How Many Christmases Have You Experienced?

I asked that question at Homemakers last week. Think about how many Christmases you remember. You probably remember the one that disappointed you; the one with your first boyfriend; the first one when you were first married and probably a few others. If you have had 25-30 Christmases, shouldn't you remember all of them, if Christmas is as special as we say it is? If Christ gave His son at Christmas shouldn't we remember such a life-changing time each year? My point at Homemakers was that perhaps we need to be more intentional about making our Christmases have more impact in our lives. Not just in December, but all year long. That way, we could look back on 2007 and say, "I remember that year because..." We spend so much time shopping, decorating and baking, and we are so relieved it is over by the time January arrives. How can we make Christmas more memorable? I would like to suggest taking time each Christmas season to write down in a journal or on a calendar what you are expecting Christmas to be like and what you are going to do to make it happen. We have one week til Christmas Eve. It is a perfect time to get away for 10 minutes and write out how you want to affect others during this family time. How are you going to feel if you don't get the 'perfect gift'? What impact are you going to have on making memories and having a good attitude during the busy days ahead? By identifying what you hope to accomplish, you will have a path to move ahead on. After Christmas, take time to access your progress. Did you make Christmas about others or was it all about you? I keep a yearly prayer calendar and I write my 'hopes and dreams' for the Christmas season in that. I can look back and see if I am growing to be more Christ-like, or if I am treading water until next year. If I say Christ is the 'reason for the season'...am I really living in a way that it makes a difference in my life? I don't remember many Christmases in my 58 years. That is sad. I wish I had documented more and baked less! That would really have changed my focus for Christmas and my anticipation for Christmases in the future. If I can change my ways after so many years, I hope to challenge some of you to start monitoring your Christmases in an intentional way. Experiment this year...keep track of what you learn this Christmas, how you acted, what you gave and how you touched another person. This may be the best gift you can give yourself this year.