Christmas is a good time to catch up on your pumpkin pie eating. Pecan pie seems readily available so this too is a good option. Try to drink one glass of eggnog during the season of joy. Eggnog does have some calories and fat grams but one glass won’t hurt you too bad. I don’t recommend drinking a gallon. 

If you had turkey and ham for Thanksgiving, you may have it again for Christmas. There is nothing wrong with repeating the Thanksgiving meal especially if it was good. If it was bad then you might consider something else. The only time of the year that I eat much turkey or country ham is during the Thanksgiving and Christmas seasons. Be careful eating too much of that smoked turkey and ham because they can be a bit salty. You don’t want to swell up like a balloon on Christmas. 

Christmas should be a relaxing time. If you believe Santa Claus is coming then let him take care of the work. Surely, he will show up. Just ask him to bring dinner when he comes. Make sure he comes in the front door. I don’t know about bringing broccoli casserole down the chimney.

If you are putting up lights, now is the time to do so. You want to have time to enjoy the lights and the more you string together and cover your house the more electricity you are using.  This is turn creates a big electric bill but you are keeping the paychecks going for the utility people. 

The main thing is don’t go crazy this Christmas. You don’t have to buy everything. The stores love for you to max out your credit cards but you won’t love it in February and March when you are paying it back. Use commonsense when it comes to the entire season. Eat a piece of pie but don’t eat the pie. Eat a slice of turkey but don’t eat the turkey. Decorate if you wish but you don’t have to spend a week putting up lights. They all have to come back down you know. Spend only what you can afford. If you can’t afford much then don’t press yourself to do what you cannot do. 

Christmas is the birthday of Jesus but we often make it a day of bedlam. The birth of Jesus was in Bethlehem. His parents were poor. They had gone to an out of the way town to pay their taxes. There was no place for them to sleep. They slept in a barn and Jesus was born while they were there. Mary laid him in a cow’s trough. They were poor, tired and life was not very easy for Mary, Joseph and Jesus. 

Keep in mind that Jesus came to save us from our sins. He came to give us peace.  The Bible calls him the Prince of Peace. Most people need some peace and one way to have more peace is to focus on the baby of Christmas. Christ is comfort and peace. 

You don’t always find your peace at church. The church isn’t Jesus. If your church is stressing you out, harping about money every Sunday, and pulling you in ten different directions then you might consider taking a step back and reevaluating. 

The season of joy is here. Don’t depend on others to create joy for you. Get alone with God every day and focus on him. You’ll discover a peace and a rest that only He can provide.

Dr. Glenn Mollette is an author and his column is published in over 600 publications in all 50 states.