Day 6...

Day 6....

Since today is the Lord's Day, I'm only going to share with you my family's faith and the traditions that surround our faith. 

We are...

Roman Catholics. My husband and I were born and raised in this faith. We both are of German descent. My husband's family is 100% German ~ Both my descendants and Keith descendants are from the southern Germany area known as Bavaria. My family heritage is British on my father's said German/Scot-Irish on my mother's side. I was born and raised in Haubstadt, Indiana while Keith was from Evansville, Indiana (we lived about 15 miles from each other growing up). Anyway, Keith's grandparents (on both sides) spoke German in their homes. My maternal Grandfather could understand German (I knew that) but I didn't know he could speak it until he lay on his deathbed and the parish priest came to give him last rights and he said something in German and my Grandpa opened his eyes and responded in German. Anyway growing up in German Catholic communities both of us grew up celebrating St. Nick Day. 

Here is the story of the German St. Nick Tradition:

In Roman Catholic areas of southern Germany, such as Bavaria, Sankt Nikolaus still comes as a bishop with flowing beard and a bishop's miter and staff. Houses are thoroughly cleaned and children clean and polish their shoes or boots in preparation for the saint's visit. On the evening before St. Nicholas Day, children put letters to the good saint along with carrots or other food for his white horse or donkey on a plate or in their shoes. These are left outside, under the bed, beside a radiator, or on a windowsill in hopes of finding goodies from St. Nicholas the next morning. During the night Sankt Nikolaus goes from house to house carrying a book in which all the children's deeds are written. If they have been good, he fills their plate, shoe or boot with delicious fruits, nuts and candies. If not, they may find potatoes, coal, or twigs.

Now...

We don't leave hay or carrots for St. Nick's horse, but we do write little letters/prayers and put them in our stockings for him to collect and carry to heaven with him. The kids were very excited today when we returned from day break Mass and found that indeed St. Nick had come while we were in church. St. Nick just brings candies and a small gift because the real joy of Christmas is our gift of the Christ child born on Christmas Day. 

I had to laugh....

the small gift that St. Nick left was $10 bill and Ellie thought he didn't leave her one..so when I snapped this picture, she had her arm in the stocking trying to find hers :)

Well there you go....

DAY 6!!

Until tomorrow...

I'll be keeping my hands to work..

my heart to God..

while treating my neighbor with kindness and respect, 

and trying to be the best me I can be.

It's hard, isn't it?

I may stumble and I may fall, but I pick myself up and I remember:

To thine own self be true...

because...

I want to BE the change I want to SEE.

Join me!

Merry Christmas,

Vonna xxxx

P.S. I've gotten many questions about my client's red wire ornament tree. She got it at Home Goods. She says that there has been a couple of her acquaintances that have found similar ones at Wayfair. If I were you...I'd google wire ornament tree or something similar.