Preparation

The other day I pulled out a book that my husband gave me almost a year ago. It's about preparing for Christmas. I was so pleased with myself when I actually thought about getting it off the shelf. I was looking for ideas/pointers about how to plan for the holiday - hopefully starting early so I'm not stressed at the last minute. Boy was I surprised when I saw the 8-week preparation plan. I quickly counted up the weeks and realized that I don't have 8 weeks until Christmas, it's already less than that! Fortunately there is a 4 week plan as well! :)

We plan for all sorts of things. At the moment, I am planning for a Bible study that I am teaching this evening. When it comes to the holidays, we figure out who we are going to spend it with, how much food we need, decorations, etc. The list can be endless of all we hope to accomplish before a holiday or special occasion.

This Christmas I want to be able to just relax and enjoy the meaning of why we even celebrate Christmas - the birth of Christ. I will make my lists ahead of time, of things that need to be accomplished, just because putting it down on paper helps me to be less stressed. I also get a feeling of satisfaction when I can cross things off the list! :) But most importantly in the weeks to come I pray that God prepares my heart for this holiday season. That my eyes and heart can be focused on the needs around me and what I can do to reach out. I guess it is never too late to start in asking God to prepare our hearts!