To Myself, My Husband and My kids...
This Christmas season we will NOT concentrate on GETTING. We will NOT go crazy buying stuff to GIVE, which is really NOT giving, but really just 'BUYING'. Instead we will think of ways to honor the person we intend to give to, by writing a list or letter of wonderful things about that person and preparing it nicely as a gift with or without something handmade from your own talents. And if your talent is going to the Dollar Store or Walmart, so be it, but do it with love in your heart for the giftee, not out of a sense of duty or "to get it over with".
We will PLAY games together as a family instead of trying to find somewhere "fun" to go, which never really turns out fun at all .
ALL of us together.
Each person in this family will do or say something nice for another family member every day this month and we will do it without ANYONE knowing it. And that awesome feeling, when you lay your head down on your pillow at night, is your reward. And that's enough.
'
We will focus on Advent and preparing our house and hearts for Christ's coming at Christmas. We will look for Christ in our daily interactions with friends and family. And especially for me, even in those moments at the grocery store when it's crowded and I am in a hurry and people are cutting RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME and then WALKING SLOOOOWLY as a seemingly deliberate attempt to DRIVE ME INSANE?
Yes, we will focus on the reason for the season!
We will remember that Christmas is, after all, named after someone called CHRIST. It is not named SANTAmas or TARGETmas, or MARTHASTEWARTmas. Jesus, whether He is someone someone special to you or not, was all about peace, love and the simple life. NOT parties, presents, gingerbread and decorations. I have nothing against those things of course, all nice ways to celebrate, but let's make those things the background noise, not the focus!
It's like having a birthday party and forgetting to invite the birthday boy.
Which is mighty rude if you ask me.
