Love this idea. I just texted my friend though and told her once Christmas hits I’m laying down on the couch for a few days. I have a GLORIOUS two weeks off.
I love Henri Nouwen's prayer - thank you for sharing that. And I agree, it is important to find ways to pause during Advent and stop it becoming overwhelming. I always try to use an Advent devotional in addition to my regular Bible reading and I find it really helpful. This year I am using one called "Finding Hope Under Bethlehem Skies," which goes through the book of Ruth. It's a different focus for Advent but I am enjoying it so far.
That is a great game plan! I used to write a "to do" list each day but I always added a few things I had already done so I could start the day of with a few already crossed off. LOL! It made me feel less stressed.
Great idea for the 3 things per day plan. There is less time between Thanksgiving and Christmas this year. I did scale back my decorating, so that took away the pressure. Butch and I started Paul David Tripp’s Advent Devotional “Come Let Us Adore Him” and since hubby’s retirement we are studying each morning together God’s Word one book at a time. Having time together each morning makes a difference in our day!
My Advent buddy and I are using Tripp's devotional this year. It's rich and thought-provoking and has already sparked some helpful discussions. I love that you and Butch cherish that time in God's Word together each morning. Thanks for that needed nudge to do the same, friend.
Love the "Three Things Per Day" plan, Linda! From experience I know that during especially busy times, writing out a MANAGEABLE to-do list (not too long!) for each day till the deadline helps me see that everything necessary will get done and I breathe easier. It helps me prioritize too, omitting those tasks that can be eliminated or postponed, and keeps me focused so I don't get side-tracked. Life goes better with a list! 😁
I couldn't agree more. I'd be lost without mine. I feel a weight lifting every time I jot another something down on paper. It's my favorite thing to do. 'Cause who has time to sit around wracking their brain for some bit of info that's completely flown right out the window ...
I am going to make that list of cards and pick three things a day to do for the next 14 days. I love that idea! I am wanting to savor the powerful blessing of the season this year - and not feel behind in it!
I am planning on working slowly through Jody Collins’ (who I met here on Substack!) small book of Advent poems. Taking time each day to mark the passing of Advent with a meaningful meditation has done wonders in keeping my heart calm in a busy season.✨
I well remember when Christmas was a thing to manage and survive. In the frenzy years I had passing thoughts that maybe we should do it every other year so we would have a year to prepare. So many great memories though. Hindsight is a stellar tool for only remembering the highlights, the laughs, the fun - the afterglow.
As I pass through this last threshold of aging and I am greatly reduced in strength and will to do, I find a strange unexpected peace comes with not fighting it. I did get a bit of decorating done and the next day, as I was recovering, I was glad I didn't give in to my determination not to do it this year even as I accepted the truth that it's okay if I don't ever do it again.
As we age we get laser refocused on the things that matter and we realize the other stuff, the fluff and flotsam we create didn't matter in the long term. What really matters, how we will be remembered, will be about our relationships with others, whether we represented Christ all year long and not how perfectly we did a holiday about His birth.
'Hindsight is a stellar tool for only remembering the highlights, the laughs, the fun - the afterglow.' You're so right, Meemanator, it's best when all the exhausting near disasters and overwhelming activity level fade from our remembrance. Sounds like so many around here are grateful not to be heading into 'manage and survive mode.' You've said it all so beautifully, and truthfully ... and yes, 'it's okay if I don't ever do it again.'
I was touched by your comment. I like what you call the "frenzy years", it did make great memories - though we only remember the highlights. Those memories make me smile! I agree with you about what matters in the long term - not what we did but whether we represented Christ. Thanks for sharing.
It seems to me that all my sweet happy memories are all combined into one lovely haze, very few specifics that stand out. However, for some reason, the tough lean and less than happy ones do stand alone and make me even more grateful for the blessed ones. Maybe that has to do with our being tested more by our blessings than our tribulations?
