Clark Griswold Spirit vs. The Holy Spirit

I feel I have incarnated the spirit of Clark Griswold in trying to make this family Christmas the BEST ever!! And if you remember the series of unfortunate events that occurs through the course of that movie then you know this is not the Spirit of Christmas that I want to be channeling.
Let me explain, I have found myself frantically trying to squeeze in as many Holiday fun activities as one 25 day period can possibly hold.
YOU know what I'm talking about; Decorating, Pics for Christmas cards, Addressing cards, Tree hunting, Cocoa drinking watching Polar Express, Decorating some more, Gingerbread making, Christmas Caroling, Advent making and keeping track of treats for said Advent calendar, Tree Trimming, Elf Party, Decorating, and so on and so forth and 
 Fa la la la, and ya da ya da ya da!
And that list doesn't even include the several birthdays that I want to celebrate(mine included), or the 2 Choir concerts we get to go to, or the Band concert, or the Packages I need to mail or the .... 
Fa la, la, la and ya da ya da !!

So before this train gets too off track or I lose anymore sleep over "the List" that I have going on in my head, I'm going to try and remember the WHY behind CHRISTmas.

My intent of this post is not to go on a deep theological tangent about what we do during the holiday season and why we do it, but I am checking in to say, that I needed to check in today, and maybe that's for you too. It doesn't hurt to remember the WHY to what we do every December 1st- til the 25th. We all have a busier calendar, a brighter smile, a deeper wallet, and a whole lot more egg nog, and I hope a lot more fun. But, do we have this all year long?
If not why not? I mean, excluding the egg nog,* that is the DEVIL if you ask me. SO tempting, so FATTENING! I was reminded that there is no reason why our smiles shouldn't be as bright, or our wallets as deep unless we don't have the True Spirit of Christmas working in and through us. See, I believe the true Spirit of Christmas comes not from a fat jolly man in a red suit, and certainly not from Silly Clark, but from Our Creator. Not from Father Christmas but from our Father God who gave the greatest Christmas gift to the world some 2000 years ago. And if you haven't yet received the package deal that comes from knowing Christ(He's a 3 for the price of 1 kind of deal) then you don't have the true Spirit of Christmas. Even if you have unwrapped that package, sometimes we, I mean ME, need to be reminded of the gift all year long that keeps on giving.

The Spirit of the one true living God is a gift that is given to us 24/7 and here is what that gift provides on a daily basis;
Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness,and Self-Control.
 If those are things you want not just from December 1st-the 25th then jump on board this train.
Here's what I did to get off the wrong polar express,
I headed off to bible study this morning despite the fact that I had SO SO SO much to do. I went to be with a group of women who love God and serve him.
I listened and I was so blessed by just who they are and what they were saying.
I was reminded that God's family is big, and comes in many shapes, sizes, and accents. 
I felt the Spirit over and over and it wasn't creepy, (I mean silly) Clark Griswold's. And now, with peace and purpose I will go forward as a good Christmas Elf, 
singing loud for all to hear.....

JOY TO THE WORLD THE LORD HAS COME!!
I do hope you will take your ticket and get on board.
ALL ABOARD!!