December 2, 2020
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Photo Credit: Yannis Cotsonis on Unsplash
Wednesday, December 2, 2020
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11
Our family loves to get our house ready for Christmas. All our preparations are made hoping Christmas will be just like the last. Fun, joyful and exciting. First, we decorate the house with candelabra, nativity scenes, the Christmas cups and mugs, and outdoors we put up our lights. It usually takes a full weekend to get the decorations ready. While we decorate, we listen to Christmas songs and dance to them. It is a lot of fun. When we finish, we watch some Christmas movies that bring the Christmas spirit back to life.
The next weekend we get our Christmas trees. We put up 5 trees, so we all have to agree on each tree before we cut it down. Every time we bring the trees home, we always hope they will fit through the door and in each room. Usually, if it doesn't fit, we have to cut the top off. It takes a few days to place all of the lights on the trees, and then we start hanging ornaments on the real and fake trees. There are little fake trees in the kids' rooms that we decorate ourselves, a fake tree in the guest room, a real tree in the living room, family room, dining room and in the breezeway. It is always so much fun hanging ornaments when it’s Christmas.
On Christmas Eve we make Swedish donuts for Christmas breakfast. We also make our traditional Christmas Eve dinner, seafood casserole and salad. Before bed we open one gift labelled “Open On Christmas Eve”. It is usually matching pajamas. Then we hang up our stockings and put our wish lists out, hoping Santa will find them. After, we read Twas the Night Before Christmas and The Christmas Miracle of Jonathon Toomey. When we go to bed, lots of hope fills the air as we fall asleep. I always love falling asleep with anticipation, hoping Santa will come.
All of our Christmas preparations are done with the hope that Christmas will come and that we will be able to celebrate Jesus’ birth, like it has been celebrated for hundreds of years.
Prayer: Dear God, we pray that this Christmas will bring hope and joy to people all over the world. Amen.
Penelope Schofield is the eleven-year-old daughter of Elizabeth Jackson and Scott Schofield. In her spare time, she loves to play piano, dance, swim, and play basketball.