I just started my third time through Tsh Oxenreider’s Shadow and Light: A Journey into Advent, which is a lovely devotional, very worthy of repeated readings. Like many here, I’m feeling like it’s time to push back on all the pressures placed on us (yes, also by ourselves) to create an amazing Christmas complete with all the trimmings. Right now, I’m rooting into the beauty and expectation of Advent, and my plan is to move more slowly this year and to eliminate anything nonessential, keeping my focus on the true meaning of this season.
I love this advice, Linda. I used to pick 3 main things a day to accomplish, but it's been awhile since I've done that. December would be a great time to do that again! Anything I get done past the 3 are just gravy, as we say. :)
Now that I'm older, I don't feel the stress and busyness that the Christmas season used to bring. I buy fewer gifts, decorating is sparse and I'll just bake two batches of cookies a week. There is no hectic racing around and my expectations are more realistic than they used to be. I like the idea of making a list and picking 3 things to do a day - I could have used that 10 years ago!!
I didn't know Sean was on Substack until a friend sent me the link. I have a 15 year old video of his private concert on our family property. I have not viewed that in many years. To see my now grown grands so little - gulp. I'm not crying!!!
I absolutely LOVE the idea of jotting down just one "to do" on each index card! As I listened to you today, I thought of how beautifully different our lives are now from what they were a few years ago. Honestly, the change is near unbelievable. Christmas is stripped down simple and peaceful in our home, with literally zero stress. We buy for each other and few others, and we say an emphatic, gentle-but-unapologetic no to anything that even slightly resembles pressure or coming under bondage to cultural or other people's demands and expectations, and we have no time commitments or obligations. It truly is remarkable to behold what GOD has wrought in our lives through His transformative work in our hearts and minds. What relief and deliverance it brings to know that His way is the path to peace and simplicity, and He doesn't require, nor does He approve of our marching to the beat of this world's drum. It really is just a matter of choice, as in every other part of our lives. Do we mind God, or the world? God doesn't want us frazzled and exhausted at this or any other time of the year. I pray we all force ourselves to lay down the unnecessary and stressful, and in its place to carve out time and space and solitude to sit silently at His precious feet this season, soaking in the immeasurable gift of His presence and basking in His sweet approval. Sending much love to you today, my peace-seeking friend.
This, right here -->'we say an emphatic, gentle-but-unapologetic no to anything that even slightly resembles pressure or coming under bondage to cultural or other people's demands and expectations ... God doesn't want us frazzled and exhausted at this or any other time of the year.'
And thank you for the joyful envelope in my mailbox today.
Such a practical and doable list for keeping our sanity in the demanding holiday season. Thanks for the wonderful quote from Nouwen, too. May your Advent be blessed, Linda!
And a blessed Advent to you, Martha. (You're the first person I've said that to this year. I'm finding it hard to believe that it's actually December.}
Love this idea. I just texted my friend though and told her once Christmas hits I’m laying down on the couch for a few days. I have a GLORIOUS two weeks off.
Plan for bliss. Yes, please! You've earned those weeks, girl. Enjoy every second.
I love Henri Nouwen's prayer - thank you for sharing that. And I agree, it is important to find ways to pause during Advent and stop it becoming overwhelming. I always try to use an Advent devotional in addition to my regular Bible reading and I find it really helpful. This year I am using one called "Finding Hope Under Bethlehem Skies," which goes through the book of Ruth. It's a different focus for Advent but I am enjoying it so far.
The book of Ruth for Advent. Oh that sounds really intriguing. Thanks for mentioning this, Lesley. Advent blessings to you, my far away friend ...
Love the card idea! Yes. Breathe deep and relax.
You're so right, Debbie. Even after sharing these words on Sunday, I had to remind myself yesterday morning to 'breathe deep and relax.'
We're all still humans in learning mode. Thanks for the calming nudge.
That is a great game plan! I used to write a "to do" list each day but I always added a few things I had already done so I could start the day of with a few already crossed off. LOL! It made me feel less stressed.
Oh I do that, too, Joanne! You're right, it makes it feel like I've already accomplished SO MUCH!
