Sunday, December 25, 2011

Celebrating With Joy

Merry Christmas!

Last night we had family over for Christmas Eve. I love when everyone gets together to celebrate. We ate shrimp and ham for dinner and then opened presents. This morning we unwrapped our presents to each other and soon we're going to have more family over. Dinner tonight will be turkey and mashed potatoes (just like we do on Thanksgiving).

It does get overwhelming around the holidays and I get burned out quickly. Entertaining people can be exhausting at times, especially if I'm doing a lot of talking. But I do enjoy the time I can spend with family. A few years ago I wrote this post about Christmas and what it's really about. I thought I'd share it again for all my new readers since then.

The last couple of Christmases, I've kind of been bah humbug about the whole thing. Not because I don't like Christmas, but because I don't like what it has become. I have learned over the years what Christmas is and is not about. It's not about how many gifts you give or receive. It's not about trying to top last year's gift. It's not about the decorations and the flashy wrapping paper. It's not about Santa Claus and his reindeer landing on the top of the house, him coming down the chimney in the middle of the night, eating the cookies left out, and leaving loads of presents behind. I know it is fun to receive and give and decorate and wrap and believe in magic. But it's about the real meaning of Christmas. It's about family and getting together and celebrating the birth of Jesus. It's about the love and passion and the praise that we give and receive on this one day. It has a special meaning to everyone and I think more people need to find their meaning. For those of you who celebrate Christmas, I hope this year you all can find the true meaning of Christmas in your hearts.

Jenni

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