This post is for letter “Q” in the 2016 ABCs of Homeschooling Through the Holidays series.
The Christmas season can be anything but quiet at times. It can be anything but peaceful! We are busy – decorating, buying presents, church functions, family functions- the list seems endless! The idea of Quieting Your Heart sounds like a great notion, but in the end, how often does it really happen?
This year, I have decided to take a different approach to Christmas. I have decided that instead of adding more to my list, I am taking things off.
In years past, I have my Christmas binder out before Thanksgiving. I make a list of all the baking supplies I need, and the shopping starts way before Thanksgiving. I have lists of present ideas, crafts I want to do with the kids, and all of our traditions.
This year though, I want to savor.
This year, I want to slow down.
This year, I want a quiet heart.
Quieting Your Heart For Christmas
How do we quiet our heart for Christmas? The idea sounds great- but what are the practical ways that we do it?
Turn off the noise: We need to turn down some noise in our life. No, I am not talking about Christmas music! I am talking about the toxic noise that goes on all around us. Social Media screams loudly at us – tells us what we should and shouldn’t be doing with our holidays. Friends and maybe even family look place shame on us for doing Santa, or not using a magical elf. No matter what you do, it seems like someone is telling you that you are celebrating Christmas wrong. It is time to turn off this noise. It is time to stop shaming each other for how we celebrate Christmas. One practical way I have done this is by killing my Facebook newsfeed. I started this for Thanksgiving – and decided I was going to keep it up till Christmas. Turn off some noise in your life, and your heart will be quieter.
Turn up God’s Word: In order to keep your heart quiet and focused during the Christmas season, I think we need to turn up the Word of God in our lives. This season is all about Christ. It really isn’t about all the things we make it out be (although there is no shame here on how you choose to celebrate!). I have found that making sure I turn up God’s Word during the holidays really helps me stay focused on what matters. The years that I focus more on self and less on Christ- the less my heart is quiet and settled. The more I focus on Christ- the more peaceful the holiday seems. This year, I am studying The Women of Christmas for Advent season. This will help me keep my heart and mind focused on the heart of Christmas.
Be okay with saying No: This is hard. Really hard. Be okay with saying no. Remember, that every time you say yes to going to another Christmas party, to another program, to another activity- you are saying no to time in your home. You are saying yes to more busyness and no to calm and peace. There are some things we should say yes to – but we don’t have to say yes to them all.
Quieting our heart isn’t easy. It will take a conscious effort to keep our hearts quiet this Christmas. But the effort will be worth it.
Mandy Kelly is passionate about two things: The Word of God and the Souls of Men (and Ladies!). She is a married to her best friend, and gets the privilege to love on their four blessings . She loves that the Lord has let her life be an example of delighting in Him and watching Him mold her life to make her desires match His. She spent 9 years in an early childhood classroom, and 4 years in an “in house” seminary program at her home church.She loves to bring God glory through her roles as Christ-follower, Wife and Mother (in that order!)
She enjoys women’s ministry, cooking, crafting, and traveling the world. Her greatest desires are to have her marriage bring God ultimate glory, see her children walk in truth, to lead others to the feet of Jesus, and to lead women into deeper and intimate relationship with their Savior through study of the Word of God. Mandy blogs about living a life of Worship through all aspects of her life at Worshipful Living. You can find join her in community on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter, and YouTube .
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