Are you placing more emphasis on your Christmas being Merry or on it being Meaningful? Now that can be a loaded question. No need to take cover, no shots are being fired. One of my devotions placed emphasis on that question and I had already been thinking about this post. I considered it confirmation and so here I am. I love Christmas and I hate stress but somehow the two often get linked. I have to be intentional about why I love Christmas. It's because I love the miracle of the Christ child's birth and all it represents to me as a Christian woman. It is also because I love the music and smells of the season. O Holy Night can bring me to tears, its my favorite Christmas song, I have several renditions on my play list. It's also a chance to really hang out with my children and people I love. Trying to find a few perfect gifts for the ones I love simply makes the time a little sweeter.
What makes the time special are the little things we do. They aren't necessarily unique to us and our home but they are the things that bond us and keep us centered. Those are the family traditions that we have adopted over the years. As the children have gotten older, some things have gone away and been replaced and others remain in place. You can always introduce a new tradition, there is no limit to what your family can do to make your Christmas special and unique. My hope is not only that these things will be passed on but that my children will look back on those moments and cherish them in their hearts with fondness.
These are some of the things we do:
1. The Christmas tree always goes up the first weekend in December. We only have one tree. The decor can change from year to year. It must come down by New Years Day. My grandma said every year should have it's own tree. It works for me.
2. We purchase one personalized ornament every year. Everyone in the house goes on the ornament-yes even the dogs. My favorite one is from the year my cousin was living in our basement with her dog and we had two dogs of our own. That particular ornament is a Christmas tree and every one's name made it on an ornament. Adorbs.
3. My children build gingerbread houses/villages/ninja people. I love that. They have gone from little messy homes to neat ones with lots of thought, care, and precision. They make up some of my favorite candid pictures. Last year my daughter even had several friends come and they did theirs at our house to. They had theme and got a little competitive. That warmed my heart.
4. Pajamas are given on Christmas Eve night. We stay in them all day on Christmas. Let me not forget that there will be a photo shoot of my minis in said pajamas. The beauty of that is I can really see how much they've grown and changed over the years. Now there is is a moment of nostalgia for you.
5. Our stockings give us life. Everyone has to contribute to the other family member's stockings. There is no real limit to what one can do. For some reason, it has become one of the best parts of our Christmas celebration. Normally, I put favorite candies and small gift cards into them. One may find purse sized items or any number of unexpected items in the stocking. I usually find mini bottles of spirits and lottery scratch-off tickets. Yes, I like going into mine as much as they do.
6. We do a huge breakfast on Christmas morning and a very non-traditional meal in the evening. Dinner can range from surf and turf, to Italian, to very heavy appetizers. That appetizer meal was one of my favorites.
7. We no longer do a birthday cake for Jesus. We used to and we'd sing "Happy Birthday" and everything. We tried doing cupcakes but there was less enthusiasm for that tradition as the kids got older.
8. This year, I am introducing a new tradition. Unbeknownst to him, my son will be reading the original Christmas story straight from the book of Luke.
There are tons of other things that can be done. Remember Christmas is more about giving than receiving. It's a lesson I tried to instill early on so that my children will always find that being charitable is in style, no matter what you have going on personally. I would love for you to share some things your family does to make the season personal. Some things seem insignificant but you really don't know the impact you are having on your children till they get older.
I hope you find the real true meaning of Christmas reflected in all you do. Take a moment each day to reflect on God's love and be intentional about sharing that love. The world is in dire need of seeing Christ in you. Not sure if I will post again before 2016, so please have a safe and blessed Christmas/Hanukkah/Kwanzaa. If you find that you are lacking, choose to begin a tradition and make it happen annually. Don't look back and see that you had a Merry Christmas without meaning. You want to look back and see A merry Christmas filled with the meaning of the season. Jesus is the reason for the season and without Christ, There'd be no Christmas.
Merry CHRISTmas to you and your family. May 2016 be filled with the best and brightest blessings that God can bestow upon you!
In Diva Love,
Pam
Friday, December 18, 2015
Thursday, December 10, 2015
December Randomness
Thanksgiving is last week's news. We are now on our way to what has to be the craziest season of indulgent consumerism. No matter what it is, it is still the most wonderful time of year for me. I absolutely love Christmas. I love it because it is the celebration of my dear Savior's birth. I love Christmas music. As I type this blog, I am listening to "O Holy Night." It is one of my favorite Christmas songs ever. I enjoy the mood of the season. I also take pleasure in doing for others.
While Thanksgiving was last week, I just wanna say it was one of the best ever for me. Not only did my mom come to visit, but I had the pleasure of having my brother coming to visit too. You may be thinking that it really isn't a big deal. It is a big deal to me and here's why. I sat racking my brain for days about the last time he and I sat down and even shared that holiday. I came up with Thanksgiving of 1997. That was 18 years ago y'all. Crazy right?
For two weeks, I've had the pleasure of just hanging out with him and catching up. Don't take your relationships for granted. Family matters. It's been a year of many change. For me, it was good to lay eyes on him for several reason. For my mom, it gave her the opportunity to lay eyes on both her children at the same time. It happens very rarely. I mean hardly ever. For my children, it was a chance to get to know their uncle better. My son needed that. In fact, I am hoping they will continue to bond better once he's gone. My brother is wise and he is a great dad. Did I mention, he makes great chocolate chip cookies too? Seriously, social media, cell phones, and the like have you thinking you are connected, and to some small degree, you are; but the personal touch, being in the presence of an individual are priceless moments compared to a screen or phone. I hate that he lives so far away. Texas is far y'all. Maybe I'll convince him to move to Virginia. Pray with me. By the way our Thanksgiving feast was all that. my sister and I put our toes in that meal. Everything was really tasty. We ended the night with family games which are always competitive and hysterically funny.
