The scene unfolds each year as December approaches: Mattese Lecque begins preparing her Charleston home for the most sacred season of the year. But getting ready for Christmas means more than decorating, shopping, or planning meals. For this retired Major with the United States Army Reserves, true holiday preparation starts with the heart, centers on faith, and creates space for what truly matters.
As someone who spent many Christmases away from family during military service, Mattese approaches each holiday season with profound gratitude. Her preparation process reflects values shaped by decades of service, healthcare work, personal transformation, and unwavering faith. She demonstrates that meaningful holiday readiness requires intentional choices about what to prioritize, what to simplify, and how to keep Christ at the center of Christmas celebration.
Through Mattese’s perspective, we discover that authentic holiday preparation nourishes the soul while reducing stress, honors tradition while creating new memories, and celebrates abundance while maintaining grateful perspective.
Spiritual Preparation Comes First
Before addressing decorations or menus, Mattese begins her Christmas readiness through spiritual preparation that grounds everything else.
Advent Observance
The weeks leading up to Christmas follow the Advent calendar, with its focus on hope, peace, joy, and love. Mattese likely participates in Advent observances at Saint Peter’s AME Church in North Charleston, where she serves as Trustee Board Officer and Financial Secretary. These services, candle lightings, and scripture readings prepare her heart for celebrating Christ’s birth.
Home Advent practices perhaps daily devotional readings, lighting her own Advent wreath, or scripture memory create intentional spiritual rhythm during busy December days.
Prayer and Reflection
Her book “You Can’t Make Me Doubt Him” reveals deep prayer life that sustains her through all seasons. As she prepares for the holidays, prayer likely remains central thanking God for blessings, praying for those who won’t have abundant Christmas, asking for wisdom in gift choices, and seeking to honor Christ through all celebration activities.
This spiritual foundation prevents holiday preparation from becoming mere task completion, transforming it instead into worship expressed through practical actions.
Scripture Focus
Mattese probably returns repeatedly to nativity accounts in Matthew and Luke, reflecting on how the first Christmas unfolded not in comfort and luxury but in humble circumstances that highlight God’s identification with ordinary people. This scriptural grounding keeps perspective right when commercial pressures threaten to overwhelm.
Practical Preparations That Honor Values
With spiritual foundation established, Mattese approaches practical holiday preparations in ways reflecting her values and experience.
Budget-Conscious Planning
Military service and her message that it doesn’t matter if you were born with nothing teach that meaningful celebration doesn’t require unlimited resources. Mattese likely establishes Christmas budget early, makes lists to avoid impulse purchases, and seeks creative ways to bless others without overspending.
She demonstrates that financial wisdom during holidays honors stewardship principles while reducing stress that debt creates. Her preparation includes planning gift expenditures, food costs, decoration needs, and charitable giving within realistic budget constraints.
Simplified Decorating
Rather than competing with elaborate neighborhood displays or Pinterest-perfect aesthetics, Mattese probably decorates in ways that feel authentic to her family’s style and values. The Christmas tree at Lecque’s house likely features meaningful ornaments telling family stories rather than coordinated designer sets.
Decorations probably include nativity scenes prominently displayed, reminding all who visit why Christians celebrate this season. Simplicity doesn’t mean sparse or joyless it means intentional choices that create beauty without creating overwhelm.
Meaningful Gift Selection
When selecting gifts, Mattese likely considers carefully what recipients actually need or would genuinely appreciate rather than buying for buying’s sake. Her gifts probably reflect thought, relationship knowledge, and sometimes creative alternatives to expensive purchases.
Through her work as Chairperson of the Burke Foundation for Student Enrichment and Mentoring, she understands that young people often treasure experiences and quality time more than material items. This insight probably shapes her gift-giving philosophy.
Managing Holiday Expectations
Part of her preparation strategy involves managing expectations both her own and others’ to protect peace and joy during the season.
Saying No to Over-Commitment
December calendars fill quickly with parties, concerts, programs, and obligations. Mattese likely says no to some invitations, protecting time for what matters most faith practices, family connection, rest, and reflection.
Military leadership taught her that effective commanders know their limits and prioritize strategically. She applies this wisdom to holiday scheduling, declining activities that would create stress without adding genuine value.
Releasing Perfectionism
Her memoir “The Make-Over: Re-imagining & Recreating Myself” explores transformation through realistic self-assessment and growth. This same wisdom applies to holiday preparation releasing perfectionist expectations that steal joy while pursuing realistic goals that bring satisfaction.
Burnt cookies, imperfect decorations, and last-minute changes don’t ruin Christmas. They make it authentically human. Mattese’s preparation includes mental readiness to embrace imperfection with grace and humor.
Setting Boundaries
When family dynamics present challenges, Mattese establishes boundaries protecting her wellbeing and her household’s peace. Her military experience taught that leaders must maintain both compassion and firm boundaries wisdom applicable to holiday family situations.
