Spirit E-Newsletter | December 2007 | Carole & Ronald Krist Samaritan Center for Counseling & Education | Touching Lives, Healing Hearts

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Spirit - December 2007 - Carole & Ronald Krist Samaritan Center for Counseling & Education | Touching Lives, Healing Hearts

Photo: Christmas Ornaments

The Krist Samaritan Center Wishes You a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! The Christmas lights have been hung, the tree has been trimmed and the family is gathered around the fire—sounds like the perfect Christmas. But as everyone knows, Christmas is never perfect. Read more about how you can have a meaningful Christmas without the “fantasy.” Sit back, relax and catch this month’s Spirit.

Christmas “Fantasy” Debunked | Once a holiday quietly celebrated by Christians, Christmas has now been transformed into an over-the-top industry. Gift giving has become a competitive sport with credit card debt a natural outcome of the season. And everyone wants to have the Christmas “fantasy.” Why have we assumed a “Martha Stewart” mentality that Christmas must be perfect? In most households, a woman is typically the driving force behind Christmas. She is the one that coordinates family visits, orchestrates holiday happenings, organizes lists and enlists family involvement. She is also the one who ends up exhausted, angry and feeling unappreciated for all the efforts put forth. Although these efforts may originate in the good intention of showing love to her family, the Christmas industry has confused the issue. She has bought into the idea that Christmas can magically mend broken relationships or compensate for feelings of relationship inadequacy. Why have we allowed this to happen and how can we come back down to reality?

How Can You Debunk the Fantasy? | • Just as women are the driving force behind the holiday, they can also be the driving force behind changing the Christmas experience. • Take time to evaluate the upcoming holiday season—your hopes, what you truly value about the season, and what you anticipate happening. Use these items to build your Christmas around. • Stop assuming totally responsibility for making Christmas happen. Recruit other members of the family to help with Christmas duties. • Find ways to consume less and give more. For instance, instead of spending a day shopping, spend it visiting friends. Make a budget and stick to it, and get creative about gift-giving. • Recognize the importance of establishing family rituals without being rigid. Rituals and traditions add to the holiday season in a positive way when family members willingly participate. • Remember the original intention of why we celebrate Christmas—God’s desire to show love to humankind through the birth of his son, Jesus Christ. When we focus on the original intention of the holiday, we find joy in the reality—without the fantasy.

Krist Samaritan Center Annual Fund | As we celebrate the season of giving thanks and giving back to others, we hope you will support the important work made possible by the Krist Samaritan Center. The Center’s Counseling Assistance Fund helps to serve individuals and their families with fees based on personal financial need and available funding. Your generosity can help bring hope and healing to those who would not otherwise be able to afford such care. If you would like to donate to the Counseling Assistance Fund, visit our Web site at www.samaritanhouston.org and click on “Make a Donation.”

[Photo:] Mother & Daughter

Location Spotlight | Each month, Spirit will be spotlighting one of our partnering congregations to reveal how Krist Samaritan Center is touching lives and healing hearts all across Houston. | Christ the Good Shepherd Catholic Community in Spring encourages their congregation to find strength in faith while living through joyful offerings of time, talent and treasure. Located at 18511 Klein Church Road, the Center’s Spring counseling location is staffed on Wednesdays from 9 am to 8:30 pm by Madonna Haarmann, MA, LPC, LMFT, and Thursdays from 1 pm to 9 pm by Ignacio Barcenas, MA, LPC Intern.

[Photo 1]

[Caption 1:] Krist Samaritan Counselors Ignacio Barcenas and Madonna Haarmann with Deacon Alberto Patetta from Christ the Good Shepard Catholic Community.

Jim McIngvale’s Promise | During the month of December, Jim McIngvale will donate 50% of the purchase price of any furniture purchased at his new store—Kreiss Furniture on Westheimer in Highland Village—or $10,000 (whichever is more) to the Krist Samaritan Center. He will also donate 50% of the purchase price of any Hästens mattress purchased at Gallery Furniture to the Center. When making a purchase at Kreiss or Gallery Furniture, please identify that you heard Mack’s promise to ensure that the Krist Samaritan Center benefits from your purchase.