All of us desire to make homes. We love all that home holds. We glory in all that home brings into the lives of the people we love. We are all in on the value of our labors. Practicing daily thanksgiving helps us keep our light in our windows to guide our people back home. When we fill heart-gardens with the fertilizer of gratitude, the seeds we plant bloom into big, bold, beautiful warmth. It is impossible to stand against a grateful woman. She will nourish and nurture in life-altering ways. Without a word, we will create an environment that everyone wants to be in. No matter what is on our walls, our homes will be infused with coziness, comfort, and cheer. 

Christmas isn’t about the stuff. (Repeat this with me every day! Christmas isn’t about the stuff!) Christmas is about the gift of being home together as a family, whether that is a blood family, a found family, your church, or your community. Christmas is a broad holiday. It shelters war stories, ghost stories, trees, troubles, and magic. It shelters good Christian men rejoicing! Don’t make it about the stuff.