Christmas Day
Christmas Day exciting falls on a Sunday this year. For the first time that I can remember I am excited to be celebrating the birth of our L.rd & Savior on His birthday at church! Service starts at 10am. I welcome the family to come and join me that day at Portland Christian Center and celebrate Jes.s birthday!
Extended Family Christmas. After each family I am sure celebrates their own family Christmas, I would love to see our extended families to join together. I would like to open up ENCORE for all of our families to join together. Lacking there is a kitchen... so input from others would be great of weather or not you would like it there, or at another location.
Christmas Gift Giving:
Christmas is about celebrating how much G.d loves us. That Chr.st was brought into this world as a gift to us. Given up as the last Lamb as a gift to us, so that we may spend eternity with our Heavenly Father. We did nothing to earn this gift. You could put no value on this gift. You could not do anything earn that gift. It's simply a gift.
Gifts at Christmas time should be about the same.
For the last ten years, in my home, that has been my own families focus. Chr.st, the gift of Him. We do not focus on gifts, or monatary value. And those values grow stronger each year. I remember as a young teenager, and a young adult, I would always worry or panic if I didn't have enough money to spend on the family. I also remember going into a lot of debt over Christmas gifts. As I matured with my own family, I didn't choose to continue that stress & worry about one of the most wonderful days of the year. Slowly over the years, a lot of family has learned this about me. Now, I hope to influence, and incourage more of the family to open thier eyes to the true meaning of Christmas.
Rule #1
Bringing gifts for every member of the family is NOT a requirement to come to Christmas.
Rule #2
Not being able to afford a gift and feeling guilty when receiving one, is NOT allowed at Christmas. (;-)
Reality Check... 3, 2, 1...
however people are just people, and emotions fly around the holidays because peoples hearts are dealing with many things. Do remember people on Christmas. This can be given in many ways. I encourage my children to do something, make something, save their money and purchase something small, acknowledge each member of the family in some way. Keep offences away from our family by doing this.
You know that Christmas is on the same day, every year. 364 days to prepare. Proper preparedness = no offences;) Open communication = no offences;) Keep G.d in the center of our family by keeping Love in the center of our family.
Bowder Family Traditions:
* There are many family traditions in the Bowder clan, some have been kept, some have been forgotten, some have never been known and some have not been able to continue for one reason or another. (The traditions listed below, were started with Mr. & Mrs. Robert & Ann Bowder)
- Candy Canes from stockings to beds in representation that Santa Claus has come.
- Kept at Valerie's house; with modification; it's known that Mom spinkle candy canes and kiss your forehead at night, the candy canes represent Jes.s Blood (red) and purifing our lives (white); and that Jes.s is our sheperad and guide (hince the shape of a cane); that acknowledgment 'sweet'ens our day and lives.
- Who else kept this?
- We put up a manger with no baby Jes.s in it, and in the morning, one of the kids get to move baby Jes.s to His rightful place in the manger.
- Kept in Valerie's house
- Who else kept this?
- We read the Christmas story before unwrapping presents.
- Kept in Valerie's house; with modification, we read the story even before opening up the stockings.
- Who else kept this?
- No one can come down the stairs until they are all together... and after hot chocolate
- Kept in Valerie's house
- Who else kept this?
- Giving our night time wear on Christmas Eve.
- Kept in Valerie's house
- Who else kept this?
- Putting up an ornament that represents each person in the family.
- Kept in Valerie's house
- Who else kept this?
- Making sure to have a new ornament for every signaficant thing that happened in the year.
- I did not keep this tradition. Sometimes I wish I would have. I am looking to do this in a less expensive way.
- Who kept this?
- Putting the afternoons fruit salad in the stockings.
- I did not keep this tradition. We do not eat fruit salad. (LOL)
- Who kept this?
What traditions did you keep?
Anyone have traditions of their own?
Mom's/Grandma's Stuff:
I have Mom's/Grandma's stuff, some stuff I have already given out, others I still have. If you are interested in getting any of it for your own family, please get a hold of me, so that you may remember her on Christmas. I simply ask that you treasure it, and take care of it.