Monday, December 21, 2015

Advent 23: SHORTCUTS


Pre-stuffed stockings.  Really?  Has it come to this?


Apparently it has.

It has been an interesting and informative Advent in lots of ways.  


Because of this blog--what am I going to write about?--I've been listening more carefully and paying much closer attention to what's going on around me.  Which of course is a very good thing--mostly.

It's amazing what you can pick up from odd conversations, overheard in a coffee shop or on a TV talk show, or over lunch with friends.

Here are the Top Ten Tips I've gleaned for managing the holidays gracefully--shortcuts to a streamlined holiday season.   See what works best for you.


1.  Do all your shopping before Thanksgiving; there's more selection and fewer crowds.

2.  Take advantage of Black Friday and Cyber Monday.  The prices are amazing.  (Isn't there some new Green Thing that's recently been added?  Maybe you want to check that out, too.)

3. Alternatively, avoid Black Friday and Cyber Monday and that Green Thing like the plague:  the prices only seem low because they're over-inflated in the first place; plus, people have actually been injured just trying to walk into those stores.  At dawn.  After camping out for three days.

4.  Do all your shopping online:  it's quick and easy and they'll wrap and ship for you.

5.  Never shop online:  it's always best to see an item "in the flesh" so to speak--and it's a real pain if somebody needs to exchange something.  Plus you save the shipping costs.

6.  Wrap your gifts the minute you get them in the house if humanly possible; this saves oodles of time toward the end when every second counts.

7.  Pre-stuff each stocking as you go; only then will you know when to stop shopping to be sure you haven't overbought.

8.  NEVER pre-stuff the turkey.  Again, people have been injured.  Well, gotten really sick.

9.  As you decorate your house, go slowly, add a few things each day; stop immediately when it starts to feel "done"; then leave the rest in the attic till next year; or the year after; or forever.

10.  Be sure to pick up a few spare boxes of good chocolates because you KNOW you will get stuck without a gift for somebody who pops up with something for you.  This strategy can keep you from being embarrassed and, more importantly, from hurting someone's feelings.  Plus, if that scenario doesn't actually happen, you can still eat the chocolates.


Great stuff, right?  At least some of it.  Okay, maybe only tiny bits of it.

But nevertheless....

None of us can argue with the need for some common sense help at this season. 

 

Actually, spiritual sense is what's needed most of all, because with all the hype going on around us, Christmas can easily become more like an addiction than a celebration. 


As an antidote, here are my own favorite Two Tips for Managing the Season with GRACE--grace being used in the fullest sense of the word. 


1.  Set your cell phone's timer to go off four times each day.

Morning
Midday
Early Evening
Bedtime

And each time it goes off, stop what you're doing--just for 45 seconds, that's all the psychologists say it takes to completely reset and redirect yourself--and offer thanks for something, or say a prayer for someone, or just look around you with eyes wide open and love in your heart.

2.  If you are one of those people who doesn't carry a cell phone, there is a simple alternative.  Wherever we go, there are people saying, "Jesus!" or "Jesus Christ!" because they are surprised, annoyed, or upset in some way.  When you hear the Name, use it as a cue: say a silent blessing or prayer or thanksgiving for that person.  And for anybody else who needs it.  You'll be surprised and a little shocked at how much this increases your prayer time....

Not sure what to say?

How about God bless us every one?  That would work nicely and is quite within the Spirit of the Season!   (Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol)


For some things there simply are no shortcuts--

like having a baby, 
developing a friendship, 
or waiting for seeds to sprout.


And at the end of the day, here's what crucial to remember:


Some things, like Christ, are well worth waiting for.






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