THE CHRISTMAS COLLECTIVE
The Christmas Collective - is a Collection of memories.
The Christmas Collective - is about giving from what you've been given.
The Christmas Collective - is about peace, joy and love.
The Christmas Collective - is about giving from what you've been given.
The Christmas Collective - is about peace, joy and love.
For most of my life I have sought to collect "things" in some way. (Confessions of a Collector) Much of the kind of collecting I have engaged in has been out of a childish state of obsession, indecisiveness, and selfishness. Then, at Christmas time, my collective tendencies become all about getting the right gifts at the best prices so that I can give my children a Christmas to remember - based on the amazement of waking up to a tree full of presents. I have done things because I felt I had to and because it is just "what you do." My motivation was more out of compulsion and less out of love.
Every Christmas seems to get crazier. We fill our calendars with activities, parties, travel and shopping. This leads to feelings of craziness, and exhaustion. Yesterday, I overhead my friend say, "Since December is always insane..." Oh, how true! This pierced through the heart! Insane?! Lord - that is not what you desire! Yet, that is what happens.
Busyness replaces peace. Desires replace contentment. Everywhere we go "Happy Holidays" replaces "Merry Christmas" and more and more all the glitter, trinkets and Santa "stuff" replace Jesus. There seems to be little of Him to be found.
Ultimately, stress, stuff and debt replace in our hearts the joy and peace He came to bring.
Surely, it doesn't have to be this way.
This year as the Christmas season is ushered in, I desire something different. As I find this new child-like state settling over me, I find myself with such comfort and satisfaction in all that I already have, and in all that has already been given to me. It is a state of knowing that all I have need of is taken care of, because I belong to Him. My children are in a similar state (for the most part). They are thankful to have what they have and to be loved and secure as part of our family.
This year is a great year for The Christmas Collective.
I have been given joy and peace. I have been given unconditional love. Out of the overflow of these gifts, I give to my family this year. Out of this giving, I can collect - something different.
Instead of collecting sales ads, purchases, stress and debt, which we cannot afford to do anyway, we will collect memories together.
Instead of fretting over the things that don't get done or getting angry over the hiccups that cause us to be late, or miss out on, an event, we will take a deep breath and "let it go".
Instead of expecting things to be "just right", we will anticipate that many things will be not-so-perfect.
It looks like patience through calm, kind and respectful responses, especially to my husband and children, as well as to the rude man who cuts me off on the highway or the impatient woman in the check-out lane. It means that when someone acts in rude and selfish ways and my own anger and frustration is triggered, I will take a deep breath and seek to respond in ways that point to Jesus.
And when my response is not what it should be, It looks like humbly asking for forgiveness.
It looks like smiles and laughter as time is enjoyed together. It means that when my children (and my spouse and I) act childishly immature, it looks like taking a moment to reset our focus and priorities. In doing so, it looks like pointing to Jesus so that our hearts may be drawn closer to Him and closer to each other.
It doesn't look like a complete dismissal of everything to do with Santa, elves, reindeer and snowmen or setting our faces in a frown against it all. We will still watch Christmas classic films together and we will enjoy them. But we will not be focused on them. It looks like enjoying stories for what they are and putting them in perspective.
As my family sees me smile and laugh through the not-so-perfect moments, and as they do so as well, it looks like healing from past wounds of the more than not-so-perfect attitudes of the past.
This year as the Christmas season is ushered in, I desire something different. As I find this new child-like state settling over me, I find myself with such comfort and satisfaction in all that I already have, and in all that has already been given to me. It is a state of knowing that all I have need of is taken care of, because I belong to Him. My children are in a similar state (for the most part). They are thankful to have what they have and to be loved and secure as part of our family.
This year is a great year for The Christmas Collective.
I have been given joy and peace. I have been given unconditional love. Out of the overflow of these gifts, I give to my family this year. Out of this giving, I can collect - something different.
