Our Christmas Tradition

Our Christmas Tradition The shopping is done, the gifts are wrapped and the food is prepared. It’s time to gather with your family this Christmas and begin, renew or continue with traditions that will last for generations to come. This Christmas you are invited to share in our family tradition at your home. Invite your guests to bring nativity sets, candles, manger animals, and straw for use for a miniature nativity scene. You may request family and friends to bring a framed picture of a loved one who has passed. Play a beautiful holiday song and lead children in a slow procession into a dim family room and place on a low coffee table offerings and items that have been shared by your guests. Then when a beautiful scene has been created have an adult light the candles and lead your family in prayer while the second song is playing softly. (song suggestions: Who Would Imagine a King – Whitney Houston (during procession) and Silent Night – Christina Aguilera during a slow reading of “A Christmas Prayer”) A Christmas Day (Eve) Prayer Dear God, tonight (today) we offer our Christmas tradition to honor your Son and this special prayer from All Of Us: We are thankful that on this Day (Eve) of Christmas we, along with millions of people around the world, are celebrating together the miraculous birth of Your Son, Jesus Christ. We are grateful for our family and friends who have safely traveled near and far to be together on Christmas. Our decorations and beautiful lights serve as gentle reminders of the star filled night of Your son’s birth. The Christmas tree which represents eternal life is in the midst of our homes putting Christ at the center of our lives --and we pray --together --for His presence every day of the year. Tonight (Today) we gather around the tree to share the gift of giving and honor Jesus on this glorious holy night (Day). We thank you Lord for blessing us with food to eat, and acknowledge our gift of abundance while so many others have less or none. We pray that the less fortunate are not forgotten and have received blessings from others who are near them. We pray that we become compassionate people that will serve one another and please you. We offer this (new) tradition tonight (today) as a reminder to ourselves and to our future heirs that we desire to share and will strive to keep alive in our spirits the “true meaning of Christmas” for generations to come. It is through Christ’s birth and resurrection that we have hope of reuniting with all those who have gone before us -- and who will go after us to their rest, especially . . . [name all the departed (show brief slide show if you are able] or ask children to walk around room with framed pictures, and all others who have gone to their rest in the hope of rising again. Dear Jesus, We pray that through God’s grace they are in Your midst celebrating the mystery of your birth, for everyday in Heaven is Christmas and that every person who passes from this earth will be in your divine presence. On this Holy night we pray together for the world to be at peace and united in love and that the spirit of Christmas will live on in our daily lives through our acts of kindness, compassion and love. Jesus, we pray in your name, Amen! Originally Posted by Cecilia Holling at 7:13 AM GODINSIGHT4ME.BLOGSPOT.COM Wednesday, December 22, 2010

My Heart Leaped For Joy

We are all sacred fruit of the womb of our mothers. We are all miracles and complete the intended holy family of God. Rise above little and selfish thinking. Let us live, teach and treat each other as virtuous relatives of God’s holy family. Regard family members with kindness and respect. Show interest and give time to the estranged so they would suffer no more. Forgive one another his blunders. Lead back home the one who strays. Offer the strength of your able hands, body and spirit so the weak might have hope. Regard one another as regal relatives so that when we hear the sound of another’s greeting, our hearts might leap for joy! Luke 1:39-45 In those days Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill country, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the child leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and exclaimed with a loud cry, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me? For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfilment of what was spoken to her by the Lord."

Enjoy Who God Puts In Your Midst

Enjoy Who God Puts In Your Midst Wherever you are take time to acknowledge the good in people. Every person possesses a gift from God and is capable of contributing talents, assistance and caring traits to a hurting world. Lovingly acknowledge others offering sight to blind attitudes, imparting healing on a broken heart, and hope to an unhappy soul. Keep your own spirit roused, soul spiritually fed and heart gentle so that you can recognize, teach and enjoy who God puts in your midst.

Imitate What Is Good

Imitate What Is Good If you object to another’s attitude or behavior ask yourself, “ Why?” If another’s actions are appalling, caringly reproach them. Remove yourself from the midst of an offender if they pay no heed to Godly ways. If necessary detach yourself from all association of a heartless sinner. If another’s mindset is righteous in deed, but without humbleness in speech, be weary. If you encounter those who are genuinely kind, considerate, compassionate, charitable, joyful and peaceful gravitate toward them and imitate what is good.

Take That Bold Step

Take That Bold Step Have confidence in what virtuously moves your heart. Be not afraid of advocating strong upright morals. Do not fear what people will say or how they will look upon you for amending your honest ways. Follow through if you feel in your gut it is the right thing to do. When you are being urged by a forceful honorable spirit inside to go against the grain take that bold step. When our actions and deeds align with Jesus’ teachings, we know our journey will be nothing less than victorious. Matthew 1:18-24 Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly. But just when he had resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins." All this took place to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet: "Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel," which means, "God is with us." When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took her as his wife.

Deeds That Mirror Christ

We may mindlessly speak freely and negatively about one another citing the right of speech. We might mechanically judge one another because of our different upbringing and past experiences. We may involuntarily stop short of compassion, charity and love because we did not receive such things. We are all vindicated by our deeds. Care not about what earthly creature is watching or objecting. With spiritual consciousness, care only about imitating Christ. Your deeds that mirror Christ can only be consistently affirming, always forgiving, continually compassionate, boundlessly charitable, and unconditionally expressions of love. Today live your best day yet! Matthew 11:16-19 Jesus spoke to the crowds, "But to what will I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to one another, 'We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we wailed, and you did not mourn.' For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, 'He has a demon'; the Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, 'Look, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!' Yet wisdom is vindicated by her deeds."

Rest For My Soul

Rest For My Soul There is so much we wrestle with in life. We agonize and place importance on our distressed personal feelings and lack of capabilities. Rather, we can release our burdens by giving them to Christ. We will not experience more than we can bear. Worrying will not allow a weary heart to be refreshed. Discouragement will not lend to a hopeful attitude. Negativity will never meet cheer. If you want rest for your soul, faith in your life, hope in your heart, and joy in your eyes seek the One who can make your burdens light. Matthew 11:28-30 Jesus said, "Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."