Happy St. Nicholas Day
Just a quick note to say Happy St. Nicholas Day!
We love St. Nicholas Day! We celebrate it a bit differently each year, but it is still so refreshing, even after almost 10 years. It helps us to focus on giving instead of getting. It helps us find ways to serve. It helps by focusing our gift-giving to our kids on a day other than Christmas. By default it also requires that shopping be finished by December 6 (more-or-less), which frees up a lot of my mental energy that tends to ruminate on "What are we going to get for...?"
It's also super fun to leave shoes outside doors and watch the Veggie Tales St. Nicholas story. And my boys love leaving St. Nicholas gifts. In years past we have left little packages on the doorsteps of friends. In the spirit of St. Nicholas we leave gifts in secret (except when mama's would be creaped out by anonymous gifts with their children's names).
This year we're doing something different. We will be taking these bowls of fruit to our local police station and library. The third will go to my boy's favorite police officer who happens to be doing Bicycle Patrol downtown.
And even though Saints aren't found in our religious culture, I love the prayers and the benefactors of this man; a man who loved God and demonstrated that love to real live people in this broken world.
We love St. Nicholas Day! We celebrate it a bit differently each year, but it is still so refreshing, even after almost 10 years. It helps us to focus on giving instead of getting. It helps us find ways to serve. It helps by focusing our gift-giving to our kids on a day other than Christmas. By default it also requires that shopping be finished by December 6 (more-or-less), which frees up a lot of my mental energy that tends to ruminate on "What are we going to get for...?"
It's also super fun to leave shoes outside doors and watch the Veggie Tales St. Nicholas story. And my boys love leaving St. Nicholas gifts. In years past we have left little packages on the doorsteps of friends. In the spirit of St. Nicholas we leave gifts in secret (except when mama's would be creaped out by anonymous gifts with their children's names).
This year we're doing something different. We will be taking these bowls of fruit to our local police station and library. The third will go to my boy's favorite police officer who happens to be doing Bicycle Patrol downtown.
And even though Saints aren't found in our religious culture, I love the prayers and the benefactors of this man; a man who loved God and demonstrated that love to real live people in this broken world.
ST. NICHOLAS PRAYER
Loving God, we thank you for
the example of St Nicholas,
who fed the hungry,
brought hope to the imprisoned,
gave comfort to the lost,
and taught the truth to all.
May we strive to imitate him
by putting you first in all we do.
Give us the courage, love and strength
of St Nicholas, so that, like him,
we may serve you through loving
our brothers and sisters. Amen.
Loving God, we thank you for
the example of St Nicholas,
who fed the hungry,
brought hope to the imprisoned,
gave comfort to the lost,
and taught the truth to all.
May we strive to imitate him
by putting you first in all we do.
Give us the courage, love and strength
of St Nicholas, so that, like him,
we may serve you through loving
our brothers and sisters. Amen.
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