Christmas Jars

Although the comments have said it was a quick read, it still took me longer to read than I care to admit! I have been so busy trying to get Christmas ready and doing the day to day mom stuff that by the time I had a spare moment to read it was late and I would read about 10 pages and fall asleep! But I so enjoyed it! I finished it on Christmas Adam (you know Adam came before Eve so it is the day before :)) And I, like Sarah, cried! I love a good read that I am not expecting the end and it makes me tear up. I loved that for Hope it came full circle, starting with an abandonded baby that was found and taken in, loved and then found herself alone again on Christmas Eve only to have her Mom find her and the cycle repeats. (Oh and here is a plug for family traditions that don't die, then people KNOW where to find you!) I felt inspired after reading this and wanted to start my own Christmas Jar, but plastic money doesn't work to put into a jar....and we are also living the poor student life and so this year opted to give a toy to Toys4Tots. I know that it wasn't much, but my 2 year old picked out a toy that she would want and then we took it to a drop off spot, I tried to explain to her what it meant, but I am sure she didn't really understnad, but after reading this book I felt that children take in more than we give them credit for. They know when someone is in need, even if they cannot see it, they sense it. So thanks for chosing this book, it truly helped me to get into the Christmas spirit. And I thought it was amazing that the author commented on the blog--woohoo!!! :)

Merry Christmas!

Thought I'd take a minute and share a thought or two about Christmas Jars. I've read it a couple of times; it's such a quick read and always enjoyable and inspiring, like Sarah noted.

I love the progression of the story. How it starts with an abandoned baby and ends with a reunion, with Hope (both as the girl and otherwise) centering the story. I love how the Maxwell family started the tradition of the jar as a way to save money for Christmas gifts for their own family and how the jar evolved into a way to help others in need, be it financial, emotional, or however. And I love how it comes full circle. The Maxwell's didn't give their jars away with any desire for recognition or something in return, and they never imagined that it would be a tradition adopted by those they helped. But they did receive something in return, long before the jars found their way back. The true spirit of Christmas, a joy of giving, a focus on something other than themselves.

I think my favorite part of the book is that the jars helped people think about Christmas every single day throughout the year. So often the entire reason for Christmas is lost with the commercialization, the rush, the spending frenzy. It's easy to forget the reason. A perfect baby, born in unfavorable circumstances and laid in a manger, who brought Hope, Light, and Life with his birth.

Merry Christmas!

Christmas Jars

I finished the book Christmas Jars. Seriously, I think it only took me a few hours. Cory went outside to shovel us out of the mounds of snow, and I had finished a little more than half the book by the time he was done shoveling. Of course, he loves to shovel and spends more time that the average person ... but still ... it's definitely a quick read.

Anyways, I digress. What an awesome book to read right before Christmas! It was so uplifting! Of course, I cried through the last 1/3 of the book, but it was so good. And so inspiring.

I was thinking maybe Cory & I could adopt the tradition of doing our own Christmas jar. Then, practical me, I realized we never have cash - so I would never have any change. In a world of plastic, I never carry cash. So doing a 'Christmas Jar' isn't really feasible for us.

Then I got to thinking ... we could do something else, similar to a Christmas jar. I remember years ago, my dad had just been laid off his job (right before Christmas, too). Things were tough - we went to the Bishop's storehouse to get some food and Christmas presents weren't happening that year. Anyways, long story made short - some boxes filled with food and presents appeared on our doorstep one night. There was a couple of presents for all us kids (I got the most beautiful little necklace) and lots of food. It was the most wonderful thing! I was young at the time, but that feeling has stuck with me ever since that night. I remember standing there, looking at all the food and wearing my necklace, and I was so grateful.

And so, my point is, that while Cory & I aren't going to be able to do a 'Christmas jar' like was done in the book, it reminded me that we can bless others' lives in different ways. There's always a million different ways to 'give back' this holiday season - from Sub-for-Santas, to the Salvation Army kettle, to leaving a box of food on your neighbor's doorstep. While Cory & I are definitely living the 'poor college kids' lifestyle, we have much to be thankful for. This book reminded me of that, and I'm definitely recommending it to everyone I know.

Merry Christmas everyone!!