{"id":219,"date":"2009-12-24T13:11:57","date_gmt":"2009-12-24T13:11:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/flirtingwithfaith\/2009\/12\/managing-christmas-expectations-the-line-between-merry-and-bah-humbug.html"},"modified":"2009-12-24T13:11:57","modified_gmt":"2009-12-24T13:11:57","slug":"managing-christmas-expectations-the-line-between-merry-and-bah-humbug","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/flirtingwithfaith\/2009\/12\/managing-christmas-expectations-the-line-between-merry-and-bah-humbug.html","title":{"rendered":"Managing Christmas Expectations: The Line Between Merry and Bah-Humbug"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>\n

What makes for a Merry Christmas? <\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

Receiving the perfect gift? <\/p><\/blockquote>\n

<\/div>\n

Setting an HGTV-ready table? <\/p><\/blockquote>\n

<\/div>\n

Parents doing just the right things with\/for their kids? <\/p><\/blockquote>\n

<\/div>\n

Kids expressing just the right amount of gratitude to their parents? <\/p><\/blockquote>\n

<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
What makes for a Bah-humbug Christmas?<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n

Annoying in-laws?<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Family feuds?<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Financial difficulties?<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Unmet expectations?<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

But, what would happen if we decided to have a Merry Christmas whether or not our expectations are met? If we made a choice to forgive in advance the snotty comments from a challenging  <\/i>relative or to ignore the dirty looks coming from the troubled teenager. <\/p>\n

\n
<\/div>\n
Even better. <\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
What if we decided to go beyond tolerating the most difficult people we encounter in the next 48 hours and show them the kind of self-less love that Jesus came to model? <\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Now that <\/i>would be a Merry Christmas.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
\n
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\n
<\/div>\n
<\/p>\n
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<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

What makes for a Merry Christmas?  Receiving the perfect gift?  Setting an HGTV-ready table?  Parents doing just the right things with\/for their kids?  Kids expressing just the right amount of gratitude to their parents?  What makes for a Bah-humbug Christmas? Annoying in-laws? Family feuds? Financial difficulties? Unmet expectations? But, what would happen if we decided to…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":181,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-219","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-spiritual-growth"],"yoast_head":"\nManaging Christmas Expectations: The Line Between Merry and Bah-Humbug - Flirting with Faith<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/flirtingwithfaith\/2009\/12\/managing-christmas-expectations-the-line-between-merry-and-bah-humbug.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Managing Christmas Expectations: The Line Between Merry and Bah-Humbug - Flirting with Faith\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"What makes for a Merry Christmas?  Receiving the perfect gift?  Setting an HGTV-ready table?  Parents doing just the right things with\/for their kids?  Kids expressing just the right amount of gratitude to their parents?  What makes for a Bah-humbug Christmas? 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