Are you ready? Christmas is magical.
Ready? Set. Go.
Welcome back to Best Christmas Ever, where we are exploring 28 ways to make this your best Christmas ever. Number two is begin with purpose. Everything makes sense in relation to purpose. When we lose sight of the purpose of anything, it stops making sense to us. We become confused, we lose interest, and we disengage. So let's explore the purpose of Advent and Christmas. What is Christmas? Christmas is the Christian festival and season that celebrates the birth of Jesus. God sent His only Son into the world to atone for humanity and restore our covenant and connection with God. It is a moment of singular importance in human history, one that has influenced all of human history for believers and non-believers since the first Christmas night. The purpose of Christmas is to gratefully remember who we are and all that God has done, is doing, and will continue to do for us.
What is Advent? Advent is the first season on the Christian calendar. The first Sunday of Advent is New Year's Day of the church's year. Advent is a time of preparation for the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ at Christmas, and also a period of mindfulness and preparation for the Second Coming of Christ. Preparation is a critical aspect of success. We prepare for everything we consider important in this life. So if you want to have your best Christmas ever, preparation will be an essential component. The church, in her wisdom, understands this, and that is why Advent was established. What is the purpose? What is the desired outcome? These are critical questions in preparing for anything. The purpose of Advent is to prepare your soul to receive Jesus at Christmas in ever new and deeper ways. Keep this purpose ever in mind as you make your plans to prepare for Christmas. Everything will make sense or become senseless in relation to this purpose. If baking cookies helps you achieve this purpose, bake away. Sitting quietly on a park bench, taking long walks in quiet places, reading, visiting your church each day, singing, serving others, whatever it is that helps you achieve the purpose of Advent, give yourself to those activities.
Wake up each day with this purpose in your heart and on your mind. Purpose has a way of transforming the way we live our lives. Allow the purpose of Advent to transform you. When he was president, Abraham Lincoln wrote to a friend, "Nothing will divert me from my purpose." Let that be your attitude as you journey toward Christmas this year. And as you know, there will be a great many people and things that will try to divert you from the true purpose of Advent and Christmas. Let nothing divert you from your purpose.
Wait, before you go, my dad has one more tip, and you're not going to want to miss this.
It's not easy to have a great Christmas in a world where everyone is striving for what isn't worth having. Welcome back to 28 obstacles that will prevent you from having your best Christmas ever. Obstacle number 2 is lack of purpose. If you're unclear about the purpose of Christmas, it will be impossible to have your best Christmas ever. So take some time over the next couple of weeks to get clear about the purpose of Christmas. This series should help you get very clear. Find your joy, guard your joy, follow your joy. Not just happiness. It seems our culture has confused happiness with comfort. And following comfort will lead you to misery. Find your joy. Cherish your joy. Guard your joy. And follow your joy.
If you liked the video, you'll love my new book, Slowing Down to the Speed of Joy. The incessant speed of our lives isn't healthy. You know it. I know it. Everyone knows it. The ever-increasing busyness of our lives is insane. Everyone knows it. It's time to eliminate urgent, busy, and hurry from our everyday lives. It's time to slow down to the speed of joy. It's time to take our lives back. Right now, when you become a dynamic Catholic ambassador, we will send you a free copy of Slowing Down to the Speed of Joy. Click the button to join and get your copy today.
Have a great day.
