In our culture Christmas is all about “gifts”. What I can give and what I can get. With so much emphasis on things and so many unrealistic expectations about how the holiday should look and feel, it is no wonder that we might find ourselves in a Christmas funk.

( Remember a funk is when we put our feelings first, lose focus, and live under our situation)

And, why is the “most wonderful time of the year” often the hardest season? Probably because we try to cram a picture perfect old fashioned Christmas into a few short weeks, so we race around from party to party, mall to mall, while running on too little sleep and way too much sugar.

Enter Christmas season 2010.  What would happen if we re-thought Christmas this year. I am not even thinking of not getting gifts, for I love to bless my family and friends. But, what if I re-thought the amount of gifting, and re-thought how many things I let fill up my calendar space. Or perhaps, if I am in a position to not be able to choose to NOT attend things, how about if I re-think how I do fill my own free space this month.

I just spent last night with the women at Cornerstone Fellowship, my home church where I serve as the Director of Women’s Ministries. It was our tenth annual Christmas event for the women, and in two nights we will have welcomed 2000 women as our guests. The stage was beautiful, personally decorated tables beautiful, and the women arrived dressed like beautiful Christmas packages. It’s easy to see that many of the women collect things like Christmas ornaments, snowmen, nutcrackers and other themed items. But, underneath the pretty faces I know that they, like me, also have been collecting other things this year. Things like bad attitudes, unforgiveness, fear, and insecurities. Yes, there is no better time of year to prepare our hearts than now.

You see the beauty of the Christmas story is the promise that God would always be with us. When the Christ child born, he was called Emmanuel, which means God with us.  The beauty of the promise is that with God all things are possible…things like having cleansed hearts, attitudes and minds. Without Christ in our lives we are limited by SELF. The best we can do, is all we have. But, with Christ there is no limit to the beauty that can be brought forth in each life. Jesus makes the difference in human hearts and human lives.

So, I am going to begin this season by making a commitment to spend time reflecting each day. I am going to reflect on the Christmas story, and the promise of Christmas. I am going to reflect on what Scripture says about why Christ came…for me, for you, for us.

Here is the first thing I am going to reflect on:

Isa 9:6

“For a child is born, to us a Son is given; and the government shall be upon His shoulder, and His name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”

Here they are 4 things to think about:

• Wonderful Counselor
• Mighty God
• Everlasting Father
• Prince of Peace

I am sure I will be blogging more about each one as I reflect this month on each of them separately. I will also be adding some Christmas ideas and recipes to the blog this month too. Gotta go, another night of welcoming the women into Cornerstone, with 1000 more guests to hear Sheila Walsh and to be encouraged that this Christmas, God is there for them.

And, for you….He is with you, today and always. No matter where you are or what you are going through. The promise of the Christmas story is alive and working in your life.

Reflect. Pray. Thank Him.

Christmas Blessings,

Debbie