Welcome back! Last week, I was writing about all the chaos that happened in the past week (car breaking down, last minute child care shuffle and more. If you want to read that post you can find it here. Anyway, now that we’re gearing up for Christmas, I thought that maybe we’d start that slow slide into the holiday and family time. Maybe not less busy than juggling work and home, but different. And there’d be (maybe) a little more sleep!

 

Not happening. Now, my phone is dying. Not quite dead yet, but it’s in its final hours. I keep getting a flashing screen and then a white screen, and even though I can see that the apps are behind it, I can’t get to them. So, no phone, no texts, no email, no online shopping (which is how I save myself unnecessary trips to the store). It’s funny, how quickly a device that used to be a novelty and a convenience has now become an essential. It’s like losing your credit card or wallet! It’s all good though, my new phone should arrive in less than six hours…

 

The white screen of death…

 

In addition to the phone, Auntie A (my kids’ homeschool teacher) got stuck out of town when Hartsfield-Jackson airport shut down from a major power outage. So I had a panic moment, thinking we’d have no child care or school on Monday morning.  But she flew into a different airport and drove the rest of the way home (poor thing!). She’s a keeper! Then her phone died and she had to spend about four days getting it replaced. Then the packages started arriving this week. Box after box of gifts – some things I ordered, some I didn’t. At first it was kind of exciting. Look at all these potential presents for Christmas! Then I realized that I’d probably be wrapping all of these presents for somebody. That wasn’t as much fun of an idea. And yesterday, my parents arrived. Now, that’s a very good thing! But with all the shuffle I hadn’t gotten any meal planning done for all of us, so I was scrambling a little trying to get dinner together.  Of course, I also hadn’t gotten to the guest room yet, so I was running around to Walmart at the last minute to exchange the mattress pad for the right size and make the bed up so my folks could rest after traveling all day. And to finish the day, we hosted our small group from church for a short lesson and time together. It was fun, but I had to rush to bed so I could get up the next morning at 5 am for work.

 

A few of the packages to unwrap and rewrap…

 

That’s not what I was planning to write about this week though. I want to talk about finding peace in this holiday time. It seems like even though this is supposed to be such a joyful and celebratory time of year, all the running and shopping and wrapping and cooking and hosting and planning leads me toward feeling overwhelmed and too busy to enjoy it. I know not everyone is like this. I admire people who have fun while running from party to party and activity to activity. I’d really just like to snuggle up in my pajamas and sit in front of the fire! It’s not a good feeling to head back to work after a break, feeling like there’s been no break. But even if I make things as simple as I possibly can, there’s still lots to do and people to care for. So, what do I do?

 

I’m taking a different approach this year. It’s subtle, but it’s helping me make a shift in my thinking. My tendency is to think, “Oh wow. Look at all these packages to wrap! I’m going to be up half the night wrapping all this stuff!” Or, I can choose to think how wonderful it is that there are so many people who love and remember my kids at this time of year. I also get a little flustered with all the commotion of the kids and grandparents and music and noise and TVs and complete lack of organization and schedule.  But, I choose to remember the days when I begged God for these babies. I also remind myself that these days when I have both my parents and my kids at this phase of life are limited, and I’m grateful to be living them now. How am I making this mental adjustment? What’s helping? Here’s what I’m doing…

The Grateful List

Yes, I’m back to writing the grateful list again. It seems like it should be enough to just pay attention or “count your blessings”, but the act of writing down several things a day helps nail down those good and beautiful things that I need to notice. I’m carrying my notebook around and taking a few minutes to write a few things down.

 

 

Daily Meditation

It’s funny. Whenever I mention to someone that they should think about starting a meditation or mindfulness practice, they get the same look on their face. It’s like I just asked them to consider climbing Mount Everest! I think after I say “meditation”, they miss the word “practice”. It’s the most important part though. Meditation helps me to slow down, find a direction, and hear what God is asking me to do. But checking in once a week or every few days doesn’t give you the chance to develop your “meditation” muscles! Actually, taking 5 minutes every day is better than 40 minutes twice a week. Practicing every day helps you grow stronger every time you do it. So, even though I’d like to plan to sleep in this week, I’m getting up early to meditate.

Wearing A Tattoo

I can see your eyes getting big now! (Does she really think I’m going to go get a tattoo to help with holiday stress?) Nope. Here’s the story. A few months ago, I was searching for some temporary tattoos because the kids wanted some (butterflies or cupcakes or something) and I couldn’t  find any at the dollar store. I found this site called Conscious Ink that makes high quality temporary intention tattoos and I was hooked. There’s no way I would do a permanent tattoo, because I’d change my mind and want something different later. But these intention tattoos are wonderful, because depending on what I need to focus my mind on, I can change it. The one I’ve been wearing the most recently is “Remember Who You Really Are”. It’s really helped me to focus on living as my best and highest self. The one I’ve chosen for this week is “Be Here Now”. That one helps me slow down and experience the moment as it happens (kind of like the grateful list!). Now, you don’t need a temporary tattoo as a reminder to live an intention! I’m a word girl, so I like the words on my skin as my reminder. But you could wear a color that calms you, or a special piece of jewelry that reminds you to be grateful, or tie a string bracelet on your wrist that will remind you of your intention when you see it. Whatever works!

 

 

These few things are simple (because who has time for complicated right now?). But they are helping make a little more space in my mind and heart, which is giving me peace this season. That space, that peace, is so that I can remember what this holiday is all about.  What about you? How do you make space for the peace you need this season? Please share in the comments below!