It's Beginning to Smell A lot Like Christmas

FROM THE EDITOR amber weigand-buckley

IF YOU DARE TO ENTER A YANKEE CANDLE COMPANY ANYTIME AROUND THE HOLIDAYS, you’ll probably realize that Christmas is one of the smelliest seasons of the year, literally.

Granted, the majority of Christmasy smells are memorably good, but if I have to be honest, most of the candle fragrances these stores sell aren’t even real. They are “made up” smells.

Seriously, no one really knows what a Shimmering Star smells like, and the White Christmas candle doesn’t smell at all like the white stuff the hits the ground in my backyard.

So, what gives? What are the qualifications that quantify a legit “aroma” of Christmas?

If I were building a theological system for approving a “Christmas” scent, I would say it should be —

1. Warming — inviting people in.

2. Comforting — creating a space where others feel at ease, where they can kick off their shoes and find solace.

3. Sweet — having appetite-building sweetness.

4. Memorable — leaving an unforgettable imprint of all good things.

5. Authentic — capturing a reflection of the natural and pure goodness of the season.

As Christ-followers, we are actually called to be the Christmas Yankee Candles to a lost and dying world.

Second Corinthians 2:15 says: “For we are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing.”

My goal as I close out this year and head into 2019? I am determined to share the aroma of Christmas even after the seasonal Yankee Candles have been ripped down from the clearance shelves.

My prayer is that all of us would mindfully carry the aroma of Christmas in words, deeds and every action ... everyday ... drawing people into the source of it all! May we walk hand in hand with our Creator to such a degree that those around us sense His presence.

And this year I’ve determined to drink an extra peppermint mocha a day for good measure.

I hope this issue of Leading Hearts inspires you to focus on carrying the light and the aroma of the season into 2019.

Love,

AMBER WEIGAND-BUCKLEY EDITOR, LEADING HEARTS MAGAZINE