So true, yes?
But of all of the things that make me smile right now, this video from several years ago tops my list. (If you can’t see it, click here.) I know you’ll smile, too! 🙂
Christmas time is a bag full of mixed emotions
Christmas time is a bag full of mixed emotions.
Enjoyment – of extra gatherings of family & friends
Emotional Stress – caused by extra gatherings of family & friends
Exhaustion – due to extra gatherings of family & friends
Expectations – of problems solved & loves reunited (the way it always happens in Christmas movies)
Disappointment – because not all problems are solved & loves are united (the way it always happens in Christmas movies)
Fond Memories – of loved ones & past Christmases
Painful Memories – of loved ones & past Christmases
Joy – in planning & gifting to others
Financial Stress – involved in planning & gifting to others
Mental Stress – involved in planning & gifting to others
Selfishness – involved in planning & gifting to others
Pleasure – of planning, cooking, decorating, & serving during this season
Pressure – to plan, cook, decorate, & serve this season
Contentment – in being with the ones we love
Intense Sorrow – in missing the ones we love
Stress of Travel – to be with the ones we love
Guilt – if everything we do or feel during this season isn’t “Holly Jolly”
More Guilt – if what we are doing to “celebrate Jesus’ birthday” is actually pulling us away from Jesus instead of toward Him
If I’m being honest, these are just a few of the emotions that swirl around my head and heart on a regular basis during Christmas time – “The Most Wonderful Time of Year.” In a mere few seconds I can feel the exact opposite way about the very same thing! Can you?
And when these polar emotions battle it out, if the negative one wins, then I tend to feel ashamed in myself for letting it be that way.
Why can’t Christmas time be like it is portrayed in the books, songs, movies, and commercials?
Why do we pressure ourselves (or allow others to pressure us) to conform to this Americanized version of Christmas?
Before we begin to heap more guilt upon guilt, consider this:
The first Christmas was full of emotions, too.
Enjoyment – of Mary & Joseph being together on a journey
Emotional Stress – caused by going on a journey with Mary in such a delicate condition
Exhaustion – due to traveling in such a delicate condition
Expectations – of what it would be like once they arrived in Jerusalem
Disappointment – because nothing turned out as they had expected
Fond Memories – of past family gatherings
Painful Memories – of missing home and loved ones
Joy – in being recognized and counted as a family unit in the census
Financial Stress – involved in providing for their time in Jerusalem
Mental Stress – involved in figuring out the details of this journey
Selfishness – involved in longing for comfort and home
Pleasure – of remembering the words the Angels spoke unto them
Pressure – encased in the words the Angels spoke unto them
Contentment – in being in this together
Sorrow – in Mary in being far away from familiar help at this time
Guilt – in Joseph not being able to provide better conditions for Mary and the Baby
I imagine that at one point or another, emotions similar to these whirled around the heads and hearts of Mary and Joseph during this Blessed time that we call Christmas.
Like us, they most likely battled loneliness, rejection, uncertainty, grief, and guilt right alongside their joy and pleasure and contentment. But who wants to talk about these negative feelings during Christmas time?
I’ll tell you Who: The very One who was born to these humble parents – Jesus Christ.
Jesus knows and fully understands the emotions that push and pull us during this time of year. He sees what commercialism has done to His Holy Day, and stands ready to help us navigate each and every feeling. But in the same way that gifts with our names on them aren’t really ours until we accept them, Jesus’ offer to lead us through the days to come won’t affect us unless we accept it.
“Nothing is too difficult for God” Jeremiah 32:17 tells us. This passage goes on to promise that “The great, the Mighty God, the Lord of Hosts is His name – Great [is He] in counsel and mighty in deeds” (vs 18-19).
