{"id":2311,"date":"2013-12-21T08:43:19","date_gmt":"2013-12-21T13:43:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/everydayspirituality\/?p=2311"},"modified":"2013-12-15T13:15:31","modified_gmt":"2013-12-15T18:15:31","slug":"christ-forever-near","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/everydayspirituality\/2013\/12\/christ-forever-near.html","title":{"rendered":"Christ forever near"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Our<\/a>
Our kitty with lighted tree outside<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Christmas traditions have changed over the years in our family. We used to go to the Blue Mountains and cut down a tree to bring home and decorate inside the house.<\/p>\n

Then, for many years, we had a fake tree.<\/p>\n

For the last few years, since our children are grown and on their own, we\u2019ve decided to put the Christmas tree outside.<\/p>\n

Doug anchors a 10 foot tree outside and strings colorful lights around it.<\/p>\n

We can see it through the house window. It\u2019s especially beautiful with a whiff of snow muting the colorful lights.<\/p>\n

Our traditions<\/a>, or habits, may have changed, but the joy of celebrating Christ remains.<\/p>\n

Here are a few verses from the poem, Christmas Morn,<\/i> written by Mary Baker Eddy:<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u201cDear Christ, forever here and near,<\/p>\n

No cradle song,<\/p>\n

No natal hour and mother\u2019s tear.<\/p>\n

To thee belong.<\/p>\n

Thou God idea, Life encrowned,<\/p>\n

The Bethlehem babe,<\/p>\n

Beloved, replete, by flesh embound was but thy shade,<\/p>\n

Thou gentle beam of living Love,<\/p>\n

And, deathless Life!<\/p>\n

Truth infinite,<\/p>\n

so far above<\/p>\n

All thee belong\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Christmas traditions have changed over the years in our family. We used to go to the Blue Mountains and cut down a tree to bring home and decorate inside the house. Then, for many years, we had a fake tree. For the last few years, since our children are grown and on their own, we\u2019ve…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":429,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[1211,1214,1213,1212],"class_list":["post-2311","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-smorgasbord","tag-artificial-tree","tag-decorating-ideas","tag-fresh-trees","tag-nowy-at-christmas"],"yoast_head":"\nChrist forever near - Everyday Spirituality<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/everydayspirituality\/2013\/12\/christ-forever-near.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Christ forever near - Everyday Spirituality\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Christmas traditions have changed over the years in our family. 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