Hello friends! Guess what?! Even though this looks like another decorating post, it’s not just any post. I’ve pulled together a few last minute pretty candle ideas for Christmas to help us celebrate. They are quick and easy ideas to make your Christmas a little more special. Special because it’s Christmas and Christ should be celebrated. Look at this simple everyday item as a remembrance of what God did for us and not just a candle.
Source: Almondtree.lane but Calypso in the Country has an easy DIY for you!
If you’re hopping over from our ever-so-sweet host, Amber at Follow The Yellow Brick Home, welcome! If you’ve popped in from Common Ground, I’m so glad you’re here! Thank you for visiting.
Last Minute Pretty Candle Ideas For Christmas
Source: Lily Ardor with a DIY
Still to this day (okay, it was only 3 years ago) I remember the first time I posted anything meaningful about the Christmas holiday. I received a comment telling me to look into the holiday before talking so fondly of it. My response was nice but I didn’t explain why I celebrate the “pagan holiday”. I’m not usually one to avoid an uncomfortable conversation so I’m not sure why I didn’t explain my thoughts. It was a missed opportunity. Maybe the Lord was preparing me for today knowing I can be insensitive and a little blunt. Well, today you get my elucidation.
County Road 407 – add tea lights to any candy dishes
I understand those who want to be completely and unmistakably Christian and who want to be disassociated from the world along with any pagan roots that might lie beneath our celebration of Christmas. I truly get it. But I think there comes a point where the roots are so depleted that the present meaning doesn’t carry the agnostic connotation anymore.
Source: Almond Tree Lane – but Vintage Home Designs has a DIY
It’s like the word “Sunday”. Our days of the week grew out of pagan names too. Should we stop using the word “Sunday” because at one time it related to the worship of the sun? Today, the word Sunday doesn’t have that same significance. So with my moderately lengthy example (some might say compromise), I ask myself: Is it really worth the risk of not celebrating at all the birth of our Savior? Nope. Not to me.
Source: Remodelista
Even though the chosen date of December 25th might have been some other kind of heretic festival, I say we should take it, sanctify it and make the most of it, because Christ is worthy of being celebrated in his birth. And when you think about it, there’s really no point in choosing another date – it just won’t work. In other words, it’s not a hill worth dying on when you miss out on the blessing of the celebration.
Source: Posh Pennies
This year, the candles around my house will stand as a reminder of God and his willingness to give up his one and only Son for the likes of me and my sin. Can you imagine that? You have one child. Only one. And you love him more than anything. But you love everyone else just as much. The child molesters, the murderers, thieves, liars, rapists – everyone.
County Road 407 – small glass votives from the dollar store with ornaments
John 3:16 – For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. There are no limits to this offer. It’s indiscriminate and universal. It applies to every ethnic group, every age, every socioeconomic category, and every degree of sinner — from the bad to the worst — because there aren’t any other kinds.
Source: Martha Stewart with a DIY
So as a reminder that I deserve Hell and because I believe that He is the only way in which I can enter Heaven, asked for forgiveness of my sins, asked Him to be my Lord and try to glorify Him each day, I celebrate Christmas (and soon Easter). I will light the candles and thank Him for sending his son for me, a sinner like everyone else. I will look at those candles and find the real joy in the holiday.
County Road 407
May these last minute candle ideas for Christmas bring you a new perspective and joy as you look at the candles around your home.
County Road 407 with DIY
I wish you a very merry and blessed Christmas!
Now it’s time to see how my friends are celebrating the most wonderful time of the year. Up next is Christy at Our Southern Home. She is one of my dearest blogging buddies. You’ll want to see the other eight posts too. Just click on the photo below!
County Road 407 – You are here!
Thanks for such a beautiful post.
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My pleasure Nell. Hope your Christmas is wonderful.
Thank you so much for this beautiful explanation of why we celebrate Christmas, pagan origins and all! He is the Prince of Peace!
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Glad you like it Cheryl. Yes! That is one of my favorite names for Him. Thank you for the visit today.
