Tag Archives: Christmas

Christmas Traditions

December 20, 2014 Morgan L. Busse 10 Comments

With Christmas less than a week away, I am getting ready for our yearly traditions. Some of our traditions date back to when I was a kid, some of them even further than that. Some of them reflect my family’s heritage, some of them our beliefs. And some of them are just plain fun! So I thought I would share some of our traditions with you.

For as long as I can remember, someone in my family would make lefse for Christmas (pronounced lef-saw). Lefse is a soft Norwegian flatbread made from potatoes. My great grandmother, my grandmother, and my mother all would make this flatbread and we would eat it with coffee or tea. Usually lefse is topped with butter, sugar, and cinnamon, then rolled up and consumed. Yum!

Another tradition is serving snacks and finger foods on Christmas Eve. It was a tradition I brought from my family, and with Dan busy with candlelight services on Christmas Eve, it became the perfect and no-fuss way to celebrate Christmas Eve.

Also on Christmas Eve we give our children new pajamas and let them sleep under the Christmas tree. The pajama idea came from Dan’s side of the family and the sleeping under the tree was our own. The kids look forward to sleeping under the tree every year.

On Christmas morning, our kids are allowed to wake up whenever they want and open their stockings (so the parents can sleep in a little bit longer). Then we join together to read the Christmas story and take turns picking one gift from under the tree to open. Opening gifts can take over an hour and everyone enjoys the gifts, both giving and receiving.

Then we spend the rest of the day playing with new toys, playing games, reading, and eating my famous lasagna. We end Christmas with a birthday cake to remember it is Jesus’ day of birth we are celebrating.

So that’s my family’s traditions. How about yours? How does your family celebrate Christmas? Are there traditions you celebrate that have been passed down each generation? When you married, did each of you bring a tradition to your new family? What is your favorite tradition?

Christian Life

Christmas Lights

December 22, 2013 Morgan L. Busse 2 Comments

One of the many things I love this time of year are the lights. Maybe it’s because winter can be so dark, with night coming early and the overcast days. It can also be dark in an emotional way too. You miss family members who live far away or who have passed on. Or money becomes tight as bills come in and your Christmas list grows. Or you find yourself all alone at Christmas.

There is something about Christmas lights that make me pause and forget the sadness and darkness that can accompany this time of year. I like to sit on my couch and just look at them, sparkling all over my Christmas tree. Usually I have a hot cup of tea in one hand and soft music playing in the background. As I sit, I feel the tension inside me slowly loosen. Light reminds me there is hope, even in the darkness. Light is hope.

As I prepared for Christmas this year (and for this blog post), I realized there are many references to Jesus being light, especially when it comes to His birth.

“Because of God’s tender mercy, the morning light from heaven is about to break upon us, to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death…” Luke 1:78-79

“The Word gave life to everything that was created, and His life brought light to everyone. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.” John 1:4-5

“The one who is the true light, who gives light to everyone, was coming into the world.” John 1:9

Light is most noticeable in the darkness. You can’t help but see it, your gaze automatically turns toward it. Light warms the heart and drives away fear. So this Christmas, as you gaze at the lights, remember there was one special light that came. The Light of all lights, Jesus Christ.

Christian Life, God's Character

God Keeps His Promise

December 23, 2012 Morgan L. Busse Leave a comment

When I shared the Christmas story with my Sunday school class this past Sunday, I didn’t start with a baby in a manger, I started back in Genesis when God created the universe. I wanted my students to realize the powerful implication of the Christmas story: that the maker of the entire universe, the all-powerful God, bigger than any of us, came to be a human being.

As I shared the story of creation, I realized something: the world waited thousands of years for God to keep His promise by the time Jesus came. You see, when Adam and Eve sinned, and sinned entered both the world and our very hearts, God made a promise: to come back and make things right.

Fast forward. In the little town of Bethlehem, God finally came as a baby human. The foretold promise. But who knew? Who was watching? When it finally happened, hardly anyone showed up. Angels told shepherds about it. And of course Mary and Joseph knew. And Simon and Anna from the temple. And maybe a couple relatives (Elizabeth knew). And some magi from the Far East started heading that direction.