Last night, we watched The Wiz live with most of Black America. One of my closest girlfriends, discovered "Black Twitter." That was absolutely hilarious to me. I admit, I am a die hard Stephanie Mills fan. Girlfriend has some chops on her petite self and she can blow. Shanice Wilson had huge shoes to fill. For a complete newbie, I think she did a great job. The contemporary version left me satisfied and confirmed that there is room for more than one interpretation of anything. The costumes were colorful and bright and very well done. Evilene's make was absolutely flawless. I think the choreography was good too. I missed Toto but I understood that a live performance would probably be a bit much for the pooch to handle. Say what you will, there will always be some haters out there who are dedicated to the original or the Broadway stage play. It is not easy to pull off what that cast did but I think they did a great job. Shanice performed well for a first gig and no real training. She did not move me with her performance of "Home." Of course I must admit that that is my favorite song of all time and well no one does it like Stephanie Mills. It's impossible.
While Thanksgiving was last week, I just wanna say it was one of the best ever for me. Not only did my mom come to visit, but I had the pleasure of having my brother coming to visit too. You may be thinking that it really isn't a big deal. It is a big deal to me and here's why. I sat racking my brain for days about the last time he and I sat down and even shared that holiday. I came up with Thanksgiving of 1997. That was 18 years ago y'all. Crazy right?
For two weeks, I've had the pleasure of just hanging out with him and catching up. Don't take your relationships for granted. Family matters. It's been a year of many change. For me, it was good to lay eyes on him for several reason. For my mom, it gave her the opportunity to lay eyes on both her children at the same time. It happens very rarely. I mean hardly ever. For my children, it was a chance to get to know their uncle better. My son needed that. In fact, I am hoping they will continue to bond better once he's gone. My brother is wise and he is a great dad. Did I mention, he makes great chocolate chip cookies too? Seriously, social media, cell phones, and the like have you thinking you are connected, and to some small degree, you are; but the personal touch, being in the presence of an individual are priceless moments compared to a screen or phone. I hate that he lives so far away. Texas is far y'all. Maybe I'll convince him to move to Virginia. Pray with me. By the way our Thanksgiving feast was all that. my sister and I put our toes in that meal. Everything was really tasty. We ended the night with family games which are always competitive and hysterically funny.
Last night, we watched The Wiz live with most of Black America. One of my closest girlfriends, discovered "Black Twitter." That was absolutely hilarious to me. I admit, I am a die hard Stephanie Mills fan. Girlfriend has some chops on her petite self and she can blow. Shanice Wilson had huge shoes to fill. For a complete newbie, I think she did a great job. The contemporary version left me satisfied and confirmed that there is room for more than one interpretation of anything. The costumes were colorful and bright and very well done. Evilene's make was absolutely flawless. I think the choreography was good too. I missed Toto but I understood that a live performance would probably be a bit much for the pooch to handle. Say what you will, there will always be some haters out there who are dedicated to the original or the Broadway stage play. It is not easy to pull off what that cast did but I think they did a great job. Shanice performed well for a first gig and no real training. She did not move me with her performance of "Home." Of course I must admit that that is my favorite song of all time and well no one does it like Stephanie Mills. It's impossible.
As has become the norm, acts of violence are happening everywhere. Some of us are appalled, others believe these acts are conspiracies designed to evoke fear, and others simply seem not to care. Wherever you fall on the spectrum, one thing is clear. Human life is no longer a valued commodity. We must be ever vigilant and even more prayerful. Life is but a vapor and while God has always made that clear, we need to embrace the thought.
On that note, I close by encouraging you to love your people well. Be intentional in your interactions and be present for the moments. God is always in the details. As Christmas approaches remember that there are folks who don't enjoy the holidays. Find a way to brighten their day. Then remember the less fortunate. They need you in non-holiday months too. Kindness doesn't cost a thing. Finally, remember Jesus is the reason for the season. Make sure that you reflect the love of Christ in all you do. The world needs to see His sacrificial love in you. Be blessed and by all means, be a blessing. Peace.
In Diva love,
Pam
Christmas is not About You
I woke up thinking about Christmas. I love this time of year whether I'm motivated to shop or not. This year, I'm really not. Children of any age can care less about your motivation, so you have to put on your big girl panties and proceed to handle your business. While it is easy to see that consumerism is the message we get bombarded with during this season, the real message we need to embrace is that Christmas really is about what we do for others. It's also about how we allow God to interrupt our good plans and impart His Great plan. I posted this thought on my FB page yesterday and I hope you can live it out this Christmas and everyday: Allow the promise of Christmas to overshadow the painful realities of your life. Do not allow Christmas to be defined by your disappointment, but allow your disappointment to be forever changed because of Christmas. If you can do this and help someone along the way, we will each see the true meaning of Christmas, There is ALWAYS going to be someone worse off than you. I hope the love of Christ fills you and takes you out of your comfort zone this Christmas season. One small act of kindness each day can change some one's entire attitude for the better. Be intentional-Be a blessing!
In Diva Love,
Pam
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