Celebrating Christmas... phase II and III
It's been forever in cybertime since I've blogged last, but since I started with Christmas stories I figured I'd better finish the story.
On the actual Christmas eve and day, my family had a tremendous time at the home where I grew up with my mom and her new husband, Bob. Of all the horror stories I hear of domestic violence during the holidays, I thank God for the gift of a fun loving family. That gift alone makes it possible for us to enjoy all the others.
We started off with a white elephant gift exchange. The hot gifts to steal were 5 lottery tickets. In one of the last rounds, Kristen's gift was stolen and so she agonized over whether to chance it with the lottery tickets or take a gas gift card. She decided to go the safe route and get the gas card. As it turned out, the gas card was for $25! ... the lottery tickets won the holder $1. My wife is good!
After Faithwalkers and New Years, we had a calm but encouraging gift exchange with Kristen's side of the family. The best part of Christmas at the Brice's is the constant spread of food and pop that you can access anytime you want. It was little smokies, it was shrimp, it was pies, it was pumpkin bars. Mmmmm... I can still taste it now.
As for gifts, I took up Dan Jone's idea to ask if Christmas gifts could be directed to the Ezekiel Project instead of to me. So the person who had my name gave to the project which had an unusually pleasing affect on my heart. As people opened 2006 calendars, toys, and miscellaneous knick-knacks I just felt blessed that my gift was something that is more meaningful and more useful than something that's only there to serve me.
Overall, $140 went to the Ezekiel Project instead of me this Christmas and it was by far the best Christmas gifts I've ever gotten. It grates against the flesh at first to give up something that's coming to you, but after you do it you find that "it's far better to give than to receive".
P.S. You can see pics of our Christmas at home by clicking here.
Comments
sounds like a really fun time :)
Posted by: Matt at January 9, 2006 10:54 AM