10 Ways to Keep Christ in Christmas

So many of us can get lost in the hustle and bustle of buying gifts, attending parties, and preparing our homes for family that we forget to keep Christ at the center. We can easily lose sight of the true meaning of Christmas, and before long end up stressed and overwhelmed from the barrage of things to get done before December 25^th. It is important to slow down, balance your schedule, and reflect on why this day even exists.

Through my own experience with trying to manage visiting all my relatives, buying a gift for everyone, and preparing my home for family visits; I simply got lost in the busyness of it all. I will share with you 10 tips on how to manage your time and keep the focus of Christmas.

1.      Set aside a special time to read with your family the Christmas story in Luke 1:5-56 through 2:1-20.

2.      On Christmas Eve, start a tradition of taking family communion together as a way to remember Christ’s death and resurrection.

3.      Set up a nativity scene in your home or front yard as a reminder of the true meaning of Christmas. Put up Christ centered decorations and ornaments through your home, and place lights on your Christmas tree to symbolize the “light of the world.”

4.      Play Christ-centered Christmas music as a way to focus on Christ and the miracle of His birth. Secular Christmas music is fun, but too much of it can take the true meaning away from Christmas.

5.      Attend a Christmas service at your church, and worship the Lord for sending His son into the world for us.

6.      Send Christmas cards with a spiritual message. This can be a great way to share the birth of Jesus Christ with others.

7.      Make a birthday cake for Jesus. You can even sing happy birthday to Jesus.

8.      Find ways to give back to others by your time and/or resources. You can even show the love of Christ to your neighbors by baking them homemade treats.

9.      Keep focused on what Christ has done in your life by writing or saying (5) things that you are grateful for daily.

10.  Watch the Nativity Story and choose other Christmas movies that you can watch that incorporates Christian values.

As we enter into this season of celebrating the birth of our Lord and Savior, may you be reminded to include Christ into your family’s festivities. Teach your children and talk to them about why Christmas is celebrated. When I was growing up all I really knew about Christmas was Santa and getting gifts. Santa was the main focus and what I would get for Christmas. I went to Christmas Eve mass with my family, but we never discussed why we did that and the importance of going. It was not until I received Christ as my Savior in my twenties, that I came to realize the meaning of Christmas.

What about you? What Christmas traditions do you have that keep Christ at the center? Share yours with us.

Cast your Cares on Jesus during the Holiday Season

Casting our cares on Jesus means more than just superficially saying we are casting our cares upon Him, it means we are actively trading our worries, anxieties and fears into prayers. It also means we are taking those disturbing, faith-less thoughts captive and continually renewing our minds with the truth in God’s word.

Sometimes we can get overwhelmed, especially during the holiday season. With so much to do, so many friends and family to visit, and so many gifts to buy with a limited budget. It can get overwhelming if we have difficult or even dysfunctional relatives or maybe even a prodigal child. Our burdens and concerns can make us feel heavy and as if weights were put upon our shoulders. We may even try to meet the demands and expectations of everyone, this can be especially difficult coming from a divorced or even step-family. We may be overwhelmed with consumerism that comes with the holidays, and feel we have to keep up with everyone else. Some may go into debt this holiday season or take on an extra job just to have the income to buy gifts that soon will be thrown to the waste-side!

Some will begin to drink more heavily or use drugs just to get through the demands and burdens of the holidays. Others will sink into a pit of despair and depression because they either cannot keep up with the demands and expectations, or some feel heartache from the many losses that they may have endured. Christmas should be one of the most joyous occasions but often we fall into the trap of pleasing others, trying to meet unrealistic expectations, and forgetting the only reason for the Christmas season is the celebration of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

We are so busy during the holiday season that we do not take the time to rest with God. We must pull away from the hustle and bustle and business of the holiday season, and unplug our phones, iPad, laptops, and other electronic devices and plug into the source of our strength. We are not stopping long enough to get refilled and refreshed by Jesus. It is not about trying to please everyone, even your family, it is about Jesus and your relationship with Him.

