We didn't do the 'pretty' tree this year. We only pulled out the sentimental ornaments and as I carefully let the girls 'help' me hang them on the tree, my heart grew with memories from each one.
As our pastor said during the sermon yesterday, "Christmas is a time to remember the past, but also to look forward to the future."
Hanging ornaments on the tree reminds us of memories from the past, but as we are transforming a plain tree into a beautiful sight we are reminded of the work Christ has done in us. How He changed us from something plain and sinful, into something glorious, beautiful and saved!
Some of these ornaments brought special memories to mind:
Someone gave us this ornament at our wedding. It was our first Christmas ornament as a couple and we laugh every year that we put it on the tree because they are so strange looking.
My Grammie gave us this ornament for our first anniversary, even though the date is from our wedding year.
Our sweet friends and life group leaders, the Glassleys, gave us this music box ornament in '07, the year we moved from Fort Wayne. I think so fondly of our first life group and our first year of marriage when I see this. Now my girls dance to the song and it makes me nearly cry.
Emrie was 4 days old on her first Christmas. Since she was due Christmas day, I didn't want to buy a Baby's First Christmas ornament until after I knew 2010 would actually be her first Christmas. When I went to Hallmark the day before she was induced on the 20th of December, they we all sold out of the girl ornaments and this was literally the only one they had left. I love looking at this ornament and remembering going to pick it out in preparation for my first born baby!
I knew I wanted to get Aven a girly first Christmas ornament, but I didn't know that I would be grabbing it the same day I went wedding dress shopping with my then future-sister-in-law, Rowena. Maybe someday, I will get to buy a Baby's First Christmas ornament for them:)
This ornament makes me laugh when I see it. My girl friend, Kasie and I were determined to be awesome moms and follow some dumb pinterest idea to paint your kid's hand and stick it on an ornament. After a ton of tears, 2 kids covered in paint and some semblance of a hand on an ornament, Kasie and I couldn't stop laughing at what flop this endeavor was. I am so thankful for my mom friends and the blessing they have been in my life!
With some dough I had left over after making 150 Angel ornaments for Moppets, I made this ornament of our family in 2012. Daddy, Mommy, Emrie and Aven. I think about the future and wonder if there will be more gingerbread babies added to this family. Who knows.
I am excited to make ornaments with the girls again this year to mark this year in our memories, and I can't help but ponder over the future ornaments that will grace our tree!
What is your favorite ornament?
** A little back story on Christmas Trees that I learned from my REALLY interesting "Why Do We Call It Christmas" devotional on the Bible App**
The story of Christmas trees is fascinating! The tradition started in Germany hundreds of years ago. Tribes of people decorated trees to honor their gods, including the very powerful god, Thor. The Oak of Thor was a huge tree that no one cut down! A Christian missionary named Boniface, who was there to spread the good news about Jesus Christ to the people, chopped down Thor's oak to prove that Thor was a false god, not the true God who loved them and created then in his image. Nothing happened! They all began to believe in Jesus, and Boniface told them to use an evergreen tree to represent Christ, because its green leaves were constant and never-changing, like Christ's love. So today we honor Jesus through evergreen trees at Christmas!
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