What Kind of Christmas Do You Want This Year?

Posted on Nov 24, 2022 Topic : Men's Christian Living, Women's Christian Living
Posted by : Kathi Lipp

I think there are two kinds of Christmas extremists.

First, there’s your friend who has a selection of ugly Christmas sweaters to choose from for every party. She’s first in line, waiting outside of Target on December 26 to stock up on all things Christmas themed. She has formal, semiformal, and casual Christmas dishes. All of her neighbors have submitted footage of the outside of her house for “The Best Christmas Display Ever” on TLC.

I am not that woman.

Second, there’s your other friend who wants to huddle in the corner where the Christmas tree should have been, rocking back and forth and waiting for the sweet release of January 1 to finally come.

I have been that woman.

I pray you fall somewhere in between.

Whether you are filled with magical Christmas wonder or extreme Christmas dread, one thing is for certain: Ready or not, Christmas is going to happen. And if you’re reading this, my guess is that thought fills you with a mixture of delight and dread.

I doubt Christmas is the problem. It’s the expectations around Christmas that are killing you slowly.

The shopping, hosting, wrapping, shipping, cooking, decorating and baking may all be things you enjoy. But when there’s a time limit, a money limit, and an energy limit, the things you love can start to turn into things you dread.

I was the woman who stayed up every night until midnight for a week to bake Magical Christmas Cookie Bars for a cookie exchange I never wanted to be a part of. (One woman actually showed up with Hydrox cookies she wanted to exchange for my magical cookies. I may have lost my Christmas joy ever so momentarily…)

I was the woman who had a full-on mental break because I ran out of clear tape on Christmas Eve.

And I didn’t want to be that woman anymore. In fact, I really didn’t like her much.

So I went through a few years of trying to figure out exactly what I wanted my family’s Christmas to look like.

I want you to have the kind of Christmas where you celebrate what’s truly important to you: faith, family and friends. (And, for me, throw in a little fun and food, and you’ve got yourself a truly magical holiday.)

I want you to put aside the expectations of what you should do and truly dig into what you want to do this Christmas season.

And let’s be clear: This isn’t about one day. I don’t want you to just get to the day and then collapse in an utter heap of exhaustion. I want you to have joy, peace, and a plan for the whole holiday season.

Planning and preparation is the key to peace in any season, but especially during the Christmas holiday.

Looking ahead, what kind of Christmas do you want to have this year?