Christmas is coming.... but Santa's not

Hello! Well Christmas gets closer every day, I'm super excited, it's my favorite time of the year!! I love the music, except those annoying Chipmunk songs, the food - this time last year when I was prego I put on most of my pregnancy weight, too bad I'm not prego now! ha ha There are of course certain things I don't like like malls and how the world has taken the meaning out of Christmas. This year will be very special because it's our year of "firsts," Our first Christmas with a child and our first Christmas away from our families, it's just us this year! We have mixed feelings about that last one because of course we love being with our families, but are also excited to start our own traditions. We've kind of picked and chosen traditions from both families and made a few of our own.
I bought Jacob's gift today, it is awesome! And I can't tell you what a cool feeling it was to buy my son his first Christmas gift, I know it's lame, but I've always been the kid and now I am the one adorning my child with gifts and filling the stockings. I feel grown up. Although if you spend time with me you'll see that I'm still a kid at heart - that will never change. Anyway we bought him this ride on Mickey car, he can push it, ride it, climb on it and push and pull a million buttons. I'm sure he'll like the wrapping paper more, but that's great to watch!

I went to the mall today and was almost trampled, ha ha just kidding, but I sure felt close! And it was a weekday, it's all those other mom's out there with their strollers, and we all know how woman love to pay attention to where they're going. Prest always jokes that I don't watch where I'm walking...which sadly is mostly true. But going to the mall really puts a downer on Christmas for me for a couple reasons. One because it reminds me of my pathetic materialistic habits and desire for things that don't last and the greed and scavenger like habits among fellow shoppers makes me crazy! And two because it actually twists my stomach up when i see how the world is taking the meaning or the 'CHRIST' out of Christmas. Don't ppl understand, "Jesus is the reason for the season?" Without him there wouldn't be a Christmas. To me it makes it all the more real for me and actually makes me value the "reason" far more than I ever have. In a way I feel like it's a small persecution, when ppl scowl at you for saying, "Merry Christmas" instead of "Happy Holidays." It makes me all the more proud to proclaim, that "YES, I do believe in Jesus and the virgin birth and I am SO Proud and soo thankful for all that entails!!" Why do we have to have something taken away from us to suddenly be grateful for it? I need to learn not to take things, especially my faith for granted. True, my faith will never go away, but I can value my faith so much more and use it to change the securalism of the season. I hold a grand treasure that shouldn't ever be bottled up. So I guess these things won't ever change about the Christmas season, in fact they'll probably get worse, but I can do my part and keep the Christ in the season in all I do - even at the malls! and all that I say - especially in holiday traffic!
So I pray you're holiday season is going to be great, every year proves different, but I think that's kind of exciting, it's an adventure and memories will be made no matter what you do or where you are!

Comments

Leanne Marie said…
Hey Tara! You are great you know that! Just wanted to tell you that!!!!!! I myself have ofter wondered why we even give gifts at Christmas. I know that God gave us the ultimate gift when He sent Jesus, and yet we as humans get so materialistic and caught up in the comsumerism (did I spell that right), that we even as Christians forget what Christmas is really all about. Anyways keep asking the questions and processing and learning. Have a great Christmas season!

Love, Leanne

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