Jesus' Birthday Gift 2020

 Happy Holidays my Friends,
I'm coming to you a few days earlier, because my usual post day is Friday, most the time, and this Friday is Christmas, so I don't wanna be thinking of blogging. Well we're in the home stretch of Christmas and I'm barely holding on to my sanity. As all families we have traditions in our house that we try to do every year. Putting up the tree close Thanksgiving, my parents start playing just a Statler Brothers Christmas album in October, I prefer to start listening to Christmas music after Thanksgiving and decorating the tree. My parents get into the spirit early. Late in December traditions include my Momma's Christmas goodies, I just ate the left over dipping chocolate she used to make "suckers". We also go Christmas light looking, which we did last night. I also have personal holiday traditions that I do. Every year I use my creative powers and make a gift for Jesus, that way He has a gift just for him, since to me this was the day chosen to celebrate his birth. I also do a tradition I learned to do from Reba's Happy Birthday, Jesus on her Merry Christmas to You album, before you open a gift you wish Jesus a Happy Birthday and that your opening this one for Him. Well this year I decided to write another poem one that involves the various trials we have faced this year. No point sugar coating it this year was a dumpster fire, and even though we were battered and bruised, and in my case low on faith, we came through. I actually contemplated not doing it this year, cause I was, and still am that low, but the morning of the 21st inspiration struck.  So here is my poetic birthday gift this year:

Jesus' Birthday Poem 2020
This has been a dumpster fire year
But you've still been here
Through the chaos of a pandemic
You've remained stoic
As we treaded a crazy election
You've kept us in your recollection
When the mental health ills grew bolder
I'm sure you were at my shoulder
In the bleakness of our push and shove
You continue to show your never-ending love
So, I take a moment to remember all you do
On the day we choose to say "Happy Birthday to You"

I actually decided to make a small video of me doing a reading, that I also made the same day, I took pictures of frost on the truck for visuals. In the audio, you can hear my Mom doing Christmas cooking. I was going to rerecord it, but I'm like this is what my Christmas sounds like, so what the hey. So please give it a watch and a like.

Hope you all have a good Christmas, enjoy your eve, and God bless!
*Thrifty Geek*

Birthday Gifts for Jesus

A freezing hello friends,

Well we have survived Christmas again. I know it's awful to say that about the day chosen to celebrate the birth of Christ, but with my fragile mind state (I suffer from Anxiety, Depression, and OCD) and holiday stress most often I feel like I'm held together by a thread and Christmas day turns into some emotional/mental finish line to the world of normality.

But this post is not to lament about Christmas woes, but about Christmas Traditions. I mentioned in a previous post recently about how I like to make a gift for Jesus every year and that I'd elaborate on it. It's a tradition that started accidentally when I found myself creating Christ inspired work at Christmas, over time I officially decided every year as a way to remind me why I celebrate and allow Christ to have a birthday gift especially for Him.

I think one of the first gifts I made was during a Christmas Eve when due to snows our power had been off for a day or so. I was listening to a Christian station's Christmas Music and I did this drawing:
 

 

One thing that I did on this was use this special invisible ink pen that reveals what you write with a special light. Great idea, but because it was a restaurant kids meal toy pen, think it was for the last Indiana Jones Movie when it came out.

I've written a couple poems as well. I wrote the poem He the Christmas after my cousin's youngest child was born, she inspired a line. I think the next year I created a little video with me reading it, I haven't a clue what it's saved on.

Last year I wrote In Your Honor, it was a struggle trying to create that year, but I'm pleased what I managed to create.

My most ambitious gift was a little house scene featuring a little baby Jesus as a Christmas present:

 

It was the first time I used these little bag of Wilton babies I bought, and you'll find I have used them multiple times for my gifts.

I've made many other decoration gifts there's the ornament I made to replace my favorite one that broke:

 

 

I've even created a bottled/jarred display using a craft store jar, one of the babies, a fabric white poinsettia, and a 50 cent machine king necklace charm that I felt was too bling for me (yes I will rock 50 cent machine jewelry if it suits my style).

 

This year I channeled my lacking origami skills and created another little scene:

 

 

 

Sorry for the crappy webcam shot. I made 2 origami boxes, the red on for the scene and the green one to lay the baby that I wrapped in scrap fabric. I made a origami star and stitch wrote Jesus in a golden yellow. Then using that old school cootie catching making skill I made the small red poinsettia and glutted it to some green leave shapes I cut out. The image of Marry comes from one of these fabric rose bunches we found so I cut a petal off and glued it inside.

 

I hope maybe my friends next Christmas season we can all remember Him in our celebrations and all make gifts. Or maybe if you already have a like tradition share in the comments. May all be well with you the rest of the year friends and God Bless You!

 

Ninja <[0000]---------------[0000]> Writer