Exchanging Christmas-bricks?

Our American son taught our Japanese exchange son to shake the presents and see if they could tell what the gifts could be.

My hubby caught them! "If you boys keep shaking those, they'll turn into bricks."

"Oh, you say that every year." And both boys laughed off the warning.

Man were they surprised when their first presents were both bricks!



Christmas gift exchange:-)




The family ready to open gifts.


A sweater from us...


A gorgeous gold painted keepsake box from Kenshin's family.

Christmas. How do you celebrate it and why? Try explaining it to someone who has never celebrated it. Not so simple.

These are some of the questions our Japanese exchange son asked. We spent many days over the last month answering these in depth. We went to church through the Advent season and also on Christmas Eve.

Instead of answering all the questions, we ended up with more.

The thing I like is that I'm not in charge. Whatever happens as we exchange ideas about faith, family, cultures, and life-it's not up to me. The God of all the Universe is in charge of whatever happens with us.

We decided that we are people who love to share with other people. We love our exchange son and accept him for who he is. That must be what God does with us. If we believe in him or not, he loves us for who we are. Then he gave us free will. The important issue here is that we exchanged ideas. Not that we convince each other to believe one way or another. That part is up to the Holy Spirit.

I think one thing that came out helped me too. I found a simple way to explain why we give gifts. It's the symbol of the gift God gave us in his son, Jesus. He gave us the greatest gift. We take communion as a symbol of his blood and body. We give gifts to remember his gift to us.



Merry Christmas,
Angie