Preparing for Christmas

Preparations for Christmas began really late this year, I suppose because I was in London for so long. So the tree went up late, the presents were bought hurriedly, the menu is not really decided yet... I feel the usual anxieties creeping up on me as I think about the annual Christams family dinner.

But yesterday while I was attending a workshop, (my mind only half on what was being said, because I was mentally going over all that was still left undone), a thought came to me - why was I stressed and anxious about celebrating the birth of my God? Christmas is when God's love came down. Christmas is about God putting me above Himself.

So I prayed and decided that I will stop obsessing about what to cook, what to buy, most important of all, what people will think... I will celebrate Christ. So I began to think how we can celebrate Christmas so that our Saviour's birth will be manifested to the people who come to our home for Christmas. This is what came to mind -

A Christ-honouring Christmas dinner would

• welcome guests into a warm and loving home
• bless the guests with joy and laughter
• affirm the guests

My goal shall be to make Christmas seem different from all other festivals. Because Christmas is different! Because Christians have a DIFFERENT ATTITUDE! So we will celebrate Christ-mas in a way that makes the guests wonder why this day is different! We will make it a day guests look forward to. We will be generous, joyful, loving and radiate God's love - no matter what!!!