Flashback Friday No. 2

December 11, 2005


We held our Family Home Evening with the "Jesus Present" last week.  This has been a family tradition ever since the kids were little.  We wanted to remind the children that Jesus should be the focus of our celebrations.  Every year, therefore, we discuss what we could give to Jesus in the new year.  We try to set goals to become more Christlike, or ways to make ourselves better disciples.  This year I plegdged to be more optimistic and look less grumpy.  I also pledged to write in my journal every Sunday this year (yes, today is Sunday).  My final gift is to exercise 3X each week.


That last one is my Achilles heel, so to speak.  I know I am happier when I exercise, I feel better about myself, too.  I struggle w/getting out of bed in the mornings.  I need to force myself to go to bed on time!  I will try to report on my progress each week.


Yesterday I had a fairly bad day.  Our clothes dryer is broken, Bill was gone all day helping Necia move, & Helena neglected to call me & ask if she could stay late at a party at Sis. Millward's house.  I sat at the computer fuming while waiting for the printer to finish.


Then I started watching my screen saver.  It cycles through all of the photos on my computer.  Image after image portraying happy children, family celebrations, & good times presented themselves to my view.  My mood lifted as I was reminded of sweet & happy moments.  I think that is one important reason to journal & keep photographic record of our lives.  It lifts our spirits and reminds us of better times when life has us down.

*****

So.  We've fallen out of the practice of using the "Jesus Present".  Perhaps we should revive that one.  On the surface, it looks a bit like a New Year's resolution gig.  However, it was really a way to try to focus the kids on the Savior at a time when they were constantly bombarded with advertisements for the hottest have-to-have-it piece o' crap toys of the season.  It was my bid at trying to get the kids to think of Jesus and not "gimme, gimme, gimme!"  The "Jesus Present" was always the first gift to go under the tree every year.  It was a wrapped gift box that could be easily opened each year.  During a family meeting, we would read aloud last year's gifts to Jesus and talk about how we did at living up to them.  Then we would talk about what we could do this year to become better Christians and write down the "gifts" each family member wanted to "give" to Jesus for the following year.  Often the kids gifts involved being nicer to each other.

The "Jesus Present" wasn't our only bid for a more Christ centered Christmas, of course.  But it was a really nice one.  We should bring it back.

As for the screen saver, I still have it (and still have that same slow old junky computer, in fact).  I occasionally get sucked into sitting there just watching it.  It never fails to bring warm happy remembrances of all the years of fun and laughter.  I need to buy one (or several) of those digital picture frames and place them strategically about the house.  I think it would build stronger family bonds and lift spirits around here to have constantly rotating reminders of all the good times!