The Reason for the Season

As we begin the process of packing and preparing for our Christmas Tour (what I lovingly call our travels to see family over the next few days), I wanted to pause and truly reflect on the Reason for the season.

Decorating my home, baking cookies, wrapping presents, and singing carols are all well and good, as long as I don't forget the the most important Purpose of Christmas.

Did you think I was going to say "Jesus is the Reason for the Season"? Well... yes. He is. But I recently saw someone say on Twitter that, "Sin is the reason for the season." Wow. What a statement. But it's true, isn't it?

If it weren't for sin... Your sin. My sin. The sins of our mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, relatives and friends. The sins of those who have gone before us, and those who will come behind. The sin of our very first parents, Adam and Eve...

There would have never been a reason for Christ to leave the realms of glory to come and be born in a stable. There would have never been a reason for him to die a cruel death on a cross... no debt to be canceled; no price to be paid.

But there was.

We all sin and fall short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:23)

None of us is righteous, not even one! (Romans 3:10)

Our righteousness is equivalent to nasty rags! (Isaiah 64:6)

So HE came...

To pay my debt!

To cleanse my sin!!

To set me free!

To give me LIFE, eternal and abundant!

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. ~ Isaiah 9:6

It is for that reason that I pause to worship Him now. To try, in some small way, to convey to Him my thankfulness for all He has done for me. To show Him my love. To give him the best gift I could ever give such a Beautiful Savior... to offer myself as a sacrifice of praise.

Won't you join me??

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

Southern Sleigh Ride!

I’m sure you’ve heard the traditional version of this song, but a couple of weeks ago, the Holladay Family wrote our own version… Wanna hear it? Here it goes!!!

Just hear those white walls rumbling,
crunching, crumbling too
Come on, it's lovely weather
For a Southern Sleigh Ride with you!

Outside the temps are falling
And Papa’s calling "yoo hoo",
Come on, it's lovely weather
For a Southern Sleigh Ride with you.

Rev it up, rev it up, rev it up,
Let's go, Let's ride with our cousins,
We're all wrapped up in blankets, with no fussin’.

Rev it up, rev it up, rev it up,
It's grand, not to be in Mom’s van,
We're riding along with a song
In a Chevy through this land

Our cheeks are nice and rosy
And comfy cozy are we
We're snuggled up together
Like eight birds of a feather would be

Let's take that road before us
And sing a chorus or two
Come on, it's lovely weather
For a Southern Sleigh Ride with you.

There's a happy party
At the home of Russ and Bet
It'll be such fun, I’m sure that we just won’t forget

We'll be singing the songs
We love to sing without a single stop
Round the campfire while we watch
That green wood pop. Crackle and pop!

There's a happy feeling
Nothing in the world can buy
When they pass around the cocoa and the smores go by

It'll nearly be like a Christmas Card by Hallmark or DaySpring
These wonderful things are the things
That our happy memories bring!

Just hear those white walls rumbling,
crunching, crumbling too
Come on, it's lovely weather
For a Southern Sleigh Ride with you!

Outside the temps are falling
And Papa’s calling "yoo hoo",
Come on, it's lovely weather
For a Southern Sleigh Ride with you!!

Generations

Can you tell we have fun celebrating Christmas?? 

They don’t call us the “Happy Holladays” for nothin’! ;-)

Christmas Questionnaire

Just in case you ever wondered...

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Wrapping paper: preferably red, silver, or gold!

2. Real tree or Artificial? Used to be real every year (my preference), but we finally broke down and bought an artificial. Emilee does a great job fluffing the branches!! ;-)

3. When do you put up tree? This year I put it up the week before Thanksgiving. (Usually not that early)

4. When do you take the tree down? After New Years

5. Do you like eggnog? Yes! But only the "Southern Comfort" brand (sans the alcohol, of course!) ;-)

6. Favorite gift received as a child? Dallas Cowboy Cheerleader Outfit ;-)

7. Hardest person to buy for? Chris (I can't afford his toys! He he!!)

8. Easiest person to buy for? Jake: he makes a great list and tells you EXACTLY what he wants!

9. Do you have a nativity scene? Yes, we have two. One for the mantle, and a "Veggie Tales" version that we use with the kiddos. Very cute!

10. Mail or email Christmas cards? Both, and video cards, too! He he!

11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? Can't really think of one, I love presents!!

12. Favorite Christmas Movie? I love all the "oldies"... It's a Wonderful Life, White Christmas, and Miracle on 34^th Street

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? Black Friday!

