got this in an email recently, and thought I would share!
C – Center your heart on the deeper meaning of the holidays. This will help everyone become easier to get along with because the heart of the holiday will remain intact.
H – Hear what your friends and family are voicing as their stress, and listen carefully to them—a gift that will lower their stress.
R – Reach out as a family to help others in order to keep the proper perspective on what is really important in life.
I – Invest in memories, not material goods. Make time for family baking, tree decorating, or board games.
S – Speak your love in words. The best gift you can give is for a person to hear their value and worth from your lips.
T – Take time for romance. The greatest gift you can give your children is a happy marriage.
M – Make time to reach out to extended family. Visit or call grandparents, aunts, and uncles.
A – Assume nothing; ask those who are celebrating with you what their expectations are, and communicate the plan clearly so people feel informed.
S – Stay flexible. Don’t be a Christmas boss, ordering family around. Instead slow the pace, gather consensus, and give options so that you create an environment of connecting and sharing.
Excerpted from Simplify Your Holidays © 2008
Marcia Ramsland. Published in Nashville, Tennessee by Thomas Nelson. Used with
permission. All rights reserved.
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2 comments:
On this subject, I am asking each family to think of a meal that they would be willing to prepare.... just to keep me from having to think about and do it all. :) What is your thoughts on this/????
Love the perspective. I want to NOT stress out this Christmas... impossibility in some ways. and wishing we knew how to proceed with J and C. and boys. Want them with us, but not at the sacrifice of time with J and J. :) Praying.
That's awesome. Love that. I'm hoping I can lower some stress on my sis in law (Renata) tomorrow when we arrive and then with my mom for Christmas too. It's not fun to load it all on one person. I don't know how grandma Burton does it, but I guess it's her passion and she loves to cook for others :) A. Cath, I think that sounds fair :) hahahaha Love you all and excited you all get to be together. God is good.
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