3 TIPS FOR THE HOLIDAY SEASON:

1. Don’t overwhelm yourself.

   1. It is your choice to be overwhelmed. 

   2. Have open and honest conversations as a family on what you will say “yes” to when it comes to the holiday season. 

   3. Plan ahead if you can! Write out all the events that are ahead. 

2. Set boundaries. 

   1. Take a look at your family (mentally) and see what all they can handle in their schedules. Know what is best for them and you - mentally.

   2. You probably need time home to rest. 

   3. Boundaries aren’t meant to be bad - they can be from God. 

   4. If you constantly have things going on - even if they are - you can often miss all of the special moments. 

   5. Protect your sanity and joy.

3. Make the holiday season worthwhile for “YOUR” family.

   1. God has placed your little family here for you and that is who you need to focus on. 

   2. Make sure their love tank is getting filled (individually) during the holiday season in the way they need instead of making sure you please everyone else with a “yes.”

   3. To be close as a family, you have to be intentional as a family. 

   4. Be focused on your little family. 

 

During Thanksgiving, challenge your children to name all of the things they are thankful for! If you aren’t teaching your children to be thankful for the small things then they will miss all of the small things that are so important when the big things aren’t going their way. 

 

If we are too busy talking about Santa at Christmas then we will miss Jesus. (It is OKAY if you do Santa though!!)

 

We have to be really intentional to make sure our little families are focusing on the right things this season. This doesn’t mean you neglect everyone else but you are very attentive to the ministry in front of you which is your family. 

 

You have to choose not to get caught up in the mess of holidays but you also have to choose to find the beauty within the holiday season. 

 

You can focus on all the things going on or you can ask God to reveal the most important things of these seasons. Stop scheduling so much where you can’t even enjoy life. 

 

Bring God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit into every aspect of the holiday season because if Jesus isn’t in it, then it is a waste of time. If we aren’t working towards Heaven then what is the point? Bring God and Jesus into any/all conversations. 

 

Be intentional with the ministry right in front of you!