Creating Memories in Christmas

As a Christmas tradition, we usually make our annual Gingerbread House.  This year, unlike previous years, (at least I never seen it before) I found in the store not only the “common” Gingerbread House kit, they had among others a Nativity Set, complete with Mary, Joseph, the three Wise men, three camels and Baby Jesus.  But since we didn’t like the idea of eating ANY of the members of it, especially Baby Jesus, (kind of creepy) I decided to buy another new (for us), the “Ugly Sweater Cookie” Kit.  What a GREAT family idea!!!  Though I had to “push” my veteran to come and work it with us, we had a blast! He even created not one but two “ugly sweaters”; in fact, after the poll I’ll be posting tonight, I’m sure his will be the winner. 

This activity took about eighty minutes in total. The box had sixteen sweater shape baked cookies; it brought four fine tip tubes of green, red, black & white icing; and two little bags with hundreds of sprinkles of Christmas ornaments in the assorted Christmas colors.  It included candy cane shape, mistletoes, Christmas tree, gingerbread boy, and snowflakes. My teenagers almost thirteen, fifteen, and my oldest twenty-one joined in, and we loved it! From us five, my sons each made one, the rest were created by my daughter, my husband and me.  It was a LOT OF FUN!!!

Growing up in a tropical island, this activity was never included in our family gatherings.  After I moved to Tennessee, my culture received a transformation in many ways.  And my oldest then was two but when he started school he was asking me about making memories, I found myself at lost because I couldn’t understand how to. It was a bit sad because we couldn’t do what I grew up doing but at the same time I was hungry to learn new things.  I had to let go the fact that I was not in the tropic no more, and not only the temperature was different, the activities could not be the same either. It took me time, but it finally started to happened as I join the church family, and my son started elementary school.  As he learned things in school, and brought them home, I was able to learn to do those myself, and decided to incorporate those for the following year…. I learned so much from these! 

Some I did good, others not so good! Bored one night a few years back, I tried to knit my first scarf; I must confess, it didn’t work for me, in fact, I still have the box with the yarn…. Seems my kids and I were too active for that.  Another year we worked on our first pop-corn string for our Christmas tree, that was cute!  But then, the gingerbread house was the winner, so we’ve kept it going. And now even after the kids had become teenagers and sometimes is hard to find things to make memories, the gingerbread house is the one they keep asking to get, so until they stop asking, I’ll keep getting it. And now, this year, with the ugly sweater, I’m sure it will be one to remember for many years to come!  They even asked me to post it online to get “a poll” and see among my network friends, which one they choose is the ugliest one, so here it goes!

Paul might have not had a chance to make memories like my cookies here, but he made great memories when he was in Thessalonica. When Timothy shared with him, about the impact of those memories in the people, Paul requested everyone to pray so the Lord would send him back. (1^st Thessalonians 3)

I pray you choose to make some memories with your family.  One day, we’ll be old to remember some of those details, but the younger generations, they need to remember!  Beside the teaching moments in life, the moments for corrections, sad, ugly and not so good times, they will remember that we also made time for memories, good and funny memories. 

Sometimes the easiest things work best. Try it! Even if you have little or no money, these are precious moments, treasure them, and encourage them to your young ones, so they can do the same as they get old with their own families. By doing so, they will appreciate the little things, and the things money can’t buy. And then, just like Paul you will be encouraged, when out of the blue and after long time, they pop to visit you.   

Do not hesitate to go by my Facebook page, and vote.
https://www.facebook.com/EvangelistGCRamirez

Until next time, GOD bless you! Have a wonderful Christmas time, and remember JESUS is the reason for this season. Celebrate HIM, for the blessings HE’s been to us, by living for HIM.  If you do not know how, ask me!