Good morning, friends

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas with family and friends. I loved the snow that was falling throughout the day. But I don’t love the shoveling that I must do today—although I do need the exercise. Well, that’s another matter altogether.

We are now in the 12 days of Christmas—do you know what each day represents? Check out some of these sites for more info.

http://www.appleseeds.org/12_days-christmas.htm
http://www.history.com/minisites/christmas/
http://www.cresourcei.org/cy12days.html
http://www.stpaulskingsville.org/christmas.htm#WHAT%20ARE%20THE%20TWELVE%20DAYS%20OF%20CHRISTMAS

In our family we have tried to make the 12 days of Christmas special by remembering all the details of Christ’s birth and childhood, leading up to his death and resurrection. When combined with the 4 Sundays of Advent (before Christmas) it helps us keep the Main Thing the main thing.

First, we use 12 white candles to light one each day. White is the color for the Christmas season. We light one each day and talk about what is special about the day. Here is our usual plan.

December 26th – Boxing day. This is the English holiday which was traditionally the day on which the lord of the manor took presents to his servants. Later, it became a day to take boxes of food to the needy. This is also the festival of St. Stephen, deacon and first martyr for the church. As we survey the gifts we’ve received, this a good day t recall St. Stephen who gave his life for his Lord.

Here are some suggestions for this day.
· Select one of our gifts to give away in remembrance of Stephen’s sacrifice.
· Cook and deliver a meal for a needy family.
· Bake cookies for a neighbor and deliver them with love.

December 27th is the festival of St. John, the apostle and evangelist. As we recall the work of that “disciple whom Jesus loved,” today we reach out to share the love of Christ with someone in need of that love. Read 1 John chapter 3 and find a way to express the loved described in those verses.

December 28th is the Day of the Holy Innocents. This is the day we recall the slaying of the firstborn by Herod. Appreciate children today. Let today belong to the children. They select the activity and you provide whatever help they need.

December 31st is New Year’s Eve. In the early church, this was a solemn day of repentance and thanksgiving for the year just past. Unlike our present celebrations, it was a day of prayer, meditation, and fasting. Today it is more frequently characterized by revelry and good times with friends. It can be both. New Year’s Eve takes on new meaning when Christ is a guest at our celebration. At our house we would attend a New Year’s Eve service if possible. But if not, we would make our own celebration with a special meal and a devotion (we have one specifically for this evening). Lighting our candle we would talk about the past year and think about what we would like to do in the new year. We would pray together and then watch the ball drop in Time’s Square. Make a tradition in your family.

January 1st – New Year’s Day. This is the day to prepare for the new year. I always try to have my resolutions finished today. The kids liked to do it too. These are not done lightly but with prayerfully developed with the idea of putting us in the place where God can change us. It is a day to, once again, turn our lives over to God for His grace, direction and control. Beginning the new year with the Creator of all years brings a special significance to New Year’s Day. We also have a special meal of ham and black-eyed peas. This is from my southern heritage. If you eat black-eyed peas on New Year’s day you will have a prosperous year. How do you make the day special for your family?

January 1st is also the “Name of Jesus Day.” This is a good time to recall all the names we have for Jesus. Conduct a Bible word search to find those names and discuss their meanings. Or talk about your family’s experience with selecting names. (We always tell our children how they were named and what their name means on this day.) Where did your family name originate? Talk about the ways names affect behavior. The Jewish people had a strong belief that the names chosen for people determined who they would become. (I believe this too.) Refer to Matthew 1:21 then close your discussion with a prayer of thanksgiving.

We also take down our Christmas tree on this day. Mainly because I don’t want it up any longer. But it is tradition for us now.

January 6th- Epiphany. This ends the 12 days of Christmas. The primary focus today is the visit of the Wisemen. We read the story of the Wise-men in Matthew 2. Make sure the kids know the real story behind the wisemen. Were there only 3? Where was Joseph, Mary, and Jesus when the wisemen visited? We have an Epiphany party. We make a Blessing Cake to celebrate all of God’s blessings to us. The traditional blessing cake has items added to the cake batter: a bean to represent our daily food, a coin to represent other material blessings, a cross signifying salvation, and any other symbols you want. Obviously, this cake is cut and eaten very carefully. As each symbol is found, that blessing is celebrated. We also have a devotion for this special day.

This is the traditional day to take down the Christmas tree and put everything away.

For all the other days in the 12 Days of Christmas you can make special in your own way. Each day light one white candle and tell parts of the life of Jesus. Other activities you can do are:

· Each day let the children select, plan, and carry out an activity for the entire family.
· Have a movie night: Invite neighbors to join you for a candlelight viewing of a heartwarming Christmas movie. Make popcorn and cocoa, unplug the telephone, wrap up in warm blankets and relax.
· We read one Christmas story each evening during this season. I have collected many Christmas season books and stories that we use every year.
· Drive through town and see all the Christmas lights and then go somewhere for hot cocoa and dessert.
· Go sledding as a family and take along thermos’ full of hot chocolate and snacks.
· Invite friends over for a simple meal and a game.
· Make sure you take pictures of all your activities and then you can do your creative memories pages together.
· Spend time outside building snowmen and come in and have soup and sandwiches and tell funny stories of past years in the snow.

Whatever you do, make traditions that your family will remember fondly all their lives. I know we have succeeded because our children are beginning to do the same traditions with their children.

Gary and I now have to make new traditions for the two of us. It has been a bit frustrating to change all that we have done in the past with our kids to fit just the two of us. But we are working on it.

Remember the Spiritual Discipline for this month is Celebration and part of it is working at making traditions that you can celebrate throughout the year.

Have fun and God bless you this Christmas season.

Pastor Ashley
Servant/Pastor/Founder
http://stillgrowing-Ashley.blogspot.com
"But seek first His kingdom and his righteousness,
and all these things will be give to you as well."
Matthew 6:33
Westside Assembly of God
Lighthouse by the Lake