I think I've handled myself well thus far throughout the pre-holiday season. My as the next two days approach, I can't take it anymore, I feel like my head is going to explode! Do people realize what they are doing? Do they realize how shallow it all is? Do they realize the stress is all self-induced? What can I say though, it happens right in my own family, I am powerless to stop it.

Finally something worthwhile from Sojourners:

Some Christians this season are boycotting retailers that choose not to use the phrase "Merry Christmas" in advertising. I have been fired up for some time about Christmas commercialism. But the target of my concern is not how a clerk delivers holiday greetings at the check-out stand.

The spiritual foes that I resist this time of the year are materialism and greed. I note the corrosive impact of hypercommercialism on family life, and I don't like it one bit. You can order in wood or plastic the baby Jesus in a manger who had no place to lay his head. But can you find a place for this baby Jesus in your home this Christmas? It's hard to find time to deliver tidings of joy and peace on earth when we're stressed about getting our shopping done before Christmas Day.

My wife, Wendy, and I opted out of the American Christmas package the year our first child was born nearly 15 years ago. In the years ensuing, we brought three more children into our lives. The Christmas tradition we have developed instead is of course not the only proper way to celebrate. Perhaps, though, our effort may spark the imagination of other parents to craft a more spiritual way to remember the birth of Jesus.

For the past 15 years we have put a priority on passing time together as a family during the Christmas holidays. We use the money that other families might spend on gifts and take a trip together. In our experience, getting away from home makes it easier to focus on the family. Staying at home offers too many distractions - for mom and dad to do chores, and for kids to run off with their respective friends.

We do buy each of the children one gift, usually related to the site we visit. The year we went to Enseqada, for example, most of the kids received a boogie board for surfing the waves. The kids use their own money to buy a gift for each other as well as for Wendy and I. Often they make creative gifts with their own hands. Our Christmas morning exchange is pretty quick and simple.

Note that we aren't overly righteous. It would be better for us to pass Christmas week with Habitat for Humanity building houses for the homeless, or volunteering in an AIDS hospice. I would be gratified if my kids do opt for such a sacrificial project in the future. But I am cautious not to push my kids too hard. It is countercultural enough to prioritize family time above material goods. One step at a time is a motto I often use to temper myself.

By and large, our kids embrace our family Christmas tradition. Periodically, one or more of them will question why they have to miss out on the gift bonanza that most of their friends reap in this time of year. I don't argue, but simply respond, "Our family has decided to adopt different values." On the other side of the coin, it was gratifying to hear my 13-year-old son say to me last week, "Grandma wants to buy me a gift for Christmas, Dad, and I don't know what to tell her. I don't need anything."

And isn't that the spirit that we sorely need to exercise throughout the year? The dominant culture constantly sends us the message that GE, Apple, Nordstrom, Electronic Arts, and other companies bring good things into life. But Jesus taught that God fills us with all good things, and sends us treasures that moth and rust cannot destroy. It's the kind of conversation that I like to have with my kids when we are away together during the final week of the year. We can retreat and express gratitude for the moments and places we take note of Emmanuel - God with us.
Whatever your family tradition, I wish a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you all.