A Taste of Christmas

Many traditions surround the Christmas holidays, but one that has particularly grabbed my attention this year is the tradition of baking.  Sure, we bake all year long –cakes, brownies, cookies – sometimes for special occasions and other times for no real reason at all.  But Christmas is different.

The bar in my kitchen has become another holiday decoration of sorts – and a tasty one at that – as it holds an array of seasonal delights during the month of December. Each tray, tin, bowl, plate, and basket holds special meaning.

 

 

The boys insist each year on purchasing holiday shaped pretzels from Sam’s Club. A ceramic winter bowl always holds our Cuties. A couple of plates arrive after Mike’s office party, where we have a reputation for working together to “steal” our favorite homemade goodies in a Sneaky Santa game. 

Some of the sweets that adorn the counter must be made by my own hands each year; my family insists! The fudge is a recipe I immediately adopted from my friend Stephanie after she delivered some to us one Christmas Eve morning. M&M cookies and peanut-butter chocolate chip cookies are standard.  The sugar cookies iced and decorated with Christmas sprinkles (by Zachary) were requested this year by Nicholas for their book club friends.

 

 

And M&M bars – ah! – those I have finally perfected after years and years of much difficulty in getting them to bake just right.  My mom passed along that recipe, and her ability to cook them to perfection encouraged me to keep trying until I finally figured it out, too. 
 

 

The most meaningful Christmas treats on the bar – and thus the ones I like the most! - are those which have been given to us.  Brandon was given sugar coated almonds and a loaf of gingerbread by some of the kids with which he works at church. A sweet T&T girl gave me a red snowman tin of cookies and mints.  Several Sunday school class members blessed us with tasty foods. And one precious, older neighbor brought a basket of goodies about ten minutes before another retired friend brought a dish of homemade zucchini parmesan, just in time for dinner!
 

As we bake, eat, and enjoy the tasty treats of the season, may they prompt us to “Taste and see that the Lord is good!” as Psalm 34:8a says.  We can taste His goodness for ourselves, just as we taste those delicious baked items, by seeking a relationship with the One who came to earth, the One whose birth we celebrate, the One who gave His very life for us – Jesus Christ.  This is what Christmas is all about, and those delicious homemade goodies made and given with much love are a sweet reminder of the blessings of our relationships with others and, most importantly, with our God and Savior. 

Preparing Our Hearts for the Holidays

I haven't had as much time as I would like to write for our blog lately.  Homeschooling the boys, as well as normal wife and mom responsibities, take up so much of my time.  But I was asked to write a post for the Southeastern Women's Life blog "Walking Worthy" on Preparing Our Hearts for the Holidays.  Here is a copy of that post from December 10.

An assortment of boxes, bags, and tins of various shapes and sizes filled our living room a couple of weeks ago. Christmas music played throughout the house, with amateur voices singing along in delight. Even our dog sensed the excitement in the air and curiously followed the heels of her human companions who pulled from bins a wooden reindeer, a nativity set, several stuffed snowmen and Santas, and various sentimental ornaments from Christmases past.

After almost eleven months of anticipation, the time for preparing our home for the Christmas season had arrived. We decorated our tree, hung stockings from the mantel, strung greenery and lights outside, and placed the wreath on the front door to indicate our readiness.

Without a doubt, our home is prepared for the holidays! But are we just as enthusiastic and diligent in preparing our hearts for the holidays? Christmas is a time to celebrate the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. With so many distractions, preparing our hearts can easily be overlooked. So how do we keep our focus on what is truly special about this time of the year?

Preparing our hearts can go hand in hand with preparing our homes. As our family contentedly spends time together in the midst of our holiday decorations, we prepare our hearts by discussing the meaning behind timeless traditions. The Christmas tree, for example, is a wonderful centerpiece for telling the story of Christ and directing our focus on Him. The evergreen leaves signify God’s everlasting love for us. The wood recalls the manger in which the newborn baby Jesus slept and the cross upon which Jesus gave His life. The star atop the tree, a symbol of the star that led the wise men to Jesus, is a reminder to keep our eyes on the Lord and always follow Him.

As we bake and eat tasty treats throughout the holiday season in preparation for parties and family gatherings, we reflect on Psalm 34:8a, “Taste and see that the Lord is good,” and we give thanks for the many blessings God has given us. Additionally, we use those goodies as an opportunity to show God’s love to our neighbors by sharing our culinary delights.

The beginning of the Christmas season also begins a series of family devotions related to our celebrations. We have used various books over the years and are currently rereading Lisa Whelchel’s The Adventure of Christmas. The climax of our devotions occurs bright and early on December 25 as we gather with our sons to read the biblical accounts of Jesus’ birth from the books of Matthew and Luke before starting any other Christmas Day activities.

Other ways we prepare our hearts for the holiday include attending church services, giving to the Lottie Moon Christmas offering, and helping the less fortunate. However, no heart preparations compare in importance to spending time daily with God – the One who sent His Son to be our Savior so many years ago. Without having a personal relationship with God based on Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection and growing that relationship through consistent, daily communication in prayer and Bible study, we will likely struggle to have our hearts ready for Christmas Day or any other day of the year. The best preparation for the holidays is spending time with the One whose birth we celebrate!

“And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at His birth.” Luke 1:14