I was so excited to learn that my article called “Ponder and Treasure” had been accepted to The Joyful Life Magazine. And they have given me permission to share it with you. I hope it encourages you to do “less” this Christmas while still enjoying “more” of the true reason for the season!
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It was December 26th. An overwhelming sense of relief washed over me as I celebrated once again âgetting throughâ the marathon of Christmas. The previous month had been packed with church, family, and neighborhood events, the pressures of buying, wrapping, and giving the perfect gifts, and my kidsâ endless parties and performancesâand letâs not forget the extra baking, hosting, and card-addressing. But somehow Iâd done it, weâd made it, and now I could rest.
Yet as I looked back over the holiday, I felt disappointed that I had let the things of the world steal my joy from the most important truth of the season: my humble, loving Jesus had come in such a simple, quiet way. That day, I endeavored in my heart to simplify future Christmases so that I would never again miss the true gift. Itâs been a journey of intention, but in the last few years Iâve made a lot of changes to enable the advent season to be a time of rest and reflection.
OBSERVE ADVENT IN THE AFTERNOONS
A few years ago we started a simple practice that we call âAdvent in the Afternoon.â Every afternoon during the month of December, my children and I gather around the kitchen table with a cup of something warm: tea, coffee, hot chocolate, or even spiced apple cider. I keep a basket of tea bags, hot chocolate, and cider packets handy so all we need to do is boil a kettle of water and sometimes weâll also pop a big bowl of popcorn or put out some crackers and cheese.
While everyone enjoys their drinks, I read to them a little bit of the Christmas story from the Bible (weâve also used Ann Voskampâs âUnwrapping the Greatest Giftâ and the Sally Lloyd-Jones âThe Jesus Storybook Bibleâ as jumping-off points), followed by a Christmas picture book from the library, reading a different book for each day of December. If youâre looking for Christmas books, look no further than your local library, but be sure to reserve all your favorite Christmas picture books in October or Novemberâthey go fast! This simple and restful gathering does not require any extra work, time away from home, or money, yet it has made so many beautiful memories for our family. While afternoons have worked best for our family, you could easily adapt this practice to suit your schedule.
FOCUS ON THE FELLOWSHIP, NOT ON THE FOOD
For many years, I attended a Christmas cookie exchange that was held in our neighborhood. While I looked forward to celebrating with my neighborhood friends, I dreaded coming up with the perfect cookie recipe and making the dozens of cookies needed for trading. One year, the organizer made some changes to our annual gathering. On the invitation, she added the option to just come and visit without having to be involved in the food exchange. Such a weight was lifted from my shoulders! This got me thinking about how I could shift the focus for Christmas gatherings that I organized. How could we focus on fellowship instead of food? How could we simplify foodâis it even necessary at each gathering, or would beverages sometimes be more restful? What could I purchase that is premade at the store or make in advance and freeze? Pie crusts, items from the deli section and rotisserie chicken became my friends.
Our Favorite Christmas Stories:
