Scrooge!

If you scroll down several posts ago to the last time I was active on this blog prior to this year, you will see that I was quite the Christmas queen.

This year... not so much....

I'm not really sure why I'm not in the mood to get my house all decked out like I once did.

Confession: I don't even have our tree up yet. 

Bigger confession: We sold our Christmas tree for scrap metal last month. 

Whew... glad I got that off my chest. 

But seriously, what is the deal with me? I have a bazillion nativity sets in my attic just waiting to be placed in nearly every room in my house. I have homemade and store bought ornaments for the tree we no longer have. I have pinecones and ornaments and lights in fishbowl vases, and potpourri jars with Christmas lights. Stockings that I personalized last year, with cute little hangers. Garland to hang around my fireplace, and potted artificial trees (prelit of course) to add to the charm. I have dancing dogs wearing antlers and lights that play Jingle Bells old swingers style. I have a talking singing Yukon Cornelius doll. Throw pillows with holiday pictures and logos, snowmen decorations, etc. I have a LOT of stuff. 

And it's all still in the attic.

I think I'm finally fed up with commercial Christmas. For really realz. I think it's become too big and too crazy and too much about pretty lights and fancy decor and themed trees and whatnot. Why do we really make such a big deal out of Christmas anyway? Do we do that for Easter? I mean really, we're lucky if kids are out of school one day for Easter. As a Christian, I would hope that my focus on Christmas would to be thankful for the gift of Christ being born to save this world. But the real reason for celebration comes in His death and resurrection.... right? 

I will get a little tree in the next few days and put it up. I will put up a few things, but I have to stop pushing the commercial Christmas on my three sweet babies. If I keep teaching them that it's okay to play up the Santa- presents- reindeer junk, will they instinctively think of Jesus on Christmas when they are grown? Will they feel like they have to fulfill those wishlists? Attend every party with smiles on their faces? Overlay their homes in the glorious splendors of reds and greens? 

I need to do better. 

So that's my resolve. Do better this Christmas. We can keep traditions alive for the sake of memories and stability. We can still put on our PJs and trek up to Tanglewood Festival of Lights and do our once a year stop at IHOP afterwards. We can still open one gift- new PJs- on Christmas Eve before our traditional family gathering at my brother's house. We will still hold to our 6 gift limit for every child. These are simply fence posts, surrounding the number one most important thing for this holy holiday season....

Jesus.

As long as He remains in the center, joy will be triumphant.