Let us indeed praise Him with Thanksgiving for His great sacrifice and our greatest gift of salvation! The reality is we don’t know the exact date of Christ’s birth. When He was born in a stable, the lowest of places, it was to show that His gift of eternal life was available to everyone. Just imagine if He had been born in a palace. I sure wouldn’t feel worthy. Everything has been to God’s plan and I am so grateful. It is indeed something we should celebrate every day but I so appreciate that in winter’s darkest days we celebrate His birth, His light. We’ll be baking a glorious cake and singing Happy Birthday Jesus on Christmas Eve and truly rejoicing!
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So true Laura! I still don’t feel worthy even when He was born in a stable and I am overwhelmed with gratefulness of how He saved us. Your celebration sounds perfect. SO glad we are sisters in Christ. Big hugs
Cindy those are all such beautiful ideas! I love those luminaries! Have a Merry Christmas! xoxoxo
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Thank you Stacy. Hope your Christmas is lovely.
Your candles are so beautifully displayed and have such meaning. Merry Christmas
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Thank you Marty. Will be thinking of you and your family this year. Merry Christmas
Cindy, thankyou for taking the time to explain your stance on this question. I agree totally. Unfortunately we sometimes have people who comment that just want to pick a fight with us. I think it’s important for Christians to know and understand the roots of holidays, especially Christmas and Easter (Resurrection Sunday), but we can’t just “not” celebrate. Better to arm ourselves with knowledge and stress the real meaning of these sacred times. Your thoughts on lighting candles for Christmas are beautiful and perfect to remind us what we’re celebrating. The silver sugar bowl is my absolute favorite. Praying you and your family have a wonderful Christmas!
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Absolutely Debra. I think it’s important to celebrate both Christmas and Easter. Easter has always been my favorite (probably like most) holiday. The resurrection is amazing! Thank you so much for praying for us! Merry Christmas
Thank you, Cindy, for your hard work and inspiration this year. I wish you and your family a very Merry Christmas.
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Awe, thank YOU Miche for visiting and reading the blog. I greatly appreciate it! Hope you have a very merry Christmas.
That was wonderful Cindy, thank you for posting it. I’m speechless because you made my heart happy and brought tears to my eyes. He is Abba, Lord of Lords and King of Kings and I celebrate because I’m happy he saved this awful filthy sinner.
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Awww, thank you Marlene. It is a special season and I love we celebrate it for the same reason! Big big hugs. Merry Christmas
Beautiful post Cindy, and I always appreciate the way you open up and speak from the heart! Wishing you a very merry and joyous Christmas with your family!
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I’ve always been candid and in an old(er) age, I don’t see changing. 😉 Thank you Michelle. Merry merry Christmas to you too!
Cindy, these are all such great ideas.
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Thanks bunches Rachel.
What a beautiful post, Cindy and thank you for the mention! Wishing you a happy and healthy Christmas!
Shelley
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Thank you Shelley. I would have used your photo too but I saved it somewhere and couldn’t find it. Hope your season is joyous!
Thank you so much for all you wrote. So wonderful to see someone speak up plainly for the Lord in this day and age. (Matthew 10:32) I love candles and you have some great ideas! Merry Christmas and God bless!
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It’s hard for me not to speak out about the Lord but I know exactly what you mean. Wish more people would do the same. Thanks for the sweet comment and I hope your Christmas is a blessed one.
Very well said! Merry CHRISTmas
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Thanks so much for the encouragement Rosa. I appreciate you. Merry CHRISTmas to you as well. 😉
AMEN! I did give up Halloween year before last due to the pagan and Satanic roots. I loved Halloween, but I love Jesus more, and it is something I know he asked me to do. I then struggled with Christmas. I did all the research. It truly has some very occultic and pagan roots. Then there is the passage in Jeremiah 10:5 which may be a reference to where the pagan custom of Christmas trees started, and it seems that maybe that might be something we put too much focus on. I need to research that more.
