What a beautiful morning from the porch! The sun is playing laser tag with the frost on the lawn. Rabbits are running for the wood pile, and nature is waking up all around me. The frozen mud cracks under the weight of my feet and my breath makes puffs in the early air. It's a good morning to read! Inside, mind you.
There are three books on my nightstand right now. The Fruit of Her Hands by Nancy Wilson, Building Happy Memories & Family Traditions by Verna Birkey and Jeanette Turnquist, and Treasuring God in our Traditions by Noel Piper.
Each of these books offer a woman useful and practical advice. I'd like to draw an example from Noel's book. She defines a tradition as "a planned habit with significance." I want my traditions, (and we have several), to have significance. A planned habit sounds like it requires preparation. Preparing Him Room. If I put those two ideas together, they indicate that I need to prepare to do something with importance and meaning. The way I exercise my traditions is critical.
My girlfriend once told me that she cuts the tip of her roast off before she cooks it. She does that because her mom always did that. The funny thing is, her grandmother cut the tip off because that's the only way the roast would fit into her small roaster. Do you do things out of habit, and yet can't explain why you do them?
Mrs. Piper teaches that our traditions tell "who we are." They are a part of our identification as a family and their repetition keeps us connected.
I will be sharing with you some of our traditions in the coming weeks. In the meantime, I would love to hear from you concerning your Christmas traditions.
With Joy,
Alis
"So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God."
1Cor. 10:31
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