward to our spirit of Christmas celebration in February.

Kelsie's basketball game was our entertainment among other fun stuff during kitchen clean-up.  Congratulations Lady Falcons on 10 wins in a row.