Over and over in His Word, God calls us to come to Him for help. I looked up some synonyms of the word “help” and found this list of 85 along with brief definitions. As you read a few of the synonyms below, slowly soak in these dimensions of “help” and think about them in light of Jesus:
Accommodate , Advance, Advise, Aid, Alleviate, Assist, Attend, Back, Bail out, Be of use, Befriend, Benefit, Bolster, Boost, Buck up, Care for, Champion, Cheer, Comfort, Counsel, Deliver, Ease, Embolden, Encourage, Favor, Go to bat for, Guide, Hearten, Intercede, Launch, Lend a hand, Mentor, Minister to, Nurture, Open doors, Prop up, Reinforce, Relieve, Remedy, Rescue, Restore, Revive, Root for, Save, Stick up for, Stimulate, Support, Sustain, Take under one’s wing, Treat, Uphold, Work for…
Dear friend, do you need help in navigating a bevy of conflicting emotions during this holiday season? If so, all you have to do is to ask. The Lord understands the thoughts and intents of our hearts (Heb. 4:12-13). He knows that we are flesh (Psalm 78:39) and will lead us as a Gentle Shepherd through the highs and lows of life on this earth (Psalm 23).
And weary one, Jesus understands drained and exhausted too, and invites us to come to Him and let Him carry our loads (Matthew 11:28-30).
After all, that’s really what Christmas is about. The celebration of Jesus, God Himself in the form of the Promised Savior and Deliverer, coming to earth, taking on a body of flesh, trading with us our sin and sorrows, and paying our very penalty of death so that we can fully live, both now and forever! (John 10:10)
From this Gift of Jesus stems the traditions that we have come to know as Christmas. When we let the activities and expectations be wrapped by the Help of Our Savior, we will discover a deep abiding joy… because that’s the Supernatural result of focusing our heads and hearts on Jesus.
Are your emotions getting the best of you during this holiday season?
If so, may I share an idea that worked for me when I began to feel overwhelmed?
Honestly list the emotions you are experiencing, the good and bad, happy and sad – and why you think you are feeling these ways. Then give the whole list to Jesus. Ask Him to show you His perspective on your current circumstances. He will begin to open your eyes to see His presence, gifts and blessings in each one. Then write down what the Lord shows you, and ask for His Strength to help you praise Him in the midst of it all.
This isn’t a guarantee that you will be happy, but a promise that the Joy of the Lord can override every other emotion contending for central focus.
Christmas time sure is a bag full of mixed emotions. But the Gift offered to us through Jesus is a gazillion bags overflowing with JOY. It would be the wisest choice of a lifetime to receive it, unwrap it, and embrace the Savior to His fullest. Oh how I pray that’s exactly what you and I will do as we embrace Jesus this Christmas season!
With love,
An “Elf” Who Loves Jesus {ideas}
How many of you are playing “Elf on the Shelf?” IF this is something you are doing in your home or classroom, even this funny little fella can take part in pointing hearts toward Jesus. 🙂
Here are a few ideas using a Jesus-honoring Elf on the Shelf:
This blogger (Crayon Marks and Tiger Stripes) has put together a whole 25 day idea list for an Elf who loves Jesus. Her post went viral last year, so this year we can follow #elfontheshelfjesusstyle on pinterest, facebook and twitter to see daily pictures of their elf’s activities and share yours as well!!!
Disclaimer: I don’t know this blogger, but I do like what I’ve seen so far. You can check out her blog here, and watch what her elf does each day to spread the love of Jesus.
Other ideas scored from Pinterest:
*You could also attach the Christmas Alphabet Poem, one stanza a day to the Elf as he performs his silly antics.
The Elf teaching that all gifts come from Jesus.
This Pinner said: “Christian elf on the shelf ideas, teaching Kennedi proverbs 31:30, helping her to understand her beauty is not measured by what she sees in the mirror but instead true beauty comes from a love for The Lord”
The Elf reading the Christmas Story from Luke 2.
More ideas and links can be found on my Pinterest board, The Elf Who Loves Jesus. I’m still collecting, and looking forward trying these out one of these days when a little one is in our home. 😉
Whether you play “Seek and Find Jesus” or “The Elf who loves Jesus,” or whatever else that you do this holiday season, if you ask the Lord to help you glorify Him in it, every festivity can point hearts toward the True meaning of Christmas.
