Tomorrow is December 1st and we start Advent. We've celebrated Advent with the children for the last 2 years. However, this year is different because we are also studying Advent in our small group and focusing on spending our time and money on preparing our hearts for Jesus rather than preparing for a commercialized form of Christmas. So, I've been thinking a lot about how I approach the holidays and where my heart is. I LOVE Christmas -- I love getting a tree, decorating, listening to Christmas music , cooking, and shopping (I even like wrapping the gifts). So, this weekend I started asking myself what would Christmas be like this year if I had none of those things that I associate with Christmas. What would December 25th be like if all of the extras were taken away and I were just to focus on the birth of Christ? It's like "The Grinch Who Stole Christmas" -- would I be singing if I woke up on Christmas morning to find no decorations, no presents, no Christmas dinner? NO! I would be crying. So, what does this say about my heart? This Advent season, I am praying that God will show me the true meaning of Christmas and help me to be completely caught up in HIM rather than worldy things created by man which serve to distract us from Christ during this season of celebration.
