Preparations

Anticipation of the celebration of Christmas becomes palatable as the days rush toward December 25.  Bob and I have almost completed decorating our home, inside and out, and it's been a week-long process that occurs only during the evening hours because we both hold full-time jobs.  The tree, which has been sitting in water outside for a week, will come into the house tonight, and we'll string lights and garlands and probably some decorations.  Why not all?  Because we'll be hosting a party tomorrow night, and we ask that those attending help decorate our tree.  The party will be attended by your church friends, and the group is called "Overdrive" and is composed of people over 50 (some much over 50!), both couples and single people.  So preparations have been underway, but we still have a lot to do.  Here are a few things on my list that have to be accomplished by 5 PM tomorrow, Saturday:

• pack away all unused decorations
• bring the tree inside and decorate it
• finish dusting furniture
• clean bathrooms
• complete preparation of games to play during the party
• wrap prizes for games
• make stuffing for 21-pound turkey
• finish putting up lights in house and on shrubs (finally got replacements for the ones that burned out)
• water house plants
• put up extra table to hold desserts; cover with tablecloth and decorate
• put away all mail/papers from computer desk
• make iced tea
• stuff turkey and get in oven by 11 am Saturday
• create centerpiece for kitchen table
• pull out dishes for serving food
• create hors d'oeuvre platter
• vacuum house
• wash wood floors
• change bedding on our bed/launder sheets
• set out plates/utensils/glasses

Okay, I'm sure I've forgotten some things that will come to mind as I work, but you get the gist.  It's a busy time.  And right after church on Sunday, Bob has to sing someplace with his choral group and I'll be heading over to Carrboro to listen to my daughter's 2 children in a guitar concert at a local coffee shop.  Then next weekend one of our son-in-laws has a graduation ceremony on Saturday morning and all but one of the 7 grandchildren are coming over to decorate Christmas cookies on Sunday afternoon.  That means that I'll be baking cookies Friday evening and Saturday afternoon and evening, enough for each of the 6 grandkids to take home 3 dozen cookies each!  The next weekend, which is right before Christmas, Bob and I will be taking as much of the family as can go on Sunday to the NC Museum of Life and Science for their special Christmas displays, especially the model train setup, which the small boys will surely enjoy.  Right after that, we'll have dinner together. 
All this preparation makes me realize that we need to keep room for quiet time.  And it makes me wonder how much time we spend in preparation for Christ in our hearts.  I'm speaking to myself here, people, not just to you.  In the midst of all this activity, we can lose sight of the meaning of Christmas.  Let's simply try not to.