“And whatever you do [no matter what it is] in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus and in [dependence upon] His Person, giving praise to God the Father through Him.” Colossians 3:17
Ideas for Advent – a “most popular” post on SmellingCoffee.com
I rarely pay attention to my site stats. Maybe I should, but because I blog to please and honor Jesus, I can’t put too much stock in how well pleasing this blog is to others. If it pleases Christ, then whether one or one million read it, in my way of thinking, it is accomplishing its full purpose. But I did notice something the other day: This post has been getting multiple hundreds of hits a week, and for this little ole’ blog, that’s pretty amazing… Especially since it shows that people are searching for ways to celebrate Advent. I’m so glad these searchers stopped by, and pray that even if they didn’t linger long, the presence and love of Jesus Christ could be sensed here on SmellingCoffee.com.
{And if you are one of the “searchers” who popped in, Welcome, my new friend! Greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ! I hope you’ll pour yourself another cup of coffee, or tea, or diet coke, etc… and visit a while. You are loved by the King and counted as precious to Him… and because of that, you are precious to me, too!}
In light of those stats, and because it’s still the first week of December, and there are probably some (or many) like me who have better intentions than time management… ha!… I thought I’d repost these ideas. Maybe this weekend a new Advent observance can be born in your heart and home. It’s never too late to set our eyes on Jesus! 🙂
Love to you all…
Post from 2012 with a little bit added from this year:
Do you observe Advent?
Advent means “Coming” or “Arrival”. When we celebrate Advent, we are looking toward the coming of Christmas ~ the coming of the time where we celebrate the Greatest Gift of All ~ The Gift of Jesus Christ and Salvation from God Our Father.
Individuals and families celebrate Advent in many different ways. For some, Advent begins the Sunday after Thanksgiving. If I have it together by then, we will too. However, most years, we begin our Advent countdown on December 1st. We do something each day that points us to Jesus Christ and sets our hearts on Him.
The internet is full of Advent ideas – and if you have Pinterest, you’ve got access to just about them all. I’ve been collecting a Pinterest Advent board for over a year now. If you’d like to see/follow that board, click here. Many families use Advent to count-down the days until Santa comes. There isn’t anything wrong with that. But as Christian familes, Christmas is to be so much more to us than the day that Santa comes. So, I seek to offer our family something each year that will help us put our focus on Jesus Christ and on His Gift to us.
As our children have grown older, the Advent activity has needed to grow with them. But I couldn’t find much to offer to a household of teens. So the Lord helped me write an Advent Devotional to be used with teens and adults. Click here for more info on that. PS: It’s free!
For young children, what can we put in these little envelopes, drawers, or pockets?
Some people put candy in each one. Or money. Or a fun activity for the day. (This site has some good ideas for that.) But in order to use Advent as a focus toward Jesus, we also include either a scripture verse (part of the Christmas story), or a Name of Jesus.
Our family has used the Names of Jesus in various ways at Christmas. I’ll usually choose 25 favorite names, or let the family contribute to choosing the 25. Then each name and reference is written on a small strip of paper. I’ll tuck it in whatever calender we are using, and if there’s room, I’ll include a little candy or something.
Or: How about putting a letter of the alphabet in each pocket/drawer? Whatever letter is drawn out for that day, have everyone list things they know and love about God and Jesus that begin with that letter… or a Scripture verse with a key word begining with that letter… or list things begining with that letter for which they are thankful. Just a thought I’m kickin’ around… 😉
As James 1:5 promises, if we lack wisdom, we can ask God, and He will give it to us! So ask Him what He would like for you to put in your advent envelopes and boxes this year. He will show you. It’s a promise! 🙂
Advent Ornaments
Last year I finally got around to making a set of ornaments with the names of Jesus on them. We used them in the mantle greenery – but then I saw an idea of using them as an Advent activity. We placed the ornaments in a beautiful bowl and each day we drew out one ornament, read about that Name from Scripture, then hung it on the lighted mantle greenery. It was a special way to begin each day as a family.
Here are a few of my favorite Advent Calendar ideas from Pinterest. If they were linked to a blog/website, I’ll link to that site.
Advent Envelopes
One envelope to be opened a day.
