The Most Wonderful Time of the Year!

It is just about THAT time again! The time when kisses happen under mistletoe, sleigh bells ring, chestnuts roast on upon fires and Jack Frost comes nipping our noses! The most wonderful time of the year! I am very excited to celebrate Christmas this year with my husband, daughter and his family (and of course all of our friends)! I hope that Punky Jr. learns to love Christmas as much as I do.

It isn't just the presents, the beautiful lights or the fun songs that are so magical to me. It is being in His presence and celebrating His birth, knowing that Jesus is the most wonderful gift the world will ever know, the only gift the world really needs! Jesus is the reason for the season.

Darby and I plan to make Christ the central focus of our celebrating, yet Christmas should also be a lot of fun. I know that our Lord has a sense of humor (we get it from Him) so I know that He enjoys having fun and wants us to have fun as well. One tradition that we are starting this year is the Elf on the Shelf tradition (gotta go order my elf)! The elf was originally designed to remind kids to be good. The elf starts out on a shelf, but every night after the kids go to bed he goes back to the North Pole to report to Santa on the behavior in the house.

I really have no problem with Santa, I think stories about Santa are fun. They are make believe and fun. Yet, I see easy ways to turn the Elf on the Shelf into lessons about Christ. The Elf watching over us reminds us that Jesus is sees EVERYTHING, Jesus is watching us and it makes Him happy when we do what we should. On the other hand it makes Him sad when we are naughty. I do think it will be fun to see where Mr. Elf pops up each morning!

There are so many traditions that I can't wait to celebrate with my family and as Punky Jr. grows up I can't wait to pass on those traditions to her. Christmas really is the most wonderful time of the year, and that is why I can't wait to decorate our house and prepare to celebrate the most important birthday ever!

What are your favorite Christmas traditions that you are really excited about this year?

-JLP-