Only one week until Christmas! One of my challenges this season is making sure Christ doesn’t get lost even in making gifts!!! And family relationships, too! You know–being sequestered away in your room or sewing room so no one sees what you’re doing? But then they don’t see you, either!
Yesterday we were able to all come together and sew as we designated it a sewing day for some friends–so it was okay for us to see what each other was doing! It was a lot of fun, with interesting singing, strange quotes (complete with imitations of the original character who said it with his/her/its accent), growling at our mistakes (louder ones if we made the same mistake again!), and the later it got, just general silliness!
THAT is what makes family memories, whether at a holiday time or not. So I want to be careful to not get so caught up in the doing that I miss the living!
Another thing that I want to be careful of is that we don’t get so caught up in celebrating His first coming that we miss preparing for His second coming. I have often pondered how the Israelites weren’t prepared for Jesus’ First Coming, because they were expecting a Conqueror to free them from the tyranny of the Roman Empire. Instead He came in love, as a meek and lowly Lamb of God to be sacrificed for our sin.
And now, interestingly enough, as we look forward to His Second Coming, I fear too many are expecting a God of Love and Compassion, when this time He will come as a Conqueror. He certainly IS a God of love and compassion, gently and tenderly leading us along. But if we use that as an excuse to hang on to our sins or act like this world is our final home, being more concerned about the economy than holiness…..well, we are in danger of again misunderstanding and being unprepared for His coming.
So I would encourage you, as you celebrate Christ’s birth (although we know He wasn’t really born this time of year), that you don’t lose sight of the most important aspects of this season, and what it meant for "Our great Creator became our Savior", as well as preparing for His coming again–in great power and majesty!
May we be found expectantly awaiting our Bridegroom’s return!
And now some pictures of more projects we did last year–some for friends, some for our little girls.
Our friends had two children who were receiving the Bitty Twins (who are the same size as the Bitty Baby), so we made some "John Deere" outfits for them!
Our little girls all wanted some Native American outfits for their dolls, but seeing the price, I thought for sure I could make them cheaper!!! I made SIX of these for the price of ONE from a well-known company!!! (The other three were also for friends’ children.) And these had more beads on them!!!
This was for a friend’s daughter…….
With a matching one for her doll!!!
I really love making these homemade things….I just wish I’d get started earlier!!!! Having three November birthdays right at the first of November makes it hard to think about Christmas sewing then. I did have plans to start earlier this year, but circumstances beyond my control put me behind a few weeks (then my lack of motivation/ambition put me behind another week!!! 
). But unlike past years, I am not stressing so much about getting it all done. I have decided I will do what I can. That way, I can focus on my family time and celebrating Christ instead of wishing it were all over!
Although I HAVE decided that next year, the girls MUST get their lists of Christmas things to order to me by December 1!!!! ( I spent waaaay too long ordering the other night and barely made the standard shipping dates!)
I pray you will stay focused on Christ and your family not only during this season, but all through the year.
Blessings!
Good Afternoon, I just wanted to say, that it is true that sometimes we get caught up in getting things "done" for Christmas, we forget the REAL reason. AND it is usually our family who is left behind.
I love the sewing projects! So precious!
Blessings, Kelly in MI
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