Dear Mama,
I’ve been there. I know what you’re up against. The pressure to create the perfect Christmas celebration for those we love. To bake the perfect cookies, host the perfect party, find the perfect gifts. And then there are trees to decorate, stockings to hang, parties to plan, cards to create, and, and, and . . .
We rush and scurry from one event and obligation to the next, until all-too-soon, it’s December 26, and we’re staring at a pile of empty boxes and crumpled wrapping paper, wondering how we missed the joy.
It doesn’t have to be that way.
This book isn’t going to give you any quick-fix, one- size-fits-all answers. Nor do I have the ultimate checklist that will solve all your problems in a blinding whirlwind of organization. What I do have are some thoughts about that long-ago first Christmas, along with a few practical tips for simplifying the season and staying mindful of the true reasons we celebrate it.
To use this book, simply read one devotion each day. These thirty-one devotions are not dated, so you’re welcome to begin reading on December 1, December 15, the day after Thanksgiving, or the middle of July—without even a smidgen of guilt or shame. Pray the prayer, meditate on the “Remember” thought and try out the “Reclaiming Christmas” tip—if you want to. No pressure. Use the tips that work for you, and simply skip the rest. Seriously. Just skip ’em. And if you miss a day, don’t worry. After all, Christ isn’t just for Christmas, and He’s worth celebrating every day of the year.
Simply Christmas is your invitation to slow down and savor this time with the Savior. And it’s your permission to kick the pressures of perfection to the curb.
This year, let’s choose to pause and to ponder as Mary did, to get lost in the wonder of Immanuel, of God with us. This year, let it be simply Christmas.
—Tama
Copyright © 2021 by Tama Fortner. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
