Christmastime is Here!

Hello Friends!

Sorry it has been so long since we spoke last!  I have been super busy, and, while I have wanted to blog, I just haven't really had time to say what I wanted to.  Let's see, since we spoke last, my little sister turned 17, Thanksgiving happened, Josh and I went with family and friends to see "Scrooge" in Roanoke, and I have studied like a mad man for finals.  I just finished my final exams yesterday, and I am just waiting to here back if I passed or not.  Normally, people in college are like, "Yea, I passed that exam, no problem!" but I have a distorted perception of how well I did on an exam, so I am just waiting to hear before I start singing praises of joy!

Now, I love Christmas!  It is one of my favorite holidays!!  Being a Moravian, one of my favorite Christmas traditions is our Christmas Eve Lovefeast at our church.  You got your buns, your coffee, and most importantly, your beeswax candle.  What more can a Moravian ask for?  For the past few years, I have had trouble getting into the season spirit, seeing as how most years I have exams until the 15th of December, and I work until the 22nd.  The highlight of my season is always the Christmas Eve Lovefeast, but that means that until 6:00 on Christmas Eve, I am not really in the Christmas spirit.  This year, I am trying a different approach to Christmas.

Christmas for me is the season of giving.  God gave us his son, three wise men gave precious gifts to Jesus' family, and families give love and joy to one another.  You give of yourself, and ask for nothing in return.  Most people who know me know that I don't make a lot of money.  I live on $81 a week, and some weeks it sucks.  Christmas is always a difficult season, because I always have to reign myself in from spending all my money.  This year is different.  I still make the same amount of money, but I am trying to give people my love and my heart instead.  

I signed up to do Operation Christmas Child, and I filled my shoe-box with gifts of love.  I picked out a black and white stuffed cat to send, because I was giving the love of my cat to a little girl somewhere.  I put soap, and a washcloth in the box, and a coloring book with crayons.  I put flash cards in the box, and for the first time in a long time, I noticed how much stuff was in the toy isle that I couldn't send.  Electronic Barbies, and mini iPad things.  Computer games, and Littlest Pet Shop toys.  Somewhere, this child just needed the basics, and it took me about an hour to try to find the basics.

I also picked an Angel off our Angel Tree at church.  My little girl, Nataly, had two other Angels on the tree that my mom and dad took.  Between the three angels, this 13 month old little girl needed a car seat, clothes and shoes, diapers, and a baby doll.  This broke my heart.  Do you know how many baby dolls I had growing up?  A lot.  I got my little girl two baby dolls, and as I shopped for other toy items, I carried around the softest teddy bear I could find.  One of the Kmart employees asked me what I was doing with the bear, and I told her, "I am filling it with love."

That is what this season is about.  Filling the gifts you give with love.  I spent my paycheck on a little girl I will never meet, but I gave her the most love I could give, and I truly love this little girl, wherever she is.  God gave us Jesus, because He loves us, and when Easter rolls around we will celebrate how He loves us again when He allows Jesus to be crucified for our sins.  It is important to note that God did not give us His gift in the form of a prince or a man of any power, but in the son of a carpenter.  When you give gifts to your loved ones this year, remember that.  My homemade gifts are not things that are good enough to be sold, but they are made with the love I have in my heart.

I have done a lot of things this year to try and get myself into the Christmas spirit, and I am thinking they worked.  Most importantly, I have given of myself as God intended us to do, and I did it knowing that I will never meeting these people.  But they know someone out there loves them, and believe me, I do love them.  So this Christmas, give the love in your heart to people who need it most!

What have you done special this year to get you ready for Christmas?  

Like I said, let me know! 

XOXO

Tricia