I have a confession. Sometimes the Christmas season stresses me out.

It's no one's fault but my own. I constantly put pressure on myself to do so much during the month of December. I want to watch all the best seasonal movies, make amazing goodies for friends and family, get the best presents for my closest friends and family, plan amazing things for Clark's birthday, go to church regularly, do a shoebox for Operation Christmas Child, give to the Salvation Army, volunteer where I can... all these things I put pressure on myself to do. All the while forgetting why I'm doing them.

Time and time again I've had to tell myself to slow down. To realize what's important, and where I'm putting unrealistic pressure. For example, I have to realize that I can't buy everyone what I know they really want, or the really thoughtful gift I thought of. Sometimes the simplest thing is to send them a card to let them know I'm thinking of them. And I can't make every single thing I want to bake (as hard as I may try), because the most important thing is to spend time with those who are near and dear to my heart, especially Michael and Clark. And I can't provide everything for everyone who is not as blessed as we are. As hard as I may try to volunteer, tithe, give, help... I can't make up for the fact that there will be children Christmas morning without gifts.

My favorite verse for Christmas is Luke 2:13-14. I especially like the King James Version, because I always hear Linus in "A Charlie Brown Christmas" saying it.

"And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men."

This is my favorite verse because it's how I envision Christmas every time I stop to think about what's really important. I imagine the heavenly host appearing in the skies singing to the world, and wondering how on earth so many could miss this glorious sight.

There was a multitude of heavenly host praising God, for all those present to see. Here we should be so humbled from this message, but still we focus on the tree and the gifts.

I have recently volunteered to be a Compassion blogger, and Clark and I are planning to sponsor a child come the new year as our monthly tithe. I am usually so against plug-ins with blogs, but I ask you to look into the information and think about those children that want nothing more than to know the good news and see the heavenly host. We are so amazingly blessed that we sometimes forget to stop and remember those who are struggling. I ask you to listen to the angels sing, and remember why we celebrate Christmas in the first place.

"And the Grinch, with his grinch-feet ice-cold in the snow,
Stood puzzling and puzzling: 'How could it be so?'
It came without ribbons! It came without tags!
It came without packages, boxes or bags!
And he puzzled three hours, 'till his puzzler was sore.
Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before!
Maybe Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store.
Maybe Christmas... perhaps... means a little bit more!"

Christmas isn't about the presents or the tree, but about the love and true reason for the season. Help spread the word and the love this Christmas.




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