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? NEVER! That is NOT an option! ;-)

15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Magic Cookie Bars

16. Lights on the tree? We have white and colored lights on our tree... it's very pretty!!

17. Favorite Christmas song? See THIS post. ;-)

18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? We travel to Lancaster for Christmas Eve, come home that night, and head to Columbia on Christmas day... it's crazy, but we love it!!

19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer? Absolutely! We can't sing "Rudolph" without the introduction!

20. Angel on the tree top or a star? Star... Sam wouldn't have it any other way!!

21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? Both! We actually start on Christmas Eve EVE (23rd) with KISA's parents, then go from there!

22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? TRAFFIC!

23. Favorite ornament, theme, or color? I love all our family heirloom ornaments that we've collected over the years. Mostly for the children now, but they make a beautiful, homespun tree!

24. Favorite for Christmas Dinner? Turkey, Dressing, and all the trimmings. (Don't forget the greenbean casserole!)

25. What do you want for Christmas this year? A healthy, happy family. Thanking Jesus that he's already blessed me so!! (Oh, and if Santa wants to score some MAJOR brownie points, a new van would be nice!!)

Friday Five x 2 – Christmas Tunes

Thought I’d share my top five listens over the last week or so…

1. Glory In the Highest – Chris Tomlin
2. White Christmas – Bing Crosby (Nobody does it better!)
3. Santa Claus is Coming to Town – Harry Connick, Jr.
4. Away in a Manger – Casting Crowns
5. I’ll Be Home for Christmas - BarlowGirl

Five More of my all-time favorites:

1. Blue Christmas – Elvis Presley
2. Merry Christmas Darling – The Carpenters
3. The Christmas Waltz – Frank Sinatra
4. Breath of Heaven – Amy Grant
5. Joy to the World – Mariah Carey

Happy listening!! Have a great weekend Y’all!

Season’s Greetings??

As I sat here this morning perusing the snapfish.com photo card offerings, I felt myself getting overwhelmed.  (That’s not too hard for us otters, y’all).  Which color?  What greeting?  How many photos to feature??

Yadda… yadda… yadda…

Then there’s the issue of catching that “perfect pose”.  Should the kids wear pajamas?  Red/Green shirts?  Santa hats?  Should we do it in front of the Christmas tree, or on the front porch with all the wreaths and ribbons?? How long do you think it will take to capture three beautiful smiles (and have all three kids looking at the camera at the same time)??

  (Christmas Card 2008)

Should we scrap the “photo card” idea altogether, and just send out video greetings via email? (All five Reeders singing We Wish You a Merry Christmas” would be really cute.) ;-)

Seriously… all of these options just make me plain dizzy!!

I need to make a decision soon, or else there’ll be no point… unless I decide to send “belated” season’s greetings. ;-)

So this is where YOU come in!!  Do you send Christmas cards?  To everyone or just a “special few”??  What do you think is the perfect pose?? I’ll be ever so grateful if you can find it in your hearts to help me solve this conundrum…

Then I can move on to the next … Teacher Gifts! ;-)

Are You a Pearl Girl?

If you are looking for a special gift this year for Mom, Sister, or Bestie, look no further!! This is a great little book compiled of essays from lots of different women who have “encountered grit and experienced grace”.

The entire book is based on the premise of the pearl, and explained at author Margaret McSweeney’s website in this way…

“The premise behind Pearl Girls is the metaphor of the oyster who encountered grit inside its shell. We as women also encounter the unexpected grit in our lives until God’s nacre of grace and love covers our pain and transforms it into a pearl.”

I love this little book! I have been using it as a companion to my daily devotional for extra inspiration and encouragement. The essays are really short, and can be read in just a few minutes each. All of us girls can use extra encouragement at any time in our day… this would be great to help pass the time in car-line, too!!

And by giving this as a gift this Christmas, you will also be giving to help women and children around the world.

The purpose of Pearl Girls® is two fold: 1) Connecting and 2) Collaborating for charity. The first project will be a collection of pearl stories from well known and unknown women about God's grace in their lives. All proceeds will benefit a safe house in the Chicago suburbs and women and children with AIDS in Africa.

You can even order it at amazon.com and have it gift-wrapped! ;-)

If nothing else, I urge you to explore around on the Pearl Girls site, and see for yourself what an inspiration it is. You should also visit the Post a Pearl page, where can also share your own “pearls”.

We’ve all encountered some grit in our lives, and through God’s amazing love, we’ve also experienced His grace. If we let Him, he can turn the grains of irritating sand into beautiful pearls to be shared with the world. Pearl Girls is a great way to get connected with other women who’ve faced similar trials and be encouraged by their stories.

So what are you waiting for?? Check it out!