Are you sick of the commercialism of Christmas 
and looking for a way to get Christ back at the center? Are you looking for ways to recover a child-like joy about Christmas? Do you just want Christmas to have more meaning for you at a personal level? Try adopting your own Christmas Manifesto — a list of intentions for recapturing the Christmas Spirit.
Last week, I shared with you the return of my original Christmas Manifesto that I wrote three years ago. Following is a Facebook post by a good friend of mine and reader of The Practical Disciple. Angie, a mother of three adorable kids, spouse, and very active volunteer in her church, was looking for a way to reclaim some Christmas peace from the craziness of life. She is in her third year of doing so by following her own unique manifesto. I find her inspiring so with her permission, I am re-posting a post she recently released on Facebook about her Christmas Manifesto. I hope her example inspires you as well.
This is my third year to come up with a plan to help me keep my focus on the birth of Christ this Christmas and not on the craziness it can become. Here is a link to what I did last year: Angie’s 2011 Manifesto. I want to continue this tradition, because I do believe it has helped me to feel joy and anticipation for the birth of Christ. It has made my past two Advents more meaningful and my actions more purposeful. I still have the same hopes as I have had in the past: to keep my focus on the main thing which is Christ, to help share with my children and others the love/peace/hope/joy of this season, and to continue the walk of my faith journey.
My intentions for Advent 2012:
1. I will keep a daily gratitude blog. This is a good discipline for me, because it helps me keep my priorities straight. It helps me recognize the small blessings in my life which in turn helps me to be a blessing to others. When I maintain a gratitude blog, my daily ins and outs revolve around gratitude. Gratitude will pop up in my thoughts throughout the day and will also manifest in more positive words coming from me. Gratitude turns into joy and joy should be expressed and shared with others. I hope by continuing this practice that I can develop a greater appreciation for the simple blessings in my life and that it will help me to share with others.
2. I will create a prayer jar. I did this my first year of creating a Christmas Manifesto. I haven’t done it since and feel that I need to turn back to it this year. I will sit down and ask God to help me create a list of names/groups that I need to pray for this Advent. Each morning I will say a simple prayer asking God to help me draw the name of the person/group I should be praying for that day. I will then pray for that person/group throughout the day. I will share this with my family.
3. I will spend 15 minutes each day decluttering/reevaluating my possessions/donating items. I have been feeling like I need to seriously reevaluate many areas of my life/home. This thought has been pressing upon me lately and I feel I should address it. I have been blessed with more than I need. The things I have of value but don’t need or use could help someone else who needs these things. I feel disharmony when the spaces I use are cluttered, messy, and disorganized. I believe God can use me as a better vessel if I can feel more at peace in the spaces in which I am to be productive. I will start my time of cleaning/decluttering with a simple prayer thanking God for my blessings and that I can be a better help to others through my donations. I will also conclude in prayer.
4. I will continue to teach my children about the true spirit of Advent and Christmas. Each year I witness the spiritual growth of my family, and I am grateful for my church and the opportunities that help me to be a part of the growth of my children. As all good teachers know, we grow ourselves when we teach others. It helps us continue in our own learning process when we can teach others. I will share this Manifesto with my children. I will talk about my prayer jar and encourage them to have their own jars this Advent or maybe we could create a family prayer jar for our daily meal prayer. I will continue to use our Advent wreath and bulletins from church to help me direct our conversations. I will continue to include my children in the preparations for our Angel Tree recipients and for the family Circle 2 is adopting this Advent. I want to help my children realize that Christmas isn’t about the presents we receive but more about what we can give to others, how we can serve others, and to give God the glory for our blessings. I want to help them to learn how to express gratitude. I want Christmas to be joyful for them as well.
5. I will read the Bible every day. I have an app on my phone. I am hoping that with reminders and my portable device, I will indeed read the Bible on a daily basis and not let life sweep me up in its current. I have been trying to come up with a method that will work for me, and I have been unsuccessful. But this is a different approach and I am praying that it will do the trick. I believe this will help me grow spiritually, and it will help me keep my focus and maintain my purpose.
I hope and pray that these intentions will keep my focus on the anticipation of Christ’s birth, that I will be a blessing to others, and that God will use my gifts of creativity and teaching to share with others the joy of Advent!
So what are you doing to be intentional about keeping Christ at the heart of your holiday season? Please comment below if you do something special to keep you focused on Christ during Christmas.
p.s. Thank You Angie Southard for sharing!