Christmas is coming and the perils of shopping have overtaken America. ABC, BBC, CNN report that America is in the greatest recession since the Depression, but the malls of America are still buzzing with crying children, mad moms in minivans, and people like me who have been dragged out by their spouse in public to “enjoy the holiday festivities.”

I used to LOVE Christmas. ChristmasTrees, ChristmasCookies, ChristmasCarols, ChristmasSmog, the whole nine. But now that I’m married and all grown up [bleh!], I’m losing the ChristmasSpirit, ChristmasJoy, and ChristmasReason. The phrase, We need to go to Target, sends me into convulsions and the thought of going to the mall gives me a twitch.

Matt: What’s wrong? You look like you don’t to be here.
Me: [bats eyelashes and fakes a smile] Really? What would make you think I wouldn’t want to spend my one evening off at Target walking down aimless aisles of stuff we’ll never buy for people we’ll never know? What on earth would make you think I don’t want to be here?

Forgive me for my sarcastic interlude, but that really was a discussion I had in my head the other night when Matt asked me why I didn’t look all festive and cheery. I don’t want to be Scrooge, but I think adulthood has caused me to lose the wonder of half-eaten cookies and presents which magically appear under the tree and question the reason for the holiday in the first place.

Christmas is about Jesus, his birth, and the wondrous joy he brought many years ago. Not Target, shopping malls, Christmas lights, and egg nog. So how come we don’t buy HIM any presents? How come HE doesn’t get a birthday cake? How come no one sings happy birthday to HIM?

Just to keep the ember of Christmas joy burning, I’m going to make a cake for SweetBabyJesus. And I’m going to sing him a birthday song. In fact, I may even wrangle up some gold, frankincense, and myrrh just for kicks. Because really, what infant doesn’t love myrrh? I kid, I kid.

I want to create the wonder that is Christmas by displaying the reason that is Christmas: Jesus. What ways can we overtly keep the reason for this holiday the motivation for celebrating?

**Edit to post: Guess who’s having a HAPPY BIRTHDAY JESUS party? The Olthoffs! My whole family is coming. Yes!**