Blog Open Thread: How, Where and With Whom are You Spending this Christmas?

print
Posted in * Christian Life / Church Life, Christmas, Church Year / Liturgical Seasons

13 comments on “Blog Open Thread: How, Where and With Whom are You Spending this Christmas?

  1. Dave B says:

    Sherry my wife, my step daughter, and one of my sons have to work, my other son is in Iraq, my other step son is visiting with his wife’s folks so I am spending part of my day with you folks at T19! My favorite Christmas song is O Holy Night and my favorite line is “and the soul felt it’s worth”. This to me is the essence of the Nativity. While we were still sinners… May Kendal and the elves have a truely blessed Christmas celebrating the presents of God’s love incarnate!

  2. Bob from Boone says:

    Maria and I are spending Christmas with her cousin Martha and her husband Ronnie in Kentucky. Martha’s brother Billie and his wife Peg and also there, and some of their children and grandchildren live nearby. We attended the Childrens’ Mass yesterday afternoon and will spend a day like last evening, eating wonderful food and enjoying each others company in the pure pleasure of love and laughter. I wish for every one of you the same joy of family, with all the love of the Holy Family at this Blessed Christmastide.

  3. Philip Snyder says:

    We are hosting Christmas dinner for the family. We got very [b]very[/b][b][i]VERY[/i][/b] lucky yeasterday (24 Dec) as we were doing some last minute Christmas shopping at the local mall (the kids wanted to purchase mom & dad’s Christmas presents and pre-spend some of their Christmas money). We stopped into Gamestop and found a Wii! They actually had one in the store and we grabbed it.

    Anyway, we are hosting 19-22 people for Christmas dinner. We’re having standing rib roast, ham, sauted mushrooms, and garlic mashed potatos. The rest of the family is bringing salad, vegetables and more desserts.

    Merry Christmas to everyone and may you know the love of God and have some time to spend in contemplation of the miracle of the Incarnation today.

    YBIC,
    Phil Snyder

  4. Stu Howe says:

    Hosting a family dinner for about about 20. My wife and I are providing the ham and potatoes, the salad, vegetables, etc are being provided by the rest of the family.

    Marry Christmas to all.

  5. nochurchhome says:

    It will be me, my husband and my daughter. We are stationed away from family and I had been complaining about it in the last couple of days. Then I realized that if God forbid I was ever without my husband and daughter it wouldn’t matter to me how many relataives I was spending Christmas with, their absence would destroy me and I’m thankful that we are together. We are having a blessed Christmas with just the 3 of us this year.

  6. Oldman says:

    I thought this was going to be a dull, sad Christmas, having received very bad news about my wife’s cancer last week. We had no presents to give, especially to our grandchildren, being too busy with going to and fro to her Doctor’s office and the hospital. We couldn’t even see our grand kids today, because an unknown bug like kids get might do my wife in.

    But as kids say, “Know what?” This has been a fantastic Christmas. We listened to the “Lessons and Carols” Service from King’s College Cambridge this morning. My wife felt sick, so I put her to bed, built a big fire in our hundred year old fireplace and puttered around.

    Then everything became glorious! Two people from the church brought a poinsettia from the altar. Our youngest son left his family and came to be with his mom and give me a bit of rest. Lastly, our new neighbors we love dearly, came with a dinner prepared for us and more warmth and love than ever.

    I know Christ was present as he always is when, during hard times, He gathers together people who love each other.

    Blessings on you all!

  7. Kendall Harmon says:

    We are in Summerville, S.C. My Dad is here, as are my brother and his wife. With Elizabeth the 5 of us were able to worship together at Saint Paul’s, Summerville on Christmas Eve, after which I went to Christ Saint Paul’s where I preached the late night service.

    Today we had the birth of Jesus read from Luke, exchanged some gifts, and took some naps. It looks like tonight’s activity may be headed toward some kind of crosssword puzzling. Abigail, Nathaniel and Selimah have the most energy–say you are surprised!

  8. Ross says:

    I am in southern California having Christmas with family. I’ve hopped between my dad and stepmom’s house, and my sister’s house, and we’ve been having rolling Christmas gatherings with various groups of relatives including my brother and his family, my stepbrothers, and my sister’s husband’s family. I’ve had a great time hanging out with the nephews and nieces as well.

    The only downside to doing Christmas this way is that I didn’t get to see the kids at my church do their Christmas pageant.

  9. CharlesB says:

    In Cairo, where we live. Sang at two Christmas Eve services at Maadi Community Church then went to an Open House until about 2:00. Opened gifts Christmas morning with the wife and our 24-year-old college student who is living with us this school year. He is doing a year of internship with the church here. Quick stop at the jewelry store to pick up the wife’s gift. Abount 1:00 had a light lunch with dear friends visiting from Sarajevo. Had Christmas dinner late afternoon at the pastor’s apartment with him, his wife and his family and some other friends, about 12 folks. Two of his kids are visiting from Canada. Then went home to watch Mission Impossible III on DVD with four college student interns. Caught a nap. Got up at 12:30 to take our student to the airport at 1:00 AM to catch his 4:15 flight to Dublin, where he will visit friends for about a week. Managed to get a couple of hours of sleep before getting up at 5:00 to go to work today. We only get one day off over here. I think we will stay home tonight!!

  10. Jane says:

    My husband and seven children and I have a wonderful 12 day Christmas every year. It is one long fun time, broken up by “darkish naps” as one of my children explained nighttime. Christmas Day was wonderful, opening stockings and watching a movie and playing Christmas music and drinking eggnog! Today is one of our kids birthdays, so we will be doing up his birthday for him, but also having another round of Christmas presents and extra people for dinner. I expect over the next 11 days to do at least one big Christmas jigsaw puzzle, play a lot of games with the kids, sing a lot of carols, go sledding, watch a bunch of Christmas themed movies, eat a lot of good food and make a lot of good memories! Nothing better than 12 full days of Christmas!

  11. Connie Sandlin says:

    We flew from Dallas to Austin on Christmas Day to attend Mass at the Episcopal Missionary Church parish home of our son and new daughter-in-law, followed by lunch, then flew home to Dallas in time to have Christmas dinner with our daughter, son-in-law, and his mother and brothers. A long day but very happy. Merry Christmas.

  12. John Wilkins says:

    Christmas morning 9am service, then I go to a kosher deli with some Jewish Friends who flew in from LA to see me (friends of my deceased parents). Then I drive down to Princeton to see my aunt, uncle and cousins.

    They will ask me if I can say an atheist prayer for the dinner table (they are all pretty hard core scientists). I will say, “Let’s eat, for Christ’s sake.”

  13. Dee in Iowa says:

    Past Tense: I am in Laredo, Texas – at my son’s – take the plane back to Iowa today….first week – graduation of the wonderful, beautiful (inside and out) granddaughter from Texas A & M at College Station…..christmas weekend at the grandson’s and his beautiful bride in Pearland, Texas….her parents were present also, as was granddaughter…eight in all….wonderful time…..church 5 p.m. service at Palmer Memorial in Houston….then traditional things i.e. movies (Elf and Lampoon Christmas), cookie decorating contest, presents Christmas morning…..wonderful dinner, long walk in wonderful weather…..am truly blessed,thank you Lord……