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12 Days of Christmas Giveaways (2017) – Day 4

 

10th Annual #12DaysofChristmas Giveaways (2017) at karenehman.com.

*Give Away has Ended*

GRAND PRIZE!!!

One of you WHO COMMENTS ON ALL TWELVE POSTS AND ALSO SHARES ABOUT THE SERIES ON SOCIAL MEDIA will win a grand prize from me, pictured here.

10th Annual #12DaysofChristmas Giveaways (2017) at karenehman.com.

REMEMBER…in order to win the grand prize, you must leave a comment on all 12 posts. You can start with Day One HERE.

OK, let’s get started with our fourth day’s guest, Lindsey Feldpausch!

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Just Three Things

Christmas festivities and decorations were always slightly different when I was growing up.

We started with Santa as our tree topper, and then we had an angel and then a star. Sometimes my mom made oatmeal scotchies. Other years she made sugar cookies or spritz cookies. Sometimes my dad would make an ice rink in the backyard. Other years he seemed committed to showing us all the classic Christmas movies. Some years we would go to a little chapel in my mom’s hometown to attend an evening candle-light service and other years we turned in early. Some years my parents put gifts under the tree early and other years we could hear them frantically wrapping well into the night on Christmas Eve. Some years we had professional pictures with fake fireplace backgrounds and some years there was no formal documentation of the occasion.


Christmas at my house had two things in common each year.

  1. People got gifts under a tree
  2. on December 25th

Sure, we had the same ornaments to hang up. You could generally count on my dad to make wise cracks while we were opening gifts and you could also usually predict that my mom would have a steaming cup of coffee in her hand as she watched us tear through the presents with excitement.

Other than that, we didn’t really have a Christmas tradition unique to our family. Truthfully, now that I have a family of my own, Christmas looks pretty similar.

I wanted to let you know, that if you’re kind of like me— it’s okay if you’re a little low on Christmas traditions. Hey, that’s why this series from Karen is so fun— there are plenty of ideas to try this year! If it doesn’t work out, try something new next year!

My parents became Christians when they were 38 years old. I was 13 years old at the time. That’s when they taught me the true meaning of Christmas.

Ever since then, we’ve had 3 things that are always the same around here:

  1. People get gifts under a tree
  2. on December 25th
  3. because Jesus came as a baby to rescue us from sin forever.

My husband’s family likes to act out the nativity story, complete with bedsheets and rehearsed lines. My parents usually enjoy reading the biblical account. My husband and I like to watch The Nativity Story with our kids. Either way, we praise God for sending his Son. What a wonderful Christmas that was when we learned the true meaning of Christmas.

Day 4 Giveaway

For my giveaway I’d like to offer a throwback package that reminds me of one of the many different Christmases we had. One particular year, my dad kept the fireplace filled with long-lasting flames. I sat, read, and wrote by the fire. It was especially quiet that year. My mom played a variety of music (everything from Gladys Knight to Andrea Bocelli to the Muppet Christmas Carol Soundtrack). My heart was full.

Here are 3 different journals/notepads because I do believe a girl can never have enough things to write on, a pack of thank you cards, and an iTunes giftcard to download something new.

10th Annual #12DaysofChristmas Giveaways (2017) at karenehman.com.


Lindsey Feldpausch is a writer, speaker, and graphic designer. She lives in a small town outside of Grand Rapids Michigan. Married to a humble, handsome Youth Pastor, together they have four children. She is a Projects Manager for a Proverbs 31 Author & Speaker Karen Ehman, Spokeswoman for Jonathan Park Audio Adventures, and Reviewer of Family Products at TheBetterMom.com. She can’t wait to tell you a story and can’t wait to listen to yours. Jesus is her Savior. She is currently unfinished.

You can follow her on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter.

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12 Days of Christmas Giveaways Rules

  1. You can comment on all 12 days (once per person) up until midnight Pacific time, Sunday, December 17. All posts are linked on Day One here.
  2. U.S. Addresses only please.
  3. One daily winner will be chosen from each day’s comments and all winners (including Grand Prize) will be announced on Wednesday, December 20.
  4. Share the giveaway with your friends and followers using the share buttons below.
  5. If you’re not already subscribed, click here and receive an email notification each day of our series.

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407 Comments

  1. This year I have been thinking about all of our traditions. It brings sadness and such Joy. I wish I could be with family

  2. Lindsey, you have such a way with words, painting a perfect picture of your message! I love tradition, but I’ve always been open to something new. Having multiple, varying layers makes us more interesting and more relatable to others. In all of our experiences & mash-up of traditions, we can usually find a theme. How awesome that you were old enough to remember your parents becoming Christians. That’s so cool! Your short story became a movie in my head!

  3. Love to hear other traditions that people have. Always open new ideas. Our family tradition is to purchase new ornaments every year…that way when each child moves on to their own house and new traditions they have a head start!!

  4. I grew up in a family rich with traditions, created by my mom & dad; many of those traditions are still part of my own family now, and we’ve created some of our own.

    I love to write, and never seem to have enough things to write on and with :)

  5. I can relate to your story. When I grew up I spent some christmas with my mom and other years with my dad’s side of the family. Not every year was the same. Something that did not change was we always had our christmas tree and our presents. One thing I really enjoyed doing with my grandma was going through town and watch the lights and decorations on the houses.

  6. I’m loving that you have a tradition of no traditions. And I LOVE tradition and having traditions! We’ve kept some intact in our family as our children have grown, but others have had to slide by the way side for one reason or another. And there are many my childhood that I was not able to incorporate into my family that I miss, but that is ok. I relive the memories and good times of the traditions I grew up with just as my own children do with theirs. Thanks for sharing!

  7. Love the post! My mom celebrated Christmas in a very modest way. We really did not have the means for a fancy tree but God was good and we got to see some gifts. Today I continue to feel blessed, but want to make sure that my children know that Christmas starts with Christ.

  8. My fondest Christmas memories involve my church-singing carols, acting out the nativity, playing my trumpet, caroling, and taking gift baskets to shut-ins. My family’s Christmas Eve tradition involved going out to eat at the same restaurant each year and by the time we arrived Home, Santa had stopped by. I’ve been married 14 years. Our Christmas Eve tradition now is we go to my in-laws’ house next door, eat, and open presents. My kids are so excited for Christmas this year!

  9. The only tradition my family has developed over the last 8 years together is always trying to make ornaments for our tree. Prior years we had done salt dough this year we did wood cut outs to last longer!

  10. Thank you for sharing Lindsey. I am enjoying creating some traditions with my family, but I don’t sweat it. Merry Christmas to you and your family.

  11. Great post. As an empty-nester and grandmother, I find that our traditions are still changing — and that’s okay.

    My parents were 44 and 43 when they came to the Lord, so I identify with your testimony. Before that, there had been many Christmas traditions, but now we learned the real reason.

  12. Such a fantastic follow-up! I was coming from Day 3 wondering why in the world my traditions never stick and what a failure I am to not instill those wonderful, magical traditions into my boys’ lives. Thank you for letting me feel a little more at ease!

  13. so refreshing :) now that I’m out of my parents’ house I don’t have any real Christmas traditions other than listening to Christmas music because my career means I usually have to work holidays. No matter though because Christmas is always joyful as we celebrate the birth of the Savior!

  14. Sometimes life calls for a change in tradition. Thanks for reminding us that it’s okay, as long as Christ remains the focus and reason for our celebration!

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