Guest Post - Melanie from Melanie, Melanie, Melanie !

I am excited to introduce you to another IRL (in real life), wonderful friend. Melanie and I attend the same church and we met a few years ago. Melanie and I occasionally write devotions for ladies which are published on-line on our church's website, First Baptist Church, Brandon, FL called Encouraging Times . It wasn't until I read some of Melanie's devotions that I becamed hooked on her writing! I finally told her that if she'd write a blog, I'd totally follow her. She did, and I do!!! I just love her wit...and wisdom. Be sure to pay her a visit and check it out at Melanie, Melanie, Melanie! Melanie has two great kids (that are growing up way too fast), and has her own cleaning service too...That, and she's very active at church, and....well, you'll just have to see!
I won't hold you in suspense any longer... meet my friend, Melanie!

Welcome to December! On my one day off this month, here is my list of things to do:

Create, Print and Mail Christmas Cards

Begin (and complete!?) Christmas Shopping

Pick up craft supplies and food items for two school and two church related celebrations.

Create and Print Yearly Family Calendar

Write Blog on Simplifying Christmas.

Ironic, No?

Here is my calendar for the month:

So, “Simple Christmas”? Maybe that’s not a realistic expectation in my life right now. The funny thing is, compared to years past, I really have simplified. Thanks in large part to the blessing of a horrible economy, we have learned many important lessons on simplicity over the past couple of years. Yes, I said “blessing”. We are an easily distracted bunch around here. Money buys a lot of distractions. We could easily, given enough cash, spend endless hours “together” as a family yet never speak a word to one another, or look into each other’s eyes. So, painful as the shopping withdrawals sometimes are, yes, it’s been a blessing. We have grown so much closer, so much more real, as a family and there’s not a thing on earth I would trade that for.

So here it is December and we are still running around “willy-nilly”, how is that simpler? It’s not. Being a family is never simple, it’s always messy and busy, BUT it can be Focused. That is what we have gained. We are not doing less with our time, just better.

Curling up on the couch with my husband and watching the kids pull out and put up all the decorative memories from the years past instead of creating my own “designer tree” in the “formal room”.

Sitting in front of a fire reading Christmas stories with the family instead of climbing on the roof and through the bushes to string more lights.

FOCUS

A simple Christmas is not, I think, about emptying our calendar but about filling our calendar with hours of being a blessing to others and being with people who are a blessing to us.

A savior was born, and died for us. He did it so that we could have life: Eternal life in Glory with Him and abundant life here, for Him.

There you go. Simple.

Merry Christ-mas.