For the first several years of my marriage, I found myself being the Grinch (only with a less green hue). As the mom and stepmom of four teens, I was in charge of making all the Christmas magic happen — and my bag of tricks was running empty.

So I began to wonder: Why was I in charge of Christmas dinner ... and Christmas shopping ... and Christmas travel ... and Christmas decorating … and really, Christmas everything?

It was about five years into my marriage when I had finally had enough.

“Why is everything Christmas up to me?”

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The Christmas Project Planner

Ready or not, Christmas is coming. Whether you love it, secretly dread it or fall somewhere in between, Christmas is unavoidable. But don’t stress out this season: This amazing planner is designed to help you get a handle on the holidays. Stay organized (and sane) when you put expectations aside and choose to focus on the thing you truly want to do during Christmas.

Saving Your Marriage

You never know how God will intervene in a time of crisis. In the darkest part of Lisa Shea’s marriage struggles, hope showed up in her mailbox in the form of a book.

Her marriage was in trouble as soon as it got started. In their first 14 months together, she and her husband relocated out of state away from friends and family, and they got pregnant and had a baby. The pressure grew, and Lisa went through a time of chronic illness and depression.

She and her husband were barely speaking to each other. As a last resort, she prayed for God’s help. A couple of days later, she opened her mailbox and found a package.

Ford v Ferrari (PG-13)

In the early 1960s, the Ford Motor Company tapped car designer Carroll Shelby to build a revolutionary GT racer and win the 24 hour race at Le Mans — pitting a company known for family vehicles against the dominating Ferrari race cars at the biggest race in the world.