MAKING A LIST AND CHECKING IT TWICE

MAKING A LIST AND CHECKING IT TWICE

     The Christmas holidays sometime catch us unprepared either financially or else we’ve forgotten something important. The following list can help us remember things that are traditionally done, can serve as a list from which we might set a budget for, or help us determine what we already have and can use again. I know that this year, I will run very short of Christmas cards. I have quite a few “cute” cards, but since I’ve determined to keep Christ in Christmas this year, I will have to buy additional cards that reflect this. My list of people to whom I will send cards is relatively small, so one box of really nice cards is included in my budget.

     Since my daughter and son-in-law’s birthdays fall on the 24^th and 25^th their gifts are also included in my holiday budget. Yes, and this year I have to buy more wrapping paper. I’ve pretty well used up a supply that I had over the past years and also used up all of my gift bags.

     This list will bring to remembrance things that you may wish to include in your holiday planning, to calendar them into a busy schedule, I’ve alphabetized the list. If you find that I’ve left anything off please send me a message or comment so that it will appear here and help others.

Topic                                                     Already Have   Don't Have    Budgeted Amount

FAMILY
Caroling
Door Adornments
Garlands
Gift Bags
Gift Giving (itemize per person)
Gift Wrapping
Holiday Craft Fairs (for arts and crafts gifts)
Holiday Flowers
Holiday Food and Drink
Homemade Gifts
Lights in the Yard
Lights on Your Home
Mantle Decorations
Music
Nativity Scenes
Parties
Photographs
Porch Decorations
Remembering the Poor and Needy
Stockings Hung with Care
Table Settings and Centerpieces
The Christmas Story
The Spirit of Christmas
The Christmas Tree
Traditions (itemize specifically)
Visiting Santa
Window Paintings
Wreaths
Yard Displays

If you must plan for your business or job, the following list may help:

BUSINESS
Business Greeting Cards to Send
Decorating the Office
Gifts to Give (itemize)
Holiday Parties or Events
Christmas Dinner, Potluck or Buffet
Gift Wrapping
Music
Remembering the Poor and Needy
Traditions
Window Painting

PLANNING TO ATTEND COMMUNITY EVENTS

Holiday Parades
Neighborhood Holiday Displays
Arts and Crafts Festivals
Feeding the Hungry and Homeless
Stuff the Bus
Donating Toys to Tots
Visiting Santa

WATCH FOR OTHER COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES   
     Watch for other special activities such as coloring contests and sporting events such as walk-a-thons, bicycle or toboggan races, ice skating, etc. in local newspapers and TV news stations. If you are a member of a community organization, don't forget to look on their newsletters.
PLANNING SPECIAL EXCURSIONS AND TRIPS
     I like to attend the Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena, California every few years. It is sort of a family tradition because I designed the Downey Rose Parade Float in 1976, one of the last independently designed, volunteer constructed floats left in this huge annual parade. When my daughter was 16 we spent the week before in Downey so that she could help decorate the float with flowers. They we joined the bust trip up to Pasadena to view the parade on Colorado Blvd. from specially reserved seats. A great experience for our family. So if you are planning a trip be sure to include this in your budget and place it on your calendar.

 

 

 

 

