Merry Christmas 2010!

School is out!

Cookies are made.

House will be cleaner, because of the maid!

Sledding tomorrow,
With lights on the Square.

I wonder if each kid has boots to wear...?

Presents are bought,

Letters are mailed.

When the wrapping is done, I'll see if I've failed.

~By Cheryl. Made up on the fly, this Fourth of July. Well, really, it's Christmas, but Christmas and fly don't rhyme, do they? Nope.

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Things I love (to counteract Monday's pet peeves):

*Christmas lights. All of them. On houses, on trees, on railings, in little ceramic Christmas villages.

*The Carpenters Christmas Album (the Christmas Portrait one).

*Sissel with the MoTab.

*Watching my kids run around in the snow together.

*Smiling toddlers.

*Letting go of the expectations I perceive others have of me.

*Letting go of the expectations I KNOW others have of me.

*Oranges.

*Knowing that no matter how hard my life feels, no matter how frustrated I get with myself or other people, Christ is there. Totally and completely.

Today, I was talking with my oldest as we frosted sugar cookies (totally not vegan, although we didn't use real eggs --baking powder eggs, btw, rock the world! And are so easy to make/use) about the word "sacrifice."

She asked me what it meant. We discussed it's meaning.

And then we talked about how Christ sacrificed pretty much everything for us. What did He sacrifice? The list, if you please:

1. He sacrificed His "God-ship" to become mortal for a time.

2. He sacrificed His family and friends for His Father and for the Gospel.

3. He sacrificed His popularity --when He was, one week after being hailed the Messiah, threatened with death and falsely accused, he stood His ground. His popularity didn't matter.

4. He sacrificed His perfection by taking upon Himself ALL of OUR sins. Our pain. Our sorrows. Our iniquities and infirmities. He was perfect. The only sinless man.

5. He sacrificed His life for OUR resurrection.

I'm sure there's more.

The point is that when we are asked to sacrifice things like pride, anger, sin, comfort, convenience, perception... we really don't have any right to balk. Balking is impulsive, it's understandable, it's even justified at times. But it's still balking. Complaining, hesitating, unsure, fearful, faithless.

I should know. I'm the resident balker around here. Surrounded by balkers who've inherited my balker-ness.

What good comes from refusing to sacrifice our pride and fear? Our convenience and sin? Our comfort and selfishness? What about our false perceptions of our neighbors? Ourselves?

Usually nothing. Pretty much. Nothing worth anything, anyway.

But when we sacrifice those things, along with our time and talents, we can change the world. Not to mention our own hearts and those things inside of us that push us to do things that either A. Bring Us To Christ, or B. Take Us Away From Christ.

When I think about what He went through...from birth...to death...even now, as a God, watching His brothers and sisters (ahem, me) refuse to partake of all of His sacrifices... I marvel. The song got it right, people.

I love Him with all of my heart. Maybe this is why Christmas and Easter are my favorite celebrated holidays. Maybe this is why April 6th seems to be the best day of the year. It doesn't matter to me that a couple thousand years ago Christians took over Winter Solstice from the Pagans and turned it into Christmas. Any excuse to bring His love and message to the world is good enough for me. Heck! If it was my choice, we'd do this at least twice a year (minus any stress-related sugar cookie making, of course).

If you haven't seen any of the following, please take the time to watch some of 'em, or all of 'em (I especially love the first one). Warning: They will illicit laughter, tears, and more tears.

Also, this Facebook thing was pretty awesome. It gave me amazing goosebumps.

MERRY CHRISTMAS! I love you, people.