Great idea for the 3 things per day plan. There is less time between Thanksgiving and Christmas this year. I did scale back my decorating, so that took away the pressure. Butch and I started Paul David Tripp’s Advent Devotional “Come Let Us Adore Him” and since hubby’s retirement we are studying each morning together God’s Word one book at a time. Having time together each morning makes a difference in our day!
My Advent buddy and I are using Tripp's devotional this year. It's rich and thought-provoking and has already sparked some helpful discussions. I love that you and Butch cherish that time in God's Word together each morning. Thanks for that needed nudge to do the same, friend.
Blessings to you both.
Love the "Three Things Per Day" plan, Linda! From experience I know that during especially busy times, writing out a MANAGEABLE to-do list (not too long!) for each day till the deadline helps me see that everything necessary will get done and I breathe easier. It helps me prioritize too, omitting those tasks that can be eliminated or postponed, and keeps me focused so I don't get side-tracked. Life goes better with a list! 😁
'Life goes better with a list! 😁'
I couldn't agree more. I'd be lost without mine. I feel a weight lifting every time I jot another something down on paper. It's my favorite thing to do. 'Cause who has time to sit around wracking their brain for some bit of info that's completely flown right out the window ...
I am going to make that list of cards and pick three things a day to do for the next 14 days. I love that idea! I am wanting to savor the powerful blessing of the season this year - and not feel behind in it!
If you have time, please drop back in after those 14 days and let us know how it goes, Maryleigh.
I am planning on working slowly through Jody Collins’ (who I met here on Substack!) small book of Advent poems. Taking time each day to mark the passing of Advent with a meaningful meditation has done wonders in keeping my heart calm in a busy season.✨
Poetry for Advent sounds so lovely and inviting. And, perhaps, necessary?
I well remember when Christmas was a thing to manage and survive. In the frenzy years I had passing thoughts that maybe we should do it every other year so we would have a year to prepare. So many great memories though. Hindsight is a stellar tool for only remembering the highlights, the laughs, the fun - the afterglow.
As I pass through this last threshold of aging and I am greatly reduced in strength and will to do, I find a strange unexpected peace comes with not fighting it. I did get a bit of decorating done and the next day, as I was recovering, I was glad I didn't give in to my determination not to do it this year even as I accepted the truth that it's okay if I don't ever do it again.
As we age we get laser refocused on the things that matter and we realize the other stuff, the fluff and flotsam we create didn't matter in the long term. What really matters, how we will be remembered, will be about our relationships with others, whether we represented Christ all year long and not how perfectly we did a holiday about His birth.
'Hindsight is a stellar tool for only remembering the highlights, the laughs, the fun - the afterglow.' You're so right, Meemanator, it's best when all the exhausting near disasters and overwhelming activity level fade from our remembrance. Sounds like so many around here are grateful not to be heading into 'manage and survive mode.' You've said it all so beautifully, and truthfully ... and yes, 'it's okay if I don't ever do it again.'
Amen.
I was touched by your comment. I like what you call the "frenzy years", it did make great memories - though we only remember the highlights. Those memories make me smile! I agree with you about what matters in the long term - not what we did but whether we represented Christ. Thanks for sharing.
Yes, yes. Honoring Christ above all the other stuff that fades before we can even turn around.
It seems to me that all my sweet happy memories are all combined into one lovely haze, very few specifics that stand out. However, for some reason, the tough lean and less than happy ones do stand alone and make me even more grateful for the blessed ones. Maybe that has to do with our being tested more by our blessings than our tribulations?
You're dishing out a whole lot of rich food for thought, today. I'm so glad you're here.
Me too. :-)
Got no tasks I have to fill
for our Christmas cheer,
except to go and check the still
and buy a case of beer.
I'll leave Santa some White Lightning
to share with Rudolf and the rest,
though it may be kinda frightening
when they try the takeoff test.
Will they face-plant from the roof,
or sway dizzy to the skies?
Perhaps this trial will furnish proof
that Santa don't like drunk goodbyes,
but would prefer REAL Mountain Dew
when deliveries are through.
***
Barb's family has a bunch of moonshiners. I figured a tribute might be fitting.
