Before our Themes of Christmas series goes too far down the road of Christmas trees and partridges, I want to share with you my favorite theme of Christmas… because it’s not Christmas without it.
The Greatest Gift is the foundation of my Christmas. It reminds me that when God gave Jesus, He already knew His son was going to die for the sins of the world. Yet He gave the gift anyway… unselfishly, with immeasurable love for you and me. What wondrous love God lavished upon us! Lord, may we be faithful.
The last time I used The Greatest Gift theme, my inspiration was a print-it-yourself invitation. I said the same thing with yesterday’s theme, so we might be seeing a pattern here…
When I saw this angel, I knew. She was proclaiming the arrival of The Greatest Gift: Jesus
…and so my theme was set.
Total aside: This is just a scan of the invitation, but the quality was surprisingly nice–and the set included not only (10) 5×7 folded invitations but (25 sheets) 8×11 computer paper and (40) address labels as well. There were other designs, too, and I bought them all. You would have done the same… because they were only $3/set at Dollar General.
UN-like yesterday’s Partridge in a Pear Tree theme, however, I did not take my color clue from the invitation. Instead, I thought of the night sky filled with the heavenly host’s chorus… and I chose my theme color: cobalt blue.
Nativity-themed items are the obvious go-to for this theme. If you plan your theme a year in advance and watch thrift stores and after-Christmas sales, you can amass a nice collection without spending much at all. One of my favorite sets has the prettiest colors–and was a $3 after-Christmas pick-up at Dollar General.
Because there’s nothing excessive or “fine” about a lowly cattle stall, I wanted my theme to evoke a sense of simplicity. After all, the Gift was simple, presented in obscurity, yet available to all. No reason to make it complicated.
Other theme elements:
- a single package wrapped in brown Kraft paper with a blue bow and a tag that read “Jesus: The Greatest Gift”
- blue moire’-patterned cocktail napkins that I had printed in metallic gold (Did you see them in the top pic? You can enlarge it if you want details.)
- burlap
- grapevine garland
- grapevine star ornaments with jute loop-hangers
- vintage cobalt blue ornaments
- vintage nativity-themed Christmas cards
- tree skirt featuring a simple interpretation of the nativity
When so much has been given to us, how can we possibly keep the Good News to ourselves?
How about we don’t?
Perhaps this year–instead of falling for the trap of excess and giving more “stuff” to people who don’t need it–why not make your giving count?
Why not help someone who really needs your generous gift?
- Give to a reputable charity in honor (or in memory) of people on your Christmas list
- Ask your family to give to your favorite charity–in honor of you!
- Involve your children or grandchildren in choosing gifts for orphans, children of prisoners, etc.
- Help a low-income parent purchase gifts for his/her children (No, Santa does NOT make it to every child at Christmas.)
So you just can’t NOT give to family and friends? Maybe this year’s a good time to re-gift a family treasure… Pass it on to the next generation so you can watch them enjoy it–and use the unspent money to make a difference for someone in need this Christmas. Just a thought…
But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him?1 John 3:17
Has your family cut back on the amount you spend on gifts for each other?
Do you buy for everyone–or draw names–or only buy for the children?
Do any of you totally forgo giving to each other so you can give to someone who needs your gift more?
I’d really like to know how you address this subject!
Sharing this at Pink Saturday @ How Sweet the Sound
great post….cut back, well yes!!!