Just kidding:-) Does it drive anyone else crazy that the stores are SO quick to gloss right over fall, and go directly from summer to Christmas? Sure, they have a quick Halloween display - gotta sell those ridiculously priced costumes, right? And yeah, they *might* have some harvest or fall decorations to sell. But they seem to have a short shelf life, and if you don't catch them in that small window of time, away they go to make room for all the Christmas JUNK:-).
Now, I love Christmas, don't get me wrong. I just think it's so silly how very commercial it has become. If you walk into nearly any store right now, you'd see aisles of wreaths, decorations, toys, you name it. If they can slap a Santa or a reindeer on it, they'll sell it! Let me quickly clarify - I see nothing wrong with gift-giving, wreaths, decorations, and toys for Christmas - in our home, we enjoy all those things. What I do have a problem with is this almost manic feeling that seems to come over everyone this time of year. What is the point of gift-giving if it only leaves us exhausted and in debt? Why decorate if we're merely worried about keeping up with the Jones'? Is there a way to enjoy Christmas, and all the things that go along with it, and stay sane while doing it?
Boy, I sure hope so. I'm fighting for it in my family this year - I want this to be the Christmas of PEACE for us. I'm making a plan for ways to make that happen, and I probably will post them here so I don't forget them:-). Enjoy! LOL
One thing our family has found adds so much meaning and focus to our Christ-mas is the celebration of Advent. I didn't grow up celebrating Advent, and I had no idea Protestants "did" Advent at all until just a few years ago. But I so love it - I love looking back and seeing the plan of Christ's birth woven throughout Biblical history. I love spending time each day quietly bringing our focus back to the reason for the season - and I love passing that rich heritage of tradition on to my children.
Lindsay at Enjoy the Journey has created a blog about this very subject - I think it's going to be a *fantastic* resource this holiday season. I encourage you to visit Advent for Evangelicals - it will be "official" starting tomorrow (um, today actually - it's midnight *right now*!), and I think it is going to have some great ideas and resources for celebrating Advent as a family.
posted by Amanda in NC @ 9:16 PM
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