EXCITEMENT
There is no room enough to cater my joyful anticipation as we get closer to ending 2016 and to the upcoming year and to the next years cause there’s just too many good things that’s about to come, favors that are in-stored for us, as a family. I am so excited!
I still remember the day my husband and I sat down to talk about celebrating Christmas in a home we can call our own with our baby, together as one family. Emphasis on the word -together.
SENTIMENTS
For almost a decade, my husband & I had been celebrating Christmas away from home. It is not a wonderful feeling but we learned how to get along with it. But, this year, will be the very last Christmas we are going to celebrate away from home.
As usual, we are going to celebrate this year’s Christmas eve with friends.
Normally, before the clock strikes 12, it’s that time we skype our loveones back home, to greet each other, check what is on their Christmas Eve menu and so on.
It’s all okay but not when you have a baby daughter away from you. So this will be the very last we will not be together. The future is really looking bright!
And though, there is, this incompleteness because of the distance – we are looking forward to the upcoming days. Sure, our baby may not have an idea what these celebrations is all about, yet, for us, her parents, we know that we have to be together and create our own little family traditions – very soon!
MOVING FORWARD
Christmas would be more exciting and we could not stop visualizing putting up our own Christmas tree in our own home while having our baby running around. Definitely something to look forward to. We will Decorate our own place with Christmas ornaments like the nativity scene, christmas flowers, wrapping our gifts, welcoming the carolers – in our own home. We also look forward to reunions, parties and celebrations. Wow!
Yeah, finally in the next few months we can look forward in celebrating many seasons as one family – we can spend cold Christmas mornings with hot chocolate and teas, having our parents visit and catching up with our siblings, would be totally fun! Our daugther finally meeting her cousins and reassuring her that she have her parents with her.
I can definitely list a whole lot more… but the best of them all, is the thought that for the first time in forever – we will be reunited with our baby! I am ecstatic!
CELEBRATIONS
Recently, there had been too many invitations for Christmas Parties from different groups of people we get acquiantef to. It can be fun but sometimes it can bring a lot of stress too- specially if you have to prepare some presents, food, entertainment. Unline many other countries, my husband and I lives in a country where its always “business as usual”, so preparing can mean lots and loads of efforts.
But this year my husband and I decided to mellow down a bit. After we sat down to evaluate our family goals we understand what our main priorities should be, we are running as fast as we can to meet our financial goals come year-end.
As Ive said in my previous blogs, the Lord taught us some valuable lessons on stewardship one of them includes finances and wealth. And we realized that even though Christmas is gift-giving time, we don’t have to give everyone. If one person is no prepared financially to be gifting everyone – it can definitely stretch a whole lot on your bank accounts. Stewardship teaches accountability, responsibility and discipline. We cannot afford to spend a whole chunk this Christmas pleasing everyone else, then later on regret the overspending and the results of it.
This year, we chose to be more strategic. We categorized the people around us, those who we consider most important to us. Those who had been with us throughout the years makes it to our gift-list. Yes, that way we can figure who really are our friend. It was tough, especially for me, because I am used to pleasing people – which by the way is not recommended.
We have learned to say “no” so we can say “yes”to the bigger things.
LOOKING FORWARD
This Christmas Eve my husband and I will lead the Advent Wreath to one of our Christmas Dinner host. It’s a good Christmas tradition my husband learned from his family when he was still part of the Methodist Church. We thought it’s good to practice it as well and share it to some friends so we can set the tone of celebrating the real reason for the season – Jesus!
We improvised the flow a little bit to make it more personal and assigned some of our friends to participate by discussing the topics assigned to them.
We did the Advent Wreath last year and it was heartwarming and life-changing. We are hoping for the best this year too. It actually put our hearts back on track, we realized that aside from the foods we share, the gifts we bring, the fun we do together – the most important thing is to honor Jesus, the One who came to save us all from our sinful nature. He is definitely the ultimate reason why we are happy and joyful on Christmas Day!
For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Isaiah 9:6
Definitely I’ll share some stories after we do it and I am sure it’s going to be fun. But for now let me do the final preparations.
GREETINGS
Advance Merry Christmas! May the good Lord bless and keep you all!
mrsmaringsagum 