"I Want A Different Christmas" #1

I am going to do several posts over the next few weeks about Christmas. But it will be about last Christmas because, well, it was different. That's what I wanted.

I've experienced many wonderful "Christmas Pasts". Most of them were when either I was a child or our children were still with us here at home. But last year was our first year without any of our children with us so I decided to take advantage of that and try to have a different one. A more spiritual one, if you please.

As the season went by I made a list of reasons why it was different or "requirements" to make it that way and it ended up being the following:
  *No children at home.
  *No responsibilities at church such as planning or helping with the Christmas program.
  *No Christmas tree (Actually I was quite relieved to not have to put that up!) and minimal
    Christmas decoration.
  *Take a month's break from FB. (Definitely!)
  *Minimal Christmas shopping.
  *No visits to malls or the "big" downtown. Stay away from the hustle, noise and stress of the
    commercial and secular Christmas.          
  *Ask random people, "What does Christmas mean to you?"
  *Give several Christmas tracts.
  *Hunt for old and new Christmas music, preferably those which I had never heard.
  *No (or minimal) listening to secular Christmas music.
  *Concentrate on THE Christmas story, spend unhurried time thinking about the details of that.
  *Regular and frequent Christmas devotional readings.
  *Make "Christmas bread" to give to neighbors.

As I began the Christmas season, basically the month of December, I looked forward with anticipation to what the Lord had in store for me!

Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. (Isaiah 7:14)