Stress Free Christmas

Can you believe it is already December?  Where in the world did this year go?  Thanksgiving flew by and now we are in the grips of the Christmas season.  I will let you in on a little secret regarding Christmas baking.  It totally stresses me out!

Not wanting to be a wasteful person, I decided to research some pumpkin recipes using fresh pumpkins.  I was so excited.  I found a couple of easy recipes and went to work whipping up these delicious treats.  Now I am no Betty Crocker but I accomplished the task and placed ten loaves of two different varieties of pumpkin bread in the oven.  My house smelled wonderful.  I thought to myself smugly, “Well, that was easy.”  Ladies, never boast not even when you are alone!

When the buzzer sounded an hour later, I went to check my bread.  One tray was done so I popped it out of the oven and placed it on my stove top.  Then I turned around to close the oven door and heard a crash.  I spun back around and screamed in horror!  My freshly baked Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread lay in pieces on my kitchen floor.   I stood there on the verge of tears and began to stress about this total disaster.

Then, I realized the Christmas season is not about fresh baked cookies, pies, and breads.  It is not about the decorated tree, the twinkling lights, and the pretty packages.  It is not about giving the perfect gift or being the perfect hostess.  It is about the Savior who left his heavenly throne to come to earth so that you and I might find salvation.

I pray each of you has a stress free Christmas season.  I pray the Lord of Heaven blesses your home.  I pray you are able to escape the hurriedness of the commercial world to lovingly enjoy your Savior.

Merry Christmas sisters!

Note:  Upon remembering my kitchen floor had just been swept and mopped plus we have a ten second rule at our house, I salvaged what I could of my Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread.  Hey, a girls got to do what a girls got to do, right?