Christmas Eve

I fear this has become a weekly update instead of a blog. I read somewhere that a good blog should have a pattern so that readers would not have to wonder if you've written or not.  Well, thats just not me. Sorry readers, I am always and forever gonna keep you guessing.  After the holidays I will try my hardest to have more of a schedule but until then….who knows.
So- weekly update:
Last Wednesday we had a Christmas party for George's preschool.  He made ornaments, wrote a letter to Santa, and did sticker puzzles, made funny faces for the photo booth-but mostly followed Olivia around because she had an Ariel shirt on and a "dancing dress" skirt.  Boys.
Thursday we were supposed to go to Disney but it rained and was cold so we decided not to.  We went to the grocery store and I picked up two more pounds of butter for Christmas baking.  I feel like you should use at least three to four pounds of butter in the month of December to make a good Christmas.
Friday night we had our usual pizza movie night but had a special appearance by Rudolph.  I found the Christmas classic at the grocery store and the three of us sat entranced by claymation.  One of us for the first time and two of us for the millionth time-and it never gets old, especially when Rudolph says, "Im cuuuuuuuuuute!!!!!!!" and flies because Clarice bats her long eyelashes at him.  Everyone has their favorite Claymation moment, this is mine.
Saturday George had to go into work in the morning so it felt like a regular work week day until he got home and we decorated a gingerbread house.  Little George had the best time and was very proud of his handy work.  He informed us about forty times that if the candy didn't stick, he'd have to just eat it.  I can see the logic.
Then we went to look at lights. Big George found us two places: Christmas Tree Lane and the Ice Cream Man's house.  They were both amazing.
Sunday we went to church and then came home to rest.  Monday was spent on Colorado Blvd with my favorite little shopper.  We got frozen yogurt for lunch because it seemed like the right thing to do on Christmas Eve Eve.  No nap yesterday led to crazy child syndrome and the result was a deep scalp cut and a little too much blood for this girl.  I was pretty calm but glad to see big George when he came home a little after six to a popsicle-eating, iPad-watching injured three year old.  He graciously told me to go read or sit in front of my computer screen, a task I accepted generously.  I am almost finished with the Hunger Games series and at that point where you slow down purposefully because you've enjoyed the plot so much.

Today my goal is to post this and finish up all the things that I think will make this Christmas in California special for this family of three.   But before I go I want to invite you into my next goal:

It's the Christmas Eve service.  A lot more folks go to the Christmas Eve service than on a regular Sunday.  Its tradition, its beauty, its candles, and smiles, and song.  I had a realization two days ago.  Invite someone.  I bet they will come. And secondly, pray for your preacher.  Because while you shop for those last minute gifts, bake those favorite cookies of Santa's, wrap gifts, put together toys, pull stocking stuffers out from their hiding places, preachers are surely up to the same thing- only with their sermon.  Can you imagine the pressure of many listening ears that might only hear the good news once or twice a year? I bet preachers know this pressure like the backs of their hands.  The music is easy to love and to sing along to- pop culture has adopted most of the hymns of Christmas so we all know the words, plus they mean Christmas to most people no matter how many times you attend church every year. The sanctuary invites us to comfort with the beautifully lit candles, heavenly scented greenery, and warm cozy glow.  Friends and family are also a draw, with a huge Christmas smile and arms that warmly embrace.  But the real meaning of Christmas should come from the few moments of reflection in the sermon the pastor is expected to deliver.  I can imagine if I were a preacher I would spend all of Christmas Eve engrossed in my sermon.  I would take out words that sounded too dreadful, switch paragraphs around, highlight sentences I wanted to say with boldness, add and subtract content so that the sermon was just short enough to to hold everyone's attention but just long enough to hold the miracle of Christmas in the forefront of everyone's minds.  While you run your last minute errands, remember to take a few moments to lift up the one who will deliver the good news to you tonight.  To you and to that person who sits in the back who you've never seen before and may never see again.  To the friend you invite who may not make a habit of church-going, or who may….after this service.

This post may have typos, poor grammar and punctuation errors and it may be disjointed but I have a little three year old who right now asks me, "Where are we going today? is it Christmas? Watch this…." I guess its good enough and I had better go but I wish you all the most sincere Merry Christmas.  How can it not be? Christ came to us on Christmas.  Find one moment to come to him, the Prince of Peace, Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, today.  The Babe...the King...  Jesus.