Planning for Christmas!

The message of this post is so strong inside of me it came out sounding kind of bossy. It isn't meant to be bossy at all. Thank you in advance for your understanding and grace.

Christmas? Already? But we don't feel like Christmas! We're not planning because we feel like it, we're planning because we need it. We need Christmas, maybe more than ever before in our lives. This is the year we look ahead, fill our minds with visions of truthful beauty, ponder, consider, and do -  because we need to. 

Truth and beauty are needed in our homes, towns, cities, and nations. Let's fill our homes with Truth and Beauty. The Light of the World outshines the darkness. Let's shine the Light of Jesus. Jesus, the Hope of all hope is greater than hopelessness. Let's celebrate Him in joyous abandon. Jesus is the greatest Christmas gift ever given (John 3:16). Let's give as we have been given. We need Jesus! Christmas is Jesus! We need Christmas!

Whatever celebrating Christmas and Jesus' birth openly and freely looks like to you, do it! I am serious. Do it! Think about it. Imagine it. Write the images down. Make a Christmas idea book, a Christmas dream journal, a Christmas To-Do list, a Christmas Smashbook. Ponder on it. Consider it. Write the considerations down. Plan it. Write the plans out. Create a Christmas vision board. Don't forget the gifts! Think about the gifts. Imagine the gifts you will give. Sketch the ideas out, jot them down. Make plans to give to more people than ever before. Ponder what you will give. What will you make? What act of service will you do? How will you say thank you? 

Take all the ideas and considerations, the books and boards, and pray over them. Sit quietly in stillness before the Maker of Heaven and Earth and pray over the plans. Listen to His plans for Christmas this year. Make His plans your plans. After His plans become your plans, put them in action. Make dozens of Christmas play lists. Start playing them. Find Christmas themed paintings and art. Print them out. Hang them up. Study them. Fill your home with Christmas beauty. Do it. Let's fill our homes with Jesus! 

Let's get excited about Christmas! Let's allow the child like anticipation to fill us and bubble over onto everyone around us. Jesus is an exciting gift, and we get to share the gift of Jesus everyday in every way. We are going to be the light of Christmas wherever we are. We're having Christmas!