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A Miracle Christmas


Our family chose our theme for Christmas Eve this year: A Miracle Christmas. Now we’re discussing our menu and choosing a heavenly dessert. What about angel food cake?

It’s amazing how our themes over the past years have made a statement to our family, friends and neighbors of the joy of Christ’s birth and the freedom we engage in when we celebrate together. It all started over ten years ago at Thanksgiving when we all placed a theme in a basket and Father pulled out the winning suggestion for a Christmas Eve celebration. That first year the chosen theme was Germany and we had one month to study German Christmas traditions and foods we would prepare. The following years we got a little sillier with Cajun cooking complete with overalls and braids in our hair and blackened teeth. Then came an elegant Victorian Old-Fashioned Christmas, A Polish Christmas, and the year an Italian theme required us to dress up like the Sopranos. One year our girls invited one of their funniest college chums who entertained us all night long and our sides hurt from laughing at his jokes and playing games well into the wee hours of morning. I’ll never forget the Christmas of the Brothers and how our theme beckoned us to research African-American foods.

Several years ago, we featured 60’s music and called our celebration “Retro Christmas.”




And how about the Roaring 20’s Murder Mystery Dinner game we played one year?



One early December, the neighbors visited for coffee and asked us to announce the theme that was recently drawn out of the basket. We told them that the winning entry turned out to be a GI Christmas and we were all looking for camouflage clothing and combat boots. We ate MRE’s that year. As I look back, it turned out to be a favorite memory for us. One of our girls invited a vet from Desert Storm who shared scary sniper stories with us; we shared the love of our savior with him.


I don’t know why we make such a big deal about Christmas themes with our celebration on the Eve. I credit our girls for their creativity, their backgrounds in drama and their savvy ability to talk their parents into costumes and menu planning every year. I’m proud to be a member of this kooky family. The girls have reached out to many displaced friends and welcomed them into our home with open arms knowing their father and I will humble ourselves and rise up to the challenge each year to have fun, eat a lot of different foods but most importantly, share the love of Jesus with anyone who joins our festive night.

This year no theme was drawn out of a basket. Instead, the Holy Spirit seemed to hover over my daughters and we planned “A Miracle Christmas.” Many are in need of a miracle this year. Already, we have received prayer requests from our individual circle of friends and family that need a supernatural touch from our savior. We look forward to collecting even more requests and placing them in a gold decorative box we have sitting under our tree. Excitement escalates as we think about our family gathering together and praying for others who have serious needs. We chose not to buy gifts this year. Our gift is intercession and belief in a God that can do the miraculous for His people. Please let me know if you, dear reader, want us to put your request in the gold box for that night.

This salvation, which was first announced by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard him. God also testified to it by signs, wonders, and various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to His will.” Hebrews 2:4

A Christmas of miracles, I can’t wait!

You will find more Spiritual Sunday writers at http://bloggerspirit.blogspot.com/

Comments

  1. I can't tell you how touched I am by this post, I think this is one of the best ideas I have heard of. What a privilege to be able to have a basket under the tree filled with requests and to be able to lift them up to our Father.

    I did enjoy looking and reading about all of the wonderful memories you shared together, you will probably never know the lives that were touched through the years with your generosity.
    Blessings, to you and your family,
    Sue

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  2. Oh my, this is so awesome! Thank you for sharing. I look forward to reading an update after Christmas!
    Merry Christmas to you and your family!

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  3. Mary, you sound like you have a wonderful family! What a joy it must be to celebrate together. Thank you so much for sharing today; I've enjoyed reading your post very much and I look forward to hearing how your Christmas Eve went this year.

    Christmas blessings,
    Sandi

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  4. What a creative and fun loving idea and family! I hope you share your miracle Christmas with us!

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  5. How beautiful...a miracle Christmas! Wish I could be there with you guys. You look like you have a blast together. Love those pictures from past themes.
    Blessings, hugs, and prayers,
    andrea

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  6. This is such an awesome idea! You have the most creative family ever!
    No wonder The Spirit moved you to believe for a Miracle Christmas. There are so many believing with you for just that very thing.(Me too!) The good news is He is able to pass out all the miracles we'll believe Him for. That is good news, isn't it? I loved this post!

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  7. So creative sister Mary! Loved that idea! The pics are great!But it wasn't really about all the wonderful foods, the costumes you wore, like what you said, it was the reaching out to those who don't know Jesus and through that, whoever came to your house, left with a taste of "how good the Lord truly is!"

    I am touched by your theme for this year! And that's what's so great with having an obedient heart, you just know that whatever you do, when you have His blessing, it just feels so right!!!Why not when everything happens in His perfect time.

    Please include me and my family to be used by the Lord as His tools of sharing the Good News. i want to ask Him to continue to create that change in my heart and be more like Jesus.

    May I drop by and be a part of this special party? Because I'm willing to bruise my knees and get calloused hands when the party starts! That is awesome. So awesome. All for the One Who deserves all the glory! Love you sister and I already know, you'll have the BEST party ever!

