Christmas Eve

One of the most precious times of the year for me is Christmas Eve. For me it is a time of reflection, expectancy and excitement. Every year we have our Christmas Eve family service at our church and we are never disappointed with our special Christmas programme and the input from our children’s church. When we get home from that we usually attend the Watchnight service in the village church. I love singing the traditional carols and hearing the familiar Gospel readings on the birth of our Saviour. It is a bonus if we have a white Christmas and experience the sound of our boots crunching the snow as we walk home. After a cup of tea we retire to bed and get up on Christmas morning ready for the family coming over for a huge dinner and the gift exchange.

I like to think back on my childhood Christmases and the joy we used to have in opening our presents on Christmas morning. We always checked that Santa had eaten his biscuit and drank his milk. We didn’t think to leave anything our for the reindeer! Our stockings were stuffed with fruit and perhaps a chocolate bar. We got a Dandy or a Beano book, which was read cover to cover by all in the house. Christmas was much more simpler then and not as celebrated as our Scottish New Year.

Let me know what you remember best about your Christmas past. I would love to get your feedback.

Have a truly wonderful Christmas and let be full of peace and joy.

God bless you

Nan

Born To Shop

We now have 18 days left for our Christmas shopping, so there is no need for panic.

We are still within the time zones for shopping on the web, M & S food ordering, and Post Office deliveries.

This is most reassuring to us all and perhaps a reminder to get it done this week!

To those who still like to shop retail store or high street, the shops are looking for customers and are putting on some great deals to entice us in and spend our money.

Personally, I like the shopping days when the shortbread and freebies are being handed out.

I like the smells of Christmas, cinnamon and spiced apple. I'm in to carol singing, Christmas trees, school Nativity plays, store Santas, It's A Wonderful life, White Christmas and all the stuff that comes with this special season of celebration.

I know that for some it can be a difficult time but we can soften that for people by embracing the spirit of Christmas, peace, joy and goodwill to all.

Choose not be get stressed out, or burned out, but rather enjoy every moment, and take the time to smile and greet folks with a word of life and encouragement.

It took the ghost of Christmas future to soften the heart of old Scrooge.

With all the hopelessness around, I want to give people something that they can look forward to.

We can all remind people the reason we celebrate Christmas is that there is a God in heaven who loves them and gave His Son, so that they could have a future and a hope.

The Christmas message is a simple one, peace, hope faith, joy and love, all wrapped up in swaddling clothes, and placed in the manger.

I wish you all the best for this Christmas season and extend an invitation to join me at the Bridge Church this Christmas Eve as we get together around that wonderful gift of life.

www.bridge-church.com

Hope to see you there.

Nan