As the last of the Thanksgiving turkey is finished off, it's time to look towards Christmas.  This year, take the lead in decorating and preparing your home for the holidays.  

Whether it is trimming the tree, putting up lights, hanging the stockings, make it a family event for all to enjoy.  Rather than rush to get it all done in one day or night, spread it out over the week and take your time to enjoy each moment.

Don't forget to start the season right with Christmas music while you decorate.

This week our nation celebrates giving thanks for all the blessings we have.  Before you gather for Thanksgiving dinner, write down everyone's name on a piece of paper.  Have each person draw a name from a hat and say something they are thankful for about the person they draw.  As you say grace, remember to thank God for all the people that are in your life.

Most of what we say is conveyed in our tone and body language.  We can show love or anger just by the way we say something, which in turn can dramatically impact a conversation.

King Solomon put it this way, "A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger."  This week when something happens and you want to respond hatefully;  bite your tongue,  take a deep breath, and change the whole mood by responding in love.  Diffuse a difficult situation before it ever starts.

One of the most rewarding things we can do is help others.  Pick a family mission this week you can work on together that helps other people. This might be through a program in your church,  a local charity, a soup kitchen, or just volunteering to help a neighbor. Discuss it, pick a date, and enjoy your time together.

Buy your wife something unique that will make her feel like a queen. It doesn't have to be expensive, just something thoughtful that shows you are thinking about her and that you care. This may require some recon work and carefully crafted questions to find something she would like. Do the work to make it memorable.  

Let her know you are glad she is your queen. Her favorite body lotion, a manicure/pedicure, costume jewelry, perfume, check out Groupon for other ideas.

Find a project around the house that you can involve your whole family : yard cleanup, gutters, raking leaves, fall planting... Here is a project our family finished yesterday under our deck. The transformation was amazing.

Our family needs us to go to battle for them in spiritual matters.  Pray each day for your wife and your children by name out loud.  Areas to consider as you go to God for help: your marriage, protection, children's future spouse...

Give your wife a break.  Take care of dinner, the kids, and anything else she is responsible for and give her the night off.  Let her enjoy some time pampering herself. 

Write your wife an encouraging note. Give a couple specific examples of things you really appreciate about her. Let her know how important she is to you and how much you love her. Leave the note in an usual place that she will find at an unexpected time, like her car, the kitchen, refrigerator, etc.

Keeping the house in order can be overwhelming, particularly if you have small children. Plan a power hour. Have your wife go through the entire house room by room, putting a post-it note on each door listing what cleaning needs to be done in that room.

Divide the rooms up between family members and start a timer. Younger children may need to partner with someone. Make it a competition to beat the clock and finish within an hour. Then go out and celebrate with ice cream.