I have to admit that I am just not ready to get into the spirit for Christmas yet. We are still between homes and I am hoping to be in my own by Christmas. Right now we are staying with my in-laws. It's hard to practice your own traditions or to try to start new ones when you are not in your own home.

When I was a child we played lots of games, listened to Christmas music everyday, made Christmas cookies and gave them to people at church, made Christmas gifts for distant relatives, signed and mailed cards, decorated the house, hung stockings, decorated a tree, went caroling with a church group and had hot chocolate afterwards, opened a door on our advent calendar every day, went shopping, wrapped presents,decided what to give Jesus for His birthday, and played in the snow. Christmas was always a wonderful time. Every two years we would travel to see family and then would enjoy playing with our cousins and preparing food for the feast.

Ten ways to prepare for the season: 1. Purchase Christmas CD's that glorify God and play them everyday. 2) Plan Christmas cookies and get ingredients 3) Do Christmas crafts centered on Christ 4) Begin reading the Christmas story and related prophecies of His birth 5) Pray 6) Participate in the Samaritan project at church 7) Scout out Christmas activities to attend at churches and in the community 8) Start saving for Jesus's birthday gift 9) Get Christmas pictures done 10) Write a Christmas poem to send to friends and family

Luke 1:37 For with God nothing shall be impossible.

I would like to start some new traditions with my little girl to add an element of magic and wonder to the holiday and to bring her focus fully on Christ and the miracle of His birth. I am going to have to think about this....