Oh Christmas Tree, No Christmas Tree.

"I don't have a Christmas Tree." This was the confession I made to friend and fellow-Word At Shaw member, Lynette Beeny a full eight weeks ago. She is an artist and helped me talk through some Christmas decor alternatives such as vases filled with ornaments, banks of lights hanging from the walls, garland framing windows on the inside of my home.
Friend Leeann Volle, whom I have known for 31 years, sent me a web-page of  ideas for unconventional "Christmas -Trees" including a ladder wrapped in bright kitschy 50's style lights. You know those big colorful ones.
Still I had no tree.
December dawned and the corner of my living room was spare. Usually I had our 7 foot tree fully decorated in the silver, black and white ornaments by the Saturday after Thanksgiving. I had slowly built up my collection over the six years Keith and I had lived in Missouri until finally in 2010 I said confidently, "It's finished. There are no gaps in my tree-finally!"
Unfortunately, on December twenty sixth of 2010 I said, "It's finished." in reference to our tree. I was okay with eight branches held on by duct-tape-don't worry HGTV-ers, it was "Forest Green". But after taping the ninth branch back onto the tree halfway through last year's December, I knew it was time to let the tree go.
I didn't worry as I disposed of it on the twenty-sixth. I knew we would move to the city and have a completely different living room to fit a tree into in 2011.
That was our plan.
But selling a house at this time is tough and preparing a house to sell at this time even a little tougher.
So on December 5th, after test-confessing to two girlfriends, I let Keith in on my big oops.
"We have no tree. I got rid of it last year right after Christmas."
Keith smiled. He is patient, and used to his red-headed wife's ways.
I didn't want to go buy another big artificial tree as we would only have to move it when we moved in 2012-insert all your prayers for our home sale here-and we have enough to Craig's List outta here before then.
Jesus didn't have a Christmas tree and he did okay. Of course he was Jewish.
Aside thought for the day: What  eight gifts could you give the Savior of the world for Hanukkah? This I can ask when I see Mary and Joseph someday in heaven.
Back to my own holiday issues.
I do not need a tree to observe Christmas. In fact, in years past I always felt more of a kinship with my Irish ancestors when I brought a live tree into my home in December and lit and decorated it. It was the Irish who brought all manner of items inside from the forests in order to brighten up their homes in bleak winter months.
In order to observe Christmas I need, what? A heart that has prepared for the celebration of Christ's birth? yes. An understanding that Christmas would not be so meaningful without Easter? yes.
A love for my savior? yes. But shouldn't I have that year round? yes.
So what makes Christmas Christmas to me? It isn't about the presents-they are a symbol of Christ's present to us, or maybe they stand in the gap of our inability to give him a birthday present?
It isn't about lights around my yard, or a six foot inflatable Santa on the lawn, or a tree.
I know for many "Christmas is about families being together..." &/or "...taking time to give to others."
These are nice sentiments. I am personally counting the days until daughter Jenna Scarborough arrives. Also, I have dumped quite a bit of change and bills into some red kettles this month.I am absolutely for giving to God's family in any way I can-especially those who truly need to feel the love of Christ this season.
 But I know Christmas is about my acknowledging the immense gift God gave to the world in the form of a beautiful baby and trying to still myself enough to hear from God on how He would like me to glorify Him in this season.
If I get a small tree to commemorate this holiday, I will do so with the understanding that I didn't need to do so.Maybe I will wrap something else in lights or fill those vases with ornaments. Maybe I will do a combination of creative Christmas Season decor. Tree or not.
No matter what, I will celebrate the day Jesus came into our dark world to be Light.
And the fact that he is alive and fully light in our world to this day.
I hope this finds you well. That you have time to read some of the gospel accounts of his birth, and feel the peace that his life, death and resurrection brings all who believe.
Blessings-Lorilise

Jesus Came to Save Christmas

I had intended to post a few days ago, but I've had a lot weighing on my mind in regards to this post, and I just didn't have a coherent message to relate.  I knew I wanted to write something about Advent- the special time when we await the "advent" or coming of the day in which we celebrate the birth of Jesus- but I just didn't know exactly how to say what I really feel without sounding like the Mexican-American "Grinchita" Who Stole Christmas.

I generally have mixed feelings when the Christmas season rolls around in late October.  On the one had I love the nostalgia; I love the snow; I love the ballet, the concerts, and the food (although, I'm not really sure you can call cookies and chocolate food in the truest sense of the word!); I love the lights.  I think the lights have always been my favorite tradition of the holiday season... So what's not to love, right?

Well, let's see.  Things I don't like:
~That feeling of coerced obligation to spend, spend, SPEND money I don't have on things people didn't know they wanted- or needed for that matter.
~The genuine sadness I feel when I witness millions of people every year celebrate a holiday they truly know nothing about.
~The envious green hue of disappointment my kid's faces take on when they inevitably feel entitled to WAY more things than I can afford.  

And the list goes on.  But not here.  Because this post isn't about that.

As I was contemplating, I actually started to feel anxious.  Questions and doubts swirled around my thoughts, and the worrying took over.  I anxiously pondered the sins of the season-- overlooking the poor and the orphans, buying gifts made in sweat shops that exploit child labor, making a holiday about the birth of THE Redemption Story of humanity about materialism and greed...   I decided to pray because my anxiety was making my stomach hurt.  As I prayed, I had a thought.

This is why Jesus came.

Jesus came to redeem a sinful world from the grasp of its own self destruction.  He came to make a way out of the envy, the greed, the materialism, the neglect, the overindulgence, the slavery, the evil, the meaningless pursuit of ourselves.

So, Jesus saves Christmas.

Truth is, I don't really know exactly how we at the Walls' house are gonna celebrate Jesus differently this year.  But maybe that's it.  We aren't celebrating the holidays, we're celebrating Jesus.  We aren't observing festivals, feasts and traditions. We are remembering the life whose divinity changed the course of human history, worshipping the God who paved the lighted path to our salvation.

This year let's strip away whatever distracts and detracts from the best celebration we can make of one of the greatest events in the Redemption Story- Jesus' birth.   And please, hear me clearly.  I'm not telling you what it is that distracts and detracts, because I don't know what that is for you.  I'm simply suggesting that we all strip away the excesses in our own lives until we can see HIM clearly.

Ladies, I pray that you all have a wonderful, heart-transforming Christmas season, and may Jesus be the center of it all!