SPEND LESS (Elfriede Hofer)

I grew up in Germany during WW2.  We did not have very much but we were happy.  Nobody had very much at that time.  One year, on the four advent Sundays, I went across the street to my girlfriend’s house and we sang Christmas carols.  It felt cozy and full of love.  It was like my second home.  My friend’s mother called me her second daughter.  On Christmas Eve we went to church with her Oma.

When I returned to my own home after the Christmas Eve service, there were presents under the tree.  My mother had made most of them.  The best of all was the plate with an orange, apple, some candies and nuts, and homemade cookies.  This is called Bunter Teller, meaning colourful plate.  This is a German tradition.

My two sisters and I knew the real meaning of Christmas – that Jesus was born.  Other people may not understand how much that meant to me.

Read

Luke 2:11-14

Challenge (by Devon Wagler)

A heavenly host heralding a common baby lying in a manger are two things which seem to be at odds with each other.  It seems that the baby lying in the manger is disguising how truly amazing He is.

What are the most important things about Christmas which seemed to be disguised by how little or unimportant they look?  Try to discover what is truly important for you, how can you give this the fanfare it deserves.

Quote

“Remember
This December,
That love weighs
more than gold!”
(Josephine D. Bacon)