Advent Matchbook Calendar
The instructions to make this cute little thing are on this site.
Other Advent Calendar calendars:
This blog contains links to each of these cute ideas.
Advent Coloring Book
If you have young children, you could print out one page for each day and read the Scripture as your little ones color. This is the website for these pages (one per week). And this site has 25 individual pages to print and color.
Jesse Tree
Another wonderful Advent idea is The Jesse Tree. The Jesse Tree represents the family tree or the geneology of Jesus Christ, telling of God’s salvation plan beginning with creation and continueing through the Old Testament, to the comming Messiah. The name comes from Isaiah 11:1, “Then a shoot will spring from the stem of Jesse, and a branch from his roots will bear fruit.”
Each day of Advent, a homemade ornament is added to the Jesse Tree. Each ornament represents a prophecy fortelling of Christ, or the ancestors in the lieneage of Christ, or symbols of Christianity. As the ornaments are made, and then later placed on the tree, the story is told, imprinted and remembered.
We did this last year using Ann Voskamp’s Jesse Tree Journey (free e-book for anyone who follows her blog via email.) It was wonderful. We made the ornaments and set up a tiny tree on our kitchen table. Because of our crazy family schedule, we usually did this devotion at nighttime before everyone went to bed. It was a special family time.
Other Jesse Tree Ideas:
Jesse Tree Magnets
The directions for this Jesse Tree are in this blog post.
Felt Advent Jesse Tree Ornaments
These ornaments and the verses accompanying them can be found at this blog post. These ornaments could be made from paper, felt, fun foam, cardstock, anything.
Wooden Jesse Tree
These are just a few of many ideas. The fun thing about a Jesse Tree is that it doesn’t have to be perfect or extra beautiful. It can be made from paper and hung on the wall with the ornaments taped on it each day. You could even use those coloring pages (shrink, of course) as your Jesse Tree ornaments. If you have children at home, let them make the ornaments. I promise – it will be a treasure in the years to come!
One more thing:
This is a wonderful idea. A 12 day advent activity to begin on December 13th. Click here for the details and printables.
No matter what type of activity you choose, in order to help your household keep Christ AS Christmas, tuck in a little something extra of the Lord and His Word during the days leading up to the celebration of Jesus’ advent. You and all in your home will be blessed. 🙂
E-book by Jennifer: Keeping Christ AS Christmas: Preparing hearts, households, and homes for PEACE this Christmas season. Click here for more details, and “like”the Keeping Christ AS Christmas facebook page to share YOUR ideas on keeping Jesus as the Center of the Christmas season.
How to Keep Christ AS Christmas instead of merely “in” Christmas
Hi friends ~ It’s that time of year when our thoughts and lists and plans turn toward Christmas. Yay!!! I LOVE this time of year and all that goes along with it. But if we aren’t careful, we can let the activities of the holidays override the purpose of Who, what and why we celebrate. Then when December 26 rolls around, we’ll find ourselves wondering what all of the fuss actually accomplished. Let’s not be that way this year!
As most of you know, several years ago the Lord helped me write the book, Keeping Christ AS Christmas, a book He birthed in my heart and home many years ago. Presently it is in e-book form only, but I am praying that one of these days it will be published in paper form, including a workbook and 4-week Bible study & video to go along with it. Until then, adding new info to the blog and Keeping Christ AS Christmas Facebook page will do just fine. 😉
Here’s why this is so important to me: Keeping Christ “in” Christmas is good… but keeping Him AS Christmas is even better. Christ AS Christmas is not merely fitting Jesus into our busy Christmas prep, but it is determining to make all of our Christmas preparations about Him and with Him. In inviting Jesus to lead every single thing we do for, during, or because of Christmas, we can keep Him as the focus of His rightful place – AS Christmas.
Keeping Christ AS Christmas offers practical wisdom and simple strategies that will prepare our hearts, households, and homes for CHRIST this Christmas. The book is $4.99 and can be purchased in Kindle, Nook, e-book, or PDF form. Links are on ChristASChristmas.com.