I had to approach the idea of our general cultural celebrations of Christmas with much prayer. As an avid Christmas collector and lover of all things Christmas, I was really forced to do some deep soul searching. I do know that my focus during the holidays has really not on Jesus in past years as much as it should have been. Of course I worshipped him and celebrated in my heart, sang the carols, read the Christmas story and put out my nativities, but it was way more about the traditions, Santa, the decorating yada, yada, yada. And truly, while fun, the way we typically celebrate Christmas in our culture can be very stressful!
This year, I cut way back on the Santas and things. I still have few favorites out, and I likely will continue for years because many of them are associated with wholesome family traditions and memories that I know God has been a part of. If in the future I hear the Holy Spirit loud and clear that I should not celebrate His birth the way the world does, then I will obey. For now, He has reinforced to me that he has blessed the holiday simply by the realization of the opportunity we have as believers to share the gospel during this time of year more than any other time. Songs like Oh Holy Night are no doubt sanctified by the Holy Spirit, as any true believer is unlikely to hear it without being moved to tears! God is good in that he allows us to still celebrate some earthly things as long as the focus is on him.
One last thing I learned that solidified that God gave me the green light on continuing to celebrate Christmas on December 25th…
Last year I had to take some continuing education credits to return back to teaching and the only classes available were Bible courses, which I knew was part of his plan in some way! This happened right around the time I was still struggling with Christmas. So, in the New Testament class I learned that the early Christians actually DID designate December 25th to COUNTERACT the pagan celebrations of sun worship that were going on at the time. All religious and pagan celebrations were made legal at that time without any kind of consquences, so they used the opportunity to counteract the pagan holidays on Dec. 25th with a day to commemorate Jesus’ birth. This is actually where we get OUR date for celebrating Christmas. This is rarely found anywhere online and hardly ever preached on, but early church documents and historians have plenty of evidence to support this. Due to sheep herding taking place mostly in the spring, it is highly likely that His birth was in the spring. BUT the first celebrations by the early church CHRISTIANS was on December 25th. (If anyone needs sources I will have to dig in my books but I will be happy to share them).
Okay, so I digress!
Love your post and all your sentiments. Beautiful examples of Christmas candle displays!
Merry Christmas my friend!
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Well you just made my day Amber! Thank you for the valuable information. We have never decorated for Halloween. When the kids were young we were always at the church “Harvest Festival” but they dressed up and got candy so I suppose that could be considered celebrating the day. I tried (one year) to explain to the kids what Halloween was (from my research and Bible studies) but their little faces broke me down. Plus I think our youngest would have died right then and there if I had said no to bringing home a bucket full of candy.
I find all children of God who have an ear and heart for the Lord are convicted and spoken to regarding these things. Each family is different and it’s important not to judge their walk. I’ve gotten better at that but need a reminder every now and again. Wishing you the very merriest of Christmases!
WOWWWW!! THIS ARTICLE I SO BEAUTIFUL!! Sometimes I think people get so bent on being “correct” and proving their point that there is any grace or love!!
Let’s get back to extending grace and love!! People are burying family members and folks going back and forth about celebrating a “pagan” holiday on a certain day..saying Merry Christmas, Christmas decorations, etc.
SMH!! Be kind. Learn and practice unconditional love!
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You are so right. We need to show love, kindness and grace to each other. Can you imagine if people just kept putting others first before themselves?! What a fantastic life that would be. But sadly that’s not going to happen. As we stand before Him, we will only be accountable for our own actions. Bless you Wanda and thank you for the visit and comment. Hope you have a very merry Christmas!
We celebrate Christ at Christmas…….thank you for the beautiful post.
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So excited to hear that! Thank you and I hope your Christmas is wonderful this year.
Great post, Cindy!
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Thank you Paula.
Thank you for this post, Cindy! I am so enjoying reading through the words of these blog posts on this tour. It was such a joy to look for the North star last night and think about that wonderful night all those many years ago. The beautiful ideas for candles are just the icing on the cake. Merry Christmas!
