Is Your Heart and Home Ready for the Holidays?

The calendar page flipped to November, and now it is time to think about the holidays! So, is your heart and home ready for the holidays? Last year we barely made it through the most wonderful time of the year. For us, it was the absolute basics to make sure all the other children still had some happy moments. You see, we were experiencing all the firsts after the death of a child, all shortly after our son died. We were still numb and in disbelief. It was very hard to even think about the holidays much less prepare our home or hearts. This year I have determined to bring the holidays back to our home in the way the kids remember. I am in no way saying that it is going to be easy, but it is necessary.

Where Is Your Heart and Home?

I know I am not the only one who is struggling with this right now. I know there are many reasons why you may be facing this season with anxiety, depression, or being totally unmotivated.  Maybe you have been on a grief journey as well. Maybe you just aren’t “feeling it”.  Maybe it’s not a heart issue but a home issue. Maybe you are so overwhelmed by an unorganized home that you can’t seem to get it ready, to get it ready for the holidays. You could also have a perfectly organized home (please tell me how you do it) but get overwhelmed with this time of year and all that comes with it. There are so many things that can cause you to not fully enjoy this time of year.

Preparing Your Heart

First things first we must be spending time with God. There is no way that we are going to make it through without Him. We need to be in prayer and the word. Start each day talking to the Lord before your feet even hit the floor. I am sure I am not the only one who has told you this. I know I am guilty of grabbing my phone first, many of us are, but we have to seek him first. Start with a prayer that reflects what is causing you to struggle. For me, it would be something like this,

“God, thank you for another day. I ask you to please comfort my heart and help me to focus on the needs of my family. Please give me the strength to get my daily tasks completed and help me to remember that this season is about you. Lord, please help me today.”

That is just an example to show that it doesn’t have to be long and wordy, it should be to the point and sincere. It also isn’t the only time we should be praying. Scripture tells us to pray without ceasing.  Read with me 1 Thessalonians 5:16-19 Rejoice always, pray constantly, give thanks in everything; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. Don’t stifle the Spirit.

I love how the Christian Standard Bible says CONSTANTLY. Pray throughout the day. Pray in thankfulness for the good things in your day, pray for help when you begin to struggle, pray for clarity on decisions you face, pray. I seriously have prayed for clear traffic when it’s a busy errand day. I have prayed to find lost keys and so much more. He cares about the most minute things.

Don’t forget to be in the Word!

There are so many amazing resources available to help you with reading your Bible. There are devotionals, reading plans & scripture-writing plans. Many of them are monthly focused and thus fit in with the seasons.

I love the writing plans at The Ruffled Mango. http://www.theruffledmango.com/november-scripture-writing-plan-thanks-giving/   If you scroll to the bottom of the linked page, you will see that they have more than one to offer for November.

If you are interested in advent studies or everyday Bible studies check out https://thedailygraceco.com/collections/advent-2023 These are to purchase but you can also find free bible reading plans on multiple reputable websites. You can also ask your friends and family if they have any great resources they would recommend.

Honestly, just pick a book from the Bible and start reading. The Bible is our guide to everything in life. Just read it.

What Else Can You Do?

Secondly, you want to make sure to rest and allow time for peace. We can become so overwhelmed with what we have to get done that we don’t stop to just rest and sit in peace.

One way I like to slow down, and rest is by putting on a great playlist that is calming and worshipful. I love instrumental hymns for this. This even helps when the kids start to get a bit wild. But I will make a cup of tea, push play, sit on a comfy surface, and just listen. I usually find myself singing to them.

Worship

Back to those playlists. Worship is not just for Sunday. You need to be in worship every day. I have a Spotify playlist with all types of worship music that I play throughout the day. Feel free to check it out at https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0NxVPq56yrIpbyGjKokWBd?si=ec177be2a7c14244   Worship is what we do for Christ. It is our way of giving to Him. One of my favorite songs at Christmas is “Little Drummer Boy” The song is about a little boy who had nothing to give the Christ child and so he played him a song. He offered him what he had. We all have the ability to offer our worship to Him. When we spend our day in worship it is hard to focus on our struggles. It ushers us into His presence and allows us to be with Him. It is hard to dwell on the “issues” of our day when we are in His presence.

What are You Doing for Others?

Oh, how it does a heart good to do for others. This does not need to be anything big and most definitely does not need to be done to get credit for it or to get back in return. We should not serve to be served & we should not give to get.

Doing for others can look like taking cookies to your neighbor, returning someone’s cart to the store, raking leaves for an elderly neighbor, watching a friend’s kiddos so they can have a date night, or donating socks and blankets to a shelter. Search ideas for random acts of kindness and you will find so many great things you can do for others.

Coffee, Cocoa, or Tea?

Lastly, let’s all be honest, a nice warm drink in a festive flavor and holiday cup really does hit the spot and lift the spirits. I know some say it is overrated, but is it? Sometimes during those hectic errand days, pull in the drive-thru of your favorite spot and order your favorite holiday drink. Pull over and enjoy the first few sips, take a deep breath, thank God that you have errands to run & then take on your day. 

Is Your Home Ready for the Holidays?

This could be an article all on its own. I start every season of each year a bit stressed out about making sure everything is perfect and ready for that season. I think it gets ten times worse during the holiday season. I know it can’t be perfect, but I always want it to be. Here is the thing though, the kids love it even if it isn’t perfect. Be honest, how many times have your kids said, “This is the best ever”?

Okay, let’s think about preparing our homes. There is cleaning, organizing, decorating, list making, dinner planning, party planning, gift purchasing, and… well let’s actually tackle this next time.