Christmas Time is Comin'

I love the summer. Apparently, I am among the few who like hot weather, but I can't deny the benefits of fall setting in after a long, overly dry August. Born and raised a football girl, fall holds some special memories for me. My favorite holiday is in the fall. No, not Thanksgiving. Its my second favorite. My absolute favorite is what we refer to simply as the Fall Party. Its a great time where our church family gathers for a wiener roast, hayride, apple cider, and a whole lot of fun!

However, fall also seems to stir up some kind of innate nesting instinct in me. (I'm almost certain that I should have been moved to a tropical island or allowed to hibernate.) I start planning and arranging and rearranging and planning some more. The thing that I plan and replan the most in the fall is Christmas.

Lets face it. Christmas equals presents to anyone under 20, and to many older than that. We try very hard not to overly commercialize Christmas. I stole a great idea from my cousin a few years ago. Everyone gets three gifts, just like baby Jesus did from the wise men. A family of six living on a teacher's salary alone simply can't get too carried away, well, with anything really. This means figuring out how to make Christmas fun, practical, and affordable. God has blessed us each year with the ability to do just that!

One of the biggest things we do is make homemade gifts. I read a book a few years back that really opened my eyes to how resourceful I am not. The book, "Emma's Gift," is set during the Depression and is centered around a grieving family who learns how to give and love from their lost loved one. It wasn't a thriller, but it really stirred something in me. I set out to find a way to make our Christmas like that as well. I'm still on that mission!

Today, I am going to be digging out my hooks and the book I bought to teach myself to crochet. I'm not a very good book learner. I much prefer to be taught visually and audibly. Thus the reason I've had the book two years and not mastered the art of crocheting yet. Through blogging with high school friends and Facebook, I've discovered that many of my girl friends have found that same desire to be 'crafty' coming out in them as well.

I believe that women are created with an inner 'homemaker' at their core. That may not be a popular concept, but I believe its Biblical. Take a look at this section Titus 2:5 "....Also, tell them to teach young women to be homemakers,..."(God's Word Translation) I see it already in my oldest girl, and I want so much to nurture those desires. Unfortunately I fall short in many of the areas myself. How can I teach them? I must learn myself!

This is where other women come in to play. I'm already on the lookout. I plan to find other women that can teach me what I need to learn, and I plan to start with knitting and crocheting. Mostly because leg warmers are in style again, and I want to make Edana some! On a more practical note, I want to be able to make hats and scarves and sweaters for all of my children so that I can be like the woman in Proverbs 31:21 this winter.

If God made us to be homemakers (which doesn't mean you have to quit your jobs), He has given us the ability to learn how to be just that. Such skills come, initially, by having good teachers. I have a feeling some women will be reading this and thinking, "Maybe I need to dust off my sewing machine and see how its running" or "I need to go through all of my recipes" or "I haven't cross-stitched in ages." The list could keep going. You may be that person that God would like to use for teaching us 'younguns' a thing or two. I know I'm not the only one who would be an eager pupil!

Please pray with me today. (then feel free to leave your comments)

Lord, thank you for equipping who you call with the abilities they need. As a woman, I know you've equipped me to be many things. Help me to examine myself. Open my eyes to the areas I've not been willing to explore or things I've not tried to learn. If I have a skill that I could be passing on, help me to see that as well. Don't let me buy into the lie that I can't do something but to believe the truth that I can do "all things" with your help. Let me be a blessing to you and others this day and always. Amen.