“Keeping Christ AS Christmas will be one book I will read and reread every Christmas season. It is jam packed with practical advice, ideas, worksheets, and helpful resources. Jennifer writes in a beautiful conversational style. Everything focuses on the gift of Jesus, including the motivation behind gift giving. Jennifer includes the history behind many Christmas traditions. I loved the questions asked at the end of each chapter to help make it personal for each family. And, I loved how Jennifer outlined how to spend 10 minutes with Jesus in the morning. She writes, ‘10 minutes with Jesus will make a world of difference in the next 23:50 hours of your day.’”
“I would highly recommend Keeping Christ AS Christmas as the perfect gift to give to yourself, your friends, and your family. I know this Christmas will be different for my family after reading this book.”
– Debbie Petras, www.HeartChoices.com
Keeping Christ AS Christmas is a book that will literally change the heart-attitude toward Christmas of every person who reads it. If you know Jennifer Walker then you know that she has a true, intimate relationship with Jesus Christ which guides her in everything she does. What I love about this book is that Jennifer gives practical, tangible, and realistic ways to develop our own relationships with the Lord day by day. She then shares how to keep our hearts focused on Jesus in the midst of the worldly distractions during the holiday season.
Keeping Christ AS Christmas will bring us back to the true spirit of this precious season and make a lasting impact on our hearts that will last the whole year through.
– Kim Kopp, Just For Clicks Blog
“Jennifer’s e-book Keeping Christ AS Christmas is filled with ways to live the holidays honoring the real reason for the season – Jesus. The book is informative, inspirational, and entertaining. It has been a privilege to read the book and plan with renewed conviction to have the most ‘Christ AS Christmas’ holiday season my family has ever had.”
– Janie Arnold Allen Bradley, Ph.D.
“If you can buy only one book this year it should be Keeping Christ AS Christmas. This thoughtfully written book provides both encouragement and inspiration for celebrating this very special season. Using some simple strategies, Jennifer Crawford Walker details how she began to prepare her heart to have a more intimate relationship with Jesus Christ. As she shares in her book, that sweet fellowship with Jesus produces a heart and a home filled with CHRISTmas every single day of the year! If you are searching for the path to that PEACE, you can find it here.”
– Janice Dulany (who is now keeping Christ AS everything… as she is enjoying His presence in Heaven)
These responses are so precious to me. But as far as e-books go, Keeping Christ AS Christmas doesn’t have many reviews out there, and because of that, when you search even for the specific words “Keeping Christ AS Christmas” the book shows up low on the list. From what I understand, it is the reviews that will allow the book to float higher in Amazon’s search engine, thus getting the message to more people who are searching for a way in making Christmas about Jesus.
I’m not doing this for self-promotion (I loathe self-promoting), but because of Christ-promoting, I have a favor to ask of you: IF you have read some or all of Keeping Christ AS Christmas, would you PLEASE go to Amazon and leave a short review? Did God use it in any way to help you during the past Christmas seasons?
If so, would you go to this link Keeping Christ AS Christmas book review and leave your feedback, positive or negative?
HOW TO LEAVE A REVIEW: In order for me to know the winner of the gift card, please don’t leave your comments anonymous. All you’ll need to do is to go to the “Keeping Christ AS Christmas” book review link above, sign in to your amazon account (or create one if you don’t have one – it is free and safe), then scroll down the page. Where it says “Customer Reviews” it will give you an option of clicking 1-5 stars, according to how you feel about the book. After you choose a star, then the words, “Leave a Review” will pop up. Click “Leave a Review” and it will open up a window for you to write in. Then post it. That’s all. Honestly, it shouldn’t take more than 5 minutes. 🙂
Thank you in advance, dear friends. I KNOW how valuable time is, and how often I miss doing good things for others because I say I’ll do it later… and never get around to doing it. If you do spend the time to review, or even just to give the book however many “stars” you feel it deserves, I will be eternally grateful. Not for me, but for whatever impact the Lord plans to make through the use of this book.
PS: Don’t forget that daily devotionals to prepare our own hearts for Advent are published each morning on Keeping Christ AS Christmas Facebook page. Click here to like and join in.
Thank you, much love, and many blessings~
