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The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

Anyone who knows me well, knows December is my favorite month of the year. I am a genuine Christmas fanatic, one of those gals who gets swept away in the nostalgia of all things Christmas: carols, cards, family gatherings, Advent activities, baking, warm drinks on cold nights, fireside chats...you name it, if it’s Christmasy, I probably love it! However, there have been years past when I got too swept away, packing too much into 25 days, stealing the joy of the season, and replacing it with stress. When January 1 came, I was worn out and weary, rather than recharged and full. After experiencing a couple of hectic holidays, I realized a few ways I went wrong. Maybe you’ve been there, too, so I'll share what I've learned.

Proper perspective is crucial.  In an over-spending, over-calendared culture, keeping things simple definitely goes against the grain, and treasuring Christ in Christmas is a challenge. However, Christ is Christmas, and that first Christmas was pretty simple. Without Him, there is no reason to celebrate at all. In our home, Jesus and His ultimate gift to us (His birth and His death) is the reason behind everything we do during December. In has become our tradition to celebrate the entire Advent season, reading from God’s word each day, which points us to Jesus and prepares our hearts to hear and see Him, and participating in some type of Advent activity together. These activities are varied, some simple, some more elaborate, but they bind our family together, build anticipation, and daily re-center our hearts around what really matters. Some Advent activities from year’s past include:
  • Making things together, like ornaments, gingerbread houses, and cookies.
  • Visiting the hurting, such as orphans, the hospitalized, those living in nursing homes or friends who have had a hard year.
  • Experiencing the joy of the season by looking at Christmas lights, watching a local Christmas production, Christmas caroling or visiting a live Nativity.
  • Making memories together by watching a Christmas movie, playing charades using Christmas phrases, ice skating, sitting by the fire with hot chocolate or taking a trip.
  • Serving our community together by donating coats or blankets, making grab bags for the homeless, or adopting a family to help with food, clothes or Christmas gifts.
  • Celebrating with our community by hosting family and friends, inviting neighbors over for dinner or dessert, having a birthday party for Jesus or a game night.

In our home, we don’t do all of these things every year, but we incorporate some of these things each year. No matter what our traditions look like, the idea is to make room, time, and space in our hearts and on our calendars. It’s not about adding more to the “to do” list, but rather celebrating intentionally. For us, this means saying “no” to some things, putting limits on spending and creating solid boundaries in our calendar. It helps to sit down at the beginning of December and look at special events, in light of “normal, weekly commitments. If two or three activities land on the same date, we typically end up graciously saying no to one or two, and honestly, everyone wins. In the years we tried to cram it all in, I was a frazzled, hot mess, the kids were worn out from running all over town, and no one enjoyed the event as much as we would have if we’d stayed in one place and enjoyed the faces there. We spread our extended family Christmas celebrations out from Thanksgiving to New Year’s Day, and protect December 24th and 25th as a sacred time for our family of five. We only get one shot at making special memories with these kids we’ve been given…and we want to take advantage of it! And, bonus, our kids look forward to the entire month and the people they will see, rather than just two or three days of fast-paced celebration!

As a family, we focus on savoring the season, creating meaningful memories and serving others, instead of rushing through one thing and on to the next. December can be a furious frenzy, or a month-long celebration of the relationships God has gifted us with. Christmas can be an event, or an attitude of our hearts, something we try to carry with us all year long. May this Advent season bring space, solitude and sacredness to our souls. May this Advent be a true celebration of the two most important things we possess – a relationship with Christ and with each other. May this truly be the most wonderful time of your year.


“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given... And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” Isaiah 9:6

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