Preparing for Christmas

So, it has been over a month since my last post.  I feel pretty frustrated with that, but have been so preoccupied with other things in life that this was one of the last things I was thinking about...but it doesn't mean I didn't have anything to post about.

This month has been financially challenging, and my weakness falls a lot on budgeting and overcoming my selfish desires of the flesh with things that don't matter, and I neglect the financial planning on the things that do.  Normally, my response is "Well this is my dumb fault" (and it still is). 
However...there is a treasure I have found in not having my income all planned out this month.  A couple in fact.  Because I don't have the extra money I need this month, I have been "forced" to think creatively for Christmas presents this year.  I am making 95% of my Christmas presents this year for everyone. 

I pondered the difference between buying a gift for someone and making a gift for someone...our world today is so obsessed with buying the next best thing and packing our carts full with electronics and houseware.  Here is the typical individual's prep for Christmas shopping...

1) Take individual's Christmas list
2) Go to store to buy items
3) Take home to wrap
4) Hide or put under tree

Easy, quick, and sometimes (not always) effortless.  Here is what I've seen with most of my Christmas prep this year:

1) Ponder individual's character and passions
2) Go to store to buy supplies
3) Spend 2-4 hours (total) assembling and creating gift
4) Pray over the gift and individual
5) Wrap gift
6) Store it before giving it away

I noticed a difference.  In making my gifts, I have put more thought, time, and energy into that person than I would by walking in the stores to find what they were trying to tell me in their lists.  The time is more peaceful, less chaotic, and very rewarding when the gift is done.  I feel more of my heart is put into the gifts that are made than bought.  Yet somehow, we can be really quick to disregard those homemade gifts because we find no real use for those in our materialistic way of thinking. 

A while back, one of my grandmas had taken a white pillow case and embroydered along the edge "Katie Beth with the brown eyes"  (she always called me Katie Beth Bell)

At the time, I didn't think much of it.  Now I tear up when I think of this.  I wish I had that pillowcase still.  My grandma's hands weren't in the best condition back then, and the lettering wasn't exactly the straightest on this pillowcase, but the effort it took for her to put that stitching into that case, the time it took for her to do it...all that time she was thinking about my little brown eyes.  She was thinking and praying for me as she made that simple gift.  There was more love in that gift that year than there was in that new electronic toy I may have gotten. 

You can't put a price on that. 

This Christmas season has been a huge blessing to me, yet I fear that people that will receive my gifts will have the same reaction I did for my grandma.  I worry it won't be good enough...but as I pray over the gift, I pray that God will find a use for this in their lives.  That they may use it or look at it and remember His love for them and to grow more in love with Jesus.  

So, if you get a gift from me, I pray it is a blessing to you, because you have been a blessing to me.

To you all, I pray that you will not get caught up in the hussle and bussle of the stuff, but remember the true act of love that was shown to us...the sacrifice that was made by Jesus Christ, to leave perfection and live in imperfection.  To leave complete control to be completely helpless.  To leave the Creator to be among the created.  We are so quick to want to leave this place to be in perfection, and Jesus was willing to leave perfection to be with us.

This is the greatest sacrifice of all, and we tend to think past it because of the stuff that we get and the deadline to get it.  Don't forget this love my friends...your hearts will change, and this season will be all the more joyeous to you and your families.  

God bless, and again...I love you all.