Advent Conspiracy

I have had a little more time since Sunday to think about the upcoming holidays. In years past, it seemed that from Halloween on, we jumped into light speed. Getting the house ready, finishing school work, many rehearsals for recitals, musicals, special events, menu planning and buying, not to mention buying gifts. We also used to think that shopping early (earlier than Thanksgiving) wasn't as fun as doing it during the holidays. And if we had out-of-town family come, where to put them? Who moves into whose room, cleaning linens and dresser tops, not to mention closet space. What traditions to do this year? What books to read? What colors to decorate in? As the kids were growing up, all of that mostly fell to me. Until one year, the kids finally spoke up and said, "I used to love it when we had that creche there, with that book by it" or I always liked reading "The Best Christmas Pageant Ever" through the season. Or can we carol our neighbors this year? I love to try new things, and so every Christmas, we tried something new!! But traditions aren't that. Traditions are something that is 'handed down, from generation to generation', a continuing pattern. Especially a belief system or custom. Something from which to build memories. How can they build memories if we keep changing how we do things or never repeat any of the wonderful things we've done?

I just saw a meaningful, informational, challenging video put out by Advent Conspiracy. Their mission is simple this Christmas:

Worship Fully
Spend Less
Give More
Love All

(they also have a worldwide clean-up-the-water campaign that is amazing)

The spend less and give more is something I know sounds like a dichotomy. We're not just talking about money, but about relationships and time. We always enjoy making gifts and receiving homemade gifts. But we don't always take the time to plan for it. And spending time with family and friends, doing something together, is so much more meaningful than opening a useless gift. Inviting others to our home for a meal shows how much we care rather than dropping off a wreath. I know there's a place for those, but I'm just hoping to make whatever we choose to do have meaning. May this holiday change the way you think about Christmas and bring you closer to Him, the reason for Christmas.