2 Days Until Christmas!

I had a rough night last night.  It’s actually been a rough couple weeks.  I go to the midwife today for my 34 week appointment.  I cannot believe that my due date is only 6 weeks away!  I have developed carpal tunnel, heartburn, and general soreness.  The baby likes to play in my ribs, and I get up around four times a night.  I am ready for this baby to come!  In terms of discomfort I know that I don’t really have it that bad.  I know it could be worse.  And all together I am really enjoying being pregnant.  I’m just so excited to see our baby!  I am pretty worn out and while I am thankful to not have the stress of traveling for the holidays, I kinda wish we were.  This is going to be our first Christmas without seeing our families.  They have sent gifts for us to put under our little Christmas tree, but it’s not the same.  And knowing they’re all together makes me sad

because I just want to be part of that party.  I’m really going to focus on relaxing and enjoying the holidays with Adam.  We are pretty busy these next couple nights with responsibilities at church, and the house is a wreck and needs to be cleaned but after that, I just want to rest.  I am going to take the rest of the year off from blogging.  Just so I can focus on spending time with my husband and friends in the area.  I will start writing again in January for the home stretch!  I hope you all have a very Merry Christmas!

Family Traditions

Every family has some sort of tradition during the holidays.  Even if your tradition is to not have traditions, that’s a tradition.  Depending on which side of the family we are with determines what our Christmas will look like.  Thinking about the holidays and our families I wonder what our family traditions will be.  Will we open gifts on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day?  Will we have a certain menu for Christmas that we have every year?  Will we have a tree decorating tradition?  As I think about all the traditions that are out there it makes me excited to think about what I want to do with our children.  My sister and I always take a picture in front of the tree, which is fun to look back on. 

 Another one of my favorite traditions was to make and decorate cookies with my mom and sister.  One of Adam’s favorite traditions is on Christmas Eve he would exchange gifts with his other brothers.  I remember one year we made a birthday cake for Jesus on Christmas.  I think traditions are good, but also adding in new traditions can also be fun.  This will be Adam and I’s last Christmas “just the two of us.”  And since our families are so far and I am so pregnant, we will be staying home and celebrating in our own home.  Maybe we’ll even imagine what our future Christmases will look like.

What is your favorite Christmas tradition?

Blessed

I am so incredibly blessed.  This pregnancy has taught me to wait patiently for God because he has a plan and he is taking care of us.  I had been having a lot of stress and anxiety about all the things that the baby was going to need right away.  Whenever I saw a sale on something we needed, I wanted to run right out and get it so I could be sure we got a good deal on it, even though it was something on our registry and I hadn't had a shower yet.

Adam one day just looked at me and said, you are not allowed to buy anything for the baby until after the shower.  Good advice, but stressful for me.  What if we didn't get something we really needed and then there were no good deals on it and we had to pay an arm and a leg for it.  I should have just taken a deep breath and waited on God.  He had a plan to provide and I just didn't see it.

In the last few weeks, gifts from family and friends started showing up at our door, and then last weekend one of my best friends threw me an amazing shower.  (You can see photos from the shower here on her blog).  It was an amazing event and I was so incredibly blessed by all the ladies who came from church and gave me such generous gifts.  I was overwhelmed by their love, affection, and advice.  God provided a loving and giving church family to shower me with gifts and support.  I am so blessed that we moved here to be a part of the CrossWay family.  It has been such a blessing already and God is providing a loving family for us to be a part of right here in Nashua.  How amazing!

After the shower, I got in super planning mode.  God provided someone who had a crib, almost brand new, that they were giving away!  He also provided a cheap changing table on craigslist.  I was just in awe as I saw God take care of everything.  We were able to get lots of things the baby would need with the gift cards that we were given and we only have one thing to purchase.  We are so blessed.  Sometimes it is hard to wait on God, but when you do, he will show you his amazing provisions.

Advent should be another season of sitting and waiting.  Adam and I have been doing an advent devotional (by Ann Voskamp) and these ideas of advent really stood out to me.

•  Advent comes from the Latin which means "coming".  Throughout the month of advent we are waiting for God to come. 
• An infinite God becomes infant.
• The Giver becomes the Gift.
• Wait for the coming of the God in the manger who makes Himself bread for us near starved.

We should be actively waiting for God to show up during advent.  Oftentimes my waiting becomes saturated in the gifts and the flash of Christmas.  But Christ coming to Earth was a simple, beautiful gift. 

During this month I have been thinking a lot about Christmas and how to focus on the gift that it is.  I'm taking a deep breath, and I am waiting to see what God is going to do.  I am being intentional in waiting for the baby in the manger.  And I know that in my waiting I will see God show up in amazing ways and with beautiful blessings.

Here is a link to a song that has been on my mind during this season.  I hope you enjoy it.

Christmas is Coming

 

Today is the first Sunday of advent.  I had posted a few days ago that being pregnant is making me think and evaluate everything.  We had a great sermon today at church and it really convicted me and Christmas has already been on my mind.

 

In his sermon, Ron talked about the things that we have allowed to steal our joy this Christmas.  The first thing being overcrowded calendars and the second stuff.  I was really convicted by the stuff part.  I have slowly but surely let stuff wiggle in and steal my joy in Christmas. 

 

One of Adam and mine's favorite things to do at Christmastime is buy gifts for our family members.  We like to plan and find the perfect gift for each person.  This year we are really watching our money and we will not be able to buy Christmas gifts this year.  I have found myself really saddened by this.  I love showing people I love them by giving them gifts.  And I have found myself wondering: how do I celebrate Christmas this year without being able to give gifts?

 

But that's not the point!! I have been having my Christmas joy in stuff and I  hate that and I don't know how it happened.  So that had led to some good conversations between Adam and I about celebrating Christmas and also how we will celebrate Christmas with our child.

 

One thing that really stood out to me from the sermon was this quote from Ron: "Christmas has become the time of the year when we tell our children that it is ok to covet."

 

Woah.  That gave me a lot to think about.  I definitely don't have the answers, but now my eyes have been opened to the questions I should be asking.

 

What have you done during the holidays to direct the joy to Jesus and not to gifts?