Could I Learn to Love Christmas?

Last week I mentioned I deleted my goals for 2013 so I could replace them with the things I believe God  wants me to accomplish.

Last week I also mentioned I hate Christmas.

Well, over the past two weeks I've felt urged by sermons and bible studies to do something about my disdain for the holiday season. And so the first goal that I'm adding to my 2013 list is this:

Learn to love Christmas. 



Since I'm sure learning to love Christmas will prove to be a difficult task for me, I'm going to start working on this goal now.

One of my common quips to defend my bah humbug ways is that Jesus wasn't actually born on Dec. 25. And even if he was why do we give other people gifts on Jesus' birthday?

My pastor once said that during the Christmas season we should focus on giving Jesus the gift he wants most -- us. So during Advent I'm going to spend more time in prayer and bible study in an effort to truly commit every area of my life to God.

Still, I'm not sure that's going to keep Christmas music from making my stomach turn.

So I'm also trying to change my Grinch-like ways for the sake of another man in my life -- the hubster.

My husband loves Christmas. He loves filling our apartment with gaudy garland and the like and believes that when it comes to holiday decorations the tackier the better. He even uses words like "magical" when talking about Christmas. (Shudder.)

But since he is my beau for life, what's important to him should be important to me.

I have this dream of one day being this woman who bakes Christmas cookies while humming carols, who gets really excited about decorating the tree and who can't wait to sign and address Christmas cards. I know these all sound like normal things to the Christmas-loving kind, but for me, these activities take a Herculean effort. I'd rather run 13.1 miles in below freezing temperatures.  Seriously.

But the message from God that's been clearest lately is "Javacia, it's not about you."

So here goes nothing...