Author: jamie

Do you ever feel overwhelmed by the holiday season? Last year, I waited too long to decorate and start planning. The season went by so fast that I struggled to feel joyful and present. This year, I’d like things to go differently! Are you with me?

Let’s start by praying together:

Lord, would you begin preparing my heart for the holidays? I want to have a plan and be prepared, so that I don’t feel overwhelmed. Show me how to be intentional, creating meaningful moments of thanksgiving and spiritual reflection. Help me to be a good steward, spending within my means and not creating unnecessary debt. Change my perspective to focus on honoring you, rather than trying to make others happy. In Jesus' name, amen. 

Whipping up a to-do list and schedule might come easy for some of us. However, I sense that we need the Lord to show us how to proceed.

Let’s consider a few questions:

• What is God calling me to this holiday season?

• What do I want to experience during the holidays?

• What do I need to let go of this season?

• How do I want to feel when the holidays are over?

I recommend doing some journaling. When I spent time putting pen to paper, I realized that what I am longing for is a more meaningful holiday season, and I feel strongly that God is calling me in that direction. When the holidays are over, I want to feel like I used my time, energy, and money for memorable and spiritually significant experiences with my loved ones. I need to let go of things that don’t meet my “meaningful” criteria.

The awareness we gain from thoughtfully and prayerfully answering the questions above will help us decide what we want to do during the upcoming season, and what we want to say no to. My mistake last year was waiting too long to get “in the mood” and then taking on too many things with the little time and energy that I had. I realize that without some intentional prayer and planning, I will likely repeat last year’s holiday experience.

So what now?

Download my free Holiday Planning Guide with more prayer and journal prompts (the questions above are just a sample). Allow what God shows you through seeking Him and writing to set the tone for the holidays. Use the goals or criteria that come from your reflection to guide your decisions.

Check-in with your family. Let them know what you’ve decided about the holidays. Find out what really matters to them so that you are not spending energy on things that aren’t valuable.

What did you need help with last year? Start asking for help or delegating now. If you can’t get help, then maybe the event or tradition isn’t worth it. Keep in mind that children and teenagers are capable of helping and might even benefit from having some duties for the holidays!

Begin putting important events on your calendar. Remember that we are only scheduling things that meet our holiday criteria. We’re saying no to things that don’t. We’re saying no to non-essential things that stressed and drained us last year.

Set reminders so that time does not get away from you. I made a list of my holiday priorities and created weekly reminders in my phone’s calendar for each of them. I chose to create my reminders on Sunday afternoons because I know it’s a consistently unscheduled and unhurried time of the week. I like the pace of having to think about only one or two holiday tasks a week.

You can download my FREE Holiday Planning Guide with prayer and journal prompts, tips for establishing priorities, plus a sample planning schedule to help you get organized and enjoy the holidays without stress. It’s my gift to you when you subscribe to this blog! I recommend that you get started before September is over to really enjoy the upcoming season! Subscribe here.

Here’s to a prayerful, joyful, and meaningful holiday season!