“Wow! Look at this!” I tossed it in my shopping cart. Then, I walked further down the aisle. “Another pretty one.” I tossed it in, too.

I can’t help myself. I simply cannot pass by a display full of Christmas wrapping paper without stopping and admiring all of them. To me they are mesmerizing. After all, each one is a unique piece of art that needs to be appreciated.

Let me tell you, it is such a thrill when I pick up one and twirl it around while admiring it. I especially like the ones that have glitter and sparkle. And I also love a pretty design with lots of color, especially blue.

At that point it’s, “Yep. This baby is going home with me.”

Once in a while, I lay one back down on the shelf, but I usually go back for it. If I don’t, then I have to return to the store in a few days and buy it. It calls for me. What else am I to do?

After I return home, I like to show my new treasures off to my husband Tim. Usually, he says something like: “Oh yeah. Isn’t that pretty.” But this one time, it was a different story. After I laid them out for him to admire, he asked, “Huh…don’t we already have enough wrapping paper?”

I wondered what brought that on. I’m sure lots of other people have to buy small crates to store their many rolls of paper in like I do.

“Why don’t you give some of them away?” He suggested. “I know you’ve had some of them for years.”

“Well…ahhh.” As much as I tried, I couldn’t deny that he was right. That’s when I realized just how much of a wrapping paper fetish I had and it was close to getting out of control. There were probably stores that didn’t have the paper inventory I had acquired. I needed to do something.

First, I went through my stockpile and accessed each bolt. There were some I hadn’t used because they were too pretty and I loved looking at them. And some I had used one Christmas season and moved on to the newer wrapping papers the next year.

It was a little difficult, but I managed to give some wrapping paper away to my family and friends.

After I did that, I decided to remove myself from temptation by totally avoiding the wrapping paper aisles. As I walked by, I resisted the urge to glance down at them. You see, I knew if I saw one thing that caught my eye, I would leave tire marks on the floor with my cart as I made the sharp turn into the aisle.

I am going to be brutally honest here, it was such a difficult struggle at first. But I did it, and now I congratulate myself for walking by them. You know what, it became easier each time I did.

I thought I was doing very well at it until my daughter stopped by the other evening with presents she needed to wrap. You got it, she was carrying pretty new wrapping paper.

“Awww!” I exclaimed. Her paper was blue with snowflakes and Santa. But I did well. I was able to admire it without trying to get a snippet of it for myself.

You know, unless it’s Jesus, too much on one thing is not good.

Through all of this, I realized that I have more will power than I thought I possessed. I think we all do.

Sometimes you have to set your foot down with yourself. And you need to stick to it.

I do that now with more than just enticing wrapping paper. I do my best to steer clear of situations that may include pasta, shoes, sodas, chocolates, jewelry and anything on sale.

Lord help, I don’t know what will happen if they start making wrapping paper out of chocolate.

“Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, and with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart.” 2 Timothy 2:22 (KJV)