I love Christmas as much as the next person! I love the carols, the decorations, the brightly wrapped presents under pine trees and I guess the part I love most of all is the way that it brings out the good in most people. It is a time when people truly want to help each other out for the most part, especially those less fortunate than them.
What I don't love is the way most people in our society spend this time accumulating debt very fast, preparing drunken and gluttonous affairs and generally making themselves so stressed out and tired they can't wait for it all to be over. Most children in this country would have no idea of Jesus, ask them what Christmas means to them and they will reply with Santa and presents. On this most precious day of celebrating our saviours birth it breaks my heart to think how many people instead choose to spend it becoming inebriated.
In the past I have made the mistake of trying to get the best and brightest for my daughter and other friends and family. Now I realize more than ever that it is not the expense that matters at all. Yesterday I brought some beautiful Russian Sunflower seeds and some cheery yellow Eco pots. And on Christmas day I plan to give the women in my family these beautiful flowers in a pot (this would equal about $5 each) it would be cheaper by buying plain plastic pots if you wanted to get the price lower. At our local thrift shop I found all the materials to make two beautiful single size quilts ($10 materials, for both) And for my daughter I will be sewing and embroidering two ballerina pillows to go on her bed. For the men in our family I will be making homemade fudge and chocolates and assembling them in a box that Aviva and I will make. As for friends or anyone else I will be giving them homemade preserves. And for my husband I will be having a go at making him a box full of loukoum ( Turkish delight) if that turns out it will be a real surprise!
For our Christmas dinner I am definitely keeping it simple-Pesto potatoes (made from the basil and new potatoes in our garden) Roast chicken (which we accumulate from a friend free in exchange for my husband killing them!) and several seasonal vegetable dishes straight from the garden. For dessert chocolate dipped strawberries with homemade ice cream (and perhaps a birthday cake for Jesus :)
Our Christmas, food and presents included will cost us around 70-80 dollars. I am not saying that we should all ban all nice food and presents on this day because after all it is a celebration! But I know that it breaks Gods heart to see this wonderful day turn into something that people are paying off for the rest of the year.We Plan instead to make Jesus the focus of the day (after all it is his birthday) and put our emphasis on the beautiful church service in the morning and how grateful we are to know and have had Jesus in our lives for one more year.
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