Creating a Memorable Christmas

     What a wonderful time of the year it is. And we've been giving a unique set of circumstances to create a truly memorable Christmas for our families. As I write, millions of people are participating in the shopping phenomenon known as Black Friday, but it isn't even Friday yet. So is it Black Thanksgiving? What a contradiction in terms. That's what life is today. A contradiction in terms.
     Yes, we are thankful for our blessings that allow us to sit at the heavy laden table to feast with loved ones; thankful for the jobs that we have that allow us to buy such things as a 20 lb turkey with all the trimmings, including green bean casserole, stuffing and pumpkin pie; thankful we are alive and have survived a year of tornadoes, hurricanes, a presidential election with its accompanying avalanche of negative political ads and a slumping economy. We are all wondering what's next? What's 'gonna come next? We may even be holding our breaths.
     Now, as "Daughters in Zion" we must make some quite giant decisions about this upcoming holiday season. Are we going to indulge in the frantic shopping that begins tonight at many stores that are requiring their employees to work on a day, when in past years it was sacrosanct as a day off to be with family, OR are we going to be sensible, sane, spiritual and to walk in the light?
The Special Gift We've Been Given this Year
     I won't beat around the bush and keep you in the dark one more moment. The gift we've been given is an extra week! 
     So, if you made a bad decision and realize you've got caught up in the materialistic world of Black Friday, you can repent. Isaiah tells us in Chapter 1: 18

"Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though the be red like crimson, they shall be as wool."

The next verses tell us, "If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land; But if you refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword."

BE WILLING AND OBEDIENT
    How do we translate this into a MEMORABLE CHRISTMAS? As Michael Jackson would say let's, "Look at the man in the mirror, and ask him to change his ways." CHANGE. Let's together, change, and the results will amaze you.  Are we WILLING to take a stand for our family's sake and make this a truly remarkable and spiritual Christmas? What have we got to lose? Indeed we have much to gain. For God says, "I will turn (in Hebrew this means return; i.e. repeatedly chastise) my hand upon thee, and purely purge away thy dross, and take away all thy tin; And I will restore thy judges as at first, and thy counsellors as at the beginning: afterward thou shalt be called, the city of righteousness, the faithful city. Zion shall be redeemed,,,"
     Let's be OBEDIENT. Let's do what all the prophets, ancient and modern, have told us to do. Keep the commandments!
     The Lord told us at the beginning of this, "Come now, let us reason together." So let's you and I reason out how we might use our gift of an extra week, and plan out how to make this a Christmas our families will never forget.

PRAY FIRST FOR THE SPIRIT TO BE WITH YOU

     GOD is behind us in our efforts and he will inspire us exactly how to begin organizing or creating a memorable holiday period.  We have a full 32 days to do it.  Begin each day with a prayer that you may remember HIM, Jesus Christ in all of you plans, and that the Holy Spirit will direct your thoughts and actions.
     "Relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow." In other words, each day do small act of kindness and teach your children that they, too should do this. It will make the season truly Christlike.
     Elder D. Todd Christofferson said, "Service will be your solution against selfishness and sense of entitlement that more and more afflict societies around the world...Your service will bless others, but it will also perfect you."
PLANNING A MEMORABLE CHRISTMAS
     Keeping in mind the things I've just spoken about, let's follow Christ's example when He created this wonderful earth. Step by step I will lead you through a process that will help you create a memorable Christmas. God had a PLAN. It started long before the physical world was built in six creative periods.
To create a plan ask yourself the following basic questions:
How important is Christmas to me?
How important is Christmas to my family?
Why do I want to celebrate Christmas? Some reasons might include, tradition, your children or grandchildren, an annual social event, to win a neighborhood prize or recognition, your religious convictions, fond childhood memories, to feel good or joyful, or to learn new skills,  to teach/share skills with others, etc.
     You now, after thoughtful consideration and prayer, at least know WHY you are WILLING to spend time and energy to reach your goals of a successful Christmas celebration. You have a choice of how much time and money will be spent on the various phases of this plan. Hopefully you have not overspent on Black Friday because the step three includes a budget. But even this is not fatal; I have suggestions on how to reverse those impulsive actions including returning some of the gifts you bought when they don't fit into your plan.
Keep Reading My Blog
Tomorrow I will list all of things you may wish to review before you set a budget in Step 3.
I am thankful to all my family and friends who so enrich my life. This blog is an opportunity to give back and share some of the things that I've learned over the past 40 years. Christmas was always special to me. My mother helped show me how to creatively celebrate. Long before my daughter was born on Christmas day, I came to love and revere this season of joy.
May God bless you