Category: Holidays

By Posted on Posted in gratitude, Holidays

Cultivating gratitude can be challenging at times, especially during the holidays. If you’d like to practice thankfulness at home during the month of November, I have some ideas for you to try!

Gratitude Banner – This is the activity that my family is doing this year. I created a stringed banner with 15 double-sided pennants. Each day in November, we will all write something we’re grateful for on one pennant. The front sides of all the pennants will be written on November 1-15th, then we’ll turn it around and write on the back sides November 16-30th. Creating the banner was fairly easy, but there are inexpensive pennant garlands to order on Amazon!

Thankful Box– We did this several years ago and it was a hit with the family! Use a basket, or cover a shoebox with paper and decorate it with fall stickers or shapes. Prepare a stack of little pieces of paper (or purchase a pack of autumn die-cut paper shapes from Amazon) for everyone to write things they are thankful for each day and drop them in the box or the basket. Open the box or basket on Thanksgiving Day and read them aloud! 

Dinner Conversation Starters– Use this list of conversation starters around the breakfast or dinner table each day of November! If you like, you can print the list and cut it into strips to place in a basket and pull one out each day. The second page of the list has prompts for younger children.

Gratitude Journal – Use this list of journal prompts to write about things you are grateful for every day of November.  This can be done individually or as a family in a communal journal. This is great for homeschooling families to use as a language arts activity for the month! 

Colored Candy Thanksgiving Activity – We have used this activity on Thanksgiving a few times. Buy a bag of multi-colored candy (m-n-m’s work best) and pour them into a brown paper bag. Print the image below and attach it to the bag. As you pass it around the table, each person pulls a candy from the bag. Depending on the color, the person follows the prompt and shares something they are thankful for. 

May your November be full of gratitude leading up to Thanksgiving!

 

blessings,

By Posted on Posted in Holidays, newsletter

>>> new series on social media

I want to invite you to join me on Instagram or Facebook, where I’m currently sharing weekly tips on “How to Create More Connections with God”. When we feel connected to God, it puts everything else in our lives in perspective, don’t you agree? I want to encourage you to find many ways to feel linked to Him throughout the day.

The first tip is about combining spiritual activities with things you’re already doing. Check it out here:

How to Create More Connections with God, part 1 on Instagram

How to Create More Connections with God, part 1 on Facebook

 

The second tip is to use the timer on your phone to keep you connected to the Lord. You’ll find it here:

How to Create More Connections with God, part 2 on Instagram

How to Create More Connections with God, part 2 on Facebook

More tips will be coming over the next several weeks! Let me know which ones really work for you.

 

>>> holiday planning guide

I recently created a Holiday Planning Guide that came out of my own quest for peace and joy during the season! Last year, I was so overwhelmed and didn’t really enjoy the holidays.

If you are looking for some inspiration and help to approach the next couple of months differently, then this is for you! There are prayer and journal prompts, a sample planning schedule, and helpful tips.

As a subscriber, you can download it for free here:  Holiday Planning Guide

 

Blessings,

By Posted on Posted in Christmas, God's leading, Holidays, schedules

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!