I love this time of year!

There's a nip in the air...turkey dinners, candied yams...a general sense of good will. Of course all the children love Christmas gifts but a lot of adults don't like the commercialism of the holiday or the stress of expectations put on them. I say it is what you make it. You don't have to go broke to please your children on Christmas morning. You don't have to have a huge turkey dinner with all the fixings just because your family expects it. Do Christmas your way.

What do I love about Christmas? It's actually the season...not the day. I love that Thanksgiving is a day to thank God for the blessings that He's given you and not about what you did or didn't get. I love the Christmas songs on the radio, the glow of the lights on the Christmas tree, the smell of the cookies or the turkey baking in the oven. I love my decorations...I'm very sentimental and most of them are homemade or have a story behind them. My husband and I tried to pick up an ornament at each of our vacation destinations...a quilted pillow from Hawaii, a shield from the tower of London, Mickey and Minnie Mouse from DisneyWorld, etc. Most of all, I enjoy the time spent with family. I don't need gifts and I don't need to spend a ton of money on my husband and daughter. I need to sing the songs with them, to decorate the tree with them, to bake the cookies with them. I need to share the dinner table with them and my parents, brother, and grandparents. I need to open up my home to my in-laws...I need hugs all around.

Let's not forget that the real purpose of Christmas is to celebrate the birth of Jesus, our Lord and Savior! It's not about cards and gifts and commercialism. It's about the salvation that came with God in human form. So, let's enjoy the company of the family and friends that God gave us and praise His name for all of the blessings He showers us with everyday!