The holiday simply breeds stress and frustration for me. I spend 11 months of the year with people who typically don't want to do anything except go home and watch TV, then everyone wants to have a party during one week in December. And I have a big issue with our gift culture. We are expected and obligated to give, completely devaluing the gift's significance. Was God obligated to give us Jesus as a 'get-out-of-jail-free-card'? Did we expect Jesus to make a sacrifice for us? The pressure to give good gifts to numerous people, 'holiday tipping', silly gift exchanges, insane sales, mobs of other stressed out, irritated people, and Martha Stewart's un-godly standard of decorating all contribute to the season's misery.
But I know none of those things are the reason for Christmas and that we celebrate in spite of them. So, in a good faith effort to have a good attitude about the season I thought about some ways, some things that would make Christmas something I could enjoy, not despise.
- Watch more movies.
I don't mean by myself - or by your self. Round up the silliest, most juvenile friends you've got, gallons of hot chocolate and watch The Muppet Christmas Carol. (It's way better than the Jim Carrey version.) - Have a cookie decorating party.
I did this once. It was loads of fun and churned out lots of Jesus cookies. ;) - Drink more.
Caramel hot chocolate, peppermint mochas, hot cider or anything else that tastes good hiding under a mound of whipped cream. Not what you thought I was gonna say, huh? - Play games. Maybe even the reindeer kind.
Play Monopoly. The real one, not the app on your phone. Play one of the 75 versions of Scene-It. Play Big-Booty. Make some cookies and go to Joanne's for cards and beat Rick. ;) - Decorate more. Whatever will stand still. Nothing makes you feel like Christmas more than the scent of fresh evergreen and the soft glow of those little white lights. But not the LED kind. Those things irritate me. ;)
