It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas, everywhere you go! Oh, the trees, lights, music, shopping, giving, baking, parties and joining in celebrations with family and friends. The Manger. It is Christmas and to quote another famous song it’s the most wonderful time of the year!
How I love this time of year. I do have to be careful in that like I wrote about a couple of weeks ago I can let that “list” take control which results in missing the wonder of all this time of year has to bring. I can also be known to get so involved in that “list” that I ignore my own personal health maintenance. I am a healthy person and very rarely get sick but almost always I get some little something during this time of year because I pay attention to every detail of the season except my own personal health. Can anyone relate? Exercise time is shortened and the calorie intake increased. Not intentionally of course! I have a healthy balanced diet but let’s be real those scrumptious dishes are sometimes just too good to pass up. Sleep patterns change. Thoughts of what needs to be done can interrupt that precious time. All of this is a bad combination for this girl! So this year I have set a goal to do it differently. Keep my daily routine the same. If something is not complete by bed time move it to tomorrow. I can still enjoy those holiday dishes but the key word is portion control!
Along with all the practical things we can do to enjoy our holidays and keep ourselves healthy I honestly believe the key ingredient is to keep our focus on the real reason why we are doing all of this. Part of keeping my “daily routine” I mentioned above is not ignoring that time alone with God. When that is part of the equation you cannot help but remember what and who we are celebrating. I find when I start my day that way all the other things fall into place. Peace comes to my soul and rest to my body which is beneficial in staying healthy.
I love Christmas time! It is definitely my favorite time of the year, for several reasons. I love the warmth that overwhelms the house when all of the decorations are up. I love the wonder and excitement that has always been, and I’m sure will always be, a part of this time of year. My husband and I love Christmas so much that our anniversary is December 17th. This year is going to be even more fun! We now have a three year old and a one year old, and one can’t help but caught up in the bustle of the season!
And yet, I can’t help but sit back and wonder why. Don’t get me wrong. I put every single decoration up in my house in two days, and it only took two days because I had the girls to deal with on top of the decorating. And, as I write, I’m surrounded by Christmas music, Mickey’s Christmas Carol, the Christmas tree, the mantel with our stockings (hung with care, of course), my beautiful Christmas Village, and my Nativity. But is this what the season is about? It’s what we’ve made it out to be, but this Christmas I’m determined to model to my daughters what Christmas is really about.
I don’t want to get so caught up in the hustle and bustle of Christmas that I forget, and neglect why we celebrate Christmas. It’s so easy to let the “list” that Donna mentioned run our day-to-day schedule. And then Christmas day comes and we have not done anything to celebrate our Savior.
So, rather than running myself ragged from party to party, trips to the mall, and allowing myself to get lost in Target late in the evening, I’m going to spend quiet nights at home with my family. I’m going to enjoy hot chocolate and The Polar Express with my daughters, and I’m going to take time every day to talk to the girls about the Christmas Story so that they know that Christmas is not about Santa Claus and presents, but about the greatest gift of all time.
Happy Holidays, dear friends.
