So I was looking at Facebook last week and a post from my memor ies came up. That in itself is nothing unusual but this post stopped me in my tracks. “What was the post” you may ask? Simply this “Hey guys, only 9 more Fridays until Christmas!” What???? I mean, we just got finished with Halloween, Fall Festivals and Fall Break. Even worse is the fact that it was a week ago and since you read this article another week has gone by. Now it’s 8 weeks! Come on, give me a break.

Where does and is the time going. Then, sandwiched in the midst of these Fridays is Thanksgiving (only 4 Fridays away, no, wait, 3 Fridays as you read this). And….it’s not like we have nothing to do in between until those holidays come around. We have Veterans’ Day, Operation Christmas Child collections and send off, Christmas parade and Christmas parties as well as Christmas play rehearsals and then just the everyday, normal stuff. Let me quote Charlie Brown, “Good Grief!”

But, fact is fact and the holidays are ever upon us. We can’t stop them or slow them down, so why not embrace and enjoy them. I know for some this time of the year is a time of dread because of the business, hustle and bustle. For others the expense of them can be disheartening while for others it is a depressing time. Whatever the circumstance is, this year, embrace the holidays, welcome them, truly celebrate them.

If it is the hustle and bustle that has you down, slow down this year. Make it a point not to get caught up in all the running around like a chicken with your head cut off trying to buy the perfect gift, setting the perfect table, serving the perfect dinner or decorating the perfect house. Let me give you one word: simplify. Keep it simple. Don’t try to outdo what you did last year. Keep it simple and focus on the more important things…family, friends, fellowship and true reason for the holiday itself. Maybe the perfect gift is just time spent with you. The perfect table and dinner is a table with those closest to you being able to spend a couple hours together. The perfectly decorated house is one decorated with family and friends that can sit and reminisce, play games or sing songs forgetting the craziness of the world outside for a brief moment.

If the expense of hosting a holiday dinner stresses you, delegate out some the dinner. You fix the main course and have the guests bring their favorite side dish and tell the story of why it is so special. Gift giving got you in the glums, limit who and how much to give and spend. Draw names for gift giving or get a gift and play dirty Santa. Home-made gifts are always a hit and extra special. Be creative. Pinterest always has great ideas and often affordable.

I totally understand the holiday being a depressing one. They can be depressing because of the loss of a family member, close friend or just someone special. Rather than withdraw and be sad or be in a state of mourning, try to remember all the good times spent with the loved one and focus on that. Maybe tell what made that person so special during the holidays or what made the holidays special because of them. Don’t be miserable, but memorable. Sure, laugh, cry or both, but celebrate the time you had with them.

Another time of sadness during the holidays is being lonely. The time when you are separated from the ones you love. For some it is a military assignment, for others it is a job that has taken them away while others it could be school or school events and then for some it is just no family around or just no family. To us who have family, look around and be aware of the recent widow (or widower), the student with nowhere to go, the military personnel trying to figure out what to do or just anyone who has nowhere or no one to spend the holidays with. Invite them over, include them in, and make them an adopted part of the holiday just for a day.

This time of the year should be the most wonderful time of the year and it seems we have made it a most dreaded time of the year. This year, why don’t we change all that and embrace Thanksgiving making memories that we will talk about years from now and be thankful. For Christmas let us remember that “Jesus is the Reason for the Season” and not get caught up in the commercialism turning us into a bunch of Scrooges. And, with both of the mentioned holidays, let’s find someone we can share it with who has no one to share it with.

Let the Holiday Countdown Begin, Bro. Tim Psalm 100:4