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t was good to travel to my in-laws for the Thanksgiving feast. I enjoyed seeing my family and getting the chance to eat some special holiday treats…and the leftovers too! There is always so much to choose from at my in-laws house that you can’t taste it all. It was good to relax and enjoy a few days away from the routines of life.

There will be parties and gatherings of all types in the next couple of weeks. Naturally, there will be plenty of eating of more good food throughout the holiday season. Someone hide the scales until we reach the other side!

There will also be some great fellowship. Many people travel hundreds of miles to spend time with loved ones. I know that family times can be stressful, but they can also be fun and memorable. Instead of trying to pick each other apart this year, promise yourself to look for the good and plan to find ways to build each other up.

Looking for the best in others is really a godly characteristic. We hope that God sees the best in us. If God can forgive us and see us as righteous through Christ, shouldn’t we look at other in the same light? Looking for the best in others and encouraging them in their walk is really what God desires of us. Wouldn’t you rather spend time with someone who spurs you on and challenges you to be the best you that you can be? So look for ways you can do that for others. I believe if you do, people will want to spend time with you.

In recent family gatherings age has been mentioned. “Did you know that so-and-so was a certain age?” I am stunned by how quickly time seems to be passing. That handsome fellow in the mirror has gotten some gray hair and the beard on that guy is getting white. Time is slipping by more quickly than I care to imagine. Let’s learn the valuable lesson that time is precious and we need to enjoy and appreciate those we love because we don’t know how long we will continue to have them in our lives.

It is easy to take people for granted and to forget to tell them how much they truly mean to us. Naturally, we don’t want to spend all our time together being sappy, but maybe we can bury the hatchet and learn to enjoy each other’s company. Finding the opportunity to thank people for what they have done for us and to let them know how much it means to have them in our lives is a much better way to spend the precious moments that we share.

With all the gatherings and delectable treats that you will enjoy over the next couple of weeks, don’t let yourself get so busy that you forget the true focus of this very special time of year. With all the demands that shopping, decorating, cooking, being here and going there, it’s easy to allow the stress and demands on your time to keep you away from that little child in a manger.

Try to find a few quiet moments while you are driving to work or sitting up late by the Christmas tree, to reflect on the true meaning of this holy time of the year. God so loved you that He send His one and only son to the earth so He could have a relationship with you. God loves you and wants to spend time with you. God wants to speak words of encouragement to you. He wants to fill your heart with His love. God wants to spur you on to a deeper faith. God wants you to see your potential and the gifts that are within you.

I want to encourage you to approach this holiday season with two goals: to spend a few quiet moments with Jesus and to find ways to enjoy your family and friends. The holidays can create some wonderful memories as well as those you would rather forget. Aim to make this holiday season one that you will remember fondly many years from now. Remember this is the season of love; let that be the essence of what people remember as they spend time with you.

Doug Creamer has a new book out at Amazon: Revenge at the Bluebird Café. Contact him at doug@dougcreamer.com