Keep Christ Out of Christmas Too!

We are all used to hearing the rallying cry of  “Keep Christ in Christmas” at this time of year.  But what happens on December 26th? What do we do to keep Christ as our center the rest of the year? Do we say “Keep Christ in February 23rd or May 15th or October 9th? The […]

What’s the #1 Fear During Christmas

It’s hard to believe, but Christmas is fast approaching.  In some ways it seems like this year has dragged out forever, and in other ways, it seems like this year has sped by. The year 2020 has given us many things to fear; sickness, lockdown, job loss, economic hard times, travel, gatherings, the list of […]

This Year Christmas Will be the Same

Since 2020 has been anything but normal, it’s easy to anticipate that Christmas will be different. But what changes will occur to your family celebration this year? And what never changes from year to year? As the holidays approach, retailers have begun to announce how their plans look different. Many retailers started promoting Christmas shipping […]

Prepare for Your First Post Pandemic Christmas

Christmas will be in December!  That’s not news to anyone, but we act as though we don’t know when Christmas will arrive because the Christmas season often catches us unprepared financially. This year it’s especially important to plan ahead for Christmas because so many people are still recovering from the financial impacts of the pandemic. […]

How To Not Lose Your Mind with Christmas Shopping

By Victoria Sechrist  Invariably, at some point during Lent, I refer to Good Friday as “Black Friday.”  I think it makes sense because Good Friday is a dark, but beautiful day in our Church that led to the foundation of our Christian beliefs. Lent is months away, but Black Friday is upon us – and […]

Plan to be Content This Christmas

School just started a few weeks ago, and Christmas is probably not at the top of your priority list currently, but the best time to start planning for Christmas is now.  Bring unprepared can lead to stress and debt. Plus so many times we feel pressured to make Christmas perfect and we aren’t content till […]

26 Weeks Till Christmas

  Breaking News … This year … Christmas will be in December!  As you probably know all too well, the holiday season can be a major financial drain each year. Many of us don’t budget or plan for holiday spending throughout the year.  The result is that Americans whip out the plastic for Christmas spending […]

Are Christmas Bills Flooding Your Mailbox?

The buying spree on Black Friday after Thanksgiving may have led you to experience Black Monday, Black Tuesday, Black Wednesday … as you pick up all those Christmas credit card bills from the mailbox each day. For many people, the reality of Christmas bills arriving in the mail means the worst time of the financial […]

Plan to Enjoy Christmas

In the busyness of the season, it takes an intentional effort to focus on the true meaning of Christmas, so we have some suggestions on how to keep Christ in Christmas and how to plan a Christmas Day the whole family will enjoy. Even if your Advent has not been very spiritual to this point, […]

Christmas Got Hijacked

Christmas has been hijacked and has become a heavily marketed secular event in which the pressure to wow family and friends with presents, decorations, and Christmas dinner is enough to cause stress for weeks beforehand as you prepare. And there is an additional stress for months afterward as you deal with the credit card bills. […]