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I’ve thought so too Christy. It’s exciting to read how other families celebrate and about their traditions. I want those candles to remind me to celebrate Jesus like they are on top of the yummiest of birthday cakes! Merry Christmas
Well said, let’s celebrate!!
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Yes Kay, let us celebrate! I know if we are praising and worshiping Him, it puts a smile on His face no matter what day it is. Happiest of Christmases to you!
This is a beautiful post, Cindy! I think of candles as being a light in the darkness…a symbol of letting our light shine. Evergreen trees for me, are a symbol of everlasting life. I agree, it doesn’t matter so much where the traditions originated, as the meaning we place on it…and what we believe. Merry Christmas to you!
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Aww, thank you so much Linda. I too think of light in the darkness but the Evergreen trees will be a new symbol for me. Love the everlasting life thought! Gosh I bet it’s been 20 years but one Sunday our pastor preached on letting our light shine. In the middle of it he stopped and asked us to sing Rise and Shine. The song we used to sing in Vacation Bible School when we were little. I still remember that sermon and that song.
Lyrics
The Lord told Noah
There’s gonna be a floody, floody
The Lord told Noah
There’s gonna be a floody, floody
Get those children out of the muddy, muddy, children of the Lord
The Lord told Noah to build him an arky, arky
The Lord told Noah to build him an arky, arky
Build it out of gopher barky, barky, children of the Lord.
The animals, they came, they came in by twosies twosies
The animals, they came, they came in by twosies, twosies
Elephants and kangaroosie, roosies, children of the Lord
It rained and poured for forty daysies, daysies
It rained and poured for forty daysies, daysies
Almost drove those animals crazy, crazy, children of the Lord
The sun came out, and dried up the landy, landy
The sun came out, and dried up the landy, landy
Look! There’s the sun, it dried up the landy, landy
Everything was fine and dandy, dandy, children of the Lord
So, rise and shine, and give God the glory, glory
Rise and shine, and give God the glory, glory
Rise and shine, and give God the glory, glory
Children of the Lord
Cindy what a beautiful post! For our family CHRISTmas has always been about Jesus and now that I have my own children I do my best to make sure He is our reason for the season! Thank you for this beautifully written post and for sharing your heart. What a blessing it is to know you on this blogging journey! P>S>_this little light of mine was one of my favorite Sunday school songs!
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I always enjoy reading your posts. Especially because you seem so sentimental and enjoy teaching your kids about the most important things in life. You’re a good mom! And oh my golly, you are not going to believe this but I was singing This Little Light of Mine today! And Jesus Love Me. 🙂 Those seem to stick with you through life don’t they? I got to thinking about them because I replied to Linda’s comment. Thank you Kelly for popping over and I hope we are in many more hops together! Merry Christmas.
I love all your last-minute candle inspiration Cindy!
As far as that person commenting on how Christmas came about being celebrated on the 25th, they sound like they were just trying to start trouble. Just because some of the pagan holidays were adapted to Christian holidays when belief systems changed in the old world doesn’t make the holidays any less valid. I’m a live and let live type of person and I think we should celebrate the holidays that have meaning for us and let others do the same without judgement. With that said, I hope you and your family have a very Merry Christmas!
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Thank you Michelle. I think you’re right – they were what my hubby calls a troll. I love your attitude to live without judgement. Hope you too have a wonderful Christmas. Big hugs.
Just getting caught up now, Cindy… GREAT post! Love that you centered on our Lord, and shared the Gospel! Thankful for a kind and loving Father that gave His Son, and raised Him up for us! But mostly for HIS glory, which He alone deserves! Praising Him with you!
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It’s always so nice to have a sister in Christ who knows what I’m talking about. Big hugs sweet friend and thank you.
A beautiful round-up and beautifully written, Cindy! Jesus is the reason for the season!
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Thank you so much Jen. That means a lot! I actually forgot about this post. I need to repost it even though each time I post anything that talks about my heart, sadly I lose subscribers. But that’s okay. He knows. Hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving!