4 weeks till Christmas

The long Thanksgiving weekend is over - and its time to start thinking about Christmas. Craig and I put our Christmas lights up outside two weekends ago - when the weather was warmer - and now I'm so glad we did. We can enjoy them for the whole Christmas season. Now I can turn my attention to decorating inside. Each year I think I simplify my Christmas preparations a little more. I have found that if I try to do too much I am sick by the time Christmas comes and then I don't enjoy it very much. So I put up fewer decorations, and buy fewer gifts. I try to concentrate on the things that bring my family and me the most joy. I still like to make my own cards - and I love getting Christmas cards. I love having the Christmas tree up with all the lights on it. Shopping, however, is way down on my list of favorites. Hopefully I'll be able to put together a short list and get my gifts in just a few trips. After all (even though I now have two boys in the retail business) Christmas is not about spending money. It's about God's love for us - how He loved you and me so much that He sent His Son to earth as a baby. He grew up and experienced everything we do - but He never sinned. And then He gave up His life to die on a cross - to pay for our sins. We just need to find the best ways to share God's love with others - on Christmas and all year long.