planning for holiday Archives

Joyful Family Celebrations Episode 28

Joyful family celebrations take planning. No matter what time of the year we are in we can find ourselves overwhelmed! In this episode of One More Child Podcast, we will discuss how to look for the good in our family life.

Faith brings us together.

Be sure to share this episode with a friend, it is easy to do by going to OMCP.com

This episode sponsored by Now Programs.

My pastor has it right when he says that those who see good in others or situations always see good and for those who don’t they only see bad. It seems that the busier we are the more we become overwhelmed and less satisfied with life. I think it is all a matter of perspective.

When it comes to celebrations sometimes we put so much time in effort in impressing others that we lose sight of the real focus of the celebration. One year my then four-year-old daughter attended a birthday party hosted by a family with some amazing resources. When we drove onto the property we were greeted with balloons lining the driveway and signs leading the guests to park and a clown that greeted the children at the door. Of course, the inside of the home was on high-birthday-alert with signs, banners, balloons, and games. And yes there was even a pony ride. My daughter was so overwhelmed she did not want me to leave.

This one incident showed me that the key to happiness for our family was not in overwhelming the senses but in focusing on the joyful family celebration aspect, and if we invited a few friends then that would be fine.

We cannot please everyone and when we try to do this we will feel frustration. Joyful family celebrations are those in which we create memories.

Ask yourself these questions:

What do I want my family to remember from this celebration?
What is the overall goal? Is it a birthday memory or a milestone such as graduation?
Are we celebrating a holiday? What is the one thing I want to do to make it memorable?
Can I reuse things I have around the house?
Can everyone participate in the setup and prep?

A friend recently shared that she didn’t buy gifts for her children once they reached a certain age for Christmas because they took family trips instead. She even did this for birthdays. The idea in her mind was to create a memory instead of buying an object they would eventually break or grow out of. Each family needs to make these decisions themselves and as with most things, whatever decision you make is probably right for your family.

Remember the focus is on the person, not the event. I doubt the four-year-old whose party we attended even remember that one event because more than likely her fifth, sixth and so forth were more spectacular. Talk to your child, your spouse and find out what they envision for that day? At one time my kids told me they did not want parties other than the immediate family, instead, we took a trip to an amusement park or their all-time favorite, camping.

As we approach the holiday season keep this in mind. Focus on the reason for the season and remember the joy begins with what is in our heart. Refresh your time with the Lord and He will provide an abundance of joy for you to pass on to your families! I pray this for you and yours especially as we head into our daily lives which are often filled with spills and tears. Know you are doing the best thing for your family taking the time to be with them. No one loves your kids the way you do and that my friends is the biggest blessing you can give them! Until next time – God’s blessing be upon you and your family.

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Season of Hope

Season of Hope Episode 23

We are approaching a season of hope! Here are five things to really help you to reduce the stress, make a quick plan and get rid of those things that cause you to feel overwhelmed. Get ready to enjoy any season, with these five easy to answer questions.

I was never a big planner until I got older, and the reason was self-preservation. I would just plain forget if I did not plan things out. The older my children were the more planning that was necessary, in fact during the phase of sports we had a shared digital calendar so we could plan family events around their sports schedule. Sound familiar? Maybe you kids don’t play sports but have other lessons to attend, and once again the family is pushed in this direction or that.

Then, when you turn the calendar there is a collective gasp as you realize we are in the countdown mode – the countdown to Thanksgiving or Christmas. So, then what happens? Panic.

We can choose to be joyful, but that is harder to do when we are up to our eyeballs in meals, laundry, and kids. We can play praise and worship music (that always makes me happy) – or we can just pray our way through the day.

I have some experience at parenting…my oldest was born in 1980, and I have five kids. So, if you do the math I will be logging in 40 years of parenting and still going as of 2020! So, in my experience, I have learned to examine my stress factors that take away my hope and my peace.

Ways To Combat Holiday Stress! Remember this is the Season of Hope!

What is making me stressed – write these down.
What things on my list can I cross out?
What things on my list can I delegate?
What things on my list can I do today?
What things on my list can I do – and here is the date/due by.

Do I have a plan? The next podcast will be about planning and how you can make any holiday, event, and schedule in a way that is manageable.

Recently I saw a preview of the upcoming Mr. Rogers movie – A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, and I cannot share details but let me say it is a life-changing movie. I will share more about things I learned (without any spoiler alerts) in upcoming episodes as well – so be sure you subscribe to this podcast to receive new shows.

Through the struggles of the characters, we learned nuggets about life. And, truthfully our hope is not in the things of this world – our hope is in the things that truly matter.

List those – what are those things that truly matter to you? Take a few minutes to do this now, or plan a time later this evening before bed, or when you wake up in the morning or at lunchtime… but do it!

For each one of us, those things look different depending on our station in life! I remember as a young mom thinking that just a few minutes of quiet, or getting the laundry washed, folded and put away in one day was important. Now that my kids are grown, the house is quiet and you guessed it – I can do many loads of laundry in one day and get it put away! Those things are no longer important.

Upcoming is a season of hope – Thanksgiving is coming, then Christmas. It is a time of fall harvest, going to visit a pumpkin patch, enjoying fall leaves (think of me when you do it is the only thing I miss about living up north), or sipping apple cider, or hot chocolate while bundled in a blanket watching a campfire. These things are special, the upcoming celebration of the birth of Christ is special – these things bring us joy they bring us hope and they lift up our faith.

Friends, be sure to look at this season of hope and take the time to stop and enjoy the sights, smells, and sounds of the season. Take time with your family, snuggle up with a good book, and be sure to tell those you love how thankful you are of them!

Next week mega planning! Be ready.