Rediscovering the True Meaning of Christmas預覽

SIMPLIFY

If you find yourself stressing out and missing the true meaning of Christmas, maybe it’s time to re-evaluate some of your holiday traditions and activities. A word I keep hearing these days about the holidays is “simplify” to have a more meaningful Christmas. Keep the things you love and pare down the rest! Here are some practical suggestions:

·Streamline holiday food: Instead of spending hours in the kitchen, aim for simpler menus; have guests bring some of the food; consider scrapping (or at least scaling down) the holiday baking – the sugar’s not that good for anyone anyway!

·Pare down activities: Maybe skip the annual holiday parade, say no to a few holiday parties, or cancel some tentative travel plans in favor of more downtime at home. When you do go out, focus on Christ-centered activities instead of secular ones.

·Minimize decorations: I’ve had years where all I did was decorate a tree (or two), then set out the nativity scene and a few favorite decorations. It was plenty -- sweet and homey and so much easier! Also, consider not decorating outside.

·Simplify gift giving: Give gift cards for all the “extra” and far away people (teachers, coaches, bus drivers, friends, neighbors, and those who don’t live near you); wrap gifts very simply, like using brown craft paper or gold tissue paper; consider giving just one gift per family member – we already have so much “stuff”! (Additional tip: The years I haven’t done stockings have also been way less stressful, and nobody missed them).

·Do a reality check: We’ve all seen those pictures of glamorous homes with over-the-top decorations and smiling families wearing matching pajamas sipping hot cocoa from mugs that match the décor -- but that’s not reality! And it won’t help you create a meaningful Christmas. Pare down on TV, magazines, social media, and apps, and keep your eyes on what’s important.

·Focus in: Do have daily family advent devotional time, go to church services, and make cozy together times at home. Take Deuteronomy 6:7-11 seriously and talk about Jesus daily – when you get up, when you go to bed when you go about your daily life. It’s also a great time of year to reach out to others and share the Good News of Jesus’ birth with a lost and hurting world. He is their answer!

May this Christmas be a time of peace, joy, and love for others as you press into the true, deeper meaning of Christ’s birth.

Did this plan help you? Check out Karen’s website to find more teaching and materials to help you in your walk with God.