3rd Day of Christmas: Traditions

Traditions are awesome, especially around Christmas time! It gives you something to look forward to and gives you something to bring joy back from years ago. Theres a sort of peace, and nostalgia that comes with tradition and I love every little bit of it! One that I always use to look forward to every year is a church tradition! When I was younger, I remember how every Christmas eve at the end of the night service, the whole congregation would get up, light a real candle and stand around the inside of the church. We were all in a big circle, facing each other with our candles lighting up the dark sanctuary. When I was little, i wasn’t allowed to hold my own candle, but it always gave me such joy seeing every one together, all focusing on one thing! We would sing silent night, than joy to the world. It was officially Christmas when we would leave that night! It was a whole new feeling you had after leaving christmas eve service and it began to be a tradition I looked forward to being a part of every year. Its a beautiful thing to be part of such a beautiful community like a church community!

Things are slightly different at my church now, but its still the same awesome people! Theres something new every year but I always take time to myself on christmas eve to remember the dark sanctuary with the dozens of candles lit for baby Jesus. We have less than 10 days before christmas and for me, Its time to start quieting my heart and preparing to worship the new born King! Its an exciting time of year and sometimes I can get caught up in all the shopping, the great deals, the decorations, the christmas movies and all that. Its not bad to get distracted but it can be dangerous not to notice the distraction, label it as a distraction, and eliminate it. This Christmas I want to focus! Jesus was put on this earth for a reason and so was I…and so are you! Its crazy, and this year I will make the effort to remained FOCUSED!