But where were all the people who had been waiting for God’s promise? Did they think it wouldn’t happen in their lifetime? Had they forgotten? Or perhaps they couldn’t imagine it would happen the way it did: God born to a poor couple in a barn, not to a kind and queen in a palace.

God always keeps His promise, no matter how long it takes. The Christmas story teaches us that. But it doesn’t always happen when we think it will, or where, or even how. That is one thing I’ve definitely learned this year, that God’s ways are not my ways. And the way He goes about keeping His promises are usually not how I would have done it.

How about you? How has God kept His promise to you? Did He surprise you by how He did it?

Christian Life, God's Character

God and Santa Claus

December 17, 2012 Morgan L. Busse Leave a comment

You better watch out, you better not cry, you better not pout, I’m telling you why. Santa Claus is coming to town.

My children were watching the old claymation Santa Claus is Coming to Town the other night. As I listened to the story and heard the song, something struck me. I found myself grateful God isn’t like Santa Claus.

Haha! Funny, right? Look at the lyrics. You better do this. You better not do that. Why? Because Santa is coming!

I have a suspicion that Santa was a means for parents to get their children to behave. “Susie, if you keep throwing a fit, Santa won’t bring you anything this year.” “Tommy, if you hit your sister again, Santa won’t bring you anything.” So for decades children have tried to behave during this time of year in hopes that if they are good enough, they will have presents under the tree.

He knows when you are sleeping. He knows when you’re awake. He knows if you’ve been bad or good, so be good for goodness sake! Oops! Santa saw! And now there will be coal for me in the stocking.

God sees too (much more than Santa sees). And He sees all the darkness inside our hearts. But did God leave coal for us on Christmas? Nope. Despite our crying, our pouting, our anger and hateful hearts, He still gave us a gift. The gift of His son Jesus.

Jesus came so that we could be saved from our sin. You see, no amount of being good on our part could ever be good enough. So God himself stepped in, took our place, freed us from the bondage of sin, healed our hearts, and gave us hope. God gives a us a gift apart from how good or bad we are. It is free for the taking. Jesus died for our sins. Will you accept his gift?

“’Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” Luke 2:10,11

Christian Life

Merry Christmas!

December 24, 2010 Morgan L. Busse 2 Comments

“So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son.” John 1:14 (NLT)

In the darkest of times, Jesus came. He came quietly, without much pomp and celebration. He came to an impoverished couple: a teenage girl and her fiancee. His birth was declared to shepherds. And magi came later with gifts usually given for the dead. God came in a way so that every human in every walk of life could connect with him. He brought light in darkness, freedom from bondage, hope in despair. He came to free us from that which we could not free ourselves: from sin.

In darkness there is light. And his name is Jesus Christ.

“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.” John 1:5 (NLT)

Merry Christmas my friends!

God's Character

Contrasting God and Santa

December 18, 2010 Morgan L. Busse 2 Comments

You better watch out. You better not cry. Better not pout. I’m telling you why. Santa Claus is coming to town.

Haha! Funny, right? Look at the lyrics. You better do this; you better not do that because Santa is coming! I have a suspicion that Santa was a means for parents to get their children to behave. “Susie, if you keep throwing a fit, Santa won’t bring you anything this year.” “Tommy, if you hit your sister again, Santa won’t bring you anything.” So for decades children have tried to behave during this time of year in hopes that if they are good enough, they will have presents under the tree.

But have any of us ever been good enough? I know I’ve cried. I’ve lost my temper. I’ve been a little less than loving towards those who cut in front of me in line as I try to get out of the store during the Christmas chaos. He knows when you are sleeping. He knows when you’re awake. He knows if you’ve been bad or good, so be good for goodness sake! Oops! Santa saw! And now there will be coal for me in the stocking.

God sees too (much more than Santa sees). And he sees all the darkness inside our hearts. But did God leave coal for us on Christmas? Nope. Despite our crying, our pouting, our anger and hateful hearts, he still gave us a gift. The gift of his son Jesus. Jesus came so that we could be saved from our sin. You see, no amount of being good on our part could ever be good enough. So God himself stepped in, took our place, freed us from the bondage of sin, healed our hearts, gave us hope. God gives a us a gift apart from how good or bad we are. It is free for the taking. Jesus died for our sins. Will you accept his gift?