I was reminiscing about Christmases of days gone by today, thinking about how we’ve included some of my family traditions with my husband’s familiy traditions – and created our own little family Christmas that all of us enjoy.

I was also thinking of the things that we excluded from our childhood memories.  For me, it’s chili (made with beans – a huge no-no in Texas) and oyster stew for Christmas Eve.  These were the two dishes that my mom’s side of the family embraced – and some of them still do!  Not I – my husband won’t even glance at chili with beans and I refuse to open any type of oyster, be it in a shell or a jar!  My poor Grandpa, God rest his soul, would not be liking this one bit.

“Dreaming of a Great Big Bone for Christmas”

But, there are good things that we both love about our family traditions – like a non-traditional (for us, anyways) Christmas meal with my husband’s family a few days after Christmas … the stockings hung by the chimney with care … the Christmas Eve candlelight service at church where we are blessed to sing the carols and hymns of old.  I don’t think I could do without any of these things, and they’re just a few of the traditions that I hope our children embrace as they grow up and move on to their own familys.

I sure hope you are holding tight to your traditions, too – and creating new ones to last a lifetime!

Thoughts for This Christmas Countdown Day:  Traditions – old and new.  I like to think of it as Love Choices for our family.

The ladies’ group at my MIL’s church has a Christmas bazaar every December, selling all sorts of things like crafts, purchased Christian-themed items, white elephant gifts, etc.  They also offer breakfast tacos and lunch.  Every year, for quite some time, she’s called me at the last minute, wanting ideas of crafts to make for her bazaar.  I learned real quick that I needed to help her be prepared by sending thoughts and ideas to her throughout the year, as I came across them.

This year, one of the things I found was the Prayer Rock Poem, and last weekend, my girls went to her house and helped her make these fabulous gifts.

Here’s what the poem says:

PRAYER ROCK
(Author Unknown)

I’m your little prayer rock
and this is what I’ll do.
Just put me on your pillow
’til the day is through.

Then turn back the covers
and climb into your bed,
and, whack! your little prayer rock
will bump you on the head.

Then you will remember
as the day is through,
to kneel and say your prayers
as you intended to.

Then when you are finished
dump me on the floor.
I’ll stay there through the nighttime
to give you help once more.

When you get up next morning,
clunk! I stub your toe,
so that you will remember
your prayers before you go.

Put me back upon your pillow
when your bed is made,
and your clever little prayer rock
will continue in your aid.

Because your Heavenly Father
cares and loves you so,
He wants you to remember
to talk to Him, you know.

 

Thoughts for this Christmas Countdown Day:  Sometimes, it does take a rock to the head to remember to live a life of prayer!