I am finally putting it down on paper, something that has been hard for me to explain to others and probably difficult for some to understand when I do share. So here are my thoughts.

Over the past months, our family has been sorting through a few changes in our household. Many conversations have taken place and we each have decided to make a different turn in our winter holiday time. We are changing up how we do things through this time of year.

For as long as I can remember, Christmas has been a major part of my life. It was one of my favorite holidays and when I got married and had a home of my own…the decorating and creating traditions for my family were established. Each year, we have decorated our tree (14 feet of it) and in our 20 years of marriage we have collected many, many ornaments. And they all have some type of story behind them. I seem to have a small collection of snowmen and have saved every Christmas card from the first year of marriage in 1990 packaged with ribbons and displayed in a large basket.

But, through my studying over the past months, I have been given the big question – Why? Why do I put up the tree? Why do we make a Christmas wish list and why do we try so hard to buy the things on the list at this time of year? Why is it so hard to pay for everything? Why do we have stressful moments through the season? Why do I feel the reasons are not valid?

I have studied different views of when Jesus was born…I have studied the history behind all the traditions of Christmas (some are pretty weird). I have evaluated what my focus has been for so many years. And the truth is…I can say all day long…it was about others. But not the way it should be. If I truly want to say it is about others, then I need to step it up a notch. It is not about giving gifts to those that already have everything they could possible want. I mean, do you really need another game, toy, tool, sweater, shirt, pair of shoes, ornament, lotion, or gadget? And this list goes on and on…

We (Americans) have become very commercialized, selfish, needy and a bit ungrateful. When really we DON’T need anything materially speaking!

We, as a family, have decided to take a MAJOR turn in the way we acknowledge this holiday we call Christmas. We know that it really isn’t about Jesus completely, even if most of us want to believe it is. I have found that everyone can celebrate this holiday whether you are a Christ follower or not…so I have to rethink the “Why”…I know there is so much more that we can be doing than putting the word “Christ” in Christmas, putting up a tree and buying things we don’t need.

So what are the Tuttle’s doing? We are not going to put up our traditional tree. We are not going to buy everyone gifts “just because”. We are not acknowledging Santa (not that we ever did, really). The changes will be a giving of ourselves. This year, we are seeking ways to help others that need help. We are looking for ways to be the hands and feet of Jesus to those that need HIM. And we are making this change not just for this time of year, but for the rest of our lives.

Holidays will be different around here. We are looking forward to all the celebrations and feasts as the new year approaches. Celebrating the ones that I have been reading about from so long ago. I have been studying Biblical history and the amazing details of where we have come from and where we are going…something I don’t want to miss out on as a believer in our Yahweh. I am excited and know this desire to read more from God’s Word has been eye opening for me as I sort through the true meanings behind why I do what I do on a daily basis.

The journey has been interesting and emotional with each step but I know that Greater Things are yet to be Done…and I am only a small part of God’s Big Story.

May you have a restful winter season. Taking time to renew and rest in all that God believes you can do for HIM!