Christmas is my favorite time of year. It’s so much more than brightly wrapped gifts, and twinkling lights. It’s more than the carols that we sing and the perfect photo opts.
Growing up, Christmas meant family. When I was younger, my family and extended family would all gather at my parents’ home. We would sit in front of the fire, feast on sugar by way of candy canes and freshly baked cookies. We sang carols, played board games and just enjoyed being together. It wasn’t important if there were a lot of gifts under the tree. It wasn’t important if we were dressed to a tee.
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I wasn’t here at 5 Minutes for Faith last month. It’s been a trying year and I found myself worn out, weary, and very tired. I kept trying to push forward, but that only adds to the exhaustion. So, I did something I don’t usually do…I asked for help. I e-mailed our editor here and she graciously gave me the month off.
As we’re in one of the busiest times of the year—between Thanksgiving and Christmas—I wonder if you might be in the same place…tired, weary, worn out, and still trying to push forward. If you are, I understand.
It often feels as though the load rests solely on our shoulders, and in truth, sometimes it does.
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My hearts desire for this advent season is very simple…to Slow Down.
We are constantly going.
Constantly moving.
Constantly busy.
Constantly running.
We are slaves to time.
Hurry up.
Walk faster.
Let’s go.
We are going to be late.
Come on.
Quickly.
Why do we rush? What is our hurry?
This life is fleeting as it is.
Every breath we take is one closer to our last and still we rush.
So my desire this season is to slow…
Stop and look.
Enjoy.
Breathe.
Savor the moments, the beauty, the wonder of this Christmas Season.
Before the advent of Jesus, people were longing for the Messiah; The Savior and the promise of God.
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Praise the Lord!
For he has heard my cry for mercy.
The Lord is my strength and shield.
I trust him with all my heart.
He helps me, and my heart is filled with joy.
I burst out in songs of thanksgiving.
Psalm 28:6–7
What is on your list of blessings today?
We want you to know that we are thankful for you…
our friends and family who visit us here and encourage us with your comments.
We thank God for you!
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Turns out the shape of happiness is a U.
According to an article in this month’s Atlantic, our happiness levels have a U shape over the course of our lives: higher in our twenties, lower during midlife, and rising again in our late 50’s and early 60’s. The What struck me as I read the article was story after story of people struggling with happiness in midlife because life hadn’t turned out like they thought it would. They hadn’t advanced in their careers or written the great American novel. They had divorced, their children were struggling, or they were caring for aging parents.
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When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers,
The moon and the stars, which You have ordained,
What is man that You are mindful of him,and the son of man that You visit him?
For You have made him a little lower than the angels,
And You have crowned him with glory and honor.
~ Psalm 8:3-5
I remember a day the sky was so blue it took my breath away, the sunrise so pink I could only stand in awe. The stars that night twinkled brighter than ever a night before, or so it seemed as I gazed enthralled by God’s awesome creation.
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November is a month of thankfulness.
All over social media, we see people expressing gratitude for things in their lives. In early November the posts read along the lines of,
“I’m thankful for a warm house, clean clothes, and food on the table.”
As the month goes on, I’ve noticed an interesting trend: the focus narrows. A 30-day gratefulness challenge causes participants to look beyond the obvious and find the more obscure gifts in life.
A random kindness.
A good night’s sleep.
A warm cup of tea.
An attitude of gratitude benefits us in many ways. First and foremost, a grateful mindset honors the Lord.
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