Instead of collecting sales ads, purchases, stress and debt, which we cannot afford to do anyway, we will collect memories together.
Instead of fretting over the things that don't get done or getting angry over the hiccups that cause us to be late, or miss out on, an event, we will take a deep breath and "let it go".
Instead of expecting things to be "just right", we will anticipate that many things will be not-so-perfect.
What can we give? What does the Christmas Collective look like?
It looks like patience through calm, kind and respectful responses, especially to my husband and children, as well as to the rude man who cuts me off on the highway or the impatient woman in the check-out lane. It means that when someone acts in rude and selfish ways and my own anger and frustration is triggered, I will take a deep breath and seek to respond in ways that point to Jesus.
And when my response is not what it should be, It looks like humbly asking for forgiveness.
It looks like smiles and laughter as time is enjoyed together. It means that when my children (and my spouse and I) act childishly immature, it looks like taking a moment to reset our focus and priorities. In doing so, it looks like pointing to Jesus so that our hearts may be drawn closer to Him and closer to each other.
It doesn't look like a complete dismissal of everything to do with Santa, elves, reindeer and snowmen or setting our faces in a frown against it all. We will still watch Christmas classic films together and we will enjoy them. But we will not be focused on them. It looks like enjoying stories for what they are and putting them in perspective.
As my family sees me smile and laugh through the not-so-perfect moments, and as they do so as well, it looks like healing from past wounds of the more than not-so-perfect attitudes of the past.
It looks like giving and collecting memories out of peace and joyand love.
We will take time to go places, to create and to just have fun being together..and we will enjoy the process along the way.
Our plans to go somewhere may become hindered by the unexpected, and then we'll adjust as needed.
Attempts to try new things in the kitchen may end up with messes, things broken and even the smell of something burning. We will take pictures and we will laugh - and then we will clean up.
When we go out shopping, our time will be spent without hurry and with little agenda. We will share in conversation and wonder as we wander.
Our plans to create fun and wonderful crafts and other projects may mean we don't have something we wish we had. So we will rely on inventive minds (and Pinterest) to come up with alternatives.
When our attempts to create end up on a FAIL blog, we will laugh and be thankful that we had fun anyway.
We may plan, again, to regularly read from the Advent book and fall several days behind. We will be OK with that, and go right on back to reading what we can, when we can.
All-in-all, the things we do will probably have several not-so-perfect moments. These moments are expected and anticipated so that when they happen, they are less frustrating.
My hope and prayer is that though all of this, our eyes and hearts will be focused on Jesus first. That in all we do or don't do, His peace will be felt in powerful ways...and the joy and peace we have will overflow as a gift to each other.
Memories will be collected.
This collection will be filled with love and laughter.
A collection of not-so-perfect moments, that are just perfect.
May your Christmas season be blessed with His joy and His peace
in all you do, or don't do.
*****
THE CHRISTMAS COLLECTIVE
(TO SEE THE REST OF THE POSTS RELATED TO THE CHRISTMAS COLLECTIVE - PLEASE CHECK OUT THE CATEGORY TO THE RIGHT.)
Also in the Christmas Collective
- Ushering in Something New...
- Confessions of a Collector
- The Christmas Collective - Part II: Tradition!
- ...COMING SOON The Christmas Collective - Part III: Redemption
Thank you for sharing your thoughts Nelda. I know we disagree on the celebration of Christmas but I respect your hearts desire to Christ honored. I'll be writing more posts on tradition and Christmas that we may disagree on, but I'm happy to discuss thoughts and considerations with each other if you'd like to. Just let me know. Coming soon...posts on traditions and a review on the book "War on Christmas" by Bodie Hodge. :) Blessings to you as you seek to serve and honor the Father as the Lord leads you.
ReplyDeleteThank you Jolene. More than anything, thank you for understanding. Peace and love to you and your family during your time of celebrating Christ! I miss you'll.
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