Phew!
December 9, 2006
Just returned from the shops and i feel much lighter, almost like i’ve have an encounter with God in the shops!
This may sound odd, but unbeknown to me, the pressure of needing to buy Christmas presents with an ever looming deadline was actually becoming a burden rather than a pleasure. I was becoming stressed about it!
Having been to the shops and made a considerable dent in the Christmas list i feel so much freer and lighter, as if i can relax again.
It’s amazing how ordering our lives and sorting out seemingly straight forward issues can change our perspective on things. eg if you know you need to write that letter or do something in particular, get it done now rather than spending days worrying about it because then you can use the days of worry to be joyful!
Sorry, Lord, for forgetting that Your burden is light!
In His Hands 
when I shop only my wallet feels lighter 😦
I know what you mean about Christmas shopping becoming a burden and not fun. That has happened to me before. It won’t be a problem this year though. Christmas has become so commercialized…isn’t that a shame? The devil would love nothing more than for our focus to be taken off the true meaning of Christmas and to get us frustrated with all the shopping that it entailes as well. I hope you are at least having a little fun with it though.
I just don’t understand. How can people let shopping to buy gifts for people they love become such a burden? Just a few short weeks ago, you were saying it was too early. Now it’s too late. Bah. Humbug.
Lighten up, Maria. Start earier. Begin in July. Christmas is supposed to be the biggest birthday party of them all, the one for Jesus, our Savior, not the oh-my-god-it’s-gotten-too-commercial-and-left-me-with-all-this-stress holiday. Christmas is too important to be seen as a “looming deadline.”
Just dropping in to say that I’ve been enjoying the last 4 posts you’ve posted. Its great to be involved in your “every-day”
SMILE
Do it with love and the burden is light.
His blessings this day.
I’ve been clicking around to see if I could find a picture of a Christmas present that I could bring here to your site. Alas! At this point, I have not had success.
A merry Christmas anyway. (I’m going to keep looking for a picture, or better yet, I will take one myself and try to bring it over.:)
Shirley Buxton
http://www.writenow.wordpress.com
Maria, I did take a picture for you, but I guess one can’t post pictures in the comments area. Anyway, know that in my heart, I brought you a present today.
Shirley Buxton
http://www.writenow.wordpress.com
I have a way to keep Christ in Christmas and avoid the stress of the season: Do all your Christmas shopping early. I know, it sounds simple to some, hard to others, and impossible to most. So, from one of those people who has the shopping done before All Saint’s Day, here is how it’s done.
Buy a big plastic storage tub. This will hold and protect your gifts. (A card board box can get soaked and crushed.) Get a sheet of paper and write down the names of anyone you are giving a gift too. Leaving children and anyone else who gets more than one present at the bottom. Keep the list in the tub.
Through out the year, when you see that ‘perfect’ little something, grab it, put it in the tub with a label and cross the appropriate name off the list. Remember, in this world of plastic, handmade gifts are making a very fashionable come back. You can also buy similar gifts for everyone. My mother, when she saw something cool, bought one for everyone on the Christmas list. My Aunt Kathy buys ornaments for everyone every year. (It’s become a BIG tradition. What new ornament will grace our tree this year?)
For anyone who gets more than one present, get wishlists for them by Halloween. Do all the shopping for those lists before December 1st and throw them in the tub, appropriately labelled. During the first days of Advent, the wrapping paper comes out. Get some and wrap gifts immediately.
Suddenly, the stressful part of the holiday doesn’t exist anymore! Since doing this, I haven’t missed Christmas and the hopefulness of the season once. It also helps me to keep Christmas throughout the year, because I am constantly thinking about yuletide happiness!
Another hint: buy all your Christmas cards for next Christmas when they all go on sale after the previous ones. Address all the ones you can and sign the cards. If you want to do a Christmas letter, write it seperately and stuff the card before mailing.
In Christ!
Nicolle
Maria, Nicolle said exactly what I meant, only nicer. Christmas is not supposed to be stressful. It is supposed to be about love.
What we did this year was to spend what we would have done on friends and family through Samaritans Purse or World Vision. So, rather than a direct present from us, you get a pig (etc), indirectly that is.
Then we put the kids to task creating home made ornaments etc for people.
That way, folks get something more personal, those who really need Christmas presents get them, and we can add a little something to living counter-culturally!
Maria, I understand this soooo much. Yesterday I wrapped about 35 presents (family, friends, housemates, colleagues, customers…).
Now I can really enjoy that season, since everything is prepared and I can now hardly wait to see everyone’s faces.
Thanks for sharing – I was wondering about all the other Christmas Shoppers and if they really enjoyed it…
Maria,
It does make things so much better when you just do whatever it is that’s eatting at you. I’ve had several things (letters, shopping, etc.) that needs to be done, and it’s been hanging over my head for a few days, but once I finally started going down the list, I started to feel so much better. Once I stop putting it off and just do it, I’m able to relax and not worry about it.
-Kelsey
I’d stress out too much if I tried to post that often. I only post when I have something to say, but that doesn’t mean it’s something worth saying. 😉
-Kelsey