Christmas Crazed

The past few nights Zara has been throwing a fit and refusing to get out of her car seat until we drive around and look at Christmas lights with her. As we have driven around a few neighborhoods we have noticed something really sad-very few people decorate their houses or put lights out like they used to. We noticed something similar during Halloween in that there were very few children out trick or treating like when we were kids. Jeff and I have talked a lot about this and think it's probably mostly due to how busy all of our lives have become, for better or for worse.

Anyone who knows me really well knows I LOVE traditions and celebrating because I think it brings people together. I also really like good food. 

I also love Christmas Cadbury eggs (not those gross filled ones just the solid chocolate obviously) and have eaten almost half the bag I bought yesterday but that's just not important right now....

So naturally food+celebration+fun stuff= Aurielle's dream life.  I love the little things that make holidays special. I still treasure going out with my family on a Monday night in December to pick our new family ornament each year. I remember the Christmas eve dinner and program with my dads side of the family with all the cousins, aunts and uncles. The cinnamon rolls my granny would bring us on Christmas morning and the perfect gravy and rolls that I just can't seem to replicate. Listening for Santa on the roof for a long time before finally zonking out. Sprinkling reindeer food on our front lawn, and the letter Santa left us next to the cookie plate we would read on Christmas morning (obviously I ALWAYS had to be the one to read it out loud to the sibs because naturally I was the most talented reader. Surprisingly they still love me... hahaha!)

I've been a crazed fresh garland/wreath/anything with fresh pine maker the last week. But really Jeff is the best husband because he comes home every day and there is like half a Christmas tree diseccted on our kitchen floor (ok and porch, our neighbors prob hate us) every day when he gets home and he aint even mad. I asked him if my crafts/sewing projects (or the fact that there were pine branches in the shower bc I was trying to soak them overnight) drives him insane and he just said "It doesn't bother me. You always come up with such fun ideas for our house and I love that." Awww that Jeffers is too good to me. Okay I've gotten way too off track...not surprising.

BUT today I went to the temple and I just was thinking about Christ, and how Christmas should really be about him. And I had to ask myself if I have focused more on making garland or more on Jesus this month so far and I'm not really happy with what my answer was. So today I am committing to remembering him a little more each day, and showing gratitude for His perfect life. Truly this is why the spirit of Christmas is so enticing and contagious. Maybe why people are a little kinder, and more charitable (unless you are black friday shopping, HELLO I hate black friday). 

As I sat in the temple staring at a picture of Christ with his hands outstretched these words came to my mind and my heart burst with joy, so I want to share them with you too. They are the scriptures found in  Matthew 11:28-30 and John 16:33:

 28 ¶Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

33 These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

I love that he is always offering us peace. I guess it shouldn't surprise us that Peace was the Angels message to the shepherds the night Jesus was born as well. There is something so special about the gift of peace. Truly it is a gift nobody else can truly give to us when we are in the trenches of this life. 

These words have permeated every aspect of my life and I hope it will always be that way. He has made me into something so different, and so much better than I could have made myself.  Everything about Him deserves to be celebrated AT LEAST one month out of the year if not year round. 

He has given us light and life. Because of him darkness will never prevail, sadness will never endure, hard things will come to a close, the bands of death and sin have been broken, and we can live in eternal joy if we so choose. 

Christmas is the celebration of Christ. We are celebrating that two thousand years ago a perfect little baby was born, in the lowliest of places- even a manger in a stall. We celebrate that baby who would one day grow to heal lepers and blind men, raise the dead, feed the hungry, bring peace and hope to the broken, and greatest of all to save us because we wouldn't be able to save ourselves. He gave His life not just on the cross, but every day of his life so we could have ours. He went through every kind of suffering so He could know how to help us individually. I want to shout from the rooftops my love for Him when I think of a world without Him. 

So this Christmas while we celebrate with our family and friends, lets remember that Christ is what is bringing us all together this season, and forevermore.