    Lord, please protect sister Mary and her family and friends as they lift up heartfelt prayers for so many needs. I ask that You continue to guide them with Spirit-led ideas and through those, many who enter their household will come to know more about You and open their hearts to You O Lord. Lord, please guard all the entrances of her house with Your mighy angels and cover them with Your Holy Blood!

    Father, please bless sister Mary and her family. You know each of her family member's needs. Thank You Lord that we are able to pray together and be united because of Your faithful and unconditional love. I magnify Your Name Lord. Thank You for Your master plan. Thank You for loving us first. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

    Sorry for this long comment :) I'm off to work in a few hours.

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  8. What a fun family! I love this year's theme - miracles. What a fabulous way to spend Christmas, praying for miracles!

    Thank you for sharing your thoughts with us.

    Merry Christmas...Kathy

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  9. This is just about the neatest idea I've ever heard of. Very creative.

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  10. My friend, you are very precious. God bless you at Christmas, and always. I love you.

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  11. This may be one of the best ideas I have heard in a long time. What a wonderful family you have. I look forward to hearing how this all went. May God richly bless your efforts to reach others for Him. Blessings, Debbie

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  12. What a neat idea to have a theme. You're providing wonderful family memories. I especially like this year's theme.
    Have a wonderful Christmas season.
    Charlotte

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  13. Wow! What an exciting "bunch" you are! FAMILY is your main theme. Angel Food cakes sounds good to me.

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  14. OH~~~this is such a wonderful idea. A customer of mine came in yesterday with his 12 year old daughter she told her parents she didn't want gifts this years that, she wanted to use that money to feed the homeless. I think it is so wonderful that you are offering prayers to so many who need them. I think that the angel food cake is such a cute idea to go with your theme. What great minds you have.
    God Bless,
    Ginger

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  15. A very interesting tradition ~ Our God is an awesome God, and he hears and answers our prayers. Thank God for His miracles.

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  16. What great ideas. Hope you have a blessed week!

    Yoli :)

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  17. Mary, I love the idea of a Christmas theme. Your pictures of past themes are awesome. I think kooky families are the best. And this year's theme, "a miracle Christmas?" That sounds amazing! I bet it is the best one yet!! Can't wait to hear all about it.
    Christy

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  18. My Dear Precious Friend,

    This is such a beautiful post. I loved reading through this and viewing your pictures. What a great time of celebration you have had. I especially like this year's theme, "A Miracle Christmas". How awesome is that?...nothing but the absolute best.

    I love your idea of a precious gold box filled with prayers to prayed for on Christmas Eve and I also love that no other gifts were bought other than the gift of intercession of prayer...Absolutely beautiful, awesome and totally led by Him.

    Would you add us to your precious box to be prayed for specifically for:

    Miraculous healing of my husband's total body, his memory to completely return, his heart and all vessels and circulatory system complete healed, his days of feeling tired and chest pain to be gone in the name of Jesus and whatever your hearts lead you to pray for in that area.

    Miraculous healing in my body from:
    The daily aches and pains of Fibromyalgia, lower lumbar spine (two discs almost completely smooshed to bone-on-bone, thus severe lower lumbar back pain. Healing of severe osteoporosis. Doctor's say I have the bones of someone much, much older and are very brittle. Healing from arthritis. Healing from anxiety. Healing from chronic interstitial cystitis.

    Son - He needs a full time job very badly. Hasn't had one in such a long time. Healing for him from anxiety as well. Healing and restoration to come back to the church. Healing for his family, for his little ones to be covered with grace, love and tender mercies from a marital split three years ago.

    I know it's a lot and there is more. I know you will add us to your prayer box as you are in my heart prayers as well.

    I love you so much Mary. You possess such a beautiful spirit and deep love for the Lord and for all mankind and their needs.

    God bless you abundantly my friend.

    {{{Love, Prayers & Big Hugs}}}
    Alleluiabelle

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  19. This is such a wonderful idea that your family has decided for your Christmas Eve this year. If there ever was a year that miracles were needed it is this one! God Bless you and your family.


    ~Blessings,
    Jean

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  20. Wow, I love the theme idea ,I love theme Parties ! A Miracle Christmas is an ideal theme because God becoming man was a miracle .
    Merry Christmas !
    ~Myrna

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  21. I've never heard of a themed Christmas Eve before, but I'm so impressed by the depth in which you went to pull off each theme. What unique and precious memories! THanks for sharing.

    Christmas blessings,
    Kelli

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  22. Stunning fun and precious memories; I've never heard of such a tradition but love it from the start! Can't wait to see this year's pictures and hear the stories.

    Enjoy your miracle Christmas!

    peace~elaine

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  23. Oh sweet Mary ... how I love your family's spontaneous spirit!
    I'm sooo guilty of getting stuck in a rut, believing the "usual" way is the only way.
    Thank you for stopping by my place ... I've been so remiss, and look forward to catching up!
    Christmas Hugs,
    Myra

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  24. WOW this message blessed me dear friend. You are such a precious spirit.

    I love you and wish a Merry CHRISTmas and favored New Year for you and your entire family.

    May every prayer you pray for others be doubled back blessings upon your family.

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