Wishing All our Faithful Supporters Merry Christmas Week (12/26-12/30)

Now that the crazy hustle and bustle of preparing for Christmas is over, many may find themselves in another cycle of panic and rush...preparing for the numerous New Year's celebration. Unfortunately though, the days between Christmas day, December 25 and New Year's Day is a huge letdown. This transitional week is supposed to be Christmas week; yet over the years it has been watered down to nothing, replaced by yet another activity and all the focus of Christmas easily and quickly gets trashed like shredded Christmas wrappings.

For those of us who do care about savoring the realities of our Savior's birth and His impact on human kind, and desire not to race into the New Year, there are things we can still do to preserve the warm sentimental feeling and focus of Christmas this week.

We don't have to, like the rest of a world reeling from one event to the next, exhibiting an excessive need for emotional and immediate gratification of our senses, fall prey to discarding Christmas week. We can implement family activities, group and ministry gatherings to prolong and savor the joy, peace, hope and love of Christmas.

Here are some ideas:

• Celebrate the 12 days of Christmas by giving little homemade/store bought gifts to family members or those in your community.
• Have family centered activities like games nights, baking party, share cookies etc. with neighbors
• Gather friends and family and do potlucks, and talk about all the blessings of the present year.
• There are many more activities that , if we are creative, receptive and willing, the Holy Spirit will inspire.

Have a purposeful and reflective Christmas Week!