In our house, it usually starts in July. For some reason, someone gets the idea that it's time to start showing Christmas movies again, but they forget to change the plot so one movie starts blending into the next. These movies seem to appeal to a particular set of people while the rest of us are left to endure them. By the time the Christmas season actually arrives, it usually is pretty easy to predict the ending in the first five minutes. 

This year I found Christmas decorations displayed for sale as early as September!! Neighborhood light displays usually wait for Thanksgiving to pass, but once turned on you often need sunglasses just to drive in the night. And now it's time to purchase presents for those who were not wise enough to make those purchases earlier in the year. By the time Christmas actually arrives, most of us are bald and addicted to spiked eggnog while the kids throw the toys to the side and play with the boxes they came in. And somewhere in the corner gathering dust is the nativity scene we put out, meant to remind us of what the season is truly about.

While I can't promise you a "perfect" Christmas, perhaps I can provide tools to help remain peaceful in the midst of it all. First, let's eliminate as many of the "peace killers" as we can. The most common killers are:

1. Unmet expectation - it doesn't have to be perfect. Remember, the cracks are how the light gets in.
2. Finances - For Phyllis and I a big help was remembering that Christ only received three gifts at Christmas, that should probably be enough for our kids.
3. Crowds - This is going to happen, and hiding in a corner of your house is definitely not healthy. What we suggest is learning to recognize when crowds are becoming an issue and finding a place to sit and gather yourself uninterrupted for a short time. Then get back to it.
4. Diets - First of all don't let others shame you into a diet of any sort. When I was young, I was "too thin" and forced to eat more especially at holiday gatherings. Now I am old and all that so-called advice is showing around my middle. I am learning to leave food on my plate and let the starving people in Africa miss out on my family ham. It is probably more useful for me to support those efforts monetarily anyway.
5. Cabin Fever - Get out and enjoy this season. Don't close yourself in. It will only cause seasonal depression.
6. Seasonal Loss - The passing of loved ones is difficult any time of year, but it always seems to hit harder during the holidays. I suggest remembering your loved ones would not want you to spend the holidays gripped by depression. One of the healthiest things you could do would be to remember past holidays spent with those loved ones and the memories they generated, while moving forward and determining to create new memories.
7. Being Alone - It is inevitable, each of us will probably spend a few Christmases without family, but we don't have to spend it alone. Even if we are not invited to spend Christmas with someone else, we can seek out others who are similarly left alone at Christmas and provide a warm welcoming environment filled with Christ's love and peace. In fact it is one of the healthiest ways to participate in the holidays, whether we are alone or not!

Proactive steps toward a more peaceful Christmas include:

1. Take Care of You - Inventory where you are currently and refuse to take on anything that will move you out of God's peace.
2. Breathing Exercises - This has been a life saver for Phyllis and me. Breathe in for four seconds, hold for four, and release for six seconds. This will begin to reset our brain and help us to move past whatever just unnerved us.
3. Avoid the Controversial - While with family and friends this season, eliminate talk of politics, favorite sports teams, anything that might create angst in yourself or your visitors.
4. Incognito Santa - While attending events this season, look for opportunities to bless someone else, especially if you can do it without recognition. This can be a larger tip, cleaning their dishes, leaving a gift on the porch, anything that requires a little sacrifice on our part. The benefits are enormous.
5. Treat Yourself - Make time to treat yourself by doing something that brings you joy!
6. Planned Escape - have a safe place preselected and use it often if needed.
7. Tribal Time - Spend time with those people who allow you to just "be."
8. Sing - There are numerous benefits to singing and even more to just humming. Go ahead and make that joyful noise! No one said it had to be in tune.

Whatever you do this season, guard your peace! Focus on what the season is about. Make that the important event. Seek out where God wants you this season and find His joy as you fill that spot!