This year, I’ve asked my mother, Anne Boulier to write the Christmas Devotional. I’m so glad I did because it’s a wonderfully different perspective of Christmas. A thoughtful reminder of why Christmas is a choice to make EVERY year.
Please enjoy!
Christmas – it’s a time of year that brings joy and sadness for many. We celebrate the birth of the One who loves us most – He did, after all, come to die for us just 33 short years after His miraculous birth. For some, it’s a time of sadness because of loved ones who are no longer a part of the season. For some, it’s a time of sadness because of lost expectations for a better life – a better time to come.
Christmas, I have learned in my 68 years of ups and downs is what I decide to make it.
Yes, Christmas is a choice. I can choose to dwell on the ones who are no longer here to share the traditions I carry on in celebration of the season. I can dwell on the hard times, as yet unanswered prayers, disappointments, sickness – anything I want.
What I choose to do is celebrate the birth of my best friend, my Savior, the Hope for all the world – Emmanuel, God is with us – with me always.
So, with a thankful heart, I choose to decorate, invite friends and family to share my joy and traditions, recipes (Grandma’s cornbread dressing), and to even start a few new traditions this year.
Christmas – it’s a choice. I pray you will choose the blessings of Christmas this year.
We will decorate our trees (at least one in each room – three in my bedroom!) with ornaments passed down from generations before us. Using homemade decorations (ones from my childhood, and ones from my daughters’ elementary school years), treasured gifts from former students and friends, and ones I gave my daughters every year since they were born. CB even has a tree with only owls decorating it. She got her love of owls from her great aunt and grandma.
We will invite friends over for loaded potato soup and our third annual sock swap party.
We will give a few specially chosen gifts (the number seems less each year as the love grows stronger).
Most of all we will count our blessings:
- Jesus, the best gift of all
- Family
- Friends
- A warm, happy home
- A great church family
- Time to be together and yes,
- Jesus, the One of whom the angels sang – “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace and goodwill toward man.” NIV Luke 2:14
Christmas blessings from our house to yours.
Anne Boulier
I hope you enjoyed this different Christmas perspective and until next time, may God’s grace surround you,
