Hurry! All the big Christmas sales start today. We have to wake up, get dressed, and go. We have to snag that $300 laptop, those 50 percent off shoes, we must have all those outfits that are discounted, and if we get there early enough, we’ll get free holiday knickknack’s at some of the stores. 

Hurry up so we can go and wait in the parking lot. Oh, and when those doors open, run fast. We don’t want to get trampled by the other shoppers. Once we get in, we will shop and shop and shop until our arms can’t hold anymore and we’ve maxed out our credit cards. 

Prince of Peace.

There are so many Christmas parties to go to this year. It seems like there are more each year. By mid-October every Saturday in December was already booked. We still have to decide when to have our party. Do we work it in two days before Christmas when everyone is out of town, or do we do it super-early, say the first week of December? And what happens when Aunt Harriet decides she wants to have her Christmas party and it conflicts with Cousin Gretchen’s? Oh look, another invitation. We have some really difficult choices to make. 

Prince of Peace.

This is a mess. If I spend $50 for mom’s gift, dad will notice that I only spent $30 on his. And if I spend more than $25 on the parents, I’ll need to spend at least that for Grandma, but she has everything. Then there are my two brothers. Pete might get offended if I give him one gift and then give Jim two, but I just bought Pete and his wife tickets to a football game two weeks ago. I hope he remembers. I’d really hate to hurt him, and I don’t want to know what that’s going to look like to Mom. She’s still mad about last year’s gifts. Then there’s Uncle Jack. I have to make up for getting him the same thing two years in a row or he might exclude our entire branch of the family tree from his will. I don’t care about it, but dad is concerned.

Prince of Peace.

How am I going to do this? If I get each of my three children the top thing on each of their Christmas lists, I’m going to spend $700, just on one gift for each. They still believe in Santa Claus, so I can’t explain that they each only got one gift because I’ve been unemployed for three months and the finances are tight. I really can’t even afford to give them the top item on their lists, but I can’t stand to see them disappointed. Oh well… Mastercard will have a good year, even if I don’t.

Prince of Peace.

This seating arrangement is killing me. If I sit mom next to Uncle Erwin, things could get dicey, and there’s a slight chance of physical violence. But if I move Uncle Erwin, he will either be across from Kyle, and his foul language could become a problem for an 8-year-old, or he will be across from Uncle Joey who can’t stand the sight of him. Maybe we’ll just eat on the couches this year.

Price of Peace.

Well, looks like the old artificial tree is ready for the junk heap. I guess I’ll have to pack the family into the Honda and pick out a real tree this year. But I really don’t have time for this. It’s already two weeks before Christmas, and I haven’t been able to decorate anything on the house. I haven’t checked the lights, so I don’t know how many strands I’ll have to replace. I have to go re-arrange the attic, and take everything out of it since the Christmas stuff is in the back. Then, we’ll have to go buy supplies for the party we’re hosting on Saturday. I have less than a week to completely decorate the house, fix everything that’s broken, and give the entire house a good scrubbing before guests arrive at 7 p.m. Saturday night. I guess I can do it, if I don’t sleep.

Prince of Peace.

“She gave birth to her first son, wrapped him in cloths and laid him in a manger—there was no room for them to stay in the inn. There were some shepherds in that part of the country who were spending the night in the fields, taking care of their flocks. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone over them. They were terribly afraid, but the angel said to them, ‘Don’t be afraid! I am here with good news for you, which will bring great joy to all the people. This very day in David’s town your Savior was born—Christ the Lord! And this is what will prove it to you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.’ Suddenly a great army of heaven’s angels appeared with the angel, singing praises to God: ‘Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom he is pleased!’” (Luke 2:7-14 Good News Bible)

Prince of Peace.