Setting boundaries might mean limiting visit duration, avoiding controversial discussion topics, or being clear about expectations. These boundaries don’t reject people they protect relationships by preventing situations likely to create conflict.
Including Others in Preparation
Mattese’s preparation process likely involves others rather than shouldering all responsibility herself.
Family Participation
Everyone who celebrates at Lecque’s house probably contributes to preparationdecorating together, meal preparation assistance, gift wrapping help, or cleaning duties. This shared investment creates ownership and reduces one person’s burden.
Her work with North Charleston High School PTSA as Treasurer demonstrates understanding that shared responsibility strengthens community while making tasks more manageable.
Service to Others
Part of holiday preparation includes planning how to serve others during the season. Mattese might coordinate food delivery to homebound church members, organize charitable giving through her church, volunteer at community programs, or invite someone who would otherwise spend Christmas alone.
Service transforms holiday preparation from self-focused activity to others-centered ministry. This outward focus prevents the introspection and commercialism that sometimes make December stressful.
Teaching Next Generation
Through her educational leadership and mentoring work, Mattese demonstrates commitment to passing wisdom to younger people. Her holiday preparation likely includes teaching children and young adults about Christmas meaning, family traditions, budget management, and service importance.
These teaching moments create legacy extending beyond single holiday season, equipping young people to approach their own future holidays with faith, wisdom, and healthy priorities.
Physical and Mental Health During Preparation
As a Physician’s Assistant, Mattese understands that holiday preparation must protect physical and mental wellbeing.
Maintaining Healthy Routines
Despite December’s busyness, she likely protects essential routines adequate sleep, regular exercise, healthy eating, and stress management practices. These aren’t luxuries but necessities that enable enjoying the season rather than merely surviving it.
Holiday preparation that sacrifices health creates misery, not joy. Mattese models sustainable approaches that enhance rather than undermine wellbeing.
Managing Stress
When preparation tasks feel overwhelming, Mattese probably employs stress management strategies prayer, deep breathing, breaks from activities, honest communication with family about needs, and realistic timeline adjustments.
Her military experience with high-stress situations taught valuable coping skills applicable to holiday pressure. Recognizing stress signals and responding proactively prevents small pressures from becoming overwhelming crises.
Creating Margin
Rather than filling every December moment with activities, Mattese likely builds in margin unscheduled time for rest, spontaneous family connection, or simply enjoying seasonal beauty without agenda.
Margin prevents the exhaustion that makes people count days until holidays end rather than savoring their presence.
The Charleston Touch
As a native Charlestonian and Burke High School graduate, Mattese’s preparation probably reflects distinctive Lowcountry style and traditions.
Southern Hospitality
Charleston tradition emphasizes gracious hospitality welcoming guests warmly, providing abundant food, creating comfortable environments where people feel valued. Mattese’s preparation likely includes planning how to extend this hospitality during holiday season.
Whether hosting church friends, family gatherings, or community events, she demonstrates that hospitality honors guests while reflecting the welcome God extends to all people.
Seasonal Foods
Charleston Christmas traditions might influence her menu planning she-crab soup, oyster dishes, red rice, or other Lowcountry specialties that connect celebration to regional heritage and family traditions passed through generations.
Food becomes more than sustenance it’s cultural expression, memory trigger, and love language communicating care for those gathered around her table.
What She Doesn’t Do
Understanding Mattese’s preparation philosophy includes recognizing what she likely doesn’t do activities that create stress without adding genuine value.
Competing with Neighbors – Her Christmas preparations aren’t performance for others’ approval but authentic expression of her faith and values.
Overspending – Financial wisdom and stewardship principles prevent debt-creating holiday expenditures.
Over-Scheduling – Protecting family time and personal wellbeing takes priority over attending every available event.
Neglecting Self-Care – Health and rest aren’t sacrificed on the altar of holiday perfection.
Losing Sight of Purpose – All preparation ultimately aims toward celebrating Christ’s birth and blessing others, not impressing observers.
Conclusion: Ready for What Matters
As Mattese prepares for Christmas, she demonstrates that true readiness involves heart preparation, intentional choices, realistic expectations, and keeping Christ central to all celebration.
Her approach shaped by military service, healthcare experience, deep faith, and community leadership offers alternative to frantic commercialism that often characterizes American Christmas. She shows that getting ready for Christmas can enhance joy rather than create stress when grounded in right priorities.
This holiday season, let Mattese’s example inspire your own preparation. Begin with spiritual readiness. Establish realistic budget. Simplify where possible. Include others in tasks. Protect your wellbeing. Serve beyond your household. Keep Christ at the center.
When you prepare intentionally, protecting what matters while releasing what doesn’t, Christmas becomes what it should be joyful celebration of God’s greatest gift, expressed through faith, family, service, and gratitude.
Prepare with purpose. Celebrate with joy. Honor Christ through all you do.