These are some practical steps that you can take this holiday season to help with the stress that often accompanies this time:

1.       Organize, write down a “To-Do” list, and plan when possible.

2.       Have limits (budget) on your spending before you spend.

3.       Get creative and make homemade gifts. People will appreciate the thoughtfulness.

4.       Limit time with unhealthy, toxic, or negative family members.

5.       Say, “No.” You can’t be at every event, party and at every family function for the holidays.

6.       Rest when you can. Take time to rest because the holidays can be quite taxing physically and mentally.

7.       Do fun things and enjoy time with people who are enjoyable.

8.       Balance your eating during the holidays with fresh fruit and vegetables and drink green tea for immunity. Be sure to get some form of exercise.

9.       Carve out frequent time to spend with the Lord. Sit in His presence and let your soul be still before Him. Don’t go and run from place to place, but be still.

10.   Take long, warm bubble baths and sit back and let the warm water relax your tired muscles.

11.   Cast all your cares, anxieties, fears, and worries unto the Lord. Casting your cares means replacing your worries, burdens, and anxieties with prayer and taking every thought captive and renewing your mind with the truth of God’s word.

12.   If you are lonely, depressed, find a good, Bible-believing church and attend and give back to others who are in difficult circumstances. Talk to someone, tell them how you feel, let someone pray with you. Don’t suffer alone.

CAST ALL YOUR CARES on Him because He cares for you.

1 Peter 5:7, NIV

CAST YOUR CARES on the Lord and He will sustain you; He will never let the righteous be shaken.

Psalm 55:22, NIV

GIVE YOUR BURDENS TO THE LORD, and He will take care of you. He will not permit the Godly to slip and fall.

Psalm 55:22, NLT

Beating the Holiday Blues

The holiday blues occur between Thanksgiving and New Year’s, and is accompanied by depression and anxiety symptoms. These symptoms occur because of unrealistic expectations of how families should be, demands of holiday parties and events, financial strain of buying gifts, reminders of past losses, holiday overeating, and the pressure of preparing your home for guests. Two-thirds of women suffer from holiday blues, and is common among singles, widows, and couples who are childless. These populations are affected more because most activities are centered on family. It can be a painful reminder to them as they ponder the people they have lost, or the families they have never had. Holiday blues affects Christians and non-Christians as well.

It is important not to repress how you feel. There is a healthy way to express grief without letting yourself wallow in self-pity. Denying your emotions and stuffing them, can exacerbate depression and anxiety. Some people choose to self-medicate through heavy alcohol and drug use. While some isolate themselves because they do not feel festive.

Helpful tips for beating holiday blues:

1.      Own your feelings. Do not deny them but express them through journaling, talking to God about them, and/or allowing yourself times to cry. Crying can be healing and it allows a release from the pain. Do monitor the frequency of crying, if you are crying continually and cannot stop this can be a sign of something more serious.

2.      Do not force yourself to attend every holiday event, party, or social gathering. Pray about the ones that would be uplifting to you, and decline the rest of the invitations. Do what you can do, and do not feel guilty for what you cannot.

3.      Take time for yourself. Take some time to rest, and do something you enjoy.

4.      Take care of yourself. Exercise, preferably walking, this is one of the best exercises to reduce stress and depression. Eat balanced meals with fresh fruits and vegetables. Try as much as possible to stay away from fried foods and sugary sweets. Take a good multi-vitamin and drink plenty of water.

5.      Try not to have unrealistic expectations for your family. Accept them where they are at, and do not compare your family to other families or what you see on those sappy Christmas movies.

6.      Set a realistic budget for buying gifts. Look into baking homemade goods or crafts as gifts.

7.      Keep connected to the life source, Jesus Christ. Have daily time communing with God, and getting quiet before Him. Let God bring you the comfort that you could not receive from anyone else.

