Remembering Christmas and All the Traditions

As I sit here drinking my coffee and enjoying some cookies that my parents and in-laws made us (yes, we're spoiled), I had to stop and think of all the Christmas traditions we've done over the years. That's when I decided to whip out the computer and start typing.

This Christmas has been rather confusing for me and Ash. Last year was our first Christmas together so of course I had to make sure we did every typical holiday tradition to make it memorable :). And previous years I was with my parents celebrating so it was always me and my brother's responsibility so spread the Christmas cheer in our family and set up the decorations, which was fun. We would always have a fit if the parents wanted to put up the artificial tree by saying it made Christmas fake. In which then we would trudge through snow to pick out the perfect "Griswald" family Christmas tree (hehe). But this year is different.

We've been focusing alot of the traditions of the church with our Antioch group and perhaps still having that mindset it is making Christmas difficult for us. Going from being the cheerful, always have to keep to tradition person, its quite a 180 change. There were three reasons we didnt get a tree this year, 1) We didn't have the room, 2) It was alot of time and effort (we're not lazy, just tired :P), 3) For some reason I forgot the reason for why we "need" a tree. That's what started the confusion. Now don't get me wrong, I'm still very cheerful and positive :) I don't refer to myself as a Scrooge....yet.

It's funny sometimes listening to customers conversations at the mall. I'll hear a nice positive message from them one second, then the next thing they are complaining about Christmas. After reading so many posts on Facebook about remembering the "reason for the season" I cant help but think, what is the reason? To spend a whole week at the mall spending your paychecks before you even get them? Spending hours in a day decorating the house? Idoling a Christmas tree and comparing whose is better? Dressing up as Santa to please the kiddos? Unending gifts? Complaining about your family gatherings? Admiring the baby Jesus who apparently never grew up and died on a cross? It's confusing. This is not a tradition I want to keep nor pass down through my family.

Thinking about these things has discouraged me but also encouraged me. Where is my focus? There's alot of things I could say I want but nothing I need. (I did ask for a couples wants and didnt neglect our family presents ;-) I would have felt bad since it's expected). But what does presents have to do with Christmas after all? Who started this tradition? This year I'm spending Christmas with close family remembering that God has had a plan since before creation and remembering how He loves us :)

Merry Christmas!