Christmas Feeling

 "Joy is God and God is joy and joy doesn't negate all other emotions - joy TRANSCENDS all other emotions. Joy is a flame that glimmers only in the palm of the open and humble hand."

Every year I enter into Advent with the goal of finding the joy in the Christmas season.

Every year by the time we hit the week of Christmas, Christmas often feels more like a burden then a blessing.

I look at our calendar and try to figure out how to balance the expectations of those who live outside our house with the mission of those who live inside our house.

As these thoughts were swirling, I stumbled upon our elf Snowflake.

Snowflake arrived the year Peanut was born. She's soft and cuddly as elves of 9 month old babies should be.

My favorite parenting mantra is "When I know better, I do better."

Snowflake came with no rules - no book.

She's allowed to be touched, played with and loved.

She does not "watch" over Peanut. Her job is not to see if Peanut is some elusive naughty or nice. She doesn't report to Santa.

Her job is solely to bring a little concrete joy into our days during December.

Peanut is GOOD.

She's GOOD because she's made by God in His image.

She's GOOD because she's wholly loved by me, and others, authentically for who she is.

There's nothing she can do that will take Christmas away from her.

Nothing.

Jesus is coming regardless of her behavior in December, or any other time.

She will wake Christmas morning with presents to celebrate that.

No matter what.

A younger me bought an elf with a book and followed the rules. Sort of odd for me as rule following is not my norm

A me who knew better, and did better, changed it to fit my Christmas message.

I was reminded this morning that what Christmas looks like isn't decided by someone else.

I'm the contributor to His story.

I get to decide to sort the burdens and the blessings.

I get to decide whether you can touch the elf or not.

Mama Warriors, as we enter this last week of magic making, I encourage you to remember that YOU are the author of how this Christmas goes.

You get to decide what lands on the pages of your story book.

What you say yes to.

What you say no to.

As an adult, I realized that I don't remember the specifics of any childhood Christmas.

But I do remember how Christmas felt.

How does Christmas feel in your home?