You had me at 'sway dizzy to the skies.' I could see the disaster all unfolding.
I actually have a remix of a Christmas song to share...
Up on the housetop reindeer pause,
oh, dear God, it's Santa Claus
in an overloaded sleigh with its runners bowed,
he's exceeded our roof's maximum load!
Ho, ho, ho, there the rafters go!
Ho, ho, ho, look out below!
Down through the floors so quick, quick, quick,
and into the basement goes Good Saint Nick!
Oh my you are quite prolific this week!
LOL
I just started my third time through Tsh Oxenreider’s Shadow and Light: A Journey into Advent, which is a lovely devotional, very worthy of repeated readings. Like many here, I’m feeling like it’s time to push back on all the pressures placed on us (yes, also by ourselves) to create an amazing Christmas complete with all the trimmings. Right now, I’m rooting into the beauty and expectation of Advent, and my plan is to move more slowly this year and to eliminate anything nonessential, keeping my focus on the true meaning of this season.
Eliminating the nonessential is my goal, too, Lauren. And therein is our peace and a great big sigh of relief.
I love this advice, Linda. I used to pick 3 main things a day to accomplish, but it's been awhile since I've done that. December would be a great time to do that again! Anything I get done past the 3 are just gravy, as we say. :)
Yeah, Lisa. It's all gravy. And grace!
Now that I'm older, I don't feel the stress and busyness that the Christmas season used to bring. I buy fewer gifts, decorating is sparse and I'll just bake two batches of cookies a week. There is no hectic racing around and my expectations are more realistic than they used to be. I like the idea of making a list and picking 3 things to do a day - I could have used that 10 years ago!!
Yes. Let's hear it for realistic expectations. And you being available yet again when my Scotch Shortbread cookies don't turn out.
Oh been there done that
Good to hear a voice of reason cutting through the noisy choir of “do THIS and your Advent will be perfect!”
I don’t need a perfect Advent. I just need to be present to his coming.
I gotta share this - I may or may not have spit my coffee out laughing...
https://seandietrich.substack.com/p/advent-candles
TOO FUNNY!!
I didn't know Sean was on Substack until a friend sent me the link. I have a 15 year old video of his private concert on our family property. I have not viewed that in many years. To see my now grown grands so little - gulp. I'm not crying!!!
'I don’t need a perfect Advent. I just need to be present to his coming.'
Amen. And another amen on top of that.
I absolutely LOVE the idea of jotting down just one "to do" on each index card! As I listened to you today, I thought of how beautifully different our lives are now from what they were a few years ago. Honestly, the change is near unbelievable. Christmas is stripped down simple and peaceful in our home, with literally zero stress. We buy for each other and few others, and we say an emphatic, gentle-but-unapologetic no to anything that even slightly resembles pressure or coming under bondage to cultural or other people's demands and expectations, and we have no time commitments or obligations. It truly is remarkable to behold what GOD has wrought in our lives through His transformative work in our hearts and minds. What relief and deliverance it brings to know that His way is the path to peace and simplicity, and He doesn't require, nor does He approve of our marching to the beat of this world's drum. It really is just a matter of choice, as in every other part of our lives. Do we mind God, or the world? God doesn't want us frazzled and exhausted at this or any other time of the year. I pray we all force ourselves to lay down the unnecessary and stressful, and in its place to carve out time and space and solitude to sit silently at His precious feet this season, soaking in the immeasurable gift of His presence and basking in His sweet approval. Sending much love to you today, my peace-seeking friend.
Preach it, girl!
This, right here -->'we say an emphatic, gentle-but-unapologetic no to anything that even slightly resembles pressure or coming under bondage to cultural or other people's demands and expectations ... God doesn't want us frazzled and exhausted at this or any other time of the year.'
And thank you for the joyful envelope in my mailbox today.
xo
Such a practical and doable list for keeping our sanity in the demanding holiday season. Thanks for the wonderful quote from Nouwen, too. May your Advent be blessed, Linda!
And a blessed Advent to you, Martha. (You're the first person I've said that to this year. I'm finding it hard to believe that it's actually December.}