Are You Ready For Christmas?

Are you ready for Christmas?

  This is the question that kills  me
 EVERY YEAR
at this time. 

 I can be such a scrooge.
 I'm not good with planning.  I am not creative.  I hate shopping.  I'm usually quite broke.  I hate when my jeans are too tight.
 I don't like cold weather.  

Getting ready for Christmas contributes and reminds me of all these shortcomings.

This year I have especially struggled with all the Christmas preparations.  I just got back from Uganda, and Charlie is headed there 2 days after Christmas...when I look at what they have there and I look at the excess that we have here...I just haven't been able to get myself in the mood to get
 "ready for Christmas".

HOWEVER....

I listened to a podcast recently that got me pumped for Christmas.
*I'm sure the people around me are glad that the spirit finally hit me.* 

 It gave me the motivation to celebrate Christmas.

 It talked about keeping our focus on Christ.
WHOA!!!! lol
It seems so obvious, and yet...I get off track so easily.

 I know we all know this and we say things like,
 "Jesus is the reason for the season",
but it is a struggle to keep the focus there and really celebrate like we believe that, because there is so much
 TO DO!

It talked about EVERYTHING we do for Christmas should be only about Christ...if it's not...don't do it!
This freed me up in amazing ways...and spurred me on at the same time. 

My hope this year is to keep my focus on the
 Birthday KING!! 

 As crazy as it is...all He wants for Christmas,
 His birthday,
 is to spend time with us. 
He wants us to be in His presence...come to His party.

Celebrate HIM!!!

 He wants His kids to come to Him for His Birthday and

 WORSHIP HIM
 and 
GIVE HIM EVERYTHING..

  He wants our worship and He wants all our gifts and talents...even if they are not creative. 

I will still celebrate Christmas, but hopefully leaving the hustle and bustle, and the stress and the guilt  and the overspending, and the overindulging out of it,
 and take time to be with the
 Birthday King
 and celebrate with
 worship and deeper relationships and cookies
...because when I eat cookies...I feel closer to God...it makes me thankful.  :)

Yes, I have even bought a few gifts, but I have tried to keep in the front of my mind....
WHO
 this is all about.

At the same time we are "getting ready for Christmas"...we are also getting Charlie ready for Uganda, and that my friends makes it easier to keep things in perspective.


Our family will have a fabulous Christmas. 
 We are going to celebrate .
...my jeans are already too tight...ugh! 
I have an AWESOME Christmas surprise for the kids that is going to be so memorable and fun. 
I feel like it is Jesus party favor to us. 

Happy Birthday Jesus!!!!! 
 Thanks for inviting us to your party!!!