5 Things That Will Actually Prepare You for Christmas

1. Prioritize

I love the scene in Jerry McGuire where he writes his mission statement…the tears in his eyes as he writes and writes and realizes how far he has strayed from his father’s ideals. How he had been living his life with the wrong priorities. He writes this mission statement outlining what should be important and how he should base his decisions.  It changes his life.
What if you wrote a mission statement for the holidays? If you wrote a simple statement that reminded you what is important and how you should base your decisions, it would provide a plumb line for your holiday decision making. What is your end goal for the holidays? Here's an example:

For our family, the Christmas season is a time to celebrate and strengthen our faith, our family, and our friendships. Equally, it is a time to hone the skill of opening our eyes to the needs of others and obeying God’s command to love others. It is not a time to incur debt, stress, or weight.

With a clear goal in mind, we are better equipped to plan how we will spend our time, our money and our efforts.

Take the time to evaluate the things that you do and see if they really fall in line with the values that you express in your mission statement. For example, should we send Christmas cards this year? Perhaps. It can strengthen friend and family relationships. However, it is an expense. Since so many of the people can be reached on facebook, perhaps we should pick a few people who we know aren’t online or would really be blessed by a card. Maybe send cards to soldiers or write a letter of encouragement to a missionary.

2. Pray

Often times we pray as a last resort. We wait until we hit our breaking point before we hit our knees. Once all our resources are exhausted and we see no way through a situation, then we remember to talk to God about things. Have you ever got to Christmas morning and wondered, in the midst of wrapping paper, sweets, toys and feasting….do your children really get it? Do you really get it? We make our plans, fill our schedule and then ask God to bless it. How are we to “seek first the Kingdom of God and His Righteousness”?

We can begin by spending some quiet time listening to God and reading His word. No it’s not new, flashy or original, but it is effective. Ask Him to reveal himself to you and to your family this Christmas, and then ask Him to give you His wisdom as you guide the family through the season. Ask Him to show you how to keep it Jesus centered.

As soon as you decide to seek God first at Christmas, you will likely get slammed with a dose of worldly logic like, I can’t let my family down, we’ve done it this way for years, I want my kids to have a magical day…expect it, but quiet it.  

 

3. Plan

Now we plan. Some love it and it energizes them, others dislike it and would rather just go with the flow. If we are going to be intentional with this time of year, we need to plan. Without it, we are caught off guard; end up spending money for last minute things, miss opportunities to meet the needs of others, and our good intentions get lost in the busyness and the demands of the moment.

1)      Start with a blank calendar. Add in the important events that have passed the litmus test of your mission statement. Family parties, concerts, commitments, etc. Don’t forget to put in your regular commitments…this helps you spot days where you have big blocks of time available.

2)      Pencil in decorating day, baking days and shopping days. Strategically block out times so you will have the special things ready when they are needed. Remember to evaluate each thing against your plum line. Does spending an entire day making and decorating sugar cookies line up with your mission statement?

For baking: Plan out what you will make ahead of time. Much can be done in advance and frozen. Also, some cookie doughs can be kept in the fridge and baked when needed. I do this with buck-eyes. Keep your pantry stocked. Double or triple recipes so you always have some to share.

For shopping: There are many different philosophies about gift giving at Christmas. There is not one right way to do it – just like there is not one right way to parent children. The important thing is to be both prayerful and intentional. Do the gifts that we buy coincide with our mission statement? Avoid succumbing to the deceptive lure of consumerism. It is helpful to have some universal gifts on hand so you are ready to bless your mailman, babysitter, teacher or hostess. These can be something homemade and economical – making them as a family makes great memories.

3)      Consider advent. In our house, we do an advent reading and activity most nights. When I can, I make the activity go with what we already have going on. For example, on a night we are going to a concert, the activity could be “celebrate Christmas with music”. Or a day after we did baking, the activity could be, “bring bags of treats to a nursing home”.

4. Prepare

This is the meaning of Advent. It’s a time to prepare for the coming of the Lord. Take time each day to prepare your heart and mind – read the Bible and pray. This is a gift to you and to God. Taking the time to quiet your heart enables you to face the activities of each day with patience, kindness and love. Setting that example for our children in invaluable.

5. Play

Have fun, be silly, laugh, and PLAY. Take breaks and play games. Leave room in your schedule to do nothing but be at home as a family. Not just on Christmas and the day after, but throughout the season. Bring joy to your home by giving them a smiling, laughing mother.

Fully be in each moment. As moms and teachers, we are often thinking about the next 5 things we need to do. This creates an urgency that hinders our ability to fully enjoy the moment we are living. Consciously calm your thoughts, take mental pictures of your great family and enjoy this special time of year.