I LOVE Christmas!!

Christmas is my favorite time of year. I love the lights, the smells, the music (Oh, Holy Night and Silent Night are my favorite!), the decore, the weather (but Californians DO NOT know how to drive in rain), the spirit of the season, the gift giving...you get the idea. In particular, I like getting together with my family and having that time together. I don't suppose it's any one thing in particular, but the time together as a whole. 

Christmas Eve is ALWAYS spent at church. My mom sings with the choir. My dad helps direct the traffic. And I interpret for the Deaf. Once church is over we usually go to either my aunt's house to enjoy a time of gift exchange and food or to my house where we have friends over to do the same. Either way, it's a time filled with lots of fun, love, and food!

Christmas morning always starts with hot chocolate (with lots of marshmallows) and opening out stockings to see what Santa brought a us (yes, we still do "Santa" and it's fun!)--he usually brings gift cards, a toothbrush, gum, and jewelry. After that gifts are passed out. We go the one-for-each-person...OPEN. Do that process all over again method. It seems only fair and you can see what everyone received. Once the gifts are gone we have breakfast which usually consists of scrambled eggs, biscuits and gravy, and sparkling cider--what's Christmas without sparkling cider?! Then it's off to an aunt's or uncle's to participate in family fun and frivolity!

Much like Thanksgiving, Christmas is a food-centric holiday. I've come to cope with this fact, it's American society. I cannot ask my family or the world to change what it centers it's functions around just because I cannot partake in food the same way that they do. I still like baking (I'm not very good at that) and cooking (I'm pretty good at that) and so that's where I get my food thrills instead. I adapt to my circumstances the best that I can without inconveniencing those around me because that's all that I can really do. 

Christmas isn't TRULY about food. It's not about the decorations or the music or the present.  It's about the little baby that came, that was born in Bethlehem so long ago. That is why Christmas is important. We lose sight of it SO easily in the hustle and bustle of shopping, in the angst of our pain, in the frustration of our circumstances. Don't forget Who came and why He came this season. 

Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.

Isaiah 7:14