Our Christmas Eve Present

A simple Christmas meant borrowing a 4 foot tree and using the children's handmade projects from church to decorate.  I think it turned out just fine!
The best present this year however, wasn't under this tree!!!

Holidays were special events in my house growing up, and Christmas was perhaps my favorite.   The house was always decorated so nice.  The large picture window in the parsonage growing up was the perfect place for the Christmas tree.  Underneath that tree was a Christmas village complete with its own train line.  Over the years the village has grown into this huge metropolitan area.  The train line has grown, too and actually has several working trains.  The nativity scene in the country is a cherished corner of the city, but my favorite is my dad’s little musical church.  It was one of the last gifts my dad received from his own father before he died.  It lights up and plays Silent Night.  On Christmas Eve each year we’d gather around the tree and read the Christmas story from Luke 2.  Dad would wind the church and it was such a neat time to think about God’s great gift to us.  We’d close the day in prayer.  Each Christmas morning my dad would again wind up the church, and we would know we could come out of our rooms to see what wonderful surprises awaited us under the tree.   The day would continue with travelling to grandparents’ homes and eating a huge meal followed by a few more gifts.  It was a magical, wonderful day celebrating Jesus’ birthday!

Christmas Eve reading of the Christmas Story in Luke 2 and singing Christmas carols while Neil played his guitar.

Brad and I have tried to make Christmas a special time for our children as well—focusing on the birthday of Jesus.  We also enjoy other Christmas traditions from each of our own backgrounds blending them together and sprinkling in a few things of our own.  A birthday party for Jesus has been a new tradition we’ve tried to have each year with cupcakes.  We also attend Christmas Eve services as a family, something Brad grew up doing.  Before bed we read from Luke chapter two around the Christmas tree and pray as a family just like I did growing up as a little girl.  Brad and his brother always slept in sleeping bags in the same room on Christmas Eve, and for several years growing up our entire family would camp out in my brothers' room.  My dad would fill one whole wall bed to bed and move beds around.  I couldn't find the picture for this blog, but someday I hope to post that one!  Twenty years ago during Christmas we were engaged.  Christmas is a special time for me.  It is still a magical, wonderful day celebrating Jesus’ birthday!

Silent Night

 

God did something so wonderful for us this past Christmas Eve.  He gave us a gift and answered so many prayers prayed for us.  I can now smile at His timing.  He does love to give good gifts to His children!  This year we went to Christmas Eve services.  We chose the early service and it was standing room only….literally.  It was packed out.  Extra chairs in the back were set up.  Extra chairs on the sides of the seating sections were set up.  I was going to be content standing in the doorway singing and sitting in the foyer in the couches listening to this really handsome new preacher at RCC speak!  I’ll credit the seating crew….they found us five seats all in a row….in the second to the front row!  Now, for those who know me best, you know how uncomfortable I was with that!  I’m a preacher’s kid, and I sit in the back row or the balcony in my little “crow’s nest”.  I was thankful the children were well behaved even after my meager supply of Life Savers ran out.  The service was nice and the handsome preacher did a fine job.

Sarah read from Luke 2 this year.  She did a great job!

 

 After the last song I quickly checked the time on my phone and put it back in my purse.  We gathered our coats and wrapped up as the night was very cold.  We loaded up in the van and returned to our little red cabin and took our time getting shoes and coats put away.  We changed into comfy clothes and Maddie was getting the puppies settled.   The last task before getting dinner ready was to get my phone out of my purse before putting it away.  As I pulled it out, I noticed I had missed a call and had a message from Jenna, our realtor.   So I retrieved my message and hear, “We have an offer….”   I’m not sure what the rest of the message said at that point because all I could hear was “We have an offer…”!  I wanted so badly to call Brad, but he was participating in the second Christmas Eve service.  Here I had this GREAT news and couldn’t tell anyone!  What a gift God gave us Christmas Eve!

Notice the realty sign - Sale Pending!!!!  Yeah God!!!!

Thank you to all who have been praying for us!  However, we can’t stop yet.  There is still the inspection to get through.  They were not able to get up on our roof January 3^rd because the roof was 75% covered with snow.  So in the next five days they will try again.  If all goes well we close on the house in Newburgh January 18.  When God moves, sometimes He moves swiftly!  Please keep praying this final inspection goes well so we can officially close the deal on our home in Newburgh!   What a gift!  What a God! 

This year they camped out up in the "loft" with Neil!  They slept in until 8 a.m.!  Another wonderful gift :)!