We sang the hymn this morning that has that line in it and it caused me to ask myself, “What is making my soul sing these days? ” I know I have been missing a lot of the “Christmas feels” this year So I made a list of things I can fall back on to get there. A few of these I have actually done and I am game to try a few more this week.

Although I like the cookie dough idea the most, here are a few more!

• Watch a video of a Christmas Program your adult children are in
• On a day you are out on endless errands, carry lots of one-dollar bills and put one in the kettle every time you pass by a bell ringer. It also gets rid of the guilt you feel every time you walk past one and they say “Merry Christmas” and you feel like Scrooge.
• On the same said errand day glue a paint stick on a paper plate and write “God Bless you” on it and hold it up every time you experience road rage. This is much more effective than the middle finger.
• Make a Birthday Cake for Jesus with your grandson, because yes, it is Jesus’s Birthday and you both love cake.
• Choose a verse from Luke 2. Write it out on a post-it note and keep it in front of you all day. Very effective at keeping you grounded in the true meaning of Christmas.
• Go buy ten (or more) pairs of warm socks and drop them off at a mission
• Blast Christmas music so loud that you sound really really good when you sing
• Pay for the person’s order behind you in the drive-thru line and tell the cashier to tell the recipient “Merry Christmas you filthy animal” or maybe just “Merry Christmas” depends on the cashier.
• A Christmas tree, an afghan, a book, and a cup of coffee. Need I say more.
• Watch Elf or The Christmas Story (The Ralphie Movie as we Hoppens call it)

Just a few ideas to help you stay focused this week as you finish up shopping, meal planning, wrapping, or if you are in my shoes, you still have to put up a tree. Hey, its on the list.

Have a great week!

Sherry