A Month of Thankfulness Day 24

Today I am thankful for the 27 hours spent making Christmas memories with my precious little family in Branson.  I am always amazed (and quite surprised) to experience an entire city focused on the birth of our Savior.  It felt like I was at church several times.  On multiple occasions, I caught myself shouting, "Amen!"

If you leave Branson and you are not in the Christmas spirit, you must be the Grinch.

Yes.  It is official.  I AM THE GRINCH!

Don't get me wrong.  I love all the things that help me celebrate and focus on the birth of Jesus, but I despise the commercialism, stress, and busyness 

This season causes this recovering perfectionist to fall back into old habits in an attempt to create the "perfect" Christmas for those that I love.

My thoughts while driving home this afternoon...
-My tree is too Charlie Brown like.
-I have no desire to create homemade gifts.
-I don't enjoy baking.
-I don't like to shop.
-My kiddos have too much "stuff" already.
-I don't have the perfect photo for Christmas cards.
-We really need to save money, not spend more money.
-People get really crabby and unkind.
-I know that these things are not what God wants me to focus on and obsess about for the next 32 days.
-There are so many distractions.

This year, I will...
-read the Christmas story daily.
-give more to those in need.
-speak truth into the lives of many.
-give my children many opportunities to laugh
-not be making any gifts.
-be giving a lot of gift cards.
-dance with my husband in front of our Charlie Brown tree.
-pray for my neighbors daily instead of baking trays of homemade goodies.
-eat pizza in the car while driving through town looking at Christmas lights.
-let me kiddos have complete decorating control.