Christmas

This Christmas

As the angel choir withdrew into heaven, the sheepherders talked it over. “Let’s get over to Bethlehem as fast as we can and see for ourselves what God has revealed to us.” They left, running, and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in the manger. Seeing was believing. They told everyone they met what the angels had said about the child. All who heard the sheepherders were impressed.

The sheepherders returned and let loose, glorifying and praising God for everything they had heard and seen. It turned out exactly the way they’d been told!

Luke 2:20 {the Message}

This Christmas, may the furthest corners of your heart receive the Gift of God with you. When you long forget what you received under the tree, may you remember Jesus who was born to die on the tree for you. And like the shepherds of long ago, may you let loose and praise God who is not only Light and Love with you, but in you. Hope lives for you and me!

Merry Christmas dear friends! See you after the New Year.

December 24, 2012 Filed Under: Christmas

Christmas Tour of Homes 2012

By Kristen

Every other year we dress up in Christmas red and green, or maybe evening navy blue, and head downtown to see the Nutcracker ballet. In earlier years, our whole family attended. But now the two teenage boys have lost that lovin’ feeling for it, so my daughter and I make it a girls night out.

One of my favorite parts of the ballet has nothing to do with dancing. It happens first thing when the curtains sashay open and the Christmas Eve party in the Stahlbaum’s home bursts into view. The set reveals a fancy but cozy party atmosphere complete with a tallest-from-the-forest Christmas tree. I’ve seen the Nutcracker in cities across the United States, and every ballet company interprets the E.T.A. Hoffmann story a bit differently. But no matter how diverse the set and costumes, every production displays an opening holiday scene that lights up the stage.

That’s one reason I adore participating in Nester’s Christmas Tour of Homes. We all celebrate the same grand event, the Story of all stories. But each of our “production sets” – or homes – interprets the celebration differently. I love seeing how you decorate your own home for Christmas. Not only is it lovely to peek at your inspiring scenes, but in doing so I get a peek inside your heart, too.

So, this is me opening my front door wide and saying, “Welcome! Won’t you stay awhile?”

{Like my repeat the sounding joy print on the left? Find it here.}

If you are playing along with Nester’s Christmas Tour of Homes, will you let me know in a comment? That way I can see your dazzling house prettiness, too. And whether you’re participating in the Christmas tour or not, don’t be shy about visiting Nester’s place for hundreds of inspiring Christmas scenes.

Georgie says thank you for visiting {she’s smiling on the inside}.

Last year was my first to link-up. You can see it here:

Christmas Tour of Homes 2011

Merry Christmas, friends!

December 18, 2012 16 Comments Filed Under: Christmas, Family, Fun Stuff

How to Have the Most Fun This Advent

By Kristen

She gracefully hops out of the pool and walks towards me, leaving a zig-zag trail of wet footprints in her wake. She pushes up her pink and orange goggles and folds her arms across her chest. Her expression is Switzerland, and I can’t tell if it’s been a good practice or not. It wouldn’t have been for me. 1200 meters back and forth, 500 of them without stopping. 500 of them while doing the butterfly.

And how do people not swim backwards on the butterfly stroke, anyhow?

She’s getting closer and my face tenses as I get the nerve to ask,

“So? How was it?”

She stops and pulls off her swim cap. She smiles as I wrap the oversized white towel around her.

“That was the. most. fun. I’ve ever had in my whole life!”

We head to the showers and I feel my own spring from my eyes. One year ago this week, Faith had surgery to fuse her top two vertebrae. One year ago this week we had to hold her hand to walk down stairs. Her list of no-can-do’s read long. No running. No riding bikes. And certainly no more of her favorite sport: gymnastics.

For our active, would-rather-be-upside-down-than-right-side-up girl, that last one hurt more than all the other no’s put together. For much of the year, the shadow of that sport looms large.

December is the Advent Holy of Holies when we celebrate Love coming down to be with us. But the other 11 months of the year hold times of waiting and trusting, too. And as the earth has spun around the sun one whole time since last December, my husband and I witness our daughter move full circle, too. Not only is she able to participate in most activities, we see the shadow of gymnastics shorten and Faith sit in the sun and smile.

I have no idea if Faith will still love swimming six months from now or if she’ll be content doing something else or nothing at all. But this I do know: On a chilly December day as most people around the pool see Faith participating in an ordinary swim team class, I see what she believed in faith unfold in sight. I see a girl who knows Love came down for her, too.

And watching her live this just might be the most fun I’ve had in my whole life.

“Even if it seems some doors are closing…

…you haven’t missed a thing -

God is going to open up the right one just for you.” ~DaySpring card of Faith’s

How have you seen Love come down for you this week? How has what you believed in faith before show itself now?

Happily linked up with the brilliant Emily’s Tuesdays Unwrapped.

Have you seen the lovely giveaway Holley Gerth and I are doing? Click here ~ it’s not too late to enter!

December 11, 2012 10 Comments Filed Under: Christmas, Faith in Action, Family

What Must Happen Before the Miracle

By Kristen

My flip-flops tap, tap, tap the linoleum floor while I flip through Sunset magazine in the Super Cuts on Pi’ikea. Without looking up from my son’s head of hair, the hairdresser breezily asks,

“So, are you here on vacation?”

I look up from my magazine,

“Oh, no. We live here, actually.”

She smiles as she focuses on my son’s pesky cowlick.

“Well then, what did you run away from?”

I stare at her blankly while trying to make sense of what she said. She sees my expression and continues,

“Oh, I’m sorry.” She brushes cut brown hair from my boy’s ear. “But most people who move to Hawaii do so to escape their problems.”

I explain how we came to the island for my husband’s job, but I know what she says is probably true. I also know anyone who moves to Hawaii as an escape soon discovers his problems packed right up and went along with him.

We were stationed on Maui with the Air Force for three years, and I know some people think we lived at the Hilton, dined exclusively at awesome restaurants, and frolicked in the sand and surf dawn ’til dusk. Because when you vacation in Hawaii, that’s what you do. You leave Real Life at home. But when you live in Hawaii, Real Life shows up as a spoilsport to the party just the same as anywhere else. And he insists on bringing his troublesome personality in the form of illness, bills, arguments, and homesickness.

In a similar way, I think we all carry a few of the same expectations for Christmas. We expect Real Life to take a December vacation and are surprised when he shows up as his own kind of downer to the holiday party.

The angel Gabriel gave Mary the surprise of all surprises when He told her she would carry the Hope of the world in her womb. While Mary took this as the amazing, world-changing news it was, she still needed to know how as a virgin the impossible could be possible. Gabriel answered,

“The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will over shadow you.”

Luke 1:35, 38

For Mary to give birth to Jesus, she had to first receive the miracle formed in the shadows. She had to sit in the shadows of the Most High.

And so I wonder: If a part of my life feels especially dark right now, could it be I am in the prime location for my own miracle to form in the shadows? For God to move in my life in never seen, never imagined, never dreamt up ways?

If we find ourselves in a shadowy place now, we rest knowing He is close. During this Christmas season, may we be acutely aware of how God births miracles in secret places. May we remember He turns our impossible into possible. And may we know Jesus is the only Real Life worth running towards.

This post is second in the series All Things Possible Christmas by Holley Gerth and me. If you missed the first post earlier this week, then click here. And be sure to visit Holley’s place for more encouragement this Christmas season.