So.....today I thought I would talk about surviving the holidays. But then it occurred to me it should really be more than that - it should be enjoying the holidays! So I thought we could process through together how to make the holiday season, which is really from the Thanksgiving week until the 1st week of January, really good. On Friday night I asked Jessica what she thought most people would need to do to most enjoy their holidays and she said AVOID FAMILY! hahaha!!!!
The 1st thing that comes to MY mind it the issue of crazy holiday schedules.
There are so many things that we want to do. We want to visit friends and family, we want to go to parties, we want to go shopping but right alongside of those wants are the things we don’t want to do - visit friends and family, go to parties, go shopping! It’s really all about balance. We have to prioritize and figure out what we should and shouldn’t do. Does everyone want you to come to their party? Sure they do - it wouldn’t be the same without YOU! But will they survive if you don’t come? mmmmmm....i say yes! Believe it or not the party really will go on without you and so if attending that particular event, whether it’s a party or luncheon or whatever, if attending is going to be one more thing in your overly crowded schedule or it’s going to take away from something else or it’s going to rob you of good family time then it’s okay to say no!
You know it’s even okay to say no just because ‘you don’t wanna’. Your allowed to do that! (Unless your spouse overrules you - I can’t help you with that one!)
Don’t be afraid to get some rest during the holidays. Don’t we feel guilty if we take the day off when we feel like there is something still to do? Look, I know this, I know that the Bible tells me to take a sabbath.
Exodus 20:8 “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns. 11 For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy."
It’s important to take time to rest and refocus.
Keeping your Sabbath holy - simply put that means that which is holy belongs to God.
Why don’t we take some time and give it to God during the holidays. Not to our boss, our neighbors, the mall, whatever. But truly take some time that is ours and dedicate it to God - therefore making it his. Not sure what to do? Open the Bible and read through the story of Jesus’s birth. Put on some worship or Christmas music and sit in front of a cozy fire with some hot chocolate and enjoy the peacefulness while the words wash over you. Not much can alter your mood and perspective faster than music. Music just connects to our hearts in a unique way.
Ok so just say no!
Next is know when to say yes!
You gotta make memories - enjoy life’s simple pleasures. Go Christmas light looking and make it special. Put some hot chocolate in the car and take lots of blankets - then roll your windows down and snuggle in while you drive through a really festive neighborhood. One time when it wasn’t very cold Joe and I rode our bikes through the neighborhood with Jess strapped in the kid carrier and that was so fun! We really got to take our time looking at the decorations. Or you can go down to see the display at Moody gardens.
Every year I like to grab a pillow and put it under the tree and just lay under it and watch the lights cycle. Alli does it with me now too! See.....memories.
Roast marshmallows at your firepit or chiminea.
Pull out some cards or a board game. Some of you just need to play......some of you don’t remember what it’s like to loose yourself in play then watch this:
The final aspect to enjoying your holidays is the most important one, it’s Hebrews 12:2
"We must focus on Jesus, the source and goal of our faith. He saw the joy ahead of him, so he endured death on the cross and ignored the disgrace it brought him." (GWV)
You know coming off Thanksgiving week and then into the Christmas month, we just have to realize we have so much to be thankful for and we can express our thanks for our families and our homes and the food on our tables and the pillows we get to rest our heads on each night but we can’t loose sight of the source of all of these blessings. If there was EVER anything to be thankful for it’s Jesus. If fact, everything we can possibly be thankful for is a gift. We can’t take credit for our families, our jobs, our homes. We wouldn’t have our families if God hadn’t allowed us to be born into them or for us to cross paths with our spouses. We wouldn’t have our jobs or homes had God not given us the skills and abilities to work and earn them.....
James 1:16-17 "Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers and sisters. Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows."
No matter what you do this season don’t lose sight of what we are ultimately celebrating and that is that we have a great God who’s blessed us amazingly - who just over 2 thousand years ago gave up His position in heaven to be born in a barn so that He could restore us back into relationship with him. Don’t you dare get so pre-occupied in your turkey, your decorations, your shopping that you forget what this season is really all about. And don’t you dare miss the opportunity to impact your life and your children’s lives with these truths.
Deuteronomy 11:18-20 (New International Version)
"Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates"
You know this really ties into the making memories and the holiness issue we talked about earlier......I love how this scripture puts such an emphasis on the importance of teaching our children. What better time is there to teach our kids about God than this season where they are saturated in Christmas music - which a lot if it is just worship music and nativities and crosses and everywhere they turn their attention is repeatedly drawn to something that reminds them of the birth of our savior, our messiah. When the girls were younger we use to some really cool activities out of a book called Family Tool-chest. Anyway, it was a rainy day and we wanted to have a little fun along with kind of a family devotion
In that moment we did several things we’ve talked about today, we made memories, we taught our kids a fundamental Biblical lesson and we created a holy experience. Remember holy simply means being that which belongs to God. That afternoon in our garage belonged to God. You know this Deuteronomy scripture also says to fix God’s words on our hearts and minds. You know what that is ultimately? That’s giving your heart and mind to God. It’s the ultimate decision to live a holy life because it’s saying ‘I belong to God’. Ultimately, the best gift you can give this season is yourself to God. Make this year uniquely different that any other year by being purposeful about setting aside yourself and your moments to be holy - to belong to God.
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