I've haven't been talking much this week.
That's because I've been listening instead.
I've been praying and pondering and searching.
I am very concerned about what I am going to teach my children during the Christmas holiday this year. The things that I teach my children and the activities that we do together are very important to me. In fact, nothing is more important. We had the best Christmas ever last year with our book reading and crafting that we did each day in December.
This year I want to facilitate a celebration for my family that is just as magical, that incorporates visiting the lonely, giving of ourselves to those in need, and above all else, cultivating the spirit of Jesus Christ.
I have put so much thought into how best to do this...but I have not yet arrived at a decision.
At times, it seems that the voice of the Spirit is plain and clear in my head and easily leads me along. Other days, there is simply too much noise to hear that still, small voice clearly.
It reminds me of the static that one hears when tuning a radio. I am tuning my ear to hear the station...the voice...that I want to listen to, but turn too much in one direction and I get static. Turn the dial in the other direction and the station comes in clearly for a moment, then I lose it again.
So, I am staying silent for a while, tuning, tuning, and listening.
I am confident that the Lord will lead me to just the right activities to help us as a family come to Him this Christmas.
your answer will come at due time...prayer is the answer.
ReplyDeleteThis is exactly what I do in preparation for Christmas. Like you, I love to make the celebration unique and spiritually meaningful.
ReplyDeleteI know you will get your inspiration, and it will be perfect for your family this year.
=)
From our experience - SIMPLER is better. Just as you talked about in your post about tuning out the extra noise, the spirit of Christmas is more easily felt without a bunch of hoopla and fluff creating static noise that distracts from what it is all about.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much! This was exactly what I needed to hear today.
ReplyDeleteI wanted to thank you for your blog. I have been inspired by your words and have started a blog, separate from our family blog, to more fully record what is on my mind and in my heart. Thank you!
seek and you shall find, knock and it will be opened to you.
ReplyDeleteYep, simpler is always better. It is a hard time of year for me, but we still try and serve as many others as we can. I love the service aspect of Christmas. I love the stories, and the songs, and the time and effort. We are trying to do homemade gifts this year for all the older siblings. The girls are busy trying to figure out the perfect things to make with their own hands. I think that each of us has different needs, we are unique, the spirit will guide you in the right direction for your family.
ReplyDeleteYou are a wise, wise woman. You'll get your answer. :~)
ReplyDeleteI love that you want to create a Christ-centered Christmas. I can see that you always have such fun ideas. This is just a thought!
ReplyDeleteWhile I was raising my children we introduced into the wards we belong to through the years the following activity.
It was titled A Heart Family for Christmas. Everyone that wanted to participate would sign up and some people would just do one drop and run and others the 12 days of Christmas. Everyone was encouraged to do inexpensive items. We had some really fun experiences with this. Our children loved this activity every year.
In some wards families would do an extra family that was less active or in need.
We always picked out a family or two in the years that the ward did not do the activity.
Our children still remember how much fun they had doing this. It was really fun to not get caught.
I know you will have fun in whatever the spirit directs you to do. Thanks for sharing your thoughts. Blessings to you! LeAnn
Let me know if you need a partner, that is what I want to do this Christmas as well. Maybe we can tag team.
ReplyDelete