The Meaningful Christmas Tree

I have been working on making everything about Christmas mean something in our family. We don't just have decorations so the house is beautiful each thing means something, and my kids are taught about them throughout the season. I found the book The Legend of the Christmas Tree last year while I was trying to find information on Christmas traditions for my private school kindergarten classroom. I fell in love with it right away. It gives information about the origins of the Christmas tree, and why we have them. I used the book to come up with some ideas for my tree this year.

The gold represents the purity of God, his holiness and righteousness. The red Christmas ornaments represent the apple that tempted Adam and Eve to sin, the sin that separated them from God. The red ribbon represents Jesus's blood that covers our sin. The Christmas tree itself is a triangle that has three corners representing the trinity, the father, son, and spirit three in one. Then of course we have the star on top. It of course represents the Christmas Star, but it also represents the light we are to shine to the world. I read The Legend of the Christmas Tree, and then we decorate and talk about the different parts as we do so. The kids love it, and it reminds me to slow down, and consider the true meaning of Christmas.

Meaningful Motherhood

Every life is peppered with defining moments. Those times in our lives where we reach a crossroad, and the way we choose has lasting impact on who we will become. College for me was a defining moment in my life. It was there that I realized the kind of person that I wanted to be, and that it is ok to go against the grain of society to stand up for the values that I believe in. In college I learned about Jesus, and trusted in Him. Meeting my husband was another such moment. He taught me about faith, about love, and how to put these two things together to create a partnership of service to others and to God. Motherhood has by far been one of my most defining moments. My kids have reminded me everyday that I am not perfect, and that nothing ever goes as planned. What do you do when your kid blows up a can of pumpkin in your living room the day before Thanksgiving, or climbs up in the kitchen and pulls the bag of flour down on top of his head? How do you prepare you child's heart for adulthood. How do you help them get ready to be a Christian who stands strong in this unstable world? To be honest I don't have any answers but those which are in the bible, and those I have learned from people who are smarter than me. However, if I share the things that I have learned, and you do the same maybe we can work together to make the most important job that we have be a meaningful and lasting impact on our children. I may not be the Proverbs 31 woman, but I can strive everyday to work toward that goal.