Remembering At Christmas

Walking With You was created by Kelly at The Beauty of Sufficient Grace to help support those who have lost a child. Together we share our stories, helpful information, scriptures, encouraging words, prayer requests, and more.

If you are missing someone you love this Christmas, someone of ANY age who is spending Christmas with Jesus this year, I hope you will join us on this very special Walking With You. We are sharing our Christmas memories and the ways that we remember our loved ones who have gone home to heaven at Christmas time. To join Walking With You please visit Kelly's Blog.

This time last year our grief was so very raw. I believe we were in survivor mode. We just did not have the energy to want to do much. Hubby and I knew we needed to do something for the children. We did manage to get up the tree and eventually a few simple decorations outside.

We were incredibly blessed by the Hospital where Faith was born. One of the units there adopted our family and bought us some amazing presents. We were asked for a list of things that the children wanted for Christmas. I told the children to pick something that was $25 or less. Well, they each got what they asked for and whole lot more!

It was so much fun and the children had the times of their lives. The older children just asked for a gift certificate so they could buy clothes. They got a generous gift certificate to Kohls and a few other things. Mike and I also received gifts too. We were overly Blessed!

This year I have wanting to enjoy all the sight and sounds of Christmas! I love Christmas music, the lights and decorations, and pretty much anything else that has to do with Christmas.

Our tree is up and finally decorated! We have put up lights out front. I have a few other things I would like to do, but not sure that I will get to it. We have hardly gotten any shopping done yet. I guess we need to get busy!

The TBQ group from our Church gave us this beautiful ornament last year in Memory of Faith.

The children were so thrilled to see it when we pulled it out this year. They each have their own ornament and they were glad that Faith had one too! I love how they seem to like to remember her.

The past couple of weeks I have been missing Faith a bit more. She should be here to celebrate with us. She would be 14 months old and probably wanting to pull the ornaments off of the tree. Wrapping paper would have kept her entertained and might have become a little snack too. I will miss the sparkle that would have been in her eyes looking at the Christmas lights!

Yes, I miss her and wish that she were here with us, but I am thrilled that she is with the One whom we are celebrating! What better place could anyone be?

I have many people who I will miss this Christmas, and I have two that I want to share with you.

My brother Doug died in 1993. He enjoyed Christmas and he always helped my parents decorate. Doug played the piano very well. He would play for our listening pleasure or we would sing along. If he wasn't playing the piano he usually had some other music playing. Doug always made sure that we listened to Handel's Messiah every year.

Doug was good at giving fun and unique presents. It was always fun to see what he selected for each person. He seemed to know how to pick out just the right gift for each one. Whether the gift was to meet a need in a person's life or a gift that was for enjoyment, he always seemed to get it right!

My Dad passed away in 2004. Dad loved Christmas! He was so thankful for every present. He was a person that never expected much but was thrilled with each gift. He always wore his red sweater on Christmas.

My Dad collected penguins. We always tried to find him a new one each year. Now we are a bit partial to penguins. Whenever we see a penguin we are always reminded of my Dad.

Dad loved his family, so Christmastime was always special to him because that meant family would gather together. Nothing in this World would have made my Dad any happier than having my Mom by his side and the rest of his family there also.

Since I have been married, I haven't always been there with my family for Christmas. Those times that I didn't make it there, my Dad always called me on Christmas and then passed the phone around to everyone else. I miss my Dad and how he truly enjoyed the simple things in life. It did not take much to make him happy.

As we celebrate the Birth of Our Savior, I will draw close to Him to bring me "Comfort and Joy!" I need for Him to Comfort me as I am missing Faith and I want to be full of Joy as I celebrate His Birth!

I love this old Christmas Carol as it brings Good Tidings of Great Joy as it shares about the Birth of our Savior and that He came to save us!

God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen

God rest ye merry, gentlemen

Let nothing you dismay

Remember, Christ, our Saviour

Was born on Christmas day

To save us all from Satan's power

When we were gone astray

O tidings of comfort and joy,

Comfort and joy

O tidings of comfort and joy

In Bethlehem, in Israel,

This blessed Babe was born

And laid within a manger

Upon this blessed morn

The which His Mother Mary

Did nothing take in scorn

O tidings of comfort and joy,

Comfort and joy

O tidings of comfort and joy

From God our Heavenly Father

A blessed Angel came;

And unto certain Shepherds

Brought tidings of the same:

How that in Bethlehem was born

The Son of God by Name.

O tidings of comfort and joy,

Comfort and joy

O tidings of comfort and joy

"Fear not then," said the Angel,

"Let nothing you affright,

This day is born a Saviour

Of a pure Virgin bright,

To free all those who trust in Him

From Satan's power and might."

O tidings of comfort and joy,

Comfort and joy

O tidings of comfort and joy

The shepherds at those tidings

Rejoiced much in mind,

And left their flocks a-feeding

In tempest, storm and wind:

And went to Bethlehem straightway

The Son of God to find.

O tidings of comfort and joy,

Comfort and joy

O tidings of comfort and joy

And when they came to Bethlehem

Where our dear Saviour lay,

They found Him in a manger,

Where oxen feed on hay;

His Mother Mary kneeling down,

Unto the Lord did pray.

O tidings of comfort and joy,

Comfort and joy

O tidings of comfort and joy

Now to the Lord sing praises,

All you within this place,

And with true love and brotherhood

Each other now embrace;

This holy tide of Christmas

All other doth deface.

O tidings of comfort and joy,

Comfort and joy

O tidings of comfort and joy

And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.

Luke 2:10