Not Losing The Merry in Christmas!

when mark and i were engaged my mom made two rules.
1. we WILL have fun!
2. you WILL get married!

as we approach the madness of the christmas season, mark and i try and abide by two simple rules.
1. we WILL adore Him!
2. we WILL be merry and FUN!

so for us we have found some ways that help us adore Him, and be merry and fun!

1. Limit stress:
Ho-ho-ho, can sometimes be a slippery slope to ho-ho-hellness. when i feel the merry and the fun seeping away, i eliminate the stress and find HIM! i find Him in silence, in carols, in scripture, in the lit christmas tree during the wee hours of the morning or night, and He can even be found in the deliciousness of a peppermint mocha from starbucks ;)

2. Less money spent on things to give to people, instead more money spent on experiences WITH people. in our nine years of marriage, eight of those years have been spent on a ridiculously tight budget. so when push came to shove we would choose to use our money to go be with those we love, rather then spend the money on the ones we love. to me, that's the best gift. honestly, mark and i have never bought each other christmas gifts. trust me, we are not lacking.

this year has the potential to be the best christmas yet. our girls are at a SUPER fun age. last night when we were decorating the christmas tree katie said,"mom, mom, can you feel it? can you feel it? it's coming up inside of me and boiling over... it's, it's CHRISTMAS TIME!!" *squeals of delight followed*
the girls serenaded mark, as he painstakingly hung the lights on the tree. and anderson ran around the tree saying,"booty-full, booty-full" (beautiful. he was referring to the tree, not my rear end ;)! i love that the excitement, anticipation, and shere joy, that wells up in my heart this time of year is overflowing into my little one's hearts. 

with "adoring Him" in mind we try and limit the gifts the kids receive. don't get me wrong, i love buying and giving my kids gifts. but early on in our parenthood journey it became very clear, very quickly that our children were going to be persuaded by the powerful monster of materialism. we saw their hearts and desires not being captivated solely by the awe and wonder of our Savior's birth. if mark and i preach to our children that this season is about our Jesus, but fill their hearts up only with things that satisfy them, we feed their selfishness and do a poor job of teaching them self-LESS-ness. one time i heard this mom, that i really respect, talking about how they did christmas in their home. her idea stuck with me, and now we use it. the kids are each giving 3 things; a need, a want, and a book. they still get things in their stocking, and they still receive gifts from their very giving grandparents, aunts and uncles, cousins, and friends. but from mark and me, they know they will receive these 3 items. it eliminates the, "how many gifts am i going to get this year?" it eliminates me being concerned if "everything is even". and we believe it's a balanced way to share in the fun of gift giving, but it also leaves room for the birth of Jesus, and Jesus Himself, to satisfy their every need and want, and above all else point them to Him during this delightful season.

so SLOW down! it's not even december, and i can feel some of you losing the merry, losing the fun, and losing Him!

~s