Meaningful Merry

It's Christmas season, and I'm trying to pull it together! I always say I'm not going to ruin the beautiful Christmas season with stress, but somehow I fail at some point! Well, truly, life is busy enough, and then you add MORE shopping, MORE spending, MORE parties, MORE baking, MORE MORE MORE. Who can take it? I get so mad because I keep saying "It's about Jesus! Why can't it JUST BE ABOUT JESUS?? Why Oh why does it gotta be so busy and full and stressful and crazy and expensive???" Then I do my Charlie Brown "AAAAAAARGH!!!" Thank Goodness the "Linus speech" comes to mind often enough to remind me of why we celebrate Christmas in the first place!

It IS a beautiful season and it IS about Jesus. Period. No "buts".

It is also a time to honor Him by giving back to those we love. Our gifts represent His gift. His ultimate Gift to us! I love to give, I really do. I wish I was a gabillionaire so I could do all the things that are in my head and heart to do one day. However, God has enabled me to do things for people that have nothing to do with money, spending, wrapping, or shopping. Whew!

So this year was not spent scurrying around decorating everything in sight. Nope. I decked only a little bit of the halls this year. I baked NOT ONE cookie, unless you count Allison's famous chocolate chip cookies with the Christmas sprinkles on top. I made NO candy. No fudge. Nothing!! I barely got my Christmas cards done today. I just HAD to take a photo of the girls to put on it, because that's what people enjoy. I had to make an extra run for ink, stamps, and an extra box of cards. Who knew we knew all those people?? Of course, you just can't receive a card without sending one back, right?? Oh, the horrors! I'm still learning, folks....

I am NOT done shopping either.In fact, I saved my husband and mom for last. I have NO wrapping done. To top it off, we wait for pay day (4 days before Christmas) so we can shop with cash. Ugh. But isn't that better than overextending ourselves? Yes, but it's more stressful at the time too!

All the plans I made for December were mysteriously thwarted by something else. Illness, helping someone else, unexpected event, etc...It was strange how things kept getting in the way of trying to accomplish something for Christmas. My Christmas spirit dwindled and dwindled as it neared December. I wondered what was wrong with me. Was I turning into a scrooge?? No. I think God was trying to show me that I was getting too caught up in the worldly view of Christmas.

After all, I have every reason to be joyful. I have the Lord, for my main source of joy and love, right? Then I have a husband that I cherish, treasure, love and adore! I have 2 beautiful, loving, sweetheart daughters who make me laugh every day. I have a nice home, a wonderful squishy old dog who is still here! I have so many blessings that they far outweigh any gloom and doom I could muster.

Could God be trying to tell me something?? I think so too. Please learn from this big ole mistake maker. Please put HIM first. Then all else will fall into place. God didn't need our stinking cookies to place His Son in that manger for US. None of those things get Him any closer to us. His love. Our love. His Gift. Our gifts to Him.

Merry Christmas. And that's that!!