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October 12, 2007 - by Sheri Graham
Let's Get Organized!
This Holiday Season
For this season ahead! I have asked my friend Sheri Graham, who
is organized (I'm not especially gifted in this area!), to
share with us some holiday organizational tips and other
inspirational ideas so we can prepare for the holidays and
season ahead. Then I have shared a few ideas of my own in
conclusion.
Here's Sheri:
I am beginning to think through and do some holiday
planning….yes, in October! I am finding that when I plan ahead
I am less stressed and more focused on the things that really
matter. That goes for meal planning, school planning, house
cleaning…and yes, holiday planning! As the seasons are changing
and shifting gears to cooler weather and falling leaves, so my
focus is beginning to shift towards preparing for His Coming
celebration ~ Christmas! I don't want my holidays to be so full
and busy that I don't have time to enjoy my children…to
minister and spread the Gospel to others…to focus especially on
preparing our hearts for His Coming! It was with this in mind
that I began putting together my own holiday planner.
Check out the 12 Week Holiday Planner
here
I recently finished up my newest ebook,
The 12-Week Holiday Planner for the Christian Family, and
have eagerly plunged into the beginning stages of planning for
the holidays using this resource. My desire in putting together
this eBook was to provide a tangible way for me to plan out our
holidays so they are enjoyable, less stressful, and more filled
with the things that really matter.
I thought others may also benefit from such a planner. Many
have enjoyed Marilyn Moll's (www.urbanhomemaker.com) holiday
timetable over the years, helping to plan out the holidays.
What I have done in this eBook is provide dozens of forms to go
along with Marilyn's timetable, some holiday tips, "To Do"
lists for each of the 12 weeks, craft ideas, favorite recipes
and MORE! Also included are Jesse Tree devotionals by Ann
Voskamp (www.holyexperience.blogspot.com) for the month of
December! These devotionals will lead you and your family in
true worship as you anticipate the celebration of His Coming!
This eBook includes EVERYTHING you will need to plan out your
holidays…giving you instructions and all the forms you will
need to set up your very own Holiday Planner!
Below is one of my "tips" included in the Holiday Planner:
"When making your Gift Ideas List for your kids, please take
some time to evaluate what kinds of gifts you want to buy or
recommend for your children. In a day and age where materialism
is rampant, it is so easy for our children to get caught up in
all the "things" they want. I was listening to a radio show
last holiday season and the speaker was giving some advice on
Christmas shopping for our children. He said that their family
has chosen to only get their children three gifts: one item
that they need (such as clothing), one educational item (such
as a book, educational game, etc.), and one item just for fun
(this is what most children end up getting the most of). The
speaker said that it has provided balance so that their
children receive gifts that are "good" for them and not just
all for fun. Plus, this helps prevent parents from overspending
on their children when it is really not necessary…thus keeping
our focus on what Christmas is REALLY about ~ Jesus!"
TIPS FOR KEEPING JESUS AT THE CENTER THIS HOLIDAY!
I would like to share a few things that the Lord laid on my
heart as I prepared this holiday planner. These are the "heart
and soul" you might say of why I put this planner together.
1. Prepare Your Heart For His Coming
Will you have room for Jesus this holiday season? Amidst the
busyness, the concerts, the family get-togethers, the gift
giving…will there be room for Jesus? Prepare your heart NOW for
Him. Set yourself apart for Him…set time apart for Him… I am
reminded of an old song sung by Evie:
"Have you any room for Jesus, He who bore your load of sin.
As He knocks and asks admission, sinner won't you let Him
in.
Room for Jesus, King of Glory. Hasten now His Word obey.
Swing your heart's door widely open…bid Him enter while you
may."
2. Evaluate What The Lord Wants Your Holiday Celebrations To
Look Like For Your Family
Take some time to sit down as a family and talk through what
you want your holidays to be like. Pray together asking the
Lord to show you what you should and should not participate in.
He will guide your family into a very special holiday
season…one that is focused on Him!
3. Plan Ahead
Even with our focus on Him during the holidays, there still
will be some planning to do. This is where the holiday planner
comes in. By starting in October, you will have things to do
each week so that when December comes you have the bulk of your
planning and shopping done. This will relieve much of the
stress that comes from a lack of planning. You will be able to
enjoy the holidays, knowing that you have made time for Him
first, time for your family, and then time for others.
4. Share His Coming With Others
One of the benefits of planning ahead is being prepared to
minister to others. Christmas is one of the best times to share
Christ with your unsaved family, friends, and neighbors. Gather
the children around in the kitchen, bake up some plates of
treats, then attach a homemade Christmas card with the message
of Christ's coming…His coming to seek and to save that which
was lost!
I pray that as we head into the holiday season that you and
your family will keep your focus on Jesus…for He truly is the
"Reason for the Season!"
5 Holiday Tips from
Terri:
The holiday season of 2009 is now upon us and I wanted to share
a few ideas and tips of my own. (Note: these are the lazy
mom's ideas because I'm definitely not a type A
personality.)
1. Decide which days you will take off from school. If
you homeschool, you do NOT need to follow the public school
calendar. If you have a large crowd coming over for
Thanksgiving, perhaps you would like to take that whole week
off. Guess what, that's okay! Maybe you would
rather take time off 2 weeks leading up to Christmas
and start school back up before the New Year. That's okay
too! Maybe you'd like to take the whole month of
December off. You can make up for it later most
likely or double up on some school assignments in
January.
2. Ask your children for help. They can help you clean
the house, make decorations, supervise the little ones, and
roll up their sleeves in the kitchen. You don't need to
be a lone ranger and do it everything yourself. Even
if your kids aren't great helpers yet (if they are small), your
husband sure can be. Tap into his help in getting
everything done. Divide and conquer.
3. Simplify your baking by coordinating a cookie exchange with
your friends, family or homeschool co-op. No reason
to bake a dozen different kinds of cookies when you can get
away with only baking one kind! However, if you love to
bake, have at it!
4. Simplify your gift giving by purchasing family gifts instead
of individual gifts. Not only can you spend less per
family, but it looks and feels like more. What's better -
5 gifts at $5 a piece or a family gift of $25? Something
to consider... You can put together a family basket with
a theme such as movie night, game night, snow day, etc.
If "movie night" is your theme, you can include popcorn
(unpopped or popped), movie candy, a family DVD, all wrapped up
in a soft throw. A "snow day" theme might
include gloves and/or scarves, hot chocolate, cookies and
maybe even a plastic slide! Let your creativity guide
you.
5. Schedule daily Advent readings into your
holiday plans. This is the best way I know to slow down
and enjoy the season for what it is. We have a new
favorite Advent book. It is called Jotham's
Journey. You can pick it up at Timberdoodle (that's where we bought ours)
or Amazon.com.
And if holiday preparations or activities ever begin to feel
overwhelming or cause you to panic, I suggest that you stop and
pray. Refocus, reprioritize, reconsider... is this
important or should we just not do it?
Here's to a sane holiday season! May you and yours truly
delight in the meaning of the holidays we celebrate by
simplifying and working together as a team.
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving and joyous
Christmas!
Source: http://www.school4jesus.com
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