Welcome to Advent...or as most people say "CHRISTMAS SEASON IS HERE!!!" To those people I say, "Simmer down, we've got a month to go. Advent is a time to prepare for Christmas. Preparing for Christmas means buying gifts, decorating inside and outside, visiting Santa in the store, shopping, and preparing for family to come over. These can be extremely stressful times that push us further from God, rather than closer. So how can we flip this?
Let's think about this philosophically. What adds to the stress? The amount that needs to be done. The amount of gifts, decorations, Pinterest recipes, etc. What if we simplified it? Maybe a few less decorations, making food that is simple to cook, getting creative with your gifts.
We have made Christmas into a production, and by the 20th we're ready for Christmas to be over before it's even begun. Christmas is a time to celebrate the birth of Christ by caring for one another. You can't care for someone if you're extremely stressed!!!
The most important thing this Advent is to prepare your heart for Christmas. Be ready to share the love and joy of Christ with friends, family, and strangers. If that means simplifying certain things, DO IT! Your guests will still be satisfied whether you slave over a meal or simply pull out lasagna from the oven with a few store bought pies. Christmas doesn't hinge on the apple pie you made from scratch, it's how you treat others during such a joyous occasion. You are important, not the material things.
The most important thing this Advent is to prepare your heart for Christmas. Be ready to share the love and joy of Christ with friends, family, and strangers. If that means simplifying certain things, DO IT! Your guests will still be satisfied whether you slave over a meal or simply pull out lasagna from the oven with a few store bought pies. Christmas doesn't hinge on the apple pie you made from scratch, it's how you treat others during such a joyous occasion. You are important, not the material things.
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