Costumes for Christmas: Real or Fake?

Carrie came up with these costumes for Danny and Hannah for the Christmas program coming up at our church.

"Dress rehearsal" was last Sunday, and

 the church ladies were frantically trying to figure out costumes so all the new young children, some from homes wrecked by drug use, could be included in the manger scene. 

Wise men, shepherds, Joseph and Mary, angels!

Working with the costumes and the whole idea of trying to personify someone else
besides yourself reminds me of a little thought someone posted on Facebook recently:

"There is one thing that I have observed over the years in relationships, not just personal relationships but business, pastoral, interpersonal, etc.  There is a quality that will trump almost every other quality such as skill, beauty, talent, even to some degree professionalism.....That quality is Realness. Being Authentic. Genuineness. Just observed it play out beautifully this morning and had to share... I'll take Real with flaws any day over Fake perfection!"

 

 And so the flawed but real people practice handbells for the program,

and flawed but real men practice brass.

And flawed but real people fellowship over a country meal of lasagna (with homegrown pork sausage and home made goat cheese) and cranberry muffins, with herb tea served in Ukrainian teapot and cups afterward.

 I think one of the signs of whether people are being real or not

is their ability to relate to children.

Which may include playing with them, like Wilmer Paulus did while he and the younger children were drying dishes.

 He got himself into quite the game snapping dish towels at the boys, with the boys snapping back generously.

 Maybe a bit too generously!

 The Pauluses shared about God's Missionary Church missions Sunday morning in church, and on their way to our church they had stopped at our place.

 We had such a good time with them, getting to feeling right at home very shortly!

 I felt I could sit at Sis. Linda's feet quite a while, for she was full of common sense opinions and advice.

Pauluses have six children, and she said they have to do a lot of adjusting as their children now all have families of their own.

 It was great to discuss how they have chosen to celebrate Christmas--choosing to take turns with in-laws and also allowing their children to celebrate with just their own families at home if they choose. At times, they are lonely, but they feel it is selfish to expect all their children to celebrate Christmas at the same place each year. 

In-laws and the growing families themselves need to be considered and taken turns with.

Each family has to decide for themselves what is best each year, esp. since some families are bigger than others.

Summer reunions every other year sometimes work well because there isn't so much sickness and busyness as there is at Christmas, she said.

And so instead of exchanging gifts at Christmas, they all pitch in for a bi-annual summer reunion somewhere special.

We appreciated the great ideas and I'm sharing them because there are many of us dealing with these issues as our families grow up and we have to make adjustments.

It was great to see the example of another older couple adjusting with grace and consideration for their grown children and their separate choices.

 

I know for a fact that grown children appreciate the kind of parent that is proactive about letting go, and releasing expectations, yet finding ways to keep a loving and close relationship.

The girls made lots of cookies last week before going Christmas caroling with church folk.

I had ended up in a lot of pain with my shoulder/back out again for a few days, so I ended up with an electric hot pad behind me, checking schoolwork in the afternoon, with school books, etc. piled on the piano bench beside me.

The girls made Molasses Crinkle cookies, Chocolate cookies with kisses on top, and some sort of sugar cookie with orange peel. Mmm.

Then they made plates of cookies to pass out where they caroled.

Rose made these cute "pigs in blankets" one day recently, with biscuit dough.