Say NO to Christmas Porn

Last night, I had a wonderful and merry "night out" with my gurlfriend, Heather. We do this from time to time, on special occasions, but it isn't often enough! We eat decadent food, prepared by someone else, and it always includes dessert. For our special meal, we chose the Chive Blossom restaurant because it never disappoints - this choice is always difficult since we have so many good restaurants in Pawleys Island!

The food (trout, short ribs, risotto....) was terrific! What really inspired me and warmed my heart was the conversation. Heather and I have an easy rapport and an intuitive understanding of each other. We were speaking honestly about the highs and lows of the Christmas season and how hard it is to keep treading water and not just let the under-tow pull you under!

A light bulb turned on in my brain and illuminated this thought: we (women), are inundated, poisoned, consumed, imprisoned, propagandized and degraded by Christmas PORN.

Gasp.

Did I just say that?

Yup.

What I mean is.....the media, the commercial lords, the retailers....they tell us that Christmas is not Christmas unless it looks like Norman Rockwell or Currier and Ives or at the very least, the Budweiser commercial!

We have, because of exposure to this Christmas porn, come to believe that Christmas should always be extremely fulfilling, beautiful, arousing, sensational, delicious, satisfying, wildly enjoyable and perfectly decadent.

Right?

I can't stop buying those magazines. The ones with the BEST gift ideas and recipes for an award winning, fat-free dinner - not to mention the right outfits (for my shape) that will bedazzle my friends and neighbors.

I stay up late watching the Food Network and making lighted orbs for my outdoor trees and baking massive gingerbread houses.

I can't live up to the ideal. The porn.....

Neither can Heather.

Because of Christmas porn, she doesn't try....and I die trying. Together, we negate Christmas. Or do we?

I love Jesus. I am grateful for the gift of His life for mine. I don't want to downplay that fact.

I love the look in the eyes of my children when they smell gingerbread baking in the oven.

I loved making these cupcakes for Michael's church choir Christmas party....

Martha helped me slather the icing on and I sprinkled and such....

I was content with the fact that I bought the rest of the food from the local grocery store and didn't have the right serving bowls or table decorations.

The "Chinese gift exchange" was a big hit and all the kiddos had a blast!
Heather is doing a good job, too. She is doing the things that really matter and having a good laugh at the things that don't. She lives right in the middle of a neighborhood where outdoor Christmas lights are OUTDOOR CHRISTMAS LIGHTS. With music.

She went and bought a simple garland of pre-lit snowflakes for her front porch. They have blue lights. They look like a string of the Star of David when lit at night. Or the Starship Enterprise.

What would Martha (Stewart) do?

Tomorrow, my family is reading the Advent litany during the 11 o'clock church service. It is the 4th Sunday of Advent and we will be reminded to be faithful as we light the 4th candle.

There is a funny-hard-to-pronounce-name in the scripture that I am reading.

I am throwing caution to the wind, ignoring the possibility that I am pronouncing it wrong and reading it with courage and confidence.

So what if it isn't perfect?

My house isn't clean. My washing machine is broken. I can't cook fabulous meals because I am baking gingerbread around the clock. There is a good possibility that I won't get to the sugar cookies this year.

But tomorrow, I will say "Restore us, O Lord God Almighty, may God's face shine upon us, that we may be saved.

Restore us.

Be peaceful. Be hopeful. Be joyful. Be faithful.

Don't fall prey to Christmas porn.

~J