It’s December which means Christmas time is here! I’ve been getting in the groove as a mom to my little trio and this time of year has kind of snuck up on me. I’m excited about the holiday season but initially had some moments of being overwhelmed with all Christmas can bring i.e. my imaginary to-do list that I create for myself that is by no means required – activities for the family, gift-giving, baking, family photos, pictures of the kids with Santa and so on.
Prior to December, I started to recognize that I had a negative mindset and that I wasn’t nearly as thankful/positive as I could’ve been. Life was starting to drag and complaining was taking away from my enjoyment. So the first thing I did was go to church and get prayed for. I’m a big believer in prayer and joining my faith with others. Well, the prayer team members were very encouraging and shared with me about prayer, giving thanks and worship. Not to mention the whole sermon was about having joy. God can be so direct with me sometimes. 😊
I’m also trying to remember not only the true meaning of Christmas – thanks baby Jesus – but the joy of giving. The American culture is so fueled with consumerism and a “gimme gimme” mindset that it’s easy to get sidetracked by that and lose a grateful heart and peace of mind. I was so bombarded with Black Friday emails, I started to feel like I was missing out. This is the first year that I didn’t do any major shopping on Black Friday on the internet or otherwise.
My hope for this season is to enjoy the little things and not go crazy on gifts. Last year my husband and I called ourselves taking it easy and although we did much better than previous years, we still had too much. I want to focus more on family time than stuff. Not just creating a crazy checklist of things to do but actually enjoy what we’re doing.
Here’s to keeping my peace and joy intact this season and not getting distracted by everything else. I’m doing a little devotional about Christmas and want to spend more time talking to my children about giving. My daughter asked me about the Salvation Army bell ringers the other day. I explained to her that they collect money to help people that may not have a place to stay, food “or toys” which she added. I always try to have my kiddos put money in that little red bucket and pick out a small gift to add to the toys for tots box at the store. I think it’s important to teach them to be aware that other people have needs and that they can help.
What are you guys planning to do to keep your peace this season? I’d love to hear about it so comment below. 🎄
Proverbs 17:22 –
A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit saps a person’s strength.