I’m guessing you are thinking of presents, food, travel plans, Christmas parties, out of town company, and everything else that consumes our busy American Christmas season.

But I said are you prepared for Christmas…Not “Giftmas” as one national retailer termed it this morning in a “Cyber Monday” email.

And that is the choice we all face at this time of year. Will you choose Christmas or Giftmas?

»5 ways to make Christmas more meaningful.«

Giftmas is about stuff that doesn’t matter. It’s about getting the best stuff at the lowest prices. Giftmas focuses on ourselves, and our own desires. Giftmas is stress and bad sweaters.

Christmas is about the one gift that matters. It’s about preparing your heart for the advent of Jesus Christ, God-made-flesh. And over generations of retelling that sacred story we’ve lost the wonder and magic of the real Christmas.

My co-worker’s 7-year-old son said, “It must have been weird for Mary to have God in her stomach.” 

I hadn’t thought about it that way in a while. Have we lost sight of something so obviously magical?  God reduced himself to fit inside the womb of a young girl…and we pass right over that and a million other wondrous parts of the Christmas story.

Let’s get the wonder back…

Share your idea in the comments section…what’s one thing you can do to get the wonder back this Christmas?

I’ll share mine–but the rest is up to you–leave a comment.

Make a list of 10 things that amaze you about Jesus’ birth story. Read and pray over those passages, asking God for deeper insight, and greater wonder.

Join  Change Their Story. Share your Christmas with orphans who are trapped by extreme poverty and sex trafficking.