As the winter season approaches, it is common for people to have an increase of depressive episodes, most often referred to as Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD); and then the holiday blues on top of that can be difficult to handle. If you are feeling suicidal or having suicidal thoughts, it is time to have an evaluation by a medical doctor. This is serious, but also very common during these times of the year. Spending time with God can help reduce depression and anxiety, along with praying and surrendering your thoughts.

If you are feeling blue, depressed, anxious, or suicidal, please don’t give up. You are not alone, Jesus Christ who died for all of us, does love you. He does see you and He will bring help. Say out loud, “Jesus Christ does love me and every spirit of depression that is working against me must flee in the name of Jesus Christ.”

Cast your Care on Jesus during this Holiday Season

Casting our cares on Jesus means more than just superficially saying we are casting our cares upon Him, it means we are actively trading our worries, anxieties and fears into prayers. It also means we are taking those disturbing, faith-less thoughts captive and continually renewing our minds with the truth in God’s word.

Sometimes we can get overwhelmed, especially during the holiday season. With so much to do, so many friends and family to visit, and so many gifts to buy with a limited budget. It can get overwhelming if we have difficult or even dysfunctional relatives or maybe even a prodigal child. Our burdens and concerns can make us feel heavy and as if weights were put upon our shoulders. We may even try to meet the demands and expectations of everyone, this can be especially difficult coming from a divorced or even step-family. We may be overwhelmed with consumerism that comes with the holidays, and feel we have to keep up with everyone else. Some may go into debt this holiday season or take on an extra job just to have the income to buy gifts that soon will be thrown to the waste-side!

Some will begin to drink more heavily or use drugs just to get through the demands and burdens of the holidays. Others will sink into a pit of despair and depression because they either cannot keep up with the demands and expectations, or some feel heartache from the many losses that they may have endured. Christmas should be one of the most joyous occasions but often we fall into the trap of pleasing others, trying to meet unrealistic expectations, and forgetting the only reason for the Christmas season is the celebration of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

We are so busy during the holiday season that we do not take the time to rest with God. We must pull away from the hustle and bustle and business of the holiday season, and unplug our phones, iPad, laptops, and other electronic devices and plug into the source of our strength. We are not stopping long enough to get refilled and refreshed by Jesus. It is not about trying to please everyone, even your family, it is about Jesus and your relationship with Him.

These are some practical steps that you can take this holiday season to help with the stress that often accompanies this time:

• Organize, write down a “To-Do” list, and plan when possible.

•  Have limits (budget) on your spending before you spend.

•  Get creative and make homemade gifts. People will appreciate the           thoughtfulness.

• Limit time with unhealthy, toxic, or negative family members.

• Say, “No.” You can’t be at every event, party and at every family function for the holidays.

• Rest when you can. Take time to rest because the holidays can be quite taxing physically and mentally.

• Do fun things and enjoy time with people who are enjoyable.

• Balance your eating during the holidays with fresh fruit and vegetables and drink green tea for immunity. Be sure to get some form of  exercise.

• Carve out frequent time to spend with the Lord. Sit in His presence and let your soul be still before Him. Don’t go and run from place to  place, but be still.

• Take long, warm bubble baths and sit back and let the warm water relax your tired muscles.

• Cast all your cares, anxieties, fears, and worries unto the Lord. Casting your cares means replacing your worries, burdens, and anxieties with prayer and taking every thought captive and renewing your mind with the truth of God’s word.

 

• Take it one day at a time. Focus on the day you have been given only.

• If you are lonely, depressed, find a good, Bible-believing church and attend and give back to others who are in difficult circumstances. Talk to someone, tell them how you feel, let someone pray with you. Don’t suffer alone.

CAST ALL YOUR CARES on Him because He cares for you.

1 Peter 5:7, NIV

CAST YOUR CARES on the Lord and He will sustain you; He will never let the righteous be shaken.

Psalm 55:22, NIV

GIVE YOUR BURDENS TO THE LORD, and He will take care of you. He will not permit the Godly to slip and fall.

Psalm 55:22, NLT