A dear friend of mine has, over the last few weeks, enlightened me to metaphors surrounding Christmas that I've never heard before. Or if I have, I wasn't listening.
Truths about shopping and exhaustion akin to the traveling and the exhaustion of a very pregnant Mary. Wrapping the gifts reminding us of our God wrapping Himself in flesh and coming to live a perfect life for us. Selflessly giving all month, cooking, giving, wrapping, preparing, all pointing to a Savior who has spent eternity preparing for us, giving to us, selflessly serving and watching us unwrap His perfect Gift.
So much for commercialism and the meaning being stripped of Christmas.
I feel like I'm able this year to see through the propaganda and straight into the beauty bound up in the hustle and bustle.
This post today was a sort of icing on this cake I'm being fed, one of enjoying Christmas, embracing the buying, loving the wrapping (okay, loving the idea of the wrapping...baby steps), and joyfully being full of expectation for the coming of Israel's long-awaited Savior.
We are reading Jotham's Journey for Advent this year, a book I bought three years ago but was always too busy to think about beginning, and the kids are just enamored with this story. Always, the stories are what astound them.
Last week, I shared a rather long-winded note to mothers and did a lot of Christmas shopping the Saturday after Thanksgiving. (I actually think I'm almost done. Be jealous.)
Let's see what you've been up to, shall we? But first, some features from our last get-together:
This card from Paper Seedlings was just precious. I am not crafty like this at all and am always amazed at the things people can create who have this gift:
I am enamored with chalkboards right now and so was drawn to this cute globe created by Hearts in my Pocket.
And, last but not least, Elizabeth at Just Following Jesus has done a great job of putting together a wonderful idea for Advent.
We have decorated for Christmas and I'd like to get some pictures up for you. I, however, am not the photographer some of you are. So consider them "snapshots" not "photographs."
Now it's your turn!
How it works:
- follow your hostesses in some way
- link up as many posts as you like-recipes, decorating, faith, kids, homeschooling, humor, giveaways…whatever unfolded for you lately
- grab the button and post it or linked text somewhere on your blog
- visit a few links (it’s a party, people!)
- pin only from the original posts
- by joining Fridays Unfolded you are giving us permission to post a linked photo from your shared post
- try to use nice, big photos in your posts.
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Hello cute lady! it is always a pleasure to be a part of your party. Thank you for hosting. Please join us at our party.We would be thrilled to have you! Happy Friday! Lou Lou Girls
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