As I sit in my little sanctuary of an office this morning, the word that comes to mind is peace. Out my window, snow gently falls blanketing the ground. My Piano Christmas plays quietly in the background. My Sumatra coffee warms my hands and taste buds.

I love mornings where fresh snow is falling. It’s a morning where life slows down a bit. Drivers can’t barrel down the roads. School buses are late, so rushing isn’t necessary. The urgency to run errands is replaced by thoughts of a nice toasty fire and a cup of hot cocoa.

Tranquility.

Outside dainty heaps pile atop Christmas lights and pine needles. Frailty. Tiny snowflakes find their designed homes. Destiny. Scraggly branches thicken with a white puffy layer. Comfort.

Softly the pianist glides its fingers across the keys …

Long lay the world in sin and error pining.

Till He appeared and the Spirit felt its worth.

A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices,

For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.

Fall on your knees. Oh, hear the angel voices!

O night divine, the night when Christ was born …

I wonder if it snowed that night. A baby born in a stable-such frailty. But it was perfect-destiny. Hope felt from the birth of a Savior-comfort.

Whether it’s snowing where you live or not, take time today … just be.

December has arrived. It’s my favorite time of the year. On Saturday, giddiness came over me like a child on Christmas morning. Christmas does that to me. I just could not wait to make Wassail, turn on Christmas music, build a fire, and decorate the house for Christmas. All afternoon I kept wondering, What is it about Christmas that I love so much?

Christmas Music. I know many hate Christmas music, but I happen to love it. The various artist renditions or jazzy instrumentals of the familiar songs make me just want to get up and dance around the house.

Festive Lights. What beautiful displays people place in their yards at this time of year. I often think of the electric bill they will receive for the over-the-top decorations, but I enjoy gazing at them.

Giving. I love giving more than receiving! To watch the expression when my daughter receives a long-awaited gift or a tender moment a special gift offers brings me such joy. I love the process of finding just the right thing for a person that will brighten their day.

Baking. Holidays means baking goodies and spending time with my daughter as we bake together.

Family. Holidays means extra time with my family. Time to decorate, play games, laugh, and just be.

The True Meaning. A time to celebrate the birth of Jesus. The idea that the God of the universe sent his son to be born to this cruel, harsh world is hard to fathom. Yet He did, just for us. That is the greatest gift of all.

Yet often December gets bombarded with Christmas parties, hurried shopping, traffic, no parking places, long check-out lines, a flurry of items on the to-do list, and stress over money to be spent. Many years it seemed the more I tried to slow the month down, the faster it sped up.

This weekend we did an Advent Wreath craft with our Kindergarten Sunday School class. In preparing for the craft, I found that advent (Latin for “coming towards”) was of German origin dating back 150 years. Advent can be celebrated in many different ways, but what a great reminder of the true meaning of celebrating Christmas. It’s a new tradition my family is adding this year to keep us focused on what is most important.

No matter if it’s a daily advent calendar or a weekly advent candle, take time to remember the true reason for this season.

There are a couple things that come to mind with Thanksgiving approaching next week … time with family and After-Thanksgiving Day sales. I love to spend time with family and some years it is a time that I get to see family that lives out of town. I’m also one of those millions of shoppers that wake up insanely early to stand out in the cold to be one of the first couple hundred customers.

A few years back, being one of the first to stand in the cold meant gaining a prize. I planned the store priority based off of the prize given for being one of the first customers. My sister and I would split up and “Divide and Conquer” as she referred to it. However lately, store freebies are becoming a rarity and instead the store priority is based off of the best deals. (The bargain shopper in me is a sucker for a great deal!)

I’ve gotten a little smarter over the years. Now Wal-Mart is often my first stop. As a 24-hour store, the waiting happens indoors … not out. If you’ve ever been to Wal-Mart for their After-Thanksgiving Day sale, it’s an experience.

Palettes of products are stacked in the aisles tightly wrapped in cellophane. Shoppers try to peer through the wrapping to see if the palette contains their prize item, while employees stand guard restraining eager shoppers. Last year while waiting, I gently lifted up a corner of the wrapping to make sure I was waiting in front of the right palette.

“Stop picking!” the not-so-happy employee yelled. (“Picking” was serious business I discovered.)

Crowds gather, shopping carts clutter the aisles, and everyone waits as shoppers review their lists and plan their next destination. Then the moment finally arrives. Employees push through the crowd, tear the wrapping, and the coveted products are unveiled.

Chaos begins.

Hands and arms dive in to grab products. Items are thrown to friends and family further back in the crowd like a football. Irritated shoppers, unable to push through the masses, spout their frustration as shopping carts clang together. Shoppers fight for the last item left on the palette. Outdoors, the parking lot scene isn’t much different. Yes, that’s what they call Black Friday in the retail industry. A day their books leave the red zone, and reach the black instead.

By the time the sun rises, I’ve finished my shopping and head home with Christmas presents hidden in the trunk. Apart from getting fantastic deals for Christmas presents, I would not choose to shop on that day. It’s seems to be the exact opposite attitude of what Thanksgiving is all about — giving thanks for the abundance we have.

In all the years of shopping on that early morning, I cannot think of any time I’ve heard thankfulness uttered in all the shouting. Smiles and happiness is sparingly found. What is it about that day that brings out the worst in people?

It’s just stuff. Stuff we think we need, but it often leaves us always wanting more. Jim Carrey’s character in How the Grinch Stole Christmas says it best:

“That’s what it’s always been about! Gifts, gifts, gifts, gifts, gifts, gifts! Do you know what happens to your gifts? They all come to me in your garbage. Do you see what I’m saying here? IN YOUR GARBAGE! “I want golf clubs!” “I want diamonds!”

We can so easily get caught up in all the things we think we need, yet we miss the abundance of what we have. Kids exemplify this loud and clear. As parents we can’t help but shed light on their ungratefulness. Yet, aren’t we guilty too?

How many times are we disappointed because we don’t have something we’d really like to have? How many times do we find ourselves needing to upgrade our home furnishings because someone we know just got all new things? Do we buy a larger TV because there is now a bigger one available than what we presently have? Do we think we need a new car because everyone else seems to have a nicer one?

At times, I’m guilty. It is then I feel discontent. It is then I struggle with the unfairness of life. It is then I am dissatisfied and left empty. It’s a black day for me, but for the opposite reason … it’s not pretty.

This Thanksgiving, I hope Black Friday doesn’t overshadow our thoughts and focus away from the reason for celebrating Thanksgiving. We have been given much. But gratefulness isn’t a one day event, but an attitude we should live by.

“As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.” ~John Fitzgerald Kennedy