Day 32

As you might have noticed, last week I only managed to write one post, and it was a simple one at that. This was not intentional. I had every intention of writing every day like I normally do, but life had other plans. Somewhere along the way time morphed into super speed, and it was all I could do to keep the house resonably clean and get dinner on the table while running around like a crazy person doing this, that, and the other thing. I know it is only going to get harder as the Christmas season approaches and with it a deluge of festive activities. I love Christmastime, and I love everything that goes along with it, but there is a tendency to get burned out by the running around and the endless activities, especially since I want to do it all. I felt burned out at the end of the this week, and it was only crazy for about four days! So as I am pondering joy and thinking about busy schedules, here are some ways I thought of to keep the joy in Christmas.

Focus on Christ, not the mas(s) of things to do: People have developed catchy sayings to help us remember this: "Remember the Reason for the Season!" "Keep Christ in Christmas!" These are all well and good, but I need a little more than a snazzy catch-phrase to keep me focused. When I am feeling stressed or overwhelmed, I need to take a step back, re-focus, and remind myself the purpose behind the project.  The reason behind everything should point to Christ in some way or another.  Whether that is having a beautiful home that guest feel welcomed and valued in, or a thoughtful gift that makes someone feel loved, the things I do I do ultimately for Christ.

Enjoy the little moments:  This the same thing as finding little joys in life.  Slow down enough to enjoy that song on the radio or the beautiful Christmas lights twinkling in the darkness.  It is easy for even the things you love to become a chore when they are just one of the dozens of things that need done.  Don't let that happen; enjoy the things you enjoy and don't let time rob you of that joy.

Onthe reverse side, if something about the season particularly annoys you, have a distraction technique ready.  For me, hearing the song "Santa Baby" has the power to put me in an immediate bad mood. Since I know this about myself, whenever I hear "Santa Baby" I use it as a reminder to pray for someone, and then I am no longer thinking about how annoying that song is.

On crazy days, take a song break: One day I was busy from the moment I got up in the morning. Around four o'clock in the afternoon I felt myself lagging, but I knew I didn't have time to take even a fifteen minute nap. I did have time for a song, however. I put on a worship song, laid on my bed, and calmed my spirit and body for three and a half minutes. It wasn't much, but it helped. If you want to keep with the spirit of the season, "The Night Before Christmas" by Brandon Heath is the most gospel-centered Christmas song I have ever heard, and it keeps the focus on Christ. I'm sure I will have a post just on this song, so you can stay tuned for that.

Those are just some of the ways I hope to keep the joy in the busy Christmas season.  If you have a technique that you use, I would love to hear about it!  The more focused we are